A round up of what some of South Africa’s leading Sunday papers are saying, including an update on Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane’s fitness ahead of the World Cup kick off.

The backpage in Rapport newspaper looks at the Springboks’ World Cup opener against the All Blacks next Saturday. There is also an update on Nyakane, who left the Springbok camp to attend the birth of his first child. Nyakane picked up a knock in the warm-up win over Japan, but SA Rugby reassured that the injury would not impact his World Cup participation. According to writer Hendrik Cronje, Nyakane has been pencilled in for the Test at Yokohama, but will still have to prove his fitness before the match. Nyakane flew back to Japan on Thursday to rejoin the squad.

There is also an update on the latest transfer news in Rapport as it appears Embrose Papier will become the latest player to sign a short-term deal with an overseas club. Cronje reports that Papier will join the Sale Sharks in a temporary loan move to cover for Faf de Klerk during the World Cup. Papier played seven Tests in his breakthrough year for the Boks in 2018, but his Test career has stalled this year as he was not included in the World Cup squad, with Herschel Jantjies and Cobus Reinach preferred as the backup scrumhalves.

In the Sunday Times, Cheetahs high-performance manager MJ Smith has spoken about the emergence of black forwards in their squad during the Currie Cup. Hooker Joseph Dweba, lock Sintu Manjezi, flank Junior Pokomela and outgoing prop Ox Nche all enjoyed standout campaigns to help the Cheetahs claim the title. ‘They’re massive for us and they’re all there on merit,’ Smith said. ‘ All they need is a chance, which they made the most of.’

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