Category Archives: Sports News

Sport24.co.za | Brumbies too good for wasteful Hurricanes

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2018-06-30 13:36

Cape Town – The Brumbies kept their slim hopes of a Super Rugby playoff spot alive with a well-deserved victory over the Hurricanes in Canberra on Saturday.

As it happened: Brumbies v Hurricanes

The Brumbies won 24-12 after trailing 12-5 at half-time.

The Brumbies scored four tries through centre Kyle Godwin, hooker Folau Fainga’a, lock Rory Arnold and wing Andrew Muirhead. Flyhalf Christian Lealiifano added a conversion, as did replacement Matt Lucas.

The Hurricanes, who were missed a string of their All Blacks stars, replied with tries by scrumhalf TJ Perenara and wing Julian Savea. Centre Jordie Barrett was on target with a conversion.

The Brumbies picked up four points for their win, but stayed third in the Australian Conference. They did however move to ninth in the Overall standings, one spot outside the playoffs with two matches to play.

The Hurricanes, who were wasteful in their play and frustrated by referee Nick Briant’s at times puzzling interpretations of the law, left empty-handed.

Despite their point-less trip across the Tasman Sea, the Hurricanes stayed second and fourth in the New Zealand Conference and Overall log, respectively, but does mean their compatriots, the Crusaders, only require one more point from their remaining two matches to clinch the all-important top spot in the standings – and a potential home final should they progress that far.

In next weekend’s Round 18 action, the Brumbies travel to Hamilton to play the Chiefs (Saturday, July 7 at 07:15 SA time), while the Hurricanes welcome the Blues to Wellington (Saturday, July 7 at 09:35 SA time).

Teams:

Brumbies

15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Andrew Muirhead, 10 Christian Lealiifano (captain), 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock, 6 Tom Cusack, 5 Blake Enever, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio

Substitutes: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Nic Mayhew, 18 Les Leuluaialii-Makin, 19 Richie Arnold, 20 Darcy Swain, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 Wharenui Hawera, 23 Lausii Taliauli

Hurricanes

15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Jordie Barrett, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 TJ Perenara (captain), 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Sam Henwood, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Toby Smith

Substitutes: 16 James O’Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Blade Thomson, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Wes Goosen

Sport24.co.za | Bulls interested in Vermeulen’s services

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2018-06-29 09:16

Cape Town – The Bulls are looking to add to their player stocks with two Springboks reportedly on their priority list.

Afrikaans website Netwerk24 reported on Thursday that No 8 Duane Vermeulen and prop Frans Malherbe are seen as possible acquisitions.

Vermeulen on Thursday signed a deal with Japanese club Kubota Spears, but it’s uncertain where he will head after the 2018 Japanese season ends in December this year.

Vermeulen will join the Kubota Spears after his contract with French club Toulon recently came to an end.

A report earlier in the week suggested he could join English club Bath, but the Bulls are seemingly eager for him to play for them in next year’s Super Rugby competition.

Vermeulen represented the Springboks in their Test series against England this month, but indicated that he would not be available for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

“I am honoured and grateful to be a member of the Kubota family and looking forward to joining the Spears,” Vermeulen said on Thursday.

Malherbe, meanwhile, is currently contracted to the Stormers.

After a long injury layoff, the 27-year-old tighthead recently returned to action for the Springboks in the series against England.

Sport24.co.za | Brazil outclass Serbia to qualify for last 16

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Moscow – Brazil eased into the World Cup knockout stages after defeating Serbia 2-0 on Wednesday, with superstar Neymar sparkling in a win which sets up a last 16 clash against Mexico.

Paulinho put Brazil ahead with a superb dinked finish on 36 minutes before Neymar swung in a cross for Thiago Silva to header the Selecao’s second goal with 22 minutes left in Moscow.

Having opened his Russia 2018 account with the second of Brazil’s two late goals in Friday’s 2-0 win over Costa Rica, Neymar was again impressive.

After the tearful emotion of Saint Petersburg, Neymar cut a more joyful figure after this win, blowing kisses to the crowd as the five-time champions celebrated.

As Group E winners, Brazil will now face Mexico in Samara on Monday, with group runners-up Switzerland taking on Sweden in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

In the pre-match build-up Brazil coach Tite said Neymar alone can not “shoulder the responsibility” for his team’s World Cup hopes.

However, the 26-year-old seemed content to carry Brazil’s attack, motoring through Serbia’s midfield and crashing an early shot just wide of the post.

The match at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium began at a ferocious tempo and Brazil left-back Marcelo was an early casualty, limping off after ten minutes to be replaced by Filipe Luis.

