Siya Kolisi hails Temba Bavuma's courage in the face of criticism
While the clichés about Bavuma being small in stature but having a huge heart, or dynamite in a small package, are apt on this occasion, the Springbok captain also had praise for a superb Proteas team effort to tame the heavily-favoured Australians.
'It was a proper team effort. Lungi Ngidi's first innings with the ball wasn't good. He struggled, but look at the way he fought back in that second innings, while KG Rabada was as reliable as ever and top-class.
'Wiaan Mulder also stood up. Aiden Markram scoring that hundred after his duck in the first innings was also amazing .'
Bok coach Erasmus described the cricket team as a source of pride.
'The Proteas inspire us. We share the same environment, we face the same pressures. Them maybe more than us. [Recently] they were a bit like [we were] in 2018. We see our excitement for each other. They have helped us in our hearts,' he said.
'They did flipping well to fight like that. That's what South Africans want to see, that we never give up, even though I think it must get quite lonely out there in the middle.'
SportsBoom
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Erasmus breaks the mold again as backline ace shifts into forward role
Rassie Erasmus added another tactical twist on Saturday, deploying centre André Esterhuizen as a loose forward against the Barbarians. Supporters have grown used to Kwagga Smith acting as a winger-forward hybrid due to his sevens background and explosive mobility. Erasmus reversed the formula this time, using a backline player – Esterhuizen – to fill in as a flanker during the second half. The Sharks star replaced Marco van Staden in the 44th minute and immediately made an impression in the physical exchanges. Although Esterhuizen still floated into the midfield occasionally, his presence in the forward pack added fresh physicality and dynamism. After the match, Erasmus confirmed the move had been in development for several months as part of long-term planning. 'When we do a 6-2 split, we usually have Kwagga cover wing, but this time we flipped the concept,' Erasmus said. 'Now we're letting a backline player cover flanker, and André fits that role because he's trained with both units recently.' Erasmus praised assistant coach Felix Jones for managing Esterhuizen's training load effectively across both backs and forwards. 'We started talking to André five months ago about this idea,' Erasmus said. 'We wanted him comfortable in both roles.' 'You can call him a hybrid player – but he is a backline player who can also play in the forwards now. He has been training with both the forwards and the backs, and I must say Felix handles his load very well in how much he does with the forwards and how much he does with the backs. Esterhuizen was enthusiastic about the opportunity and eager to continue contributing in this new hybrid capacity moving forward. 'I enjoyed it a lot,' he said. 'I trained at flank this week and really liked the challenge—it adds to my game.' He emphasised that this type of versatility benefits both individual players and the Springbok squad's depth and adaptability. 'At my age, it's important to stay useful,' said Esterhuizen. 'This gives me a better chance to stay in the mix.' The idea isn't new in Springbok strategy, having worked successfully during the two previously World Cup campaigns. As always with Erasmus, innovation remains central to South Africa's evolving identity as the world champions refine their winning formula. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RASSIE ERASMUS' LATEST PIECE OF INNOVATION? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Springboks Player Ratings: Who FIRED, Who FLOPPED
The Springboks got their 2025 season off to the perfect start with a 54-7 win over the Barbarians on Saturday. The Springboks demolished the Barbarians 54-7 at the DHL Stadium on Saturday, 28 June 2025. Rassie Eramus and the Boks have plenty to celebrate following their resounding performance en route to claiming their thir successive Qatar Cup. These are the players who stood out as well as a couple of stars who were slightly underwhelming. Lood de Jager – 9/10 Lood hasn't missed a step despite not playing for the Springboks in almost two years. The lanky Bok lock made countlies huge carries, getting over the advantage line at ease. He was also astute defensively and a solid line-out option for the Springboks. Vincent Tshitshuka – 8.5 What a debut. The elusive Sharks flanker scored two tries to cap off a well-rounded performance in his first Springboks test. Tshitshuka agility and skills were on full display. Meanwhile, he was a solid third choice in the line-out. Kurt-Lee Arendse – 8 Welcome back, Arendse. The speedy and skilful Springboks winger reminded the Bulls and SA Rugby what we have been missing since he left for Japan. Arendse finished off a beautiful well-worked team try in the corner and was a constant threat with ball in hand. He beat defenders at will with his fleet-footed stepping and lightning speed. Cheslin Kolbe – 9 The 2024 SA Rugby Player of the Year reminded us all why he was given awarded this honour. Kolbe was one of the stand-out Boks. His try in the corner was just the start of what was another world class display from Kolbe. He was excellent in the air dominating the aerial battle in wet conditions. Kolbe was perfect defensively, putting in one solid hit after the other. He added memorable bounce off on Ricky Riccitelli in the second half and was a threat all afternoon. *Please note that these players did not pay badly at all. They were just not as exceptional as the rest of the pack in what was a comprehensive display and dominance Springboks performance. Jean Kleyn – 6/10 He did not do much wrong but he was certainly overshadowed by his Bok lock team mate, Lood. Kleyn struggled to get over the advantage line or to make dominant tackles. He was solid at line out time and did what he needed to but did not stand out. Morne van den Berg – 6.5/10 He provided quick delivery from the base of the ruck. However, he certainly did not knock the selection door down and was outplayed by his replacement, Cobus Reinach. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
‘Just the beginning,' says Pretorius after hitting 153 on debut for Proteas
The young batter continued his remarkable rise in world cricket by smashing an excellent century against Zimbabwe. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, seen here in action for the Titans, scored a century on debut for the Proteas on Saturday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Lhuan-dre Pretorius said his swashbuckling century was 'just the beginning' following the Proteas batter becoming the youngest South African to score a century on debut on Saturday. Pretorius, at just 19 years and 93 days old, surpassed Graeme Pollock (19 years and 318 days old, achieved in 1963) as the youngest South African to score a hundred on debut. Pretorius smashed 153 on day one of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday to help the Proteas close the day on 418/9. 'Amazing' Corbin Bosch also hit an excellent century batting lower down the order, while another debutant, Dewald Brevis, made 51 off 41 balls. The young Pretorius said he was grateful to go past the record set by Pollock all those years ago. 'I'm grateful, it's amazing,' said the youngster who came to prominence during this year's SA20 competition. He backed up that showing by scoring plenty of runs in the domestic four-day competition, which helped get him selected for this Test series in Zimbabwe. 'It's a dream come true,' he added about scoring a century on debut. 'I also got a message from AB (de Villiers), who said 'well batted'. I'm lost for words actually.' Asked what his message would be for any other youngsters starting out their cricketing careers, Pretorius said: 'Just to back yourself, be mentally strong, trust your game, trust the people around you who help you. And then also, it's about hard work, discipline, the things off the field that you carry into the game.' Pretorius came to the crease with the Proteas in trouble early in their first innings at 23/3. 'Play with a smile' 'It was doing a bit, the situation was tough, but when you're playing for your country you must embrace the moment,' said the left-hander. 'I tried to enjoy it out there and play with a smile on my face. I love batting and hope I can do it again and again. This is just the beginning.' Pretorius added the Proteas were now in a strong position in the Test going into day two. 'This is definitely where we want to be after day one. They bowled well early on, so we had to absorb some pressure, but it got nice to bat later in the day. It also started turning which is good for us, but there's also a lot of bounce, and we've got some pace as well.'
