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The Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Springboks batter BaaBaas in Cape Town
No 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, another long-time absentee from the Boks ranks, was full of honest endeavour. Perhaps predictably given the conditions, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered a mixed bag. Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg's intelligent use of the boot caged the Barbarians inside their own territory, while replacement Cobus Reinach injected energy and purpose after the break. Kurt-Lee Arendse was typically hawkish in eyeing opportunity, Kolbe played as if fit with all-weather tyres, while Fassi was full of the lustre that has characterised his season. Kolbe was electrifying in the second half. The visitors' scrum infractions started to mount in the first half as trimmed-down tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye made his presence felt in Bok colours. The Boks, however, did not maintain their grip in that facet and the tourists grew stronger as the first half wore on. Melvyn Jaminet opened the visitors' score in the 65th minute — but by then the tourists' baabaalas was well in the making. Scorers Springboks (19) 54 - Tries: Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe, Vincent Tshituka (2), Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Lood de Jager, Damian de Allende. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Manie Libbok (5). Barbarians (0) 7 - Try: Melvyn Jaminet. Conversion: Jaminet.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Springboks blitz Barbarians: Four talking points
The Springboks blitzed the Barbarians 54-7 in rainy conditions in Cape Town to get their 2025 season off to a solid start. Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels celebrates his try with Manie Libbok during their match against the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday night. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images The Springboks got their 2025 campaign up and running with a statement 54-7 win over the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday night. The double world champs showed their class in wet and rainy conditions, running the famed invitational team ragged, scoring eight tries to one for their biggest win ever over them. Here are four talking points from the match: Set piece dominance From the very first scrum the Boks showed who was boss as Ox Nche smashed French prop Paul Alo-Emile to earn a penalty and set the tone for a dominant scrum showing throughout the match. Their maul was also in good working order as they rumbled over two tries. The two front rows of Nche, Malcolm Marx and Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and Jane Hendrik Wessels, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche were all solid. But it wasn't a perfect performance as they were penalised a couple of times at scrum time and missed a lineout or two, leaving them with a number of work-ons heading into the incoming series against Italy and Georgia. Big scoreline, but not ruthless If you didn't watch the game, seeing a 54-7 scoreline against a Barbarians team featuring a slew of experienced players, you would think it was a dominant performance. But while the Boks did produce a decent showing overall, they still left plenty of points out there, although the tough conditions played a part. It was a cracking start from them as Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe and Vincent Tshituka dotted down in the first 22 minutes, but they fell off over the rest of the half to lead 19-0 at the break. The second half was a better finishing performance as they added a further five tries, through a second to Tshituka as well as Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lood de Jager and Damian de Allende. Solid starts for the newbies It was a solid start for the Springbok newbies with four players making their first appearances in the green and gold. Although it won't count as an official cap, Vincent Tshituka, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Neethling Fouche and Marnus van der Merwe all got a decent run in the match. Tshituka was the star of the newcomers, playing the full 80 minutes and dotting down twice, while Ntlabakanye over 44 minutes, and Fouche and Van Der Merwe over 36 minutes, produced solid showings in the front row, and all four will feel that they've done more than enough to get another look in and their first Bok cap. Rassie shows his innovation once again Bok coach Rassie Erasmus is a maverick of innovation when it comes to rugby, much to the consternation of the traditionalists in world rugby, with him often making a splash like being water boy when he was Director or Rugby, or introducing the 7-1 spilt. Against the BaaBaas the wily coach again tried something new, when he brought the entire bench on in the 44th minute. Many were surprised to see big centre Andre Esterhuizen packing down at flank after replacing Marco van Staden, with him playing the rest of the game there, which also gave them an extra backline option at times. The question now will be if Erasmus will do it in an official Test, or if this was a once off.
The South African
4 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Springbok Player Ratings: Big Lood puts on a big show, Tshituka shines
The Springbok team showed up and showed out in Cape Town on Saturday as they outscored the Barbarians eight tries to one in their exhibition match to retain the Qatar Cup. There's no stopping the Springbok juggernaut, at least not for Barbarians, who plunged to a hefty defeat against the world champions. Here we dish out some key player ratings: Lood de Jager 9/10 Three super touches and carries leading up to the opening try scored by Malcolm Marx. Two crucial lineout steals close to the half-hour mark when the Barbarians were looking for a way into the contest. He capped off his fine return to international rugby after a two-year hiatus with a try in the second half. Vincent Tshituka 9/10 Used at the lineout as both a jumper and lifter in this clash, the debutant did his primary job to perfection. But his work in the loose and in openplay were superb too. Tshituka rounded of his first (of many) Bok game with two well-deserved tries. Kurt-Lee Arendse 8/10 In his first game back on South African soil, the speedster reminded the everyone just why he is coach Rassie Erasmus' first-choice winger. The dynamic runner breached the BaaBaas' defence at will, and while some of his Aphelele Fassi 8/10 With this performance, he confirmed that he is not conceding the Springbok No 15 jersey anytime soon. Fassi was rock solid at the back in defence and served as one of South Africa's greatest creative sources on attack. Morne van den Berg 7/10 As the race for a spot in the Springbok match-day squads for the upcoming Test series heats up, Van den Berg just edged ahead of the chasing pack at scrumhalf. He marshalled the game excellently and played a pivotal role in cover defence. Honourable mentions: Cheslin Kolbe and Asenathi Ntlabakanye Kolbe was named the official Man of the Match for his hot-stepping display in front of a crowd that went ballistic every time he touched the ball. Meanwhile, Ntlabakanye not only held his own against the well-accomplished Cian Healy, he completely outplayed the Irish legend. WHO DO YOU THINK WAS THE BEST SPRINGBOK ON THE FIELD TODAY? 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
