Magic made – Goose-stepper off to watch the Boks
The icing on the cake will, of course, be if he gets to meet his Bok hero, winger Cheslin Kolbe.
A local business owner trading in Witbank and Middelburg really took the name of his business to another level. Phillip Basson, from Magic Plumbing, made magic by giving Zedan Johnson, alias Small Johnson, tickets to go and watch the Springboks vs Georgia in Mbombela Stadium.
Zedan will hopefully meet his favourite player and the entire Springbok rugby team.
Phillip is no stranger to the Johnson family as he and Zedan's father, Daniel, played several games together for the Pumas in their younger days.
Phillip doing duty as hooker and Daniel on flank.
Zedan, the small nine-year-old boy with his lightning speed, side-steps and magical goose-steps, like Cheslin Kolbe, stole the show at the 2025 Craven Week in Middelburg.
Zedan and his father visited Phillip at his house to pose for a picture and say thank you for the magical gift.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Four rookie Boks who could be surprise picks against the Wallabies
A few inexperienced Springboks will be hoping for a chance against the Wallabies to push their claim for a spot in the team to face the All Blacks. Springbok utility forward Cobus Wiese could get a run against the Wallabies after making two appearances in the mid-year Tests against Italy and Georgia. Picture: Johann Meintjes/Gallo Images The Springbok squad for the first two games of the Rugby Championship at home against Australia was announced earlier this week, with very few surprises for the start of their title defence. A number of inexperienced players have, however, retained their places in the group and could be given a run against the Wallabies to strengthen their chances of being involved in the two Tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand. Here are four inexperienced Boks that could get a chance to impress at the start of the Rugby Champs: Edwill van der Merwe Unfortunately for the former Lions, and now Sharks flyer, he finds himself behind two of the best wings in world rugby, in Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Despite that he has been absolutely incredible with the chances he has been given. His debut against Wales last year ended with him being named man of the match, but an injury then scuppered any chance of him featuring for the Boks over the rest of 2024. Having recovered and put in another top season for the Lions, Van der Merwe was given another go, and his second appearance in the green and gold ended with another man of the match award, after he scored two tries in the second Italian Test against Italy in Gqeberha. His third cap didn't see a hattrick of man of the match awards, but he did add another two tries to his tally against Georgia in Mbombela. Due to Arendse playing the most minutes for the Boks in the incoming series, the door could open for Van der Merwe to feature against Australia. Edwill van der Merwe has made a huge impression at Test level. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images Cobus Wiese The Bulls utility forward has a golden opportunity to get a run during the Boks' opening two Rugby Champs games against the Wallabies, considering his older brother, Jasper, is out with a suspension, and his being preferred in the group to Salmaan Moerat and Even Roos. The Boks don't have a first choice number eight in the squad, especially since Kwagga Smith's impact off the bench is so highly valued. That means Wiese could get another shot at eight, despite an average first outing in the position against Georgia, or he could play off the bench due to him covering four positions. Where he could find some stiff opposition is in Jean-Luc du Preez who holds a similar utility value, however he is more of a loose forward that can cover lock. Du Preez has more experience in terms of the overall Bok setup, but only has 14 caps since making his debut in 2016. So it could be a shootout between the two to see who could feature in the match 23 as the utility cover. Morne van den Berg The Lions scrumhalf can now consider himself as one of the Boks; top number nines, after he was picked in the squad at the expense of the experienced Faf de Klerk. Coach Rassie Erasmus hasn't been afraid to pick a host of scrumhalves in his squads of late, with even five picked at a stage, while four have been backed in most of the groups recently. However, for the two Aussie Tests he has gone with just three in Van den Berg, Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach. Reinach at 35 is heading into the twilight of his career, and his experience is highly valued, but it seems that Van den Berg and Williams will be the two battling it out to become the Boks' first choice scrumhalf. De Klerk, who turns 34 in October, could force his way back into the mix though, and Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse is also on the fringes and could fight his way back if he improves his form. But it will be interesting to see who gets the nod to start in the two Aussie Tests. Morne van den Berg is now one of the Boks' preferred number nines. Picture: Gallo Images Boan Venter The Edinburgh-based loosehead prop has a stunning opportunity to establish himself in the Springbok squad, thanks to a surprising recent turn of events. Venter looked destined to become a Scottish international, after impressing for his franchise over the past four years, and with him set to be given residency in 2026, which would have made him eligible. However, an injury crisis in the Bok setup led to him being a late call-up to the squad for their first four games of the year. With Steven Kitshoff having been forced into an early retirement, and Gerhard Steenekamp and Ntuthuko Mchunu ruled out through injury, Venter was parachuted in to the squad and made his debut against Georgia over the past weekend. Thomas du Toit, who can play tighthead and loosehead, has been left out of the squad due to resting protocols, which means Venter and another inexperienced player in Jan-Hendrik Wessels are likely the two players who will be battling it out for the second loosehead spot behind Ox Nche.
