Latest news with #Springboks
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
WTC Final: Rugby big gun Rassie Erasmus on Test cricket and South Africa – ‘…it's five days of being scrutinized, second-guessed, sledged, and still needing to stay mentally sharp'
The Proteas led by Temba Bavuma will play a 4-day warm up against Zimbabwe ahead of their first ever World Test Championships final. But red ball coach Shukri Conrad had a high profile cheer squad, the best in their chosen sport, keenly watching the Australia game. Rugby World Cup double champions Springboks and their sporting director (former coach) Rassie Erasmus hosted Conrad and the rest of the coaching staff at the Springboks alignment camp in Cape Town, in the heart of rugby's Stellenbosch alignment camp in Cape Town. Conrad reckons the WTC final is the biggest stage for South African cricket, and his low-key squad who aren't exactly runaway favourites against the Australians got a bit of a leg up, when their coaching pack picked a few things on learning how to handle pressure. The Proteas are notorious for blow-outs in big cricket knock outs, but are leaning on the perennially winning Springboks for some inspiration. Erasmus saw it as a means to build a unified South African sports identity, and said the cross-code exchange would help Conrad's lieutenants to observe, absorb and even contribute as they shadowed Springbok strategists last week. According to and the seeds of this unlikely union were sown 'not in a boardroom, but over a braai.' The websites noted that during the Proteas' second Test against Pakistan at Newlands, Erasmus and Conrad met for the first time 'under smoky skies, where meat sizzled and ideas simmered.' and quoted Conrad as saying, 'There's nothing quite like a good braai to break the ice.' Braai means South African barbecue. 'Rassie and I started talking about culture, pressure, leadership, and before the boerewors (sausage) was done, we both realized we were playing the same mental game, just on different pitches.' Alongside Conrad were CSA's High-Performance Managers, who observed how the Boks manage detail, pressure, and player identity, according to The Springbok assistant coaches each presented their areas of expertise, from breakdown tactics to backline structure, while engaging with their cricketing guests about what translates across the codes. 'It was fascinating. The language might be different—rucks versus reverse swing—but the messages are identical: play for the badge, trust your process, execute under pressure,' Conrad told 'Being in that room with Rassie and his coaches gave us a mental sharpening. You see what makes champions tick—and it rubs off on you.' It is a steep task given Cummins' Australia are almost like the Bokks of cricket, with a World Cup and a WTC on their belt. Erasmus, who was architect of not just two successive World titles but also opening up top grade rugby to Blacks and taking them to the pinnacle of glory, is much respected in the unique racially sensitive society. He took understood the challenges of cricket and said the Boks too could learn from the Proteas, especially in the psychological realm of endurance sport, as per 'A Test match lasts five days. That's five days of being scrutinized, second-guessed, sledged, and still needing to stay mentally sharp. That's not just skill, that's spiritual stamina,' Erasmus was quoted as saying. 'There's a lot for us to gain from how they manage that pressure cooker.' While welcoming three new Bokks to the camp, ahead of their international season starters against Barbarians on June 28, Rassie added, 'Vincent Tshituka, Ntokozo Makhaza, and Juarno Augustus were new faces in our environment,' Erasmus added. 'And just like them, the cricket guys walked in as guests and left as teammates.' 'We've got more in common than not,' Erasmus was quoted as saying. 'The more we lean into each other, the more chance we have of both standing tall on the world stage.' It was not quite the Invictus speech, but Erasmus gave goosebumps, when he told the cricket bunch, 'Because in the end, whether it's a ruck or a run chase, the goal remains the same: to write victory stories that make the nation sing,' as quoted by and 'We may bowl with leather, and they drive with muscle but when you strip it down we're both trying to win for the same flag. Whether it's the tryline or a third man boundary, it's the same heartbeat.' Conrad of course has the tougher path to break – given Proteas' storied bottlings in white ball, but just the sheer strength of Australian Test cricket with Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith. Yet he didn't miss pointing out it was an occasion to embrace. The WTC was suddenly a few days away, crept up on the Test squad. 