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Marnus van der Merwe's big chance to solve Bok hooker problem
Marnus van der Merwe is the latest South African hooker to get a chance to seal up the third choice hooking berth behind Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi. Marnus van der Merwe will make his first appearance for the Springboks against the Barbarians on Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images The Springboks have over the past six or so years been searching for a reliable regular third choice hooker, and Marnus van der Merwe looks set to be the next to step into the breach to try and make the position his own. Since before the 2019 World Cup, Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi have worked seamlessly in tandem as two of the best hookers in world rugby, but have yet to find someone to back them up. At the 2019 World Cup the Boks took veteran Schalk Brits, at that time 38 years old, to the showpiece event as back up to Marx and Mbonambi. In the previous cycle before the 2023 event, the Boks tried numerous options, with players like Scarra Ntubeni, Johan Grobbelaar and Fez Mbatha making various squads but not playing, while Joseph Dweba seemed to be the favourite to take the spot. However, the Bok management weren't convinced and in 2022 decided to bring veteran Deon Fourie into the mix, with him becoming the oldest Springbok debutant at 35-years-old against Wales that year. Despite him having transitioned into a loose forward, he was then required to become the back up hooker, with the Boks taking him to the 2023 World Cup as their third choice option, and he even played 78 minutes of the final after Mbonambi was forced off early with an injury. More changes Last year Grobbelaar returned to the mix and made his debut, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels was also brought in as a hooking option, although the Bok bosses seem to see him more as a loosehead prop. Andre-Hugo Venter also earned a Bok cap against Portugal. This year Grobbelaar and Venter have been left out, Wessels is still involved, but will likely focus more on prop, and Van Der Merwe has arrived after a sterling season in the URC for Scarlets. He now has a golden opportunity to do what a slew of players before him have been unable to — become a regular back up to the two stalwarts, and his first chance to make that statement will be when he comes off the bench against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday. 'It's an honour to be here. I've been praying for this every day, so it's a blessing and it's not something I'm taking lightly,' said Van der Merwe at a Bok press conference on Wednesday. 'It has been great to have players like Bongi and Malcolm to learn from, and they, and the rest of the team, have been very helpful in getting me settled. I think I asked Bongi about 20 questions the first day of camp. 'I want to go out there and give everything, just as I do every week for my club. One thing's for certain, it's tough to get here and even harder to stay here, so I plan to give my best.' Move to Scarlets The 28-year-old Van der Merwe was a Cheetahs stalwart after making his senior debut in 2017, but due to playing minimally internationally, he decided to make the switch to Welsh side Scarlets this past season. He made the move in an effort to ignite his Springbok aspirations, but he was even caught off guard by how quickly he has been brought into the setup, despite his impressive debut campaign in the URC. 'I didn't think it would happen this fast. I thought it would probably take another year or so, so hopefully I can grab the opportunity with both hands,' explained the hooker. 'I told my wife when we went over to Wales that I have a two-year plan to work my way into the Bok setup, and if it doesn't happen, we'll make another plan. Obviously being here now means that we've had to move everything forward. 'I must give credit to the Scarlets for their role in getting me to where I am now. I told them what my goals were, and they bought in and assisted me to make it here, and I'm very grateful for that.'
The Citizen
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Boks to kick off 2025 season: What you need to know about the Barbarians
The invitational side will play on SA soil for the first time this weekend. Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Anton Peikrishvili of the Barbarians, following a match against Argentina at Twickenham in 2018. Picture:The Springboks open their 2025 season in Cape Town on Saturday with a match against the invitational side, the Barbarians. It is not a Test match, but the world champions are sure to be tested by a team packed with internationals. Here are a few things you need to know about the Barbarians. Who are the Barbarians? The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians (or BaaBaas), are a British-based invitational team, founded in 1890. The team play in black and white hooped jerseys, though the players wear socks from their own clubs or provincial teams. The Barbarians have no home ground or clubhouse. They are a touring team who play at the invitation of clubs or unions. Overseas the team have played in 25 countries, most recently Tunisia, Spain, Georgia and Portugal. Why was the club formed? In the late 1800s the rugby season finished in March in Europe so William Carpael decided to invite a group of players to join him on an end-of-season tour to the North of England. This he saw as an opportunity to play with friends from various clubs who were normally opponents. It was such a success that he formed the Barbarian Football Club to continue touring on an informal basis and the first tour took place in December of 1890 playing Huddersfield and Bradford. 'Best try ever scored' Ask any rugby historian to name the best try ever scored and he or she is likely to say Gareth Edwards' try for the Barbarians. In a match between the Barbarians and All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973, regarded by many as one of the best games ever played, Edwards of Wales scored a try in the corner considered one of the best ever. The Barbarians won the match 23-11. History against South Africa Saturday's meeting in Cape Town will be the first time that the teams clash on South African soil. There is, however, a proud history between the Barbarians and the Springboks, going back to 1952 when they first clashed. In eight meetings, the Barbarians have won four times, the Boks three times while there has been one draw – the most recent outing, which was played at Wembley in 2016 and ended 31-all after a thunderous 80 minutes. Interesting facts Former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits, who played for the Lions, Stormers, Bulls and Saracens, is the South African who has represented the Barbarians the most – eight times. Tony O'Reilly of Ireland made 30 appearances for the club between 1955-62 and scored 38 tries Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match. The costs incurred by the Barbarians in assembling a squad for each game or tour are paid out of the gate receipts from the match, or matches, played.
