What weather can Springbok fans expect at Loftus?
According to the ever reliable WindGuru website, Saturday looks set to be a pearler of a day, with temperatures rising to a peak of 19°C just prior to kick off (which is at 17:10).
There are expected to be clear skies all day and hardly any wind to speak of as the Springboks look to enjoy home ground advantage at altitude.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said that the team were looking forward to the drier conditions that can be expected in Pretoria on Saturday.
'Some of the half gaps and some of the line breaks we made would have stuck if the weather had been drier' he said. 'We can't wait to play on a dry pitch and improve on our attack.
'We want to get better, the next three matches we'll be trying to focus on us before we hit the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.'
Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but the Springboks expect a tough encounter against the visitors this weekend, especially given their emphasis on the scrums and the quality of their rugby in general.
'Unlike the Barbarians, who do not play regularly, Italy do, so we will be facing a proper Test team on Saturday,' said assistant coach Daan Human.
'The one thing about the Springboks is that we do not underestimate any side, and we know that Italy are very focused on their forward play, so it will be a proper Test match.'
Human elaborated on Italy's performances this season and in the set pieces: 'They were very competitive in their first two Six Nations matches, and they have a 93% scrum completion rate, which says a lot about that area of their game.
'They also won four scrum penalties and got a penalty try against Namibia, who had a few players who have played in Rugby World Cups before, so we certainly respect them as a team.
'We are not sure who they will play in the pack this weekend, but we know it will be a good contest.'
Erasmus will name his matchday squad for the match on Tuesday.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
5 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Ellis Park collapse gives the Erasmus-era Boks two choices — fade away or rise again
How the Springboks respond to the Ellis Park debacle against Australia will reveal if the successful era is over, or whether it's a chance to reset. Rassie Erasmus smiled through the obligatory media conference following the Springboks' 38-22 loss to the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park. It wasn't a smile emitting any warmth. It was a nervous reaction to complete embarrassment laced with confusion. He was like a passenger after a car accident, trying to make sense of the wreck. After a lengthy mea culpa, in which he blamed himself, the other coaches, the tactics and even the players – 'there was a stage where I felt our heads were dropping and our shoulders were slumping'. Erasmus eventually resorted to plain language: 'We were dogshit on the day.' That was perhaps inaccurate. Because the Boks were anything but 'dogshit' for the first 20 minutes. If the game had been stopped just before Australia's opening try in the 29th minute, the story would have been about one of the greatest performances in history. From Kurt-Lee Arendse's opening try, which went through multiple phases and was scored with only 1:33 on the clock, to Siya Kolisi's 18th-minute try, which gave them a 22-0 lead, the Boks have seldom played better. The foundation of brute strength and contact dominance was there, laced with bold attacking flair and accuracy. It was sensational. Wallaby coach Joe Schmidt admitted he and his team were helpless. 'When they were accurate, like you saw that first 20 minutes, we were in trouble with wave after wave coming. It was impressive.' But rugby games are not played over 20 minutes. The Boks lost control, especially after halftime, and the Wallabies, through their own composure and resilience, secured a win for the ages. Losing is one thing. Conceding six tries and 38 unanswered points against a team that has struggled for several years, at a venue where the Boks usually thrive, is what is so staggering. That's why Erasmus looked dazed. An hour after the final whistle, he was unable to make sense of it. There are cases of teams overcoming heavy deficits to eke out a win. But how many have overcome such a heavy margin and gone on to win by miles? Answers welcome. In many ways, it was the weirdest game of rugby in memory due to the complete dominance by both teams at different stages of the game. Soul searching Some of the reasons for the collapsing performance were partially obvious to all who watched – the lineout malfunctioned, the Boks lost the breakdown battle after the first quarter, and they abandoned their kicking game. Essentially, after such a great start, they played too much rugby and moved away from the guiding principles of their game plan – command set pieces, play for field position, dominate contact and defend tightly. The reasons are visible, but the nagging, serious question is, why did it happen? What led to such an implosion – the Wallabies must take some of the credit for creating problems – and how can it be remedied? There is a growing sense of hubris in this Bok team. It might be a function of years of success, which was heightened by such a blistering opening quarter. The sight of the Boks attempting one of those midfield lineout mauls late in the game bordered on pathetic, considering they were 11 points behind with only minutes remaining on the clock. Innovation has been one of their trademarks in the Erasmus era, and much of it has paid off. At the right moment, in the right circumstances, their innovation has taken rugby forward. But producing trick plays for the sake of it, when the game was gone, looked arrogant. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, either. The Boks led Italy 28-3 at halftime in Pretoria but 'lost' the second half 21-14. Against Georgia, despite winning 55-10, the Boks needed until late in the game to break free. 'It's very concerning, and it's something we have to fix,' Erasmus said in response to the 'soft' periods in Tests. 'You know, we lost a few lineouts with some bad throws, sometimes bad timing, and sometimes the wrong call. 'We had three weeks to prepare for the game. I can sit here and give excuses, but I must point the finger straight at me, because I really thought we were well prepared for this game. 'A player doesn't go and play by his own devices and just do what he wants to do. We (the coaches) guide them and select the team. Maybe combinations were wrong, maybe plans were wrong, and maybe the halftime talk was terrible.' Positives It's a single loss – albeit a staggering one – so how the Boks bounce back in Cape Town for the return clash against the Wallabies will be telling. Can they produce 80 minutes of the controlled rugby that made them the best team in the world? Because if you take that opening 20 minutes in isolation, potentially the Boks are on the brink of a sensational attacking transformation. Had they scored additional tries late in the first half and early in the second half when they came within a metre of the Wallaby line, would there be so much navel gazing? 