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The Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Springboks down Georgia during thrilling encounter in Mbombela
The visitors were on a crusade to leave their mark, as decreed by their tough-as-teak coach Richard Cockerill. There was much bellicose talk from Cockerill in the build-up to the clash, with the combative former England hooker suggesting physicality is in the Georgian DNA. Indeed the tourists were full of effort and endeavour in the opening half-hour. When flyhalf Luka Matkava slotted a penalty in the 29th minute, the Lelos — ranked 11th in the world — were just five points adrift from the back-to-back Rugby World Cup holders. Eventually, though, the star quality of the hosts shone through as the Lelos struggled to keep up with the lung-busting pace of the game. Centre Canan Moodie and wing Edwill van der Merwe revelled in the space and time afforded them, while in tighter confines lock Ruan Nortje was a Trojan as he splendidly rose to the challenge. In the second half, substitute lock RG Snyman freed his arms as the Boks transitioned seamlessly from defence to attack. Debutant front-rankers Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche were tasked with quelling a Georgian scrumming vanguard and they did so effortlessly. No 8 Cobus Wiese stepped into the breach for his banned brother Jasper and there were times he lacked finesse. His job, however, was to bring punch to the Bok carries and dead weight to their first line of defence.
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
South Africa tune up for Rugby Championship defence with nine-try win over Georgia
CANAN MOODIE SCORED a memorable try as world champions South African beat Georgia 55-10 in Mbombela on Saturday to complete their Rugby Championship build-up. 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. Advertisement 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
The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
PLAYER RATINGS: Super-charged debutants lead the way for Springboks
The Springboks beat Georgia 55-10 in Mbombela on Saturday to wrap up their mid-year Test campaign with a perfect three from three wins. South Africa put in a ruthless display to wear down the spirited Lelos on their way to a commanding 45-point win. The result sees South Africa maintain their perfect start to the Test season with a third consecutive victory and also keep their 100% record in Mbombela in tact. So as the Springbok juggernaut rolls on, here are some key player ratings based on today's individual performances: All scores out of 10 Marnus van der Merwe 9 What a debut for the Scarlets-based No 2. The hooker earned his first Springbok cap today and he made the most of the opportunity. The 28-year-old bagged two tries from the back of the maul in front of his home crowd to make his Test debut even more memorable. Boan Venter 8 Another one of the three debutants today, who didn't look an inch out of place. The prop was solid across the park. And while the Springboks' front row did concede a couple of penalties with him on the field, that was to be expected against the Georgians. Ruan Nortje 8/10 Nortje was voted as the official Man of the Match and deservedly so. He went to the trenches today and covered almost every blade of grass on that field. World class performance from the Bulls man. Handre Pollard 8 With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu struggling through the game, Pollard came on and showed once again why he is the Springboks' first-choice flyhalf. The two-time World Cup winner knocked over all his kicks at goal and capped off another fine outing with a try and a try-assist. Edwill van der Merwe 7 The winger just continues to try-scoring exploits at the highest level. He crossed for two touchdowns against the Lelos to make it five tries in three Test starts for the Springboks. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 5 It wasn't exactly a disaster-class, but the young playmaker must do better if he wants to usurp Pollard at No 10. Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a couple of fine touches in open play, showing glimpses of his attacking prowess. But his inaccurate goal-kicking left much to be desired. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT FROM TODAY'S SPRINGBOKS TEST? 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.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Error-ridden Springboks stumble in Mbombela as feisty Georgia make a statement
