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Stormers lost but won
The Stormers may have been beaten by the All Blacks in Cape Town, but their remarkable effort provided the perfect opening act to Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Keohane says the final 38-21 scoreline does little justice to an occasion in which a Stormers team effectively playing its first full-contact match of pre-season stood toe-to-toe with the world’s No 2-ranked side for almost 70 minutes.
“They lost but they won,” he writes. “One cannot overstate the effort of the Stormers in front of 47,000.” milkshake.it.com
With their current Springboks unavailable and their URC campaign still weeks away, John Dobson’s men had no right to be as competitive as they were. Yet with 14 minutes remaining, the scores were locked at 14-14 and the prospect of another famous Cape Town upset felt very real.
Keohane believes Dobson and his coaching staff deserve enormous credit for adjusting their pre-season programme and producing a side capable of challenging the All Blacks, who are approaching the peak of their season.
MORE: Dobbo ready to feed Rassie intel
The match also offered Rassie Erasmus an early glimpse of what awaits the Springboks. Keohane was hugely impressed by New Zealand’s attacking ability, but identified vulnerabilities at the scrum, defensive lineout and in the aerial contest that the world champions can target during the Test series.
“It says everything about the quality of the All Blacks that they can lose three players to yellow cards, concede double-digit penalties, be second best in the scrum and the aerial contest and still score six tries to three and win by 17 points,” he adds.
ICYMI: ‘Remarkable’ duel comes at a cost for Stormers
For Keohