Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-10 i Star

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to deliver a cautiously optimistic Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday, showing stronger revenue collection, contained expenditure growth, and a smaller-than-expected deficit, even as sluggish growth and high debt remain major fiscal challenges. According to Nedbank’s economist, Isaac Matshego, the budget deficit is projected to narrow to 4.4% of GDP in FY2025/26, down from the 4.8% estimated in Budget 2025, thanks to higher-than-anticipated tax revenues and disciplined spending. “Revenue growth has been boosted by robust collections in personal, corporate, and value-added taxes,” Matshego said last week, noting that gross tax revenue could overshoot earlier estimates by R60 billion in FY2025/26 and as much as R200bn over the medium term. Available government finance figures for the fiscal year to date show a modest improvement…

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has described Daybreak Foods as a “poster child” for successful business rescue, citing steady operational recovery, improved financial stability, and a well-managed turnaround plan that still retains significant cash reserves. Briefing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Finance on Friday, the PIC said Daybreak Foods’ business rescue practitioners had made strong progress in stabilising the company, maintaining labour peace, and restoring critical operations such as electricity and IT systems. “Daybreak Foods has become a model of how a well-managed business rescue process should function,” the PIC said. “The business rescue practitioners are reporting positive outcomes both operationally and financially.” Daybreak Foods CEO, Deon Botha, also told MPs that the company still holds R73 million from a R150m cash endowment allocated for the turnaround strategy, adding that “cash…

The scale of procurement corruption in South Africa is staggering. Whilst we have made progress in rebuilding institutions like the South African Revenue Service and removing ourselves from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, the reality is that corruption in public procurement remains deeply entrenched, sophisticated, and extraordinarily damaging to our economy and society. There is even speculation that Covid exacerbated the problem by exposing weaknesses in the State and emboldening other fraudsters to broaden the looting. We must act because corruption poses an existential threat to our democracy, our development trajectory, and the livelihoods of millions of working-class South Africans, society, businesses and the entire economy who depend on functional public services. Behind every Rand stolen from public procurement is a hospital not working, a school overcrowded, a…

Sephaku Holdings’ construction materials subsidiaries have not yet seen a material uplift in demand for construction materials, but the retail environment for bag sales has improved, said CEO Kenneth Capes on Friday. In the six months to September 30, the group, which counts Sephaku Cement (SepCem) and Métier as its key investments, reported consolidated revenue increasing to R665.1 million from R613.8m, while net profit increased to R36.7m from R32.6m. Headline earnings per share increased by 4.9% to 14.45 cents from 13.78 cents. Commenting on the outlook for the rest of the year, Capes said he expects the operating environment to remain subdued during the second half. Nonetheless, both businesses remain “cautiously optimistic” and are positioned to capitalise on growth as it emerges. “Métier will continue on its expansion strategy, with…

While some of us are all like, “Yay, season 3!”, I can’t help but pause and wonder: Do we really need it? Is it worth it? What could possibly happen next? Their wedding? Joanne’s baptism… in Jewish culture? Or maybe she finally learns how to do her own laundry without burning it? Anyway. Whether you like it or not, Netflix has officially renewed Nobody Wants This for a third instalment, weeks after the second season debuted. Coming on the heels of season 2, which I’d call “fifty-fifty” because, as I said before, there wasn’t really anything groundbreaking. It mostly felt like that chapter in a book you have to read but don’t really want to. For a quick recap, season one introduced us to Joanne and her chaotic, messy, sometimes…

The South African Government of National Unity (GNU) has expressed a resolute stance following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that no American government officials will attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa. Despite Trump’s accusations of “human rights abuses” against the Afrikaner population, South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to hosting a successful summit, emphasising its core themes of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”. Trump’s decision, communicated via his social media platform Truth Social, reiterated previous claims of white Afrikaner farmers being “killed and slaughtered” and their land “illegally confiscated.” He declared: “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. “Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US government official will attend as long as…

