Scrum value can’t be underestimated
The set-piece battle between the Lions and Sharks on Saturday sent out another stark reminder about the match-defining perils of a malfunctioning scrum, writes CRAIG LEWIS.
De Bruin: Dyantyi is ‘unreal’
Coach Swys de Bruin credited his young players after the Lions’ 26-19 win against the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday. Twenty-three-year-old wing Aphiwe Dyantyi made his Super Rugby debut, having starred for UJ in the Varsity Cup, while 20-year-old flank Hacjiva Dayimani came off the bench. Dyantyi produced a Man of the Match performance, which included a superb solo try. Dayimani won a last-minute… Read more →
Du Toit to stay at tighthead
Sharks coach Robert du Preez says he is willing to give Thomas du Toit time to settle at tighthead prop. The 22-year-old has been moved from loosehead to tighthead at the request of SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus. He was given a torrid time at the scrum by Lions loosehead Jacques van Rooyen at Ellis Park on Saturday, with… Read more →
SA Team of the Week (Round 1)
JON CARDINELLI picks a South African XV based on performances in round one of Super Rugby. Three South African teams were in action this past weekend. The Stormers hung on for a 28-20 win against the Jaguares at Newlands. The Lions were too strong for the Sharks in Johannesburg, winning 26-19. The Lions forwards hammered the Sharks at the scrums… Read more →
Du Toit boost for Stormers
Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has recovered from a back injury to be named in the Stormers’ 27-man touring squad to Australasia. After getting their 2018 Super Rugby campaign off to a winning start with a 28-20 victory against the Jaguares at Newlands on Saturday, the Stormers fly to Sydney to face the Waratahs, before playing the Highlanders and Crusaders. Although… Read more →
Two former Boks to play for Force
World Cup-winning centre Jaque Fourie is set to make a playing return to rugby for the Force.
Foreign scalps the measure of progress
The next few rounds of Super Rugby will give us a more accurate idea of where the South African teams stand in relation to their more fancied New Zealand counterparts, writes JON CARDINELLI.
Mbonambi blow for Stormers
Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi will miss the Stormers’ tour to Australasia due to a burst appendix.
Super Rugby preview (Round 1)
JON CARDINELLI looks ahead to the Super Rugby clashes at Newlands and Ellis Park in round one. The Super Rugby tournament has undergone significant changes since last season. Fifteen teams will compete across three conferences in 2018, rather than the 18 sides that featured across four conferences in 2017. Two sides, namely the Cheetahs and Kings, have been cut from… Read more →
Bulls may avoid Barrett
Beauden Barrett could sit out the Hurricanes’ first Super Rugby match, against the Bulls at Loftus next Saturday. Canes coach Chris Boyd said the flyhalf would definitely not start, and may not even be included on the bench. ‘We might use it as one of his All Blacks rest weeks yet, we haven’t decided on that.’ Barrett missed the Hurricanes’… Read more →