'It used to be a month away, now it's next week we are in UK for what is our biggest final ever. I'd like to think,' he declared. He had plenty of takeaways from the Bokke presentations, adding that it all boiled down to realising that playing for the Proteas was the biggest source of pride. 'And just sitting with some of the players and chatting with Springboks coaches, and going through the presentation that Rassie and coaches did, it's just common threads we find across all formats. We don't always put a lot of these things in documented form, not necessarily. But language is pretty much the same. What I find interesting is implementation of some things where playing for the Proteas has to be the biggest thing like playing for Springboks. And if that can be the one thing thing that you really going to hone in on, then it is the case with Springboks. And which is what we want to drill into Proteas. Playing for your national side has to be the biggest thing. I've really enjoyed the common traits between us and Springboks.' In trying to figure out a few Saffer mysteries and to unlock their last-step stutters, Conrad has sought out ideas from different sources – even netball and the women's soccer team, Banyana Banyana. 'Meeting the Springboks was inspiring. If you look at the history of Springboks, you look at recent past, two successive at World Cup, back to back, potentially a third. They obviously must be doing something right. We'd like to see what they doing right and learn from each other. It's great rubbing shoulders across different codes. It's not only coming here to learn from them. It's us almost like sharing ideas. And that was always intention when Rassie and I started jabbing. Cross pollination for everyone,' he told SA Cricket. It was an ongoing process and not something that might change overnight, but worth licking off. 'It's something that Rassie and I thought we should be spending a lot of time with head coaches. I'd like to spend time with Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, Desiree Ellis (women's team Banyana Banyana), in the soccer space, I watch every Bafana Bafana game, watched Netball World Cup when it was here. I know there's a slogan, Stronger Together and sharing in national pride is same across every code. Couple of weeks back we were watching 4*400 and 4*100 relays. There's so much pride in being involved with South African national side – be it Bokks, Bafana Bafana or Proteas. It'll help us in this journey, and can only help our country on global scale,' he said.
IOL News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995: Remembering the Springboks' fallen heroes
New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu is tackled by South African scrumhalf Joost Van der Westhuizen during the Rugby World Cup final in 1995. Photo: Mark Baker/Reuters GAME CHANGING MOMENT: New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu is tackled by South African scrumhalf Joost Van der Westhuizen during the Rugby World Cup final in 1995. Photo: Mark Baker/Reuters It is a tragic postscript to the monumental achievements of the 1995 Springboks that, 30 years later, there are just 10 survivors of the team that started the final against the All Blacks. The New Zealanders have also suffered a loss, with Player of the Tournament Jonah Lomu passing away in Auckland in 2015 because of kidney failure. He was 40. The list of Springboks who have died makes for a sad reading because they were household names that contributed enormously to the rich history of the game in South Africa James Small, Joost van der Westhuizen, Chester Williams, Ruben Kruger, and Hannes Strydom were hugely popular public figures and their deaths at relatively young ages remains keenly felt. The first member of the tightly-knit squad to die was Kitch Christie, the coach who engineered an 'ambulance job' by taking over the team only months before the World Cup. He succumbed to leukemia in Pretoria in 1998. He was 58. The latest squad member to perish was lock Strydom. He was in a tragic car accident two years ago. He was also 58. Strydom, a pharmacist, formed a formidable second row partnership with Transvaal teammate Kobus Wiese. The first '95 hero to pass on was the warrior flank Ruben Kruger. The tough Blue Bull scored a crucial try in the semi-final against France in monsoon conditions in Durban and to this day his teammates swear he scored in the final. Kruger seemed to have got over the line but referee Ed Morrison was unsighted and did not award it. If there had been a TMO, Kruger would have scored. Kruger blacked out during a game in 2000 and tests revealed he had a brain tumor. Surgeons removed the tumour but it resurfaced. After fighting the disease for a decade, Kruger died in January 2010 aged 39.