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the City of Ekurhuleni has confirmed that it will support the establishment of a taxi industry killings task team in light of the increasing number of taxi bosses killed in violent taxi-related incidents. On Saturday, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for transport in the City of Joburg, Kenny Kunene, called for the establishment of a taxi industry killings task team. Kunene was among close friends and family members who spoke during the funeral service of slain Alexandra taxi boss Molefe Moekeletsi, who was gunned down in Marlboro last week. The 52-year-old was killed while on his way to work in an alleged taxi-violence-related shooting, which also claimed the life of his bodyguard. The taxi boss was remembered for his contribution…

Eight suspects have appeared in the Mbibane Magistrate’s Court in connection with a mob justice murder incident that claimed three lives in Vaalbank, Mpumalanga, in 2023. The accused – three men and five women – were arrested last week Friday morning by the Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit around the Bloedfontein area. They have been identified as Gilbert Tlaka, 58; Alidah Ramatsetse, 56; Grace Mashiane, 55; Fridah Komape, 53; Mamsi Sambo, 56; Simon Kotlolo, 51; Giveness Maja, 51; and George Modiba, 55. Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the case stems from the killing of three people following the disappearance and death of an eight-year-old girl in February 2023. “According to our investigation, an eight-year-old girl went missing on February 12, 2023, around Bloedfontein. Sadly, she was later…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has taken significant action by placing four senior executives on precautionary suspension with immediate effect. The suspended officials include the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Governance Officer, and Head of the Office of the CEO. This move comes as the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) instituted an inquiry last month to look into maladministration, financial impropriety, and misuse of public funds at the RAF. In a statement, the RAF said the precautionary suspension was taken to allow for an independent and unhindered investigation into certain administrative and governance matters within the organisation. “These precautionary measures do not in any way constitute a finding of wrongdoing against the affected officials but are intended to ensure the integrity and transparency of…

In a historic show of unity, 107 organisations from South Africa’s labour, civic, faith-based, and welfare sectors have signed the Civil Society Declaration on the Harm of Online Gambling, calling for a national ban on all forms of online betting. The organisations held a meeting at Radisson Blu, Umhlanga on Saturday. The newly formed Civil Society Coalition Against Online Gambling has launched a 90-day National Action Plan that will include marches, petitions, and public education drives. Dhilosen Pillay, former chairperson of the Free State Gambling, Liquor and Tourism Board, said the problem stems from weak regulation. “For the term online gambling, you do not have a licence for online gambling. There’s a bookmaker’s licence, which is a fixed-odds licence. Now, the National Gambling Board, formed in 2004, was disbanded in…

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has offered brotherly advice to Operation Dudula to rethink its approach to undocumented immigrants, saying that its tactics are dangerous. Mashaba said he recently held a “productive” meeting with the group’s leaders to discuss immigration. “I think their cause is justified. The only concern I have, and I stress this with them, is the manner in which they approach it,” he said in a sit-down interview with IOL News in Johannesburg this week. “Please, one day, imagine you are in government. Are you going to allow people to break the law just because they are unhappy with the government in a democratic space?” Mashaba said while ActionSA shares some concerns about undocumented immigrants, he criticised the group’s methods. “It’s a very, very dangerous precedent you are…

The decision by the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s administration to deploy crime-prevention wardens known as Amapanyaza was always deeply flawed. From its inception, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has warned that the initiative was unrealistic, implemented in haste, and lacked the necessary legal foundation. We cautioned that recruits were inadequately trained, insufficiently resourced, and had not been accredited or empowered to undertake the functions assigned to them. Recent findings validate these concerns. The Public Protector has concluded that the establishment and deployment of the Amapanyaza were irregular and unconstitutional: the provincial government lacked the power to assume policing functions, and the wardens had no lawful basis to conduct searches, make arrests, or enforce the law. Indeed, Premier Lesufi has now announced a phased disbandment of the unit, redirecting it into traffic-warden…