Neymar had the best chance of the opening half hour when he forced Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic to palm his shot away.

Tempers frayed when Serbia midfielder Adem Ljajic scythed down Neymar, in full flight on the left flank, to earn a booking on 33 minutes.

Brazil conjured the opener from nothing when a beautifully lofted pass from Philippe Coutinho found Paulinho, who flicked the ball over Stojkovic’s reach on 36 minutes to make it 1-0 at the break.

Serbia repeatedly struggled to contain Brazil’s fleet-footed attack.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic was the next Serbian midfielder to be booked when he fouled Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus on 48 minutes.

Serbia’s brightest spell came with half an hour left, only to be let down by poor finishing.

Ljajic stumbled to take a return pass after a charging run into Brazil’s box and then fired over shortly after.

Then with his defence beaten, Brazil goalkeeper Alisson palmed a save straight at Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the Serbia forward could only head the ball back into the grateful arms of the Brazilian shotstopper.

To cap Serbia’s frustrations, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic fired wide, then Mitrovic guided a powerful header straight at Alisson from a corner.

However, Brazil made sure of the win when Neymar swung in a free-kick and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Thiago crashed home his header, unmarked at the near post, on 68 minutes.

With one eye on the last 16, Tite took off Countinho with ten minutes left while Neymar twice went close to scoring the Selecao’s third late on, but the Brazil coach can be happy with his star forward.

Sport24.co.za | WPRU inch closer to move from Newlands to CT Stadium

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2018-06-26 20:51

Cape Town – It appears a foregone conclusion that the Western Province Rugby Union (WPRU) will move its headquarters from Newlands to the Cape Town Stadium.

Recent reports indicated that last Saturday’s Test between South Africa and England was the last one to be staged at Newlands.

WPRU president Thelo Wakefield responded to the reports by saying they first needed to talk to the clubs “before anything can be stated as a matter of fact”.

Wakefield on Tuesday told Netwerk24 that the union had held an “information session” with the clubs on Monday night.

Wakefield said the clubs were satisfied that they were “busy with a good thing”.

“If we want to develop a world class union then we also need world class facilities and offer our supporters a world class experience,” he added.

Wakefield refrained from saying when the move would officially be announced and said a few things still needed to be clarified with the City of Cape Town.

READ: No Test rugby for Cape Town Stadium in 2019

Newlands, nor the Cape Town Stadium for that matter, will not host a Test in 2019 with no mid-year internationals scheduled in a Rugby World Cup year. In addition, the Rugby Championship will once again revert to its shortened version.

Seeing as in the last World Cup year (2015) the Springboks played two home Tests (New Zealand and Argentina) and only one away (Australia), it can assumed that in 2019 the Boks will be home against the Wallabies and away to both the All Blacks and Pumas.

Springboks fans need no reminding that the national side lost all three Rugby Championship matches in 2015, finishing bottom of the standings as Australia emerged victorious.

There’s little chance that lone home Test against Australia, nor a hastily arranged second fixture against Argentina (as it was back in 2015), will be played in Cape Town.

In October last year, Wakefield admitted that WP would move to Cape Town Stadium in future.

He called it a “business decision”.

“I know there are emotions involved, but in the end that does not pay the bills. It is inevitable that we move … If our vision is to be the leading union in the world, we must also have world-class facilities,” Wakefield was quoted as saying.

The WPRU’s intention to get the ball rolling comes after recently announced plans to seize property belonging to the WPRU if the union does not pay back a loan in access of R44 million by July 6.

WP’s business arm was placed in final liquidation by the Western Cape High court in 2016 after the union was slapped with an R276 million lawsuit by Aerios for reneging on an advertising rights contract with the company.

Aerios recently confirmed it would challenge the WP’s liquidation in court while it planned to proceed with suing the union for breach of contract.

Sport24.co.za | Investigation into letter from aggrieved SuperSport presenters nears end

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2018-06-25 13:41

Cape Town – SuperSport is reportedly close to finalising its investigation into a letter received from four disgruntled employees towards the end of last month. 

According to the Sunday Times, presenters Xola Ntshinga, Gcobani Bobo, Owen Nkumane and Kaunda Ntunja sent a letter via their attorneys to SuperSport in which they expressed concerns over their working environment. 

Issues of pay, alleged victimisation and intimidation, and the fact that certain analyst roles were ‘reserved for non-white pundits’ were all raised in the letter. 

Sport24 attempted on Monday to contact all four of the presenters, but they either could not be reached for comment or were not prepared to comment. 

However, it did become clear that the feeling was that media reports had blown the letter out of proportion and that a labour issue had been turned into a race issue. 