The 42
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Munster crash out of URC after penalty shootout loss to Sharks
Sharks 24 Munster 24 Sharks win 6-4 on penalties THERE WERE scenes of mad celebrations at Kings Park on Saturday night when the Sharks prevailed over Munster in a United Rugby Championship quarter-final thanks to a successful penalty shoot-out following 20 minutes of extra time. It was heartbreak for a Munster side that once more showed the character that is the hallmark of one of Europe's great teams. Rugby is not accustomed to soccer-style shootouts and there was an unlikely hero for the Sharks in a fairly unknown replacement scrumhalf, Bradley Davids, who held his nerve after the Munster kicker, Rory Scannell, had earlier missed a kick. The Sharks are through to a semi-final against the Bulls, and they are there by the skin of their teeth after the match finished at 24-24, and the extra time of 20 minutes produced no score. Munster were returning to a ground where seven months ago, they got a 41-24 mauling, a result that cost coach Graham Rowntree his job. The Shark Tank is the one South African venue where Munster have never won a match, although they came close two years ago when they drew 22-22 en route to eventually winning the title in Cape Town. Munster are at their most unpredictable when they are pinning their colours to a mast. This was the case with a collective of more than 600 caps about to retire in the form of warriors Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer. Munster have proved they are a team never afraid of delivering on foreign soil — they won a succession of away playoffs to win the title in Cape Town, against the Stormers. On paper, the Sharks were favourites. They boasted eight double World Cup-winning Springboks, mostly in a pack containing Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch. They also had a former Munster lock in Jason Jenkins, plus fellow Springboks in Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi in the backline. By the same token, Munster coach Ian Costello had picked the same starting team for three games in a row. The last time Munster had managed that feat was in 2018. Advertisement The visitors scored the first points of the game when the Sharks kicked badly into the space and the counter-attacking Irishmen swept upfield. Jack Crowley kicked astutely to the corner for winger Calvin Nash to scorch into the corner and superbly ground the ball in the ninth minute. Crowley missed a sitter of a penalty shortly after in an opening quarter that was all Munster red and very little black of the home side. The best attacking moment the Sharks could muster in the first half was a hopeful and unsuccessful long-range penalty effort by Jaden Hendrikse. The 28,000 Kings Park crowd was on the point of despair but five minutes into the second half right wing Ethan Hooker stepped several opponents to score. Hendrikse's conversion levelled the scores at 7-7. Munster fought straight back and replacement prop Josh Wycherley charged over. The conversion by Crowley made it 14-10 with just over a quarter of the match to play. The Munster men accelerated into a 21-10 lead when left wing Diarmuid Kilgallen raced up on a speculative kick that had Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi slip on his backside in the heavy dew, and Kilgallen capitalised in gathering and scoring. A prolonged period of set scum pressure from the Sharks in the Munster 22 paid dividends when a ball worked quickly out wide from an advancing scrum saw fullback Aphelele Fassi saunter over. The score was 21-17 with just over 10 minutes to go. The Sharks took the lead for the first time with six minutes remaining when a penalty kicked to the corner saw replacement hooker Fez Mbatha smash over. The Kings Park crowd raised the rafters, but they were rendered silent when Conor Murray — that wonderful warrior for Munster and Ireland — came off the bench and landed a cool penalty to level the score at 24-24 and take the game into extra time. Neither side could score in the first 10 minutes, although the Sharks applied most of the pressure. The arm wrestle continued in the second half to send the game to a penalty shoot-out. The Sharks' kickers kept their nerve, and it was the unfortunate Rory Scannell who missed first. Sharks scorers: Tries: Tries: Ethan Hooker, Aphelele Fassi, Fez Mbatha Conversions :Jaden Hendrikse [3] Penalty: Jaden Hendrikse Munster scorers: Tries: Calvin Nash, Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Kilgallen Conversions :Jack Crowley [3] Penalty: Conor Murray. Munster: Thaakir Abrahams [Mike Haley, '65], Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell [Rory Scannbell, '65], Alex Nankivell , Duirmuid Kilgallen; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey [Conor Murray, '65]; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell [Diarmuid Barron, '50] , Stephen Archer [Josh Wycherley, '48], Jean Kleyn, Tadheg Beirne (captain), Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett [Alex Kendellen, '65], Gavin Coombes. Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Lukhanyo Am [Francois Venter, '75], Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; Ox Nche [Ntuthuko Mchunu, '68], Bongi Mbonambi [Fez Mbatha, '62], Vincent Koch, Jason Jenkins [Emile van Heerden, '13], Eben Etzebeth, James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi [Phepsi Buthelezi, '55]. Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).
Irish Times
17 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Heartbreak for Munster in Durban as Sharks win after placekicking shoot-out
URC quarter-final: Sharks 24 Munster 24 AET (Sharks win on kicks) Drama, drama, drama in Durban. The United Rugby Championship quarter-final between the Sharks and Munster was a brutal struggle from start to finish, with not a quarter asked or given by either side. The mere fact that they were level-pegged on 24-24 after 100 minutes, including 20 minutes of extra time, and that the game eventually had to be decided by a placekicking shoot-out, tells the tale of the Titanic tussle. There had to be a loser, and it turned out to be Munster after the Sharks triumphed in the kicking contest. The Springbok-laden Sharks pack forced an early scrum penalty after Munster had done a lot of attacking during the opening five minutes. Another five minutes later, however, Calvin Nash finished off in style in the far corner, after a scintillating counterattack of almost 50 metres by his partner on the left wing, Diarmuid Kilgallen, who managed to beat four defenders along the way. READ MORE How can the provinces break France's dominance? Listen | 29:52 Although the home side enjoyed territory during this early period, Munster were more than 60 per cent better off in terms of possession and kept hammering away at the opposition's line. Jack Crowley, who had succeeded with the difficult conversion of Nash's try, bungled a fairly straightforward penalty attempt in the 16th minute. The defence on both sides was rock solid, suggesting this might not be a high-scoring affair. It was trench warfare upfront, with Munster front-rowers Stephen Archer and Niall Scannell in particular putting their bodies on the line in defence. The Sharks started opening up on the attack in the final 10 minutes of the first half, with Bok veteran Makazole Mapimpi regularly breaking tackles and making ground. The Munster defensive screen remained intact though, affording the visitors a slight yet deserved 7-0 advantage at the break. Calvin Nash scores Munster's opening try. Photograph: Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart/Inpho The second spell started in much the same vein as the first, with the battle for territory upfront raging on. Six minutes into the half, Sharks flanker Vincent Tshituka offloaded to winger Ethan Hooker, who beat the cover defence from 30 metres out with a lethal combination of pace and footwork. The Sharks maintained their scrum ascendancy too, eliciting yet another penalty at the set piece in the 50th minute, and through the increased pressure the home side managed to generate more territory and possession. This led to a penalty in front of the sticks, which Jaden Hendrikse banged over to put his side in the lead for the first time. The 10-7 lead was short-lived though, as Munster struck back through replacement prop Josh Wycherley minutes later. On the hour Kilgallen was rewarded with a try of his own after a favourable bounce of the ball. Crowley's conversion opened up a 21-10 lead, with barely a quarter of an hour left. After a period of sustained pressure, especially at scrum time, Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi raced across for his team's second try and Hendrikse's conversion reduced the deficit to four points. More relentless pressure led to a third, by replacement hooker Fez Mbatha, with Hendrikse once more adding the extras to take the Durbanites back into a three-point lead. Munster's Jack Crowley kicks a conversion. Photograph: Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart/Inpho A heart-stopping final five minutes followed, with Munster throwing the kitchen sink at the Sharks and forcing a penalty just inside the opposition half. With nerves of steel, Conor Murray nailed the 45-metre kick to level the scores 24-24 at full-time. Thus, the battle went into 20 minutes of extra time, which still didn't break the deadlock, both sides failing to register any an additional scores. It all came down to a placekicking shoot-out, with the Sharks coming out on top after nailing each of their six kicks while Rory Scannell missed his first attempt from the 22. SCORING SEQUENCE – 9 mins: Nash try, Crowley con 0-7; Half-time 0-7 ; 45: Hooker try, Jaden Hendrikse con 7-7; 54: Jaden Hendrikse pen 10-7; 56: Wycherley try, Crowley con 10-14; 60: Kilgallen try, Crowley con 10-21; 67: Fassi try, Jaden Hendrikse 17-21; 73: Mbatha try, Jaden Hendrikse con 24-21; 76: Murray pen 24-24. SHARKS: A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth, J Jenkins; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi. Replacements: E van Heerden for Jenkins (12 mins); P Buthelezi for Kolisi (55); N Mchunu for Nche, F Mbatha for Mbonambi, H Jacobs for Koch (all 57); F Venter for Am (75); Davids for Mapimpi (99). MUNSTER: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Casey; M Milne, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne (capt); P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes. Replacements: M Haley for Abrahams (51 mins); T Ahern for O'Mahony, D Barron for N Scannell (both 55); J Wycherley for Milne (55-66); A Kendellen for Hodnett, C Murray for Casey (both 65); J Ryan for Archer (68); R Scanell for Nankivell (76). Referee: M Adamson (Sco).