Nottingham Forest breathed new life into their survival bid with a crucial 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Leeds, handing Sean Dyche a first English Premier League win that hauled his side to within one point of safety. Dyche’s side trailed in the 13th minute at the City Ground when Lukas Nmecha’s low drive arrowed into the corner. But Forest equalised just two minutes later through Ibrahim Sangare’s predatory finish from ten yards. Morgan Gibbs-White completed Forest’s fightback as he glanced a header in from Omari Hutchinson’s sixty-eighth-minute cross. Dyche was celebrating again in stoppage time when Elliot Anderson lashed in a penalty after Hutchinson was bundled over by Jack Harrison. It was Forest’s first league victory since beating Brentford on the opening weekend of the season in August. Nuno Espirito…

and Enable Capital deals — chair Masondo Public Investment Corporation (PIC) board chairman, David Masondo, has said the new board was reviewing past bad transactions on principle, including appealing the arbitration process in the dispute where it had to pay R400 million to its loanee Acapulco as it defaulted on a loan and the R100m down the drain in an Enable Capital Investment. Masondo, the deputy Minister for Finance whose incumbency in the board is a result of re-enforcing governance processes at the PIC, said the board owned up to the bad deals in the past and was implementing recommendations by the Judge Mpati Commission regarding them but that internally, the entity was revving the exit processes. This is after the PIC has had to pay Acapulco Trade and Invest…

After roughly two decades of legal warfare, public spectacle, corporate brinkmanship and constitutional detours, the long-running battle between Vodacom and Nkosana Kenneth Makate has finally come to an end in the Please Call Me battle. It is difficult to describe the moment without invoking the ancient parable that has shadowed this saga from the start: the story of a shepherd who stood before a giant armed with nothing but resolve and a sling. In South Africa’s modern corporate arena, Makate has long been cast - fairly or unfairly -as the David to Vodacom’s Goliath, a lone idea-man challenging a telecommunications behemoth with vast legal and financial resources. With the announcement that the parties have reached an out-of-court settlement, the stone has finally landed, and the giant has stopped swinging.…

A former employee of the mighty organisation, Statistics South Africa, Sihle Khanyile, now a graduate of Michigan University, with a Masters in complex sampling had lunch with me last week. He is visiting home and is now based at the Saudi Statistics Authority in the Emirates. He reminds me of my advice to him when he left for Michigan. He was looking for a specific public lecture and noticed many people heading in one direction. He chose not to follow them, but then spotted a Chinese person and asked the person where the lecture he was looking for was being held. The Chinese person replied that he was also going there. The two of them went together — to a place where few others were headed. An equivalent and relevant…

Steven Knight’s historical drama House of Guinness became a huge talking point when it recently dropped on Netflix. This dramatised eight-part series is centred on the celebrated family behind the brewing company in 19th-century Ireland and New York. On the back of the passing of Benjamin Guinness, there is significant anxiety surrounding the succession plan. His four children – Arthur Guinness (Anthony Boyle), the eldest son; Edward Guinness (Louis Partridge); Anne Plunket (née Guinness) (Emily Fairn); and Benjamin Lee Guinness II (Fionn O’Shea) – find themselves surprised by the contents of his will, bequeathing a chunk of the family fortune and legacy to Arthur and Edward. However, as the eldest son, Arthur, is given privileges befitting his status, while Edward is meant to support him. Should they decide against taking…

Police have rescued three young Botswana women who allegedly fell victim to a human trafficking scam after being lured by a syndicate promising them jobs in Sierra Leone – a country in West Africa. Spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the women, aged between 20 and 23, were intercepted and rescued at the busy OR Tambo International Airport last week Friday. “The victims were en route from Botswana to Sierra Leone via South Africa and Nairobi when they were intercepted and rescued by members of Interpol NCB (National Central Bureau) Pretoria and the Germiston Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit after landing at OR Tambo International Airport,” said Van Wyk. A preliminary report indicates that the Botswana High Commission in Pretoria had alerted…