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Daily Maverick
Springboks face dilemma at No 8 as Jasper Wiese's suspension complicates Rugby Championship strategy
Kwagga Smith, Jean-Luc du Preez and Cobus Wiese are the frontrunners for the No 8 jersey as Rassie Erasmus looks to plug the Jasper Wiese-shaped hole in the pack. The Springboks ticked all the boxes in the recent internationals, with 46 players receiving game time over the course of the big wins against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia. Although the move to blood new players and combinations has bolstered South Africa's depth across most departments, the situation at No 8 has been exacerbated by Jasper Wiese's untimely four-match suspension. This much was confirmed on 23 July, when SA Rugby unveiled a 37-man squad for the first two matches of the Rugby Championship against the Wallabies. As things stand, there are no specialist No 8s in the group. Jasper Wiese will miss the first three rounds of the southern hemisphere tournament, including the showdown with the All Blacks at Eden Park on 6 September. It's a massive blow for the Boks, who are already without Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom — two outstanding No 8s who have been sidelined with serious leg injuries in recent months. The two matches against the Wallabies on 16 and 23 August should provide the Boks with an opportunity to settle on a back-row combination and rectify the breakdown issues that compromised their attacking momentum in recent fixtures. Ultimately, coach Rassie Erasmus will want some answers regarding his best loose trio and No 8 option before the team departs for New Zealand. Weighing up the options Although the squad is devoid of specialists, several loose forwards have played No 8 before, for club and country. Kwagga Smith and Jean-Luc du Preez have started there in the past and have played there for their respective clubs, the Shizuoka Blue Revs and the Sale Sharks. Cobus Wiese — Jasper's younger brother — has proved a valuable utility player over the years, alternating between lock and blindside flank for the Stormers, Sale and, more recently, the Bulls. Erasmus raised a few eyebrows after he backed the younger Wiese to start at No 8 against Georgia in Mbombela. The Bok coach may persist with that experiment at some point over the next three Tests, even though Wiese has two caps to his name. Stormers No 8 Evan Roos has been in and out of the Bok squad since making his debut in 2022. There has been plenty of debate around his aptitude for the position at Test level, and whether he is better suited to the openside flank position. The Boks have enough options at No 6 at present, given that World Cup winners such as Siya Kolisi, Smith and Marco van Staden are all fit and available. Smith started at No 8 against the British & Irish Lions in the first Test of the 2021 series and was routinely exposed under the high ball. When Jasper Wiese was ruled out of the big series against Ireland last year, Smith stepped into the breach and delivered a mixed showing across the two matches. Perhaps those performances showed why Smith is less suited to a starting role, as opposed to being less suited to a role at No 8. Over the past eight years, the quintessential utility player has been deployed at flank as well as No 8 in the closing stages of big Tests, as part of the Boks' Bomb Squad strategy. Removing him from the bench may take away an essential ingredient from what is a potent and evidently successful formula. Like Smith, Du Preez and Cobus Wiese cover multiple positions and are ideal Bomb Squad candidates. However, if they are to fill the void as the starting No 8, they will need to take on more specific roles at the kick-off, and on attack and defence. Both have been retained for the Rugby Championship, which suggests that Erasmus has seen something he likes in their recent performances. Back-row balance Because of injuries and suspensions, the Boks haven't been able to field their strongest back-row combination of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese over the past four matches. Kolisi missed the first three matches because of minor neck and Achilles ailments, and Du Toit featured in the second Test against Italy and the one-off against Georgia, after returning from a lengthy injury layoff. Both players are short of a gallop at this level and may need an extended run over the next two Tests, before the intensity ramps up for the clash with the All Blacks. These back-row selections will influence the call at No 8 — and it's worth noting that Cobus Wiese played alongside Kolisi and Du Toit in the most recent battle against Georgia. If fit, Kolisi and Du Toit are likely to start in Auckland. Although Kolisi has been used at No 8 by the Sharks in recent months, Erasmus has given the impression that the Bok captain will focus on the openside position while he is with the national side. Du Toit and Van Staden have also played No 8 at club level, but it would come as a surprise to see either of them starting there at Test level. There are many reasons to be optimistic about the Boks' title chances before the upcoming Rugby Championship, and in most departments Erasmus is spoiled for choice. How the Bok coaches solve the latest back-row puzzle, of course, may determine whether they realise all of their goals in the coming months, or fall agonisingly short. DM Jon Cardinelli is a freelance writer.
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Springboks: How much key players have made in 2025
The Springboks are stacking up the wins while the players stack up some well-earned money. The Springboks have maintained their spot as the number one ranked team in the latest world rankings following an undefeated start to the 2025 season. The Boks have won all four of their opening fixtures to date. Firstly, they kick-started their 2025 season with a resounding 54-7 victory over the Barbarians. Thereafter, the Springboks won all three of their opening Test matches defeating Italy 42-24 and 45-0 before demolishing Georgia 55-10 in Mbombela. So, let's take a look at some of the key players match-earnings to date. This article takes a look at Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Ox Nche. Please note: These figures are based off the Springboks Test matches and match-day earnings. They do and do not include their match-earnings from their opening fixture against the Barbarians due to these figures not being disclosed. Furthermore, this does not include salaries – it is strictly match-day earnings. As reported on The South African, the PONI (Players of National Interest) figures have been disclosed by SA Rugby. Each player is paid R118 197. 93 per Springboks Test match. So, this is how much each of these Bok players have made so far in 2025: Cheslin Kolbe – R118, 197. 93 (one Test) Kolbe started against Italy in the first Test at Loftus. However, he was rested in the second Test in PE and in the Georgian game. Eben Etzebeth – R236, 395. 86 (two Tests) Etzebeth did not play the first Test match at Loftus. The lanky powerful lock returned to action for the Springboks in the second Test and was selected again to take on the Georgians. Ox Nche – R236,395.86 (two Tests) Ox has played two Test matches for the Springboks so far in 2025. He started against Italy at Loftus and he was utilised off of the bench in the second Test. He was rested against Georgia. Pieter-Steph du Toit – R236, 395.86 (two Tests) The World Rugby Player of the year missed the first Test match against Italy due to injury. Thereafter, he returned to action for the Springboks in back-to-back Test matches against the Azzuri (in P.E) and against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium. Damien de Allende – R236, 395. 86 (two Tests) De Allende started against Italy at Loftus and was replaced by Andre Esterhuizen in the second Test against Italy. He returned to the side named by Rassie Erasmus to take on Georgia. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
