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There is no doubt that the former Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber will have a massive impact on any team’s defensive systems. And with good reason. Nienaber has enjoyed great success with the Springboks, and since leaving the national side after the 2023 World Cup, he has been a perfect fit for Leinster. The leading Irish club is undefeated at the top of the United Rugby Championship log. However, Leinster’s success has come at the same time as Ireland’s gradual decline. The back-to-back Six Nations Champs (2023 and 2024) failed to secure the title this year. They started well…

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has set his sights on a top six finish in the United Rugby Championship (URC) as he welcomes back stars for their upcoming tour to the United Kingdom. Before playing Ulster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday, the Cape men will play the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday. The Stormers are back in the running for a URC play-off position after defeating the Bulls 19–16 in their most recent game in Pretoria. They will play Connacht, Benetton, the Dragons, and Cardiff at home to wrap off the league phase of the competition. Although…

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has given his view on the ‘Bomb Squad’ with the controversial bench tactic continuing to cause much debate in the game. The Springboks, who won the 2019 Rugby World Cup with a lineup of six forwards and two backs before losing 7-1 four years later, set the trend. Since then, France has adopted similar strategy, winning the Six Nations title with a 7-1 split in three straight games. In the matches against Italy, Ireland, and Scotland, it paid off, as they won handily 73-24, 42-27, and 35-16, respectively. Fabien Galthie made the adjustments early…

Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus are a match made in heaven, guiding the Springboks to one of their most prolific eras. Being a Springbok captain isn’t easy. Siya Kolisi has proved otherwise, leading South Africa to successive World Cups. As competition for starting positions heightens and Kolisi’s age extends, there’s been much debate, until now, on who will take the reins in 2025. Rassie Erasmus believes the 33-year-old is still the man for the job. “Our feeling is if a guy is 34, 35, 36, injury-free and the fittest he can be, as long as he is number one in his position, he…

Springboks will be without one of their most formidable players for 2025. What a blow for Rassie Erasmus. Unfortunate. Springboks suffer another blow following Elrigh Louw’s horror injury. It was a sunny afternoon on January 25; Emirates Airlines Park was the setting, and Lions versus Bulls was the occasion. A crunch match elevated by South African force, 11-10 read the score as the second-half whistle blew – a minute later, Louw was down. It looked terrible from the get-go. Unknowingly at the time, the 108 kg forward tore the ligaments in his left knee. This will likely be the last time…

Springbok legend Eben Eztebeth has been sidelined for months. Here’s the latest on this concerning story. Springbok great Eben Etzebeth suffered another setback in his road to recovery. Three months after leaving the pitch with a concussion, the Sharks lock was in good stead to return to action this weekend, only to get it ripped away. “Eben will not be available this week,” the Durban outfit confirmed. It’s been a tumultuous time for the 33-year-old, who has many people pondering whether he will make the 2027 World Cup. December 7, against Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup, was the last time Springbok’s most-capped player…

Schalk Burger suggests Rassie Erasmus has earmarked Felix Jones to head coach the Springboks if the two-time World Cup winner returns to a director of rugby role. Speaking on the Boks Office podcast with fellow former Boks Jean de Villiers and Hanyani Shimange, Burger noted Erasmus’ tendency to shift between coaching and a more strategic role away from the field. After leading South Africa to the 2019 World Cup title, Erasmus stepped back, with Jacques Nienaber taking over as head coach until the 2023 triumph in France. “You know Rassie does like two years of the head coaching gig and then he…

Rassie Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks, has disclosed why he turned down an English club before joining Munster and the ruse to add Jacques Nienaber to his coaching staff. Erasmus was considering his options after losing the Bok position to Allister Coetzee. He has since disclosed that, prior to joining Munster, he had an interview with a Premiership team in 2016. He would join the late Axel Foley, who was the head coach at the time, as the director of rugby in the Irish province. First time meeting Felix Jones In his first podcast, Rassie+, the Springboks head coach sat down with…

If the Springboks successfully defend their World Cup crown in 2027, they will look back to 2025 as the year in which Rassie Erasmus did the lion’s share of his planning. The coach of the Springboks has scouted the 82 players that caught his attention through a thorough tracking tool that evaluates competitors’ results in international competitions. “Big Brother” Rassie doesn’t let anything get away. His computer systems are picking up every inch of grass, whether it is covered or not, so there is nowhere to hide. Those who perform well are chosen. Erasmus’s next step is to put the…

Hot-stepping Springbok speedster Cheslin Kolbe became the first backline player since 2013 to take the prestigious SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year title at a glittering SA Rugby Awards ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town on Thursday evening, while Nadine Roos took home the top women’s award for a second time. Kolbe’s incredible achievements throughout the 2024 season set him apart from an impressive field of nominees, which included previous winners Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit, as well as Damian De Allende and Ox Nche, to claim the top prize. His contributions played a pivotal…