Four suspected robbers were shot and killed during a shootout with Gauteng police and other law enforcement officers in Bronkhorstspruit last week Friday evening. According to police, the suspects were planning a cash-in-transit heist when officers from crime intelligence in Pretoria received information about the planned robbery. A team of law enforcement members acted on the tip-off and began monitoring the suspects. At around 5.30 pm, officers spotted a white Fiat on the R25 towards Bronkhorstspruit. When they tried to stop the vehicle, the suspects opened fire, sparking a shootout. Three suspects were fatally wounded, and police recovered a pistol and a rifle at the scene. Shortly afterward, another group of suspects driving a white Toyota Corolla was intercepted in the Welbekend area. Police said a second shootout broke out,…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has assumed the interim chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after Madagascar stepped down from the position amid political turmoil. The decision was announced following an Extraordinary Virtual Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held last week Friday. According to the communiqué released after the meeting, South Africa will serve as Interim Chair of SADC until August 2026, pending the identification of a new incoming chairperson by the end of November. The summit, chaired virtually from Pretoria, was attended by leaders from across the region, including Malawi’s President Arthur Peter Mutharika, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema. SADC extended its condolences to the families of those killed during recent unrest in Madagascar in September and Tanzania in…

Tshwane Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya has rubbished allegations by the DA that she recently had a R46 000 unpaid municipal bill outstanding from 2023, labelling the claims as “false, misleading, and politically motivated”. Moya’s chief of staff, Andre Coetzee, said the DA’s claim that the executive mayor was in arrears is entirely false and contradicted by the city’s own financial records. “The DA’s conduct represents bad-faith politics at its worst. It is a deliberate attempt to distort facts and mislead the public for cheap political gain,” he said. This follows allegations by DA Tshwane spokesperson on finance Jacqui Uys that Moya admitted to owing the city outstanding rates and taxes from 2023. According to Uys, Moya made the admission after the DA used council processes to question her about an…

Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa rose quickly within the ANC ranks and became secretary general. Ramaphosa also made a good impression on South Africans. When he was elected president, the nation was looking forward to his presidency. The nation had high hopes. Ramaphosa is an excellent negotiator. He has proven himself during the Codesa negotiations. He’s also done well as a businessman. This gave an impression that he was also a good leader. It was a wrong impression: We read the man wrong. I don’t know where the ANC leader is taking this country. I sometimes wonder if Ramaphosa also knows, but I hope he does. Quite frankly, South Africa is going nowhere slowly. Everything is going south under his nose. When Ramaphosa became president, he promised to create jobs. He has…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has taken significant action by placing four senior executives on precautionary suspension with immediate effect. The suspended officials include the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Governance Officer, and Head of the Office of the CEO. This move comes as the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) instituted an inquiry last month to look into maladministration, financial impropriety, and misuse of public funds at the RAF. In a statement, the RAF said the precautionary suspension was taken to allow for an independent and unhindered investigation into certain administrative and governance matters within the organisation. “These precautionary measures do not in any way constitute a finding of wrongdoing against the affected officials but are intended to ensure the integrity and transparency of…

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has called for humility and patience after his side reached the Carling Knockout Cup final with a narrow 1-0 win over Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Moroccan tactician, who has already delivered the MTN8 title this season, is now on the brink of claiming a second domestic trophy – yet he insists it’s far too early for self-reflection. “I think it’s too soon to summarise my time so far at Orlando Pirates, I’ll be judged at the end of the season,” Ouaddou said after the match. “I’m still in the beginning. In the job, you have to be very humble. I think the ambition we have is to deliver in every game a good performance.” That calm and calculated tone…

JUST on 14 months ago Rob Walter was stumped. The former Proteas white-ball coach was left exasperated after facing yet another question on Quinton de Kock’s international future. “I don’t know, to be dead honest. “For the next little while, there will be no conversations between myself and Quinny as to whether he wants to play for South Africa again,” Walter said. “I’ve left the door open for him to approach me if and when he wants to do that. That might never happen.” At that stage, De Kock had officially retired from ODI’s but was in limbo about his future availability in the T20 format for the national team. De Kock never contacted Walter, who has since left the Proteas to continue his coaching journey with New Zealand’s Black…