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995 On this day: Aussies subdue plucky Canada, Italy push England, Japan win hearts and All Blacks beat Wales
JOE Roff scored some nice tries for Australia as they made their come back by beating Canada after losing to the Springboks in the 1995 Rugby Worlkd Cup match. | ArtPhotoLimited Australia's follow-up game to their shock loss to the Springboks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup was against the tough Canadians and it was an ill-tempered affair in which the Wallabies had to sweat for their 27-11 win. This was a golden era for Canadian rugby and they had a host of players based at top European clubs. Their flyhalf, Gareth Rees was world class as was their South African-born centre Christian Stewart, the prop Rod Snow and the great flank/lock Al Charron. The Aussies were still smarting from their defeat at Newlands and they allowed the belligerent Canucks to get under their skins. The North Americans were an abrasive lot — as the Boks would discover at Boet Erasmus Stadium the following week — and there were ugly incidents. There was also some good rugby, including tries for young Aussie wing Joe Roff, flank Ilie Tabua and flyhalf Michael Lynagh. Australia led 17-6 at half time and could score just 10 points in the second half as the Canadians fought back. They were rewarded with a try by Charron. The balance of the Wallabies' points went to the boot of Lynagh. In Bloemfontein, over 10 000 Free Staters adopted Japan as their team for their fixture against Ireland. The Japanese were based in Bloemfontein and the locals warmed to them, with the referee being booed each time he awarded Ireland a penalty. It was easy to like the Japanese because they almost never kicked. They ran everything and were rewarded with four excellent tries. Ireland won 50-28 and scored just one more try than Japan. The balance of their points came from penalties and conversions by flyhalf Paul Burke. In Durban, rainy conditions greeted England and Italy at Kings Park for their crunch clash. England were one of the pre-tournament favourites but did not look it as the Italians pushed them close. This was the era of Red Rose greats in Jason Leonard, Rory Underwood, Jeremy Guscott, Rob Andrews, Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Mike Catt and Graham Rountree. Underwood's brother, left wing Tony, opened the scoring after a break by fullback Catt and, later, South African-born Catt repeated the act when he put right wing Rory away. The latter Underwood had scorching pace and was famously an RAF pilot at the time. Italy had an ace kicker in the Argentinian Diego Dominguez while their try was scored by prop Massimo Cuttita, who was a product of Pinetown Boys High School in Durban. The final score was 27-20 to England. In the third match of the second round, the All Blacks beat Wales 34-9. New Zealand were massive favourites to win the tournament and were expected to win by more even though this was a good Wales team. Still, the Welsh could muster just nine points courtesy of flyhalf Neil Jenkins while his opposite number, Andrew Mehrtens delivered a Player of the Match performance for his excellent goal-kicking and his playmaking, with tries going to centre Walter Little, wing Marc Ellis and flank Josh Kronfeld. New Zealand won 34-9.