Netwerk24, meanwhile, reported that SuperSport is nearing the end of its investigation and a statement is expected soon. 

The Afrikaans website also revealed that the letter in question was sent to SuperSport towards the end of May, meaning it came mere days after the highly-publicised Ashwin Willemse studio walkout on May 19. 

Willemse created a storm when he accused fellow SuperSport analysts Nick Mallett and Naas Botha of patronising and undermining him before walking off a live broadcast. 

Willemse maintains that the entire incident was fuelled by racism and according to his legal team, will be taking SuperSport to the Equality Court.

Sport24.co.za | Jones: Boks can win World Cup in 2019

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Cape Town – England coach Eddie Jones is “100%” certain that the Springboks will be title-contenders at next year’s World Cup in Japan. 

READ: Rob Houwing’s Bok ratings

Jones was speaking in Cape Town after his side beat South Africa 25-10 in the third and final Test at Newlands on Saturday. 

The result is Jones’ first win in six Test matches, but it could not prevent his side from losing the series 2-1. 

The Boks, after a disappointing two years under Allister Coetzee, slipped well off the radar when it came to possible title challengers in 2019. 

Heavy losses to the All Blacks – home and away – contributed to that as did a shock loss to Italy in Florence on the 2016 end-of-year-tour. 

The Boks under Coetzee were simply toothless when it came to taking on the best in the world, but since Rassie Erasmus took over as coach ahead of the 2018 international season there has been a renewed sense of optimism accompanying South African rugby. 

Saturday’s performance was poor, but it came after Erasmus had experimented with his team selection and given a number of fringe players – Elton Jantjies, Andre Esterhuizen, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Warrick Gelant – a start. 

The result may not have gone South Africa’s way, but there are promising signs. 

And when asked if the Boks could win in Japan, Jones was convinced.

“100%,” he said.

“I would have said so six months ago. You’ve got bloody good young players here and the side was always going to come together.

“It’s incredible the depth of talent you’ve got here, and even though you have a lot of players overseas you have good, young players coming through.”

READ: Springboks not out of the woods yet

Jones also praised the work that Erasmus had done with the side.

“Rassie has done a good job of getting some wins for the side early,” said Jones.

“The big difference between the Springboks now and the Springboks six months ago is that they work harder off the ball.

“They’ve got a strong maul, which is a big strength of South African rugby, and then when the opportunity comes they have the ability to spread the ball into space and they have guys on the outside who have the ability to make good decisions.

“They’ll continue to get stronger.”

READ: Ndungane hails Rassie’s Bok appointment

Sport24.co.za | Swiss comeback stuns Serbia

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2018-06-22 22:07

Switzerland v Serbia (Getty Images)

Kaliningrad – A last-minute Xherdan Shaqiri breakaway goal handed Switzerland victory as they came from behind to defeat Serbia 2-1 on Friday.

As it happened: Serbia 1-2 Switzerland

The win puts Switzerland in pole position to make it out of a tough Group E that contains five-times winners Brazil but they were pushed all the way by the Serbs.

It was a sweet victory for Shaqiri and fellow Swiss goal-scorer Granit Xhaka, who along with team-mate Valon Belrami were booed relentlessly by Serbia’s fans throughout.

Shaqiri, Xhaka and Belrami trace their roots to Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, a fact which had stoked tensions before the match.

Both Shaqiri and Xhaka pointedly celebrated their goals by making an eagle gesture with their hands, viewed as a symbol of defiance.

Serbia raced out of the blocks, funnelling possession to Southampton winger Dusan Tadic on the right flank, who troubled Switzerland with his crossing all match.

An Aleksandar Mitrovic header forced a smart save from Swiss keeper Yann Sommer after four minutes.

Seconds later, Tadic took the ball past left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, cut back on his favoured left foot and delivered a majestic cross that Mitrovic duly buried with his head.

In a frenetic first half, Switzerland had more of the ball but were sloppy with it, giving away possession in advanced positions and sending Serbia on the break.

Lazio’s highly rated Sergej Milinkovic-Savic fizzed a right-footed shot narrowly wide of Sommer’s right post on 15 minutes, and Mitrovic almost scored with a spectacular bicycle kick that went the same way minutes later.

Switzerland, who came to Russia ranked ahead of the likes of France and Spain, felt their way into the game as the first-half progressed.

On the half-hour mark, Steven Zuber cleverly teed up Blerim Dzemaili but the Hoffenheim man got his feet in a muddle and Vladimir Stojkovic was able to parry away.

But it was Serbia, who beat Costa Rica 1-0 in their Group E opener, who nearly went in two up.