SPRINGBOK lock DG Snyman going against a bruising Georgia wal as they were Tested by in Mbombela in their final outing before the Rugby Championship. | BackpagePix Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will be unsure whether to laugh or cry as his team were poor and wonderful in equal measure on their way to beating Georgia 55-10 in Mbombela on Saturday night. Either way, the Boks were put through a serious examination by the Lelos, and perhaps it was the ideal way for the Boks to finish their four-match block of games that warm them up for the Rugby Championship, which kicks off in a month. Ideal because they will know they are some way off their best form, and a mountain of improvement is required if they are to beat the All Blacks in Auckland on September 6, the match which is the climax of the Boks' international season. We know the Georgians are tough — their national sport is wrestling — but few could have predicted that the double world champions would be forced into their most unconvincing start to a match in years. It was not easy on the eye for the 40,000 in the Mbombela Stadium as the Lelos blasted out of the blocks. Captain Siya Kolisi was bowled over in a frenzied forward assault and went off for a concussion assessment. Kwagga Smith was on for Kolisi after a minute and a half. He had just taken his place when the visitors silenced the stadium with a perfectly executed try off the back of a maul, with hooker Vano Karkadze granted the score even though the TV replay showed that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had got his hands underneath the ball. Georgia hadn't received the memo that they would be little more than tackle bags. It took the Boks ten minutes to settle, and two tries were scored by debutants in quick succession, both from close quarters. First prop Boan Venter crashed over, and then local boy Marnus van der Merwe went over off the back of a lineout. In the 13th minute, Kolisi returned and was on hand to see Van der Merwe score. Georgia almost scored again, this time from a slick backline movement, with a flying cover tackle by Aphelele Fassi saving the day. The Boks' third try was a beauty. A magnificent backline movement, replete with nifty passing, produced a clean break by Grant Williams, and then Canan Moodie finished powerfully, replicating his effort from Gquberha the week before when he took two defenders on his back. Feinberg-Mngomezulu sent his third consecutive conversion attempt wide. Penalties were flowing the way of the eastern Europeans as their pressure told on the Boks. They were shrugging off the defensive intensity of the Boks, and as the half-hour mark approached, they won a penalty for Luka Matkava to kick over for a 15-10 scoreline to the Boks. Van der Merwe scored his second, again off the tail of a rolling maul, to give the Boks a dubious 22-10 lead at half time. The first try of the second half was scored by Edwill van der Merwe, his fourth try in his third match for his country. It came from a bulldozing effort by Pieter-Steph du Toit in the Georgia 22m, and a long pass by Williams saw Van der Merwe run the try in. Handre Pollard replaced the off-colour Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the 55th minute, and one of his first actions was to put Damian Willemse through a gap for a try off a scrum near the Georgia line. Faf de Klerk was on for Williams, and what a fantastic cameo he enjoyed as he fights for his place in the greater Springbok squad. He was like a terrier on steroids as he buzzed about the field, his old home ground when he was with the Pumas. And with seven minutes remaining, he nudged a kick over the defence in the Georgia 22 for Edwill van der Merwe to gather and score his second. With time up on the clock, the Boks showed great ambition to run from their tryline, with Pollard scoring in the last movement of the match. Scorers Springboks — Tries: Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe (2), Canan Moodie, Edwill van der Merwe (2), Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Handre Pollard (3). Georgia — Try: Vano Karkadze. Conversion. Luka Matkava. Penalty: Matkava.
News24
3 days ago
- Sport
- News24
Georgia coach warns charges ahead of Bok Test: ‘Get stuck in, we cannot be timid'
Georgia coach and former England hooker Richard Cockerill said he did not want Saturday's Test against the Springboks at Mbombela Stadium to become 'a training session' for the Springboks. Georgia arrived in South Africa after suffering a 34-5 loss in Tbilisi to Ireland, who were lacking many stars on British & Irish Lions duty in Australia. READ | Back in Bok country: Georgia's 2021 'prison' memories and near-death nightmare The Lelos were also beaten 24-20 by the Cheetah s in a warm-up game in Bloemfontein last weekend. Cockerill had a clear message to his charges: 'We cannot be timid. The only way for us to compete is to roll our sleeves up, stick our gumshields in and get stuck in.' Cockerill has made one change to the team that started against Ireland with No 8 Ilia Spanderashvili replacing Tbilisi Test try scorer Tornike Jalagonia, who moves to the bench. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, meanwhile, said he was not underestimating the Georgians. 'We know how passionate this Georgian side is and we have chosen a blend of youth and experience to face them. 'Georgia are tough and proud of their physicality and brute force in the collisions. The set pieces, mauls and breakdowns will be key areas. 'They also have quality backline players so we must be sharp in all departments of our game to get the desired result and build momentum for the Rugby Championship,' said Erasmus. Saturday's clash kicks off at 17:10.
