RugbyPass • 4th March 2024 Bok to the future New-look South Africa will offer more than bomb squads and box-kicks as they work towards an unprecedented hat-trick of titles in 2027.
Daily Maverick • 14th October 2023 As France emerge as favourites to beat Boks at own game, change is in the air World Cup stats highlight the teams’ key difference in a potentially game-deciding category.
RugbyPass+ • 9th October 2023 Brutal selections loom for legacy-defining Springbok matches The Springboks selectors face a series of seismic selection calls which could define their Rugby World Cup, and their team's legacy.
Daily Maverick • 13th September 2023 Boks ideally placed to go the distance at Rugby World Cup The Boks revealed only glimpses of their full game plan when beating Scotland in their RWC 2023 Pool B opener at the weekend.
RugbyPass+ • 12th August 2023 Have seasoned Springboks struck the right balance? The quest for successive World Cup titles, and how the ageing Springbok group compares to All Blacks class of 2015.
RugbyPass+ • 28th July 2023 Springbok flyhalf headache persists as World Cup looms large andré Pollard’s problematic calf injury may force Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber to take a selection gamble at the World Cup in France.
Daily Maverick • 10th June 2023 Bulls, Sharks lead recruitment drive This is a crucial period for all the franchises, which will be looking to improve on largely disappointing Champions Cup and URC showings.
Daily Maverick • 7th December 2022 ‘Battle on two fronts’ will stretch SA resources to the limit South African clubs will have their resources stretched thin in the coming weeks as they start their great European adventure in rugby’s equivalent of the Champions League.
Daily Maverick • 4th December 2022 Bok coaches lay the foundations for glory in 2023 — and beyond The Springboks' recent win against England — and indeed the six-game tour to Europe — should be viewed as a triumph for squad development ahead of the 2023 World Cup, and beyond.
Daily Maverick • 9th November 2022 Goal-kicking crisis highlights precarious situation ahead of World Cup Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s worst nightmare has been realised in recent months, with as many as five starting flyhalf options — and essentially five of the nation’s top goal-kickers — struck from the Test roster.
Daily Maverick • 25th September 2022 Bok depth bolstered by luck and design, yet questions persist Coach Jacques Nienaber has bolstered Bok depth, and given 58 players a chance to prove themselves since 2021, but key questions persist.
Daily Maverick • 17th September 2022 SA teams to feel the squeeze during marathon European season Do the respective franchises, with their 50-man squads, have the means to compete across international tournaments – the United Rugby Championship and, for the first time, the European Champions Cup?
PlanetRugby • 16th August 2022 Springboks still looking for missing piece of matchday 23 puzzle The absence of RG Snyman has diluted the potency of a potentially invincible Springbok forward group since the 2019 Rugby World Cup, writes Jon Cardinelli.
Daily Maverick • 31st July 2022 Declining All Blacks remain a threat to burgeoning Boks The current All Blacks side lacks the consistency and the killer instinct of the galacticos that dominated the sport between 2010 and 2017. And yet, the statistics show why the present decline needs to be viewed in perspective.
PlanetRugby • 4th July 2022 Springboks must address worrying first-half trend The statistics show how the Springboks’ first-half failings have jeopardised their quest for consistent results over the past 12 months, writes Jon Cardinelli.
Daily Maverick • 29th May 2022 Champions Cup-bound SA sides must heed URC lessons SA’s away performances in the United Rugby Championship demand greater scrutiny ahead of the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers’ debut in the European Champions Cup. The local teams’ dominance at home – particularly against Welsh clubs – bodes well for the future.
PlanetRugby • 25th November 2021 Slow starts, misfiring attack cost Springboks The Springboks were left to chase the game in nine of their 13 Tests this season after delivering erratic first-half performances on both attack and defence.
Daily Maverick • 22nd November 2021 Boks bolster depth to set platform for 2023 World Cup assault While results are the primary measurement of success in top-flight rugby, coach Jacques Nienaber deserves credit for winning big Tests while blooding new players and combinations.
Daily Maverick • 8th November 2021 November internationals highlight SA exodus More than 200 South Africans have represented other Test nations since 1896. A whopping 40% of that number have won their first cap for a foreign nation since the start of the 2010 season.
The Herald of Scotland • 8th November 2021 Psychological points up for grabs when Boks tackle Scotland Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber will need to strike the right balance when selecting his team for the clash against Scotland this Saturday.