The Prudential Authority (PA) on Friday imposed administrative sanctions and fines on Discovery Bank for failing to timeously report some suspicious transactions and for inadequate staff training. The PA supervises and enforces compliance by banks and other financial institutions with the provisions of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC Act). “The PA has imposed administrative sanctions on Discovery Bank (DBL) as a result of its non-compliance with certain provisions of the FIC Act, following an inspection conducted on DBL in 2021…” the PA said in a statement on Friday. The administrative sanctions consist of four cautions not to repeat the conduct that led to the non-compliance, and a financial penalty totaling R3 million, of which R1m was conditionally suspended for a period of 36 months from July 9, 2025. These…

Many pensioners and investors in South Africa over the last two weeks became nervous and worrisome as share prices on the JSE moved weaker. Pessimistic views of an expectation of a strong and downward correction in equity prices surfaced amongst the public. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon warned this week of a “likely” 10-20% drawdown in equity markets at some point within the next two years, while the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have both sounded the alarm bells. One almost gets the impression that the old saying of greed of the last ten months is quickly replaced by fears of big losses. Long-term strategies are quickly forgotten as asset prices undergo healthy corrections and adjustments. As uncertainty prevails on the next step for interest rates both…

The Foschini Group (TFG) share price was among the biggest losers on the JSE Friday, falling by 5.3% after it reported weak trading conditions that saw its interim dividend lowered by 18.8% to 130 cents a share. The share price traded at R85.55 on Friday afternoon, a price already well down from the R154.23 that it traded at a year before. The lower dividend was even though the group managed to increase revenue by 12.2% to R31.4 billion, supported by the inclusion of White Stuff in the UK - acquired late October 2024 - and growth in TFG Africa. The group’s management took advantage of the lower share price during the period, which they said was trading at a discount to intrinsic value, and 3.42 million shares were repurchased for…

The Gauteng Department of Health has received a warning regarding “South Africa’s procurement system that remains wide open to exploitation by fly-by-night companies.” This comes after the department acknowledged that it lacks the power to put suppliers connected to the R2 billion Tembisa Hospital scandal on a blacklist. This warning comes after ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape made the shocking discovery that the government still permits the embezzlement of public funds through formal parliamentary responses from the Minister of Health on October 10. In the scandal, 207 service providers were accused of embezzling taxpayer funds without consequence. In a written reply, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi outlined steps taken following the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report, including high-level meetings with senior management, the National Health Council (NHC), and CEOs and CFOs…

ActionSA has hailed the resignation of the Dr Knak Primary School principal after mounting allegations of financial mismanagement and misconduct, including claims of lavish spending while pupils learned in crumbling classrooms. John Moodey, ActionSA Member of the Gauteng Legislature, said the principal’s resignation followed unrelenting pressure from the School Governing Body (SGB) and concerned community members who exposed serious governance failures at the school. “This development is a direct result of the tireless efforts of the SGB and community members who flagged these issues,” he said. The allegations against the principal included financial mismanagement, among them the purchase of an office chair worth R9 500 while classrooms were starved of basic learning materials and learners were forced to use unhygienic, unsafe toilets. Moodey said the SGB had repeatedly raised red…

The ANC finds itself embroiled in renewed debate over the efficacy and sincerity of its “step-aside” rule, following the announcement that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s offer to step aside from party duties was declined. This decision, amid two ongoing inquiries into serious allegations against Mchunu, casts a long shadow over the party’s much-touted renewal process, prompting critics to question if it is a hollow exercise selectively applied based on who faces allegations. The ANC officially confirmed this week that Mchunu had expressed willingness to step aside from organisational work. This followed the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate claims of Mchunu’s interference in sensitive police investigations. However, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula clarified that Mchunu’s offer was declined, allowing him to remain active…

