SA RUGBY June 2024

Bongi Mbonambi's ascendance to the Springbok captaincy last year may have caught fans off guard, but it wouldn't have moved the needle inside tne camp where the veteran hooker is deeply revered bv coaches and players alike. Regarded as a 'dog of war' by his peers, Mbonambi is the perfect candidate to rise to the Bok captaincy in the potential absence of Siya Kolisi, now based in Paris. France is where Cheslin Kolbe's career exploded and the Bok hotstepper takes a step back to share his thoughts on life and rugby, offering a personal perspective. Sharks centre Ethan Hooker and Bulls loose forward Mpilo Gumede are two rising stars on the South African rugby landscape who have sparkled this season. The two former Junior Boks look set to feature in…

SCARLETS 27 SHARKS 32 Werner Kok celebrated his 50th appearance for the Sharks with a hat-trick in Llanelli. The shaggy-haired winger dotted down once in the first half and twice in the second, both from pinpoint cross-kicks from flyhalf Siya Masuku. STORMERS 42 LEINSTER 12 Fullback Warrick Gelant outpaces opposite number Henry McErlean to score the Stormers’ fifth try at Cape Town Stadium. BULLS 61 OSPREYS 24 Winger Kurt-Lee Arendse dotted down for two of the rampant Bulls' nine tries against their Welsh opponents at Loftus Versfeld. UFS SHIMLAS 45 UCT IKEYS 42 Siviwe Zondani offloads in the tackle during the thrilling Varsity Cup final in Bloemfontein. The winger scored one of his team’s six tries, while UCT crossed the line five times. Shimlas, though, required an 84th-minute penalty goal…

WHICH TITLES SHOULD SA TEAMS CHASE, THE URC OR EUROPEAN CUPS? VS DEVIN HERMANUS SAYS URC The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers have found their stride in the United Rugby Championship, consistently outperforming expectations against the backdrop of increased local support and a favourable playing format. The home advantage has proven pivotal for the local franchises in the URC. Victorious in the inaugural edition and losing finalists last season in Cape Town, the Stormers thrived in the embrace of their supporters. Conversely, the logistical nightmare of European travel hampers progress in the EPCR competitions, with neutral grounds stripping away the familiarity of home. The URC offers a structured path to glory, with an 18-game regular season paving the way to the playoffs. Contrast this with the labyrinthine uncertainty of the…

'HIS EXPLOSIVENESS WAS A THING OF BEAUTY' FORWARDS 1. OLLIE LE ROUX Ollie was very strong at the scrum, carried the ball well and had good ball-handling skills. 2. BISMARCK DU PLESSIS Bismarck was extremely powerful at the scrum. He had attitude, an exceptional carry and was a good ball-stealer. 3. RICHARD BANDS He was an incredible runner with the ball and very strong at the basics. His explosiveness was a thing of beauty. 4. MARK ANDREWS An athlete with an incredible physical presence on the field and in command at two in the iineout. He also cleaned rucks with venom and had unbelievable ball skills. 5. VICTOR MATFIELD Victor was an absolute student of the lineout. 6. MICHAEL JONES The ‘Iceman’ was the precursor to the modern-day fetcher. 7.…

DAMIAN WILLEMSE ‘Back to winning ways. Proud Stormer.’ - The Stormers star was joined by Deon Fourie to celebrate Brok Harris’ 150th match for the Cape franchise, following a victory over Leinster. EVAN ROOS 'Well done Brok Harris and Marcel Theunissen. Special to play with you.’ - The Stormers No 8 celebrated a milestone appearance alongside his teammates against Leinster. VAUGHEN ISAACS ‘Legend of the game’ - The former Junior Boks and Lions flyhalf with All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu after making his MLR debut for the Dallas Jackals. JEREMY WARD ‘A dream come true kinda day yesterday,' - The Stade Français centre before watching a Premier League match at Anfield. DILLYN LEYDS ‘Short trip home but a lifetime worth of memories made.’ - The La Rochelle wing with his…

PURE GOLD COMMENT! Wins a six-month subscription to SA Rugby magazine Fadiel Dramat Absolutely ridiculous! That was a rugby incident, he never deliberately went to hurt the player, their heads collided. What the hell? Enver Philander Six weeks?! Seriously? Surely there is some sort of agenda here. I understand that it was a dangerous tackle, but unintentional, there was no malice. Norman Bowker North vs south double standards. There was no intent or am I blind? Fanie Coetsee Ladies and gents, the entry point for dangerous tackles is six weeks. His good record will see it halved immediately to three and could be reduced further to two upon completion of a programme by World Rugby. There’s no agenda to speak of here. Andre Liebenberg 'Completion of the World Rugby Coaching…