Southampton – Louis Oosthuizen finished as the best South African at the 118th US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Oosthuizen posted his first under-par round for the week, as he shot a 1-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 10-over par for the tournament.

He finished tied for 16th, nine shots behind eventual champion, American Brooks Koepka, who claimed back-to-back US Open titles.

READ: Koepka wins second straight US Open title

Out of the six South Africans teeing off at the start of the tournament, only three made the weekend.

Branden Grace carded 5-over 75 to finish 12-over par for the tournament – and lie tied for 25th.

Playing in his first Major event, Dean Burmester went 4-over 74 in his round to end 17-over par at Shinnecock Hills.

The other South African contingent – Charl Schwartzel, Dylan Frittelli and two-time US Open winner Ernie Els – failed to make the cut.

Final round scores on Sunday in the 118th US Open Golf Championship at Shinnecock Hills (USA unless noted, par-70):

281 – Brooks Koepka 75-66-72-68

282 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 75-66-78-63

283 – Dustin Johnson 69-67-77-70

284 – Patrick Reed 73-72-71-68

285 – Tony Finau 75-72-66-72

286 – Xander Schauffele 72-74-72-68, Daniel Berger 76-71-66-73, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 75-70-72-69, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 71-70-74-71

287 – Justin Rose (ENG) 71-70-73-73, 287 – Webb Simpson 76-71-71-69

288 – Russell Knox (SCO) 73-71-75-69, Zach Johnson 73-73-72-70 Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 73-70-75-70

289 – Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 76-72-68-73

290 – Li Haotong (CHN) 79-68-74-69, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 75-70-79-66, Paul Casey (ENG) 73-73-73-71, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 74-72-75-69

291 – Steve Stricker 73-75-73-70, Rickie Fowler 73-69-84-65, Charley Hoffman 71-69-77-74, Brian Gay 73-74-70-74, Dylan Meyer 77-69-71-74

292 – Francesco Molinari (ITA) 75-72-72-73, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 74-72-77-69, Alex Noren (SWE) 72-72-77-71, Jason Dufner 70-74-79-69, Russell Henley 69-73-77-73, Matthieu Pavon (FRA) 71-77-74-70, Charles Howell III 71-72-77-72, Branden Grace (RSA) 76-69-72-75, Justin Thomas 74-70-74-74, Bryson DeChambeau 76-69-73-74, Ian Poulter (ENG) 69-72-76-75

293 – Pat Perez 73-71-77-72, Bill Haas 76-72-74-71, Brian Harman 74-70-78-71, Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP) 73-71-76-73, Gary Woodland 79-69-70-75

294 – Sam Burns 71-76-75-72, Ryan Fox (NZL) 73-72-74-75, Patrick Rodgers 72-72-83-67, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) 76-72-73-73

295 – Marc Leishman (AUS) 74-69-78-74, Scott Piercy 69-71-79-76, Patrick Cantlay 75-71-76-73, Brandt Snedeker 72-76-73-74

296 – Phil Mickelson 77-69-81-69, Peter Uihlein 75-72-75-74, Ross Fisher (ENG) 76-71-79-70, Luis Gagne (CRC) 73-74-75-74, Matt Parziale 74-73-74-75, Tim Wilkinson (NZL) 76-72-78-70, Jim Furyk 73-71-72-80

297 – Dean Burmester (RSA) 75-73-75-74, Chris Naegel 73-73-75-76, Jimmy Walker 75-70-79-73, Mickey DeMorat 72-72-80-73, Tyler Duncan 77-67-81-72

298 – Calum Hill (SCO) 75-69-81-73

299 – Andrew Johnston (ENG) 73-73-82-71

300 – Brendan Steele 72-73-75-80

301 – Cameron Wilson 75-73-76-77

302 – Kevin Chappell 75-72-78-77

303 – Will Grimmer 73-72-78-80

306 – An Byeong-hun (KOR) 71-76-81-78

Cape Town – Former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has called up a couple of familiar faces as he takes the reins at Stade Francais.

Having coached the Boks between 2011 and 2015, Meyer has now called on the services of John McFarland and Pieter de Villiers to join his coaching team. 

Both men operated as Meyer’s assistants during his tenure in charge of the national side. 

De Villiers was only recently released from his contract with the Springbok and he will take on the role of forwards coach. 

McFarland, meanwhile, join as defence coach. 

Former Munster scrumhalf Mike Prendergast, meanwhile, will be the attack and backs coach, with Julien Dupuy responsible for skills, strategy and recruitment.

Bloemfontein – You won’t see Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira giving interviews this week, or flashing his trademark smile around the media.