Nemanja Matic missed a glorious chance to double the lead just before the break when Tadic’s in-swinging corner found him unmarked at the back post but the Manchester United midfielder couldn’t sort his feet out.

Matic said during the build-up the team were expecting a “hellish” encounter with the Swiss, who in their game with Brazil fouled star forward Neymar 10 times alone.

Switzerland grew in stature after the break and were rewarded with a spectacular equaliser courtesy of Xhaka’s 52nd-minute piledriver.

They had the better chances in the second period, with Shaqiri’s curling effort from the edge of the area grazing Stojkovic’s bar on the hour mark.

Coach Vladimir Petkovic brought on attackers Breel Embolo and Mario Gavranovic in a bid to force a winner, and Gavranovic forced a smart save from Stojkovic from a close range effort with 10 minutes remaining.

But it was Stoke City winger Shaqiri who struck the decisive blow, breaking through Serbia’s offside trap to slot home calmly as the 90 minutes wound down.

Serbia will now need something from their final Group E match against Brazil, while a draw against Costa Rica would see Switzerland through.

Sport24.co.za | Boks: Boom or bust for Elton!

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Cape Town – A howling north-wester, a good likelihood of rain.

READ: Brits’ unlikely Bok return to Newlands

With those expectations quite firmly on the radar for Newlands on Saturday, Elton Jantjies isn’t exactly going to be operating in most desirable conditions for him when South Africa tackle England in the third Test.

Perhaps that is exactly what Rassie Erasmus wants in the dead-rubber exercise: to gauge whether the enigmatic Jantjies can cut it at the premier level on a heavy surface.

The restoration of the 27-year-old to the No 10 shirt is one of several tinkering steps to the starting XV taken by the head coach as he prioritises – though only slightly, mind – longer-term goals over devotedly earning a 3-0 sweep against the embattled English.

The Lions pivot is understandably far more at home in dry, benign, hard-pitch circumstances for his beloved franchise, where best prospects usually arise for him to govern a game in his dynamic, sleight-of-hand style.

Newlands isn’t exactly the happiest of stomping grounds for Jantjies, either, when you consider his problematic lone season away from Johannesburg with the Stormers in 2013.

So this really amounts, potentially, to a sink-or-swim sort of outing for him in terms of his embeddedness as a Test squad presence.

His 26th cap and 19th start, in a fairly bumpy Test career stretching back to 2012, comes against a backdrop of knowledge that Handre Pollard has pretty much re-established himself as the first choice flyhalf and simply has a “semi-rest” with the series in the bag by being curtailed to the bench this time.

Given Western Cape-born Pollard’s known assuredness – and physical superiority — in wintry conditions, this amounts to an even more rigorous examination of Jantjies’ game management out of his comfort zone.

Still, to his favour, of course, is that he gets reacquainted with Faf de Klerk, an old Lions ally before his switch to Sale Sharks, as the man one channel nearer the furnace at scrumhalf.

Given the way De Klerk used his left boot to good effect in the second Test at Bloemfontein, Jantjies may also be under less pressure to be at the fulcrum of all tactical kicking considerations.

Another assuring fact is that, even if he is hardly the most muscular customer to police the pivot area (though he lacks little in fortitude), Jantjies has some sturdy timber near him on the outside, as Sharks blockbuster Andre Esterhuizen earns a second opportunity to start for his country at No 12.

Esterhuizen, one of few to shine in Washington DC, and Jantjies are among five players who started the defeat against Wales, and now have the chance to atone by featuring again as run-on customers in a potentially winning cause.

Just as interestingly, England have also gone the flair route, if you like, at flyhalf – despite knowledge of the brewing nasty weather – by naming occasional “bad boy” Danny Cipriani as their No 10, ahead of George Ford.

Although there have been nine substitute appearances since, Cipriani hasn’t started a Test match for England since an ignominious day for them in November 2008: when the very Springboks routed them by a record 42-6 at Twickenham.

Speaking of players being fielded in environments that they would not automatically pick if given the luxury, the Boks giving exciting Bulls runner Warrick Gelant a crack at fullback – his maiden start in his favoured berth – is also a shrewd move by Erasmus to gauge whether he can tick more defence-orientated boxes in difficult, decidedly non-Highveld conditions.

There may be some spectators, especially those who paid top-tier prices for their tickets, just a little miffed that the coach has pulled out a few smooth-firing players (including Willie le Roux, Pollard and Bongi Mbonambi) from the XV for this weekend.

But give Erasmus his due: at least so far, he looks like the proverbial man with a plan … and that “plan” includes very necessary depth-swelling considerations geared toward World Cup 2019.

It also keeps all his charges, you’d think, firmly on their toes.