'We probably got a little bit lucky,' Schmidt admitted afterwards. 'Even when André (Esterhuizen) went down the left-hand touch a couple of times, one of the times, there was a loose pass, and Tom Wright went 70 metres and scored at the other end. 'So, we're realistic about how we had to hang in there, but I'm really proud of the way we did.' The controlled blitz in the opening quarter was unlike anything Bok followers have seen. There were many problems relating to game management and attitude in the face of Australia's commendable fightback, but there was also much to admire in the Bok performance. The issue appears to be marrying the new attacking intent and structure with a more conservative approach. Essentially, balancing their tactical approach is problematic. Manie Libbok remains a key player in unleashing the Boks' attack, but he failed to recognise a shift in momentum and therefore change tack. He needed to be the general that said, 'Right, now we're playing for territory, slowing things down.' The senior leadership on the field, once Siya Kolisi departed with a knee injury, also needs to look in the mirror. Where were Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Jesse Kriel to acknowledge the game situation and problem-solve in real time? It was a chastening loss and an early wake-up call for the rest of the 2025 Rugby Championship as well as for Rugby World Cup 2027. Whether this loss and overall performance is viewed in future as a game that ended the dominance of the Erasmus-era Boks, or as the moment that set them on a new path of success, is up to them. DM
The South African
9 hours ago
- The South African
Rude awakening must spark Springbok response
It was supposed to be a Springbok statement, a powerful start to their Rugby Championship title defence at the venue where they traditionally dominate. Instead, it turned into a sobering reminder: reputations don't win Test matches. The Wallabies didn't just survive the altitude and the crowd; they thrived in it. They scored six tries to three, ran in 532 metres to South Africa's 580, and made 26 defenders miss. Australia didn't just take their chances, they made their own. Statistically, the Springboks edged some categories. They carried the ball more (139 carries to 97), gained more metres, and even broke the line more often with 14 clean breaks to Australia's 10. But the key numbers don't lie. South Africa conceded six turnovers, more than Australia's three, and managed just five offloads compared to the Wallabies' 14. That tells the real story: Australia kept the ball alive, moved it quicker, and adapted better. Even more telling, the Boks had 77 more passes than the visitors but couldn't translate that into scoreboard pressure. The Wallabies' 38 points came from variety, ruthlessness and unpredictability, everything the Springboks lacked. South Africa hadn't lost to Australia at home since 2011. They hadn't lost to anyone at Ellis Park in years. But the Wallabies, ranked sixth in the world and desperate to shake their underachiever tag, didn't flinch. They came to spoil the party and did just that. While the Springboks tried to wear them down, the Wallabies were direct, clinical, and fearless. Every time South Africa threatened a comeback, the Aussies hit back with sharp, simple rugby. Rassie Erasmus' men usually dominate through the forwards. But on Saturday, they couldn't. The rolling maul barely functioned. The scrum was neutralised. Eben Etzebeth was energetic, but he couldn't carry workload of the entire pack on his shoulders. In the backline, there was pace but no punch. Despite all the carries, the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe rarely found real space. The connection between nine and ten felt disjointed. Too often, the Boks passed sideways and waited for impact; it never came. This wasn't a lucky win. It was a blueprint. The Wallabies brought controlled chaos and executed it perfectly. From quick tap penalties to skipping wide channels, they stretched South Africa in ways few teams do. Yes, it's only round one. But in the Rugby Championship, every result matters. With the All Blacks lying in wait, the pressure rises immediately. Erasmus and his staff won't panic, but they will be concerned. The numbers show effort, not execution. The game showed a team slightly off the pace, outsmarted and outscored. If the Springboks want back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time ever, this loss must be the alarm bell they answer loudly next weekend. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
9 hours ago
- The South African
UPDATED Top 10 most-capped Test players list after Eben Etzebeth joins exclusive club
Saturday's opening Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and Wallabies at Ellis Park in Johannesburg marked a significant occasion for veteran lock Eben Etzebeth who extended his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 134 matches. That feat also saw him break out of a tie with former Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray in joint-11th place in the global pecking order to joint 10th position alongside Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins. Only two players ahead of Etzebeth in the list – James Slipper and Beauden Barrett – are still playing. Etzebeth should get the chance to claim 10th place on his own when the Springboks take on Australia for a second time this coming weekend in Cape Town. At still only 33 years of age, there is plenty of time for Etzebeth to further climb the list before he hangs up his studs. Rank Caps Player Team 1 170 Alun Wyn Jones Wales (158), British and Irish Lions (12) 2 153 Sam Whitelock New Zealand 3 148 Richie McCaw New Zealand 4 147 James Slipper Australia 5 142 Sergio Parisse Italy 6 141 Brian O'Driscoll Ireland (133), British and Irish Lions (8) 7 139 George Gregan Australia T8 137 Cian Healy Ireland T8 137 Beauden Barrett New Zealand T10 134 Gethin Jenkins Wales (129), British and Irish Lions (5) T10 134 Eben Etzebeth South Africa Full names: Eben Etzebeth Date of birth: 29 October 1991 Place of birth: Cape Town School: Tygerberg Springbok #833 Physical: 2.03m, 117kg Current age: 33 Test summary: Tests: 134 Tries: 7 First Test: 9 June 2012 – Lock against England at Kings Park, Durban Last Test: 16 August 2025 – Lock against Australia at Ellis Park, Johannesburg TBA TBA Date: Saturday, 23 August Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Kick-off: 17:10 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand) Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) TMO: Richard Kelly (Australia) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