Prospective pensioners were warned through a recent judgment by the Financial Services Tribunal to carefully read retirement paperwork because a mistake could be costly, as a Pretoria woman found out when she lost R94 000 in an irreversible tax deduction. Susan White was a member of a provident preservation fund and in January last year she elected at the age of 62 to withdraw her fund benefit. The fund, however, processed the claim as a withdrawal benefit, which resulted in a massive tax deduction. She explained that the fund provided her with a withdrawal claim form as opposed to a retirement benefit claim form. She accordingly completed the form which had been provided to her and was paid a withdrawal benefit as opposed to a retirement benefit. She argued that…

With the SAMRC reporting that men account for nearly 80% of suicides, SADAG urges a shift in how strength is defined by calling on men to speak up, seek help, and support one another. Across South Africa, too many men continue to suffer in silence, battling depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal thoughts behind closed doors. This Men’s Health Month, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is calling for a powerful change in perception with the theme “Strong Enough to Talk.” The campaign challenges the outdated idea that strength means silence, urging men to understand that real strength lies in vulnerability, honesty, and reaching out for help. Recent statistics highlight the urgency of this message. Nationally, about 25.7% of adults report probable depression (Frontiers, Public Health Journal 2022), and…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has praised his players for holding their nerve after a dubious red card to Lood de Jager left them playing the second half of their match at the Stade de France with 14 men. The Boks did not panic. Instead, they delivered a composed performance to stun the French 32-17 in a statement win that consolidated South Africa’s position at the top of the World Rugby rankings. The Boks had to dig deep and scored three tries in the final 20 minutes to register their biggest victory over the French in Paris since 1997. Captain Siya Kolisi played in his 100th Test, but the red card resulted in him being replaced at half-time in his milestone match. “It was probably close to midnight at home (when…

André Esterhuizen is settling seamlessly into his role as a hybrid weapon in the Springbok setup. The powerful midfielder showcased his versatility once again in Paris on Saturday evening, crashing over for a well-earned try off a rolling maul and providing his muscle to the defensive wall that shut down any hopes of a French comeback. His work-rate — from popping up in the midfield to lending a hand in the set pieces — proved crucial as the world champions powered to a 32-17 victory at the Stade de France, remaining unbeaten on their five-match November tour. It’s not every day that the Boks substitute Damian de Allende, arguably the world’s top inside centre at the moment. But after a red card to lock Lood de Jager just before halftime,…

Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi produced the perfect ride on a testing Algarve International Circuit to win the Portuguese MotoGP on Sunday. Starting from pole, the 26-year old Italian controlled the 25-lap race from start to finish ahead of Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) and Pedro Acosta (KTM). After a frantic opening lap in which Franco Morbidelli slid off the track, Bezzecchi took total control and never allowed Marquez to close. The Italian finished 2.583 seconds in front of Marquez, who recovered from a mistake in qualifying to claim his twelfth podium of the season. For the second day running, Marquez was kept on his toes throughout by twenty-one-year-old Acosta, who finished second behind him in Saturday’s sprint. Acosta narrowed the gap in the closing laps and finished just half a second further…

Argentina overpowered Wales 52-28 in Cardiff on Saturday as home coach Steve Tandy’s first game in charge of the national side ended in a comprehensive loss. The Pumas, sixth in the world rankings to Wales’ twelfth place, ran in seven tries, all converted by Santiago Carreras, who also landed a penalty for a match haul of 17 points. Four of those tries came in a first half when Argentina led 14-0, were pegged back to 14-14, but turned round in command at 31-14. Victory gave Argentina their highest score and largest winning margin against Wales, who also suffered a tenth successive home defeat. Meanwhile, Scotland face a nervous wait to discover if star player Finn Russell will be fit to face Argentina in Edinburgh next weekend. The influential fly-half needed…