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing

Sport24.co.za | Sports minister welcomes SuperSport’s Willemse findings

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2018-06-20 15:25

Cape Town – South Africa’s Sports Ministry has welcomed the findings of the independent review into the sensational May 19 on-air incident involving SuperSport rugby pundits Ashwin Willemse, Nick Mallett and Naas Botha.

READ: Willemse to take SuperSport matter to Equality Court

Willemse last month walked off a live television set when he claimed he “felt patronised” by co-analysts Mallett and Botha.

On Tuesday, SuperSport CEO Gideon Khobane confirmed that no suggestions of racism were found on the part of Mallett and Botha, and confirmed that Willemse himself refrained from taking part in the review process with Advocate Vincent Maleka SC.

Vuyo Mhaga, the spokesperson for Minister of Sport and Recreation Tokozile Xasa, on Wednesday told EWN Sport: “We’ve noted and welcomed the investigation. That’s what we called for. Obviously, we’re a bit poorer because the major person in the whole thing, Mr Willemse, did not participate.”

After the findings of the report were released on Tuesday, the ministry initially refrained from commenting.

Mhaga had told Netwerk24 that the minister would thoroughly examine the report before commenting on its findings.

Immediately after the incident occurred in May, Xasa had sensationally called for the suspension of Botha and Mallett.

“This behaviour of entitlement by some white South Africans who continue to think that their whiteness represent better must come to an end, if it was not for a barbaric nonsensical apartheid system that privileged them we could not have implemented quota system to normalise an otherwise abnormal system. The continued appearance of Mallet and Botha will be seen as an endorsement of their alleged racist behaviour,” Xasa said in a statement released on May 20.

READ: The full Ashwin Willemse studio walk-off report

Sport24.co.za | Rassie backs Bok youngsters to improve defence

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Cape Town – The Springboks, over the last two weekends, have done enough to suggest that there is hope yet. 

Back-to-back wins over Eddie Jones’ England, who not so long ago were considered the only nation capable of challenging New Zealand at next year’s Rugby World Cup, have gone a long way towards extinguishing the disappointment that came in 2016 and 2017. 

For all his good intentions, the Allister Coetzee era will go down as one of the darkest periods in South African rugby history. 

When the decision was taken to part ways with the former Stormers boss at the end of 2017, South African rugby needed an injection of something fresh. 

Three Tests into Rassie Erasmus’ tenure as coach, that seems to be exactly what has happened. 

The first two Tests against England in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein have seen the Boks play an attacking brand of rugby that was absent throughout the Coetzee era. 

While still paying mind to the traditional strengths of Bok rugby, Erasmus has this side looking as enterprising as ever with ball in hand. 

The likes of Faf de Klerk, Willie le Roux, Aphiwe Dyantyi and S’bu Nkosi have been particularly exciting when moving forward, and for the first time in a long time it seems like the Boks have the ability to hurt opposition sides with quick recycling or turnover ball. 

That said, the starts in both Test matches remain a concern. 

In Johannesburg the Boks were 24-3 down in no time while, in Bloemfontein, they conceded two early tries to go 12-0 down. 

The intensity on attack that followed meant that the Boks could recover, but there are still worries over the defensive frailties that have existed, especially in the wide channels where England have found space. 

Both Nkosi and Dyantyi have been found wanting at times, while there are also suggestions that the defensive alignment between Am and his wings is slightly out of sync. 

Whatever it is, Erasmus believes that the problems will be rectified with time.

“I think it’s just experience. It’s like putting a short putt in your back yard; when it’s only you watching that putt you’ll nail it every single time,” he explained.

“But if you do it in front of 50 000 under pressure, the only way you can get used to that is to feel it under that situation and make those mistakes.

“Then you go and do the review and put it under the same pressure at training sessions and just repeat that process so that they get used to it.”

Am has now played three Tests for the Boks while Dyantyi and Nkosi have two each.

“They are young, and they’ll get it right over time,” Erasmus said.

“It almost cost us the game (in the first Test), but those guys who made those mistakes scored some wonderful tries as well. For us as coaches it’s about staying calm and giving the guys time to learn from their mistakes.”

While the overall picture is positive, and the improvement is there for all to see, Erasmus conceded that there was still a lot to be done.

“On the field I think we’ve definitely improved in areas which we thought previously were some of our weaknesses,” he said.

“We’re not great yet but I think the kicking game and aerial skills are getting better and, tactically, I think we are more or less getting better with the balance between attack and defence.”

Erasmus has conceded that there will be a number of changes made to his side for the 3rd Test in Cape Town on Saturday. 

Kick-off is at 17:05.