South Africa tune up for Rugby Championship defence with nine-try win over Georgia
When Moodie struck after 19 minutes before a 36,842 crowd in the northeast city it demonstrated the changing DNA of Springbok rugby.
Gone is the obsession with a kick-and-chase approach, and in its place has come more ball-in-hand rugby, which helped deliver nine tries against the brave but ultimately outclassed Georgians.
The result was never in doubt, given the one-off Test pitted the top-ranked South Africans against opponents 10 places lower, and it was far from a perfect performance from the winners.
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But some of the moves from the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners thrilled the vibrant crowd, and nothing pleased them more than Moodie scoring his seventh try for the Springboks.
Dynamic scrum-half Grant Williams broke to start a passing movement than involved backs and forwards before Moodie held off two Georgians to dot down in the corner to wild cheering from the crowd.
It was also a Test to remember for two of the three uncapped front-rowers with hooker Marnus van der Merwe twice and loosehead prop Boan Venter once using their strength to power over for tries.
The other South African try scorers were winger Edwill van der Merwe (two), replacement full-back Damian Willemse, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse and another substitute, fly-half Handre Pollard.
When Arendse scored the penultimate try on 79 minutes it brought his Test tally to 20 in 26 appearances for South Africa.
While fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a lively runner, he was let down by his goal-kicking, succeeding with only one of five conversion attempts.
When double World Cup winner Pollard came on he placed all four conversion kicks between the posts and finished with a 13-point personal tally.
As the match wore on, the South African dominance increased, but it was perennial European second-tier champions Georgia who struck first.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi had left the field for a successful head injury assessment test when the Lelos took a surprise third-minute lead through a try from hooker Vano Karkadze.
Fly-half Luka Matkava converted and later slotted a penalty while the Springboks scored four tries in the opening half to build a 22-10 half-time lead.
South Africa begin their defence of the Rugby Championship against Australia in Johannesburg on 16 August.
– © AFP 2025
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RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Hugo Keenan the hero as Lions seal comeback series win
The series is over with a game to spare, and the Lions have won few Tests in such dramatic circumstances. Not since Jerry Guscott's late drop-goal sank the Springboks in Durban in 1997 have they won a series in as epic a fashion. Hugo Keenan wrote himself into the history books, the Ireland and Leinster full-back's try with the final play of the game sealing the 29-26 win and the series, and completing an incredible 18-point comeback against Joe Schmidt's side. It was a harsh return for the Wallabies, who had been 23-5 in front after 30 minutes after a sensational 10-minute spell which saw James Slipper, Jake Gordon and Tom Wright all score, as thoughts turned to a potential series decider in Sydney next Saturday. 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Conan lost possession as he was about to score, but the Lions were playing with penalty advantage, and they eventually made their pressure count as Sheehan took a five metre tap and go, diving over the Wallabies tacklers to score, much to the displeasure of the Australian players. Russell's conversion hit the post, and the hosts were soon back on the attack as the Lions' struggled to deal with a far more impactful carrying game, and the penalties kept flowing. Andrew Porter and Jones were pinged for not rolling, with Andrea Piardi giving the tourists a warning, and from that second penalty the Australians worked their way to the line through Gordan and Len Ikitau, before Slipper burrowed over in the corner. Lynagh missed the conversion to leave it at 11-5 in his side's favour, but that was little consolation for the Lions as they lost Freeman to the sin-bin, and it proved to be an expensive yellow card, as the Wallabies hit them for two tries during that 10 minute spell. 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An incredible half of rugby still had time for a sixth try, with Russell drilling a penalty down to withing five metres of the Wallabies line on 37 minutes, and after some great work from Itoje and Sheehan, Jones snuck in to score, as his out-half set up a big second half, the Wallabies leading 23-17. The Wallabies landed the first blow of the second half, when Lynagh kicked his third penalty of the game on 51 minutes to make it 26-17, but with both Skelton and Valetini now off the pitch, they were facing into a final half-hour considerably depowered up front. Shortly after, the Lions also went to their bench, with Ellis Genge, James Ryan and Jac Morgan all having an instant impact to help win a scrum penalty. 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Scorers: Australia: Tries: James Slipper, Jake Gordon, Tom Wright Cons: Tom Lynagh (1) Pens: Tom Lynagh (3) British and Irish Lions: Tries: Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones, Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan Cons: Finn Russell (2) Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson. Replacements: Billy Pollard (for Porecki, 56), Angus Bell (for Slipper, 40), Tom Robertson (for Alaalatoa, 40), Jeremy Williams (for Skelton, 46), Langi Gleeson (for Valetini), Carlo Tizzano (for McReight, 61), Tate McDermott (for Potter, 19), Ben Donaldson. British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan. Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 60), Ellis Genge (for Porter, 54), Will Stuart (for Furlong, 60), James Ryan (for Chessum, 54), Jac Morgan (for Curry, 54), Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell (for Jones, 60), Blair Kinghorn (for Lowe, 60).


Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rassie Erasmus lost his head in Warren Gatland spat and dragged in Owen Farrell
The British and Irish Lions' 2021 tour to South Africa was steeped in controversy, largely due to the off-pitch behaviour of Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks chief went out of his way to provoke Lions head coach Warren Gatland and even involved Owen Farrell in his war of words. Erasmus, 52, notoriously brought match officials into question with a 62-minute-long video critique during that summer's Test series, which saw South Africa triumph 2-1. Additionally, he caused a stir by taking to the field as a water carrier to pass on tactics to his players while leading a South Africa A side in a warm-up game. Gatland, 61, expressed bewilderment over why Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk wasn't dismissed following a head-to-head collision in the 17-13 defeat. And he later said his team would seek "clarity" from the officials on the incident, as reported by Wales Online. In a bold retort, Erasmus, who was serving as South Africa's director of rugby, suggested a rematch, repeatedly branding the Lions as "scared" and "afraid" to face his team. This was merely the start of the head-to-head between the coaches, with Gatland also taking issue with Erasmus's antics disguised as a water boy. "I don't know, I think he was trying to wind us up saying we're scared," said the Kiwi post-match. "Sometimes he's capable of doing that. Last night he was the water boy running on the pitch – if you're the water boy running onto the pitch you've got make sure you're carrying water! "I didn't understand what his role was – you don't run onto the pitch giving messages as the waterboy without carrying water. My advice to him is to make sure he's carrying water next time he does that." Erasmus was suspended over a 62-minute-long video criticising the officials during the first 2021 Lions Test (Image: Vimeo) England stalwart Farrell, who joined this summer's tour of Australia as a controversial injury call-up, stirred controversy with several dubious tackles against South Africa A. Erasmus zeroed in on the fly-half, questioning what he perceived as overlooked instances of foul play. The initial incident involved Farrell wrestling De Klerk to the ground after the whistle had blown, which at the time went without sanction. Erasmus took to social media to share the clip, taking a thinly veiled swipe at Gatland's plea for clarity. "If there is time maybe also get absolute clarity and alignment on this one please," he wrote on X. "I know it's way after the whistle, but let's just align and get clarity to be sure." The second contentious moment came from a clash between Farrell and South Africa No. 8 Jasper Wiese. Once more, Erasmus believed Farrell had tackled too high, yet the match officials did not reprimand the Lions ace during the game. Erasmus took to social media to share footage of the incident and again made a jibe at Gatland's expense: "While you're at it, please get clarity on this also! ! Penalty or play on? We have to be 100 per cent sure and aligned! Can't agree more." At the time, a coach publicly questioning referees online was unheard of, but it became characteristic for Erasmus in 2021. He was subsequently handed a two-month ban from all rugby activities due to his hour-long dissection, yet he appeared not to take heed, receiving another suspension for similar transgressions a year later. Relations have been notably more amicable between current Lions coach Andy Farrell and Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt this summer. Other than a few minor disagreements regarding player availability for the warm-up games in Australia, there's been little animosity between them. However, the same might not be said for Farrell, who ignited a brawl within five minutes of his 2025 Lions debut against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday. This altercation could mark Farrell's final contribution to the Australian tour, but it was significant as he played a crucial part in securing a hard-fought 24-19 victory.


Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
What exactly makes Cian O'Neill such a good coach?