READ: Heartbreak as Junior Boks crash out of U20 Championship

In fact, the first you’re likely to see Mtawarira is when he runs onto the field on Saturday to cap another emotional day for South African rugby and become the first black Springbok to earn 100 caps.

Mtawarira will be only the sixth player in Springbok history to achieve the feat, but he doesn’t want the limelight, he doesn’t want the glare of the cameras. He simply wants to prepare for the test in his own special way.

Silence in the media in the build-up was Mtawarira’s request, made humbly and without any form of arrogance.

But inside the team his voice will be one of the loudest as Rassie Erasmus’ Boks look to sew up the test series against England on Saturday.

The Zimbabwean-born prop has been through so much and overcome so many obstacles in his rugby career and it is hoped that Saturday will be a fitting tribute to the man whose heart is as big as his love for the Bok jersey.

Just as Siya Kolisi made history at Ellis Park, Mtawarira’s milestone will make the Bloemfontein test an emotional one, falling on one of the most important days in South African history – June 16 – and will be played in front of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

READ: Rassie acknowledges Bok defence must improve

And while Mtawarira hasn’t done much talking in the public, Springbok forwards coach Matt Proudfoot says he has one of the biggest voices in the pack.

“Beast is a big voice in the pack, and that is why he is so important to us. I think if you look at the Sharks environment and what it meant for Thomas du Toit to play tighthead,” he explained.

“Front row is about combinations, when you have played with Bismarck and Jannie (du Plessis), they were a strong combination. When he comes into our environment, our tightheads are young and he adds stability to that.

“Last year Malcolm (Marx) was a first-time starter, Wilco (Louw) was a first time starter and he came in and added stability to that environment. So, Beast isn’t quiet in the team environment. He is a big cornerstone of what this team is about.”

Proudfoot has called on his pack to respond with a performance that honours the milestone that so few in Bok history have achieved in the past.

“It will be a fantastic achievement for a very good man. He is already the most capped front row forward. I’d love to do a stat on how many he came off the bench and how many he started. I think a high percentage of his caps are starts.

“I think it is an incredible achievement for a guy like that to have that sort of longevity in a tough position like that where there is a lot of competition. I think it will be something to savour. And I’d like to see the pack respond to that and make it a special occasion for him.

“I think that will be my focus, that we respond and really cherish that moment for him. And play accordingly, that we honour him.”

Mtawarira was almost lost to the Springboks after the passport saga in 2010, when Parliament’s Sporting Committee accused SA Rugby of illegally fielding Mtawarira as he didn’t have a South African passport.

Mtawarira missed the three tests against France as the matter got sorted out, but admitted to the Irish Times that it was a hurtful period in his career.

“I am a South African at heart. I love this country. It has become my home. It is everything to me. Wearing the green and gold of the Springboks is a huge honour for me. That jersey is part of me. The green and gold flows in my blood,” he said at the time.

“It was really hurtful. I remember being emotional in front of my wife [Kuziva], my fiancée at that time, when the Springboks squad was announced and I wasn’t in it.

“I remember getting the call from Oregan Hoskins [SARU president] to say they can’t pick me for the side as they need to sort out my citizenship.

“I had to watch France play South Africa. I couldn’t even sit down because I wanted to be there with the guys.”

Mtawarira had to also overcome a heart condition that threatened his career and was forced to withdraw from the test against Ireland in Dublin in 2012 after he experienced heart palpitations. The prop twice underwent surgery for what was described as a hereditary condition and fought on.

The glowing praises his teammates speak of him know no bounds, and his love and desire for the Springboks is underlined by the fact he has never gone overseas to pursue bigger paydays. As probably the world’s foremost loosehead over the last decade the opportunities were three, but Beast simply carried on playing at home.

Proudfoot was clear at what makes him so special – his professionalism within the side.

“He is a professional. He takes care of his body, he does his work. He works very, very hard and does extras. He is just a professional prop.

“He has a very good physique, he takes care of it and he is humble. He is preparared to learn and ride out the ups and downs of a career. He is prepared to take it on the chin when he is beaten – it is a position where one you win, one you lose.

“He is humble and understands that this is the process. That is what you want from sportsmen, to be confident in their abilities, but humble enough to know that you are going to be beaten and you need to know how to respond.”

So when Tendai Mtawarira rewrites another chapter on Saturday and carves another indelible mark in the Springbok legacy in Bloemfontein on Saturday to the loud crowd chants of “Beast” when he runs out, there will be few players worldwide that command the respect both internally in a squad and across the world as he does.

So when Mzanzi’s favourite beast asks for a little peace and quiet to prepare for his big day, he more than deserves it.

Read this story on SuperSport.com

Cape Town – The Blitzboks are still in with a chance of defending their World Rugby Sevens title after they emphatically beat New Zealand 24-12 in their semi-final at the Paris Sevens.

South Africa enjoyed a perfect start to the match with Werner Kok scoring after just a minute on the board.

Dewald Human missed with his conversion attempt, but the Blitzboks led 5-0.

The rest of the half saw no further points scored, but was filled with end-to-end action and simply incredible defence by both teams on occasions. ,.

The second half started much like the first with the Blitzboks scoring early as Human stepped his marker to cruise over under the posts for a converted try and a 12-0 lead. 

Ruhan Nel then extended the lead soon after as he crashed over for an unconverted try to make the score 17-0. 

New Zealand hit back through Jona Nareki bringing the score to 17-7, but Human was on again hand to stop any thought of a comeback as he scored his second for a 24-7 lead. 

New Zealand were last to score, when Joseva Ravouvou cruised through under the posts, but it was too little too late as South Africa marched on to the final where they will face England.

Kick-off is at 18:54 (SA time).

Earlier in the day England beat Fiji 19-17 in the quarter-finals to open the door for South Africa. 

Cape Town – Despite an enterprising second half fightback, the Junior Springboks have suffered a defeat at the World Rugby U20 Championships, going down 46-29 to hosts France in their final pool match.

France led 36-7 at the break after a rampant first half effort. 

After the start of the match, the home side were immediately in the ascendency with an early try from Jordan Joseph.

That set the stage for the rest of the first half as the Junior Boks defence was left in tatters with France running in tries through Louis Carbonel, Joseph, Pierre-Louis Barassi and Romain Ntamack.

Ntamack and Carbonel added two conversions each while Carbonel also kicked an early penalty. 

The Junior Boks did managed a score just before half-time thanks to hooker Schalk Erasmus. 

Lubabalo Dobela added the conversion.

In the second half, South Africa struck first through replacement Tiaan van der Merwe to make the score 36-12 in the 47th minute.

France extended their lead to 43-12  in the 55th minute with an converted try from Jean-Baptiste Gros.

The Junior Boks again cut the deficit thanks to an unconverted try from the in-form Wandisile Simelane as the score read 43-17 in the 64th minute. 

In the 66th minute, the hosts lost replacement Maxime Lamonth, sent to the bin for repeated infringements.

South Africa took advantage of the extra man with Alulutho Tshakweni crashing over in the 70th minute for an unconverted try to make the score 43-22.

The Junior Boks had their fifth try in the 74th minute as Sazi Sandi crossed the whitewash and Giovanni Lombard added the extras. 

That made the score a more respectable 43-29 with five minutes to play. 

A Carbonel penalty was the final score of the match as France ran out deserved 46-29 winners. 

Despite the defeat, South Africa will still qualify second in their group and will play England in the semi-finals while France will play New Zealand. 

The matches take place on Tuesday, June 12. 

They will wonder, however, what could have been had their defence stood up to the French onslaught in the first half. 

Scorers

South Africa

Tries: Schalk Erasmus, Tiaan vd Merwe, Wandisile Simelane, Alulutho Tshakweni, Sazi Sandi.

Conversion: Lubabalo Dobela, Gianni Lombard

France

Tries: Jordan Joseph (2), Louis Carbonel, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Romain Ntamack, Jean-Baptiste Gros

Conversions: Carbonel (3). Ntamack (2)

Penalty: Carbonel (2)

Junior Springboks

15 Gianni Lombard (Golden Lions), 14 Tyrone Green (Golden Lions), 13 Manuel Rass (Golden Lions), 12 Lyle Hendricks (Western Province), 11 Wandisile Simelane (Golden Lions), 10 Lubabalo Dobela (Free State), 9 Zak Burger (Sharks), 8 Muller Uys (Western Province) 7 PJ Steenkamp (Golden Lions), 6 Dian Schoonees (Golden Lions), 5 Ruan Vermaak (Golden Lions), 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain, Western Province), 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Golden Lions), 2 Schalk Erasmus (Western Province), 1 Nathan McBeth (Golden Lions)

Substitutes: 16 Tiaan van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 17 Alulutho Tshakweni (Eastern Province), 18 Sazi Sandi (Western Province), 19 Ruan Nortje (Blue Bulls), 20 Ben-Jason Dixon (Western Province), 21 Rewan Kruger (Free State), 22 David Coetzer (Western Province), 23 Sihle Njezula (Western Province)