In early 2006, South Africa lit the Kerry bat signal. They were looking for a Gaelic football specialist to tour their Super 14 rugby clubs and teach the fundamentals of fielding. Mickey Ned O'Sullivan, a coaching enthusiast to his bones, answered the call. The invitation came through former Irish rugby international Conor O'Shea, whose father, Jerome, was a Kerry legend. O'Sullivan, a 1975 All-Ireland winner, was managing the Limerick footballers but made room in his schedule for a whirlwind, eight-day odyssey. Also on the trip was former England full-back Jonathan Callard and the two struck up a friendship. A year later, Callard got in touch. He was helping England prepare for the Rugby World Cup and wondered if O'Sullivan would come over to assist. O'Sullivan declined but suggested a meeting instead. Cian O'Neill was over Limerick's strength and conditioning then with Donie Buckley as their coach. 'I was telling Cian about this call,' says O'Sullivan. 'He said he'd love to meet him as well. He was mad to engage in those sorts of conversations. 'Jonathan flew to Cork airport for a meeting. We talked about his coaching and ideas that were prominent in Gaelic football at the time. He wanted to apply some of these principles to rugby. We had a good long chat and he flew back that night.' For over two decades, O'Neill has left fingerprints everywhere he's gone: Limerick, Tipperary, Mayo, Kerry, Kildare, Cork, Galway and now, back to the Kingdom. This is his ninth All-Ireland final. His tally includes 11 provincial titles and two All-Irelands. He has been involved in county titles across Kildare, Limerick and Cork. 'He is interested in connecting with people,' says Ed Coughlan, a lecturer at Munster Technological University where O'Neill works as head of the sports and leisure department. 'The first time I met him was when he came into Mayo. It didn't take long to realise he wasn't another cog in the wheel, he engaged deeply with everything that goes on.' Players crave structure and preparation. O'Neill coached against Kerry in 2020 and 2021, one a victory for the ages and the other a drubbing. His initial impact on that Cork team was visceral. Seán Powter still remembers that covid contest, standing on a rain-soaked pitch, with O'Neill's voice echoing in his mind. 'The first year or so we got real benefits from him. He was the first coach to go properly into video analysis with us. We did 40, 50 minutes of it. 'Cian was the main fella running them. He'd go after patterns that other teams play. We did basic kickouts and stuff before but he would go after the opposition big time. I'll never forget when we beat Kerry in the Páirc in 2020, the stuff he did before that. Clifford will do this three out of four times, so you knew what he was going to try to do. 'Every time Stephen O'Brien or Gavin White got the ball, he said standoff them. They will run down the line themselves. It worked a treat. I remember thinking during the game, this coach really knows his stuff.' Before every gym session, players did 20–30 minutes of ball work beside the bus lane at the back of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Hundreds of touches, nothing wasted. Powter relished all of the detail. Text a question and you'd get an essay back within minutes. Earlier this championship after Cork's win over Roscommon, a message arrived, O'Neill offering heartfelt congratulations. He brought occlusion goggles to Kildare, an innovation met with national scepticism, as if he'd turned up with magic beans. None of that lessened their value. He kept them in his kit and brought it to Cork too. 'We used to call it drunk glasses,' says Powter. 'I remember thinking my ball skills were crap with them. My skills definitely improved under Cian. Every group is going to have cynics but he was big on one percenters. If it benefits someone one percent, why not go for it.' Coaching is a brittle science. The learning curve is relentless. Part of O'Neill's draw is his willingness to ride that curve. In an online coaching and games webinar for Louth GAA a few years ago, he detailed what went right for that 2020 Munster semi-final victory and what went wrong for the final against Tipperary. The two pillars of his philosophy were role clarity and role execution. Against Kerry, they had a long prep window and a clean bill of health. But key players were unavailable for the final, including Powter. Did the replacements fully understand their roles? Did they execute? Was that O'Neill's failing? He admitted he had to learn from it all. The self-critique was candid. 'I think the coaching modules and the coaching systems in the last couple of decades are very much prescriptive,' he said in criticism during the discussion. 'Very much focused on how to perform a skill, how to kick a ball over the bar, how to pick the ball with your dominant foot or non-dominant foot, but very rarely in a coaching course I have been at has there been a real focus on the why. Why did you execute a certain skill at a certain time in a certain context? What was the reason behind that.' In Galway, O'Neill ran video sessions like open forums. The management team would stand together at the top of the room and declare that they were four heads, facing them were 40. Each player had on-field experience of their principles or plays, the coaches did not. He craved input. But that didn't mean he was easily swayed. Rigor in prep demanded rigor in response. 'Every block in training had a learning outcome from it,' recalls Niall Daly, who joined the panel in 2022, the same year O'Neill arrived. 'You could see the planning that went into each drill. It was clear to see what we were aiming to achieve with each session. He was really systems focused. In 2022, the system to beat Mayo with the two wing backs tucking in and our two wing forwards getting back, a lot of time and effort went into that to counter their running game. 'That was my only championship start. The repetition of that system, every single person knew exactly what we were doing. It felt like pieces on a chess board.' The Kildare native has been admirably frank about the entire ride. A car crash in 2002 left him with chronic back issues. Coaching become a kind refuge. As the road miles piled up, so did the pain. He spoke openly about how he tried to make his car an office, scheduling calls and utilising a Dictaphone to record his own journalling. Last year, he let Denis Walsh sit in on a commute from Cork to Galway for training. Nothing was off the table. They explored everything from his tactical systems to his relationship and starting a family. 'I often marvelled at how he did it,' says Daly. 'How can a man maintain a really good job, his wife and a kid with all the travel? We could finish training in Lough George on some miserable evening, and I'm hoping into the car at 10pm. I'm only 15 minutes from training, but you had Cian going back to Cork and PJ going back to Kildare. The commitment players give is often mentioned. You see them give even more.' Cian O'Neill holds a degree in Physical Education and a PhD in Sport and Exercise Science. For Powter, academic credentials were never the clincher. What mattered was the connection. 'I've had many coaches who have Masters and everything but I didn't find them too good. Their personal skills and man-management wouldn't have been hectic. Cian was great at that. Don't get me wrong, if you cross him, he'd let you know how felt as well. 'The main determining factor for me with a coach is the people skills. Can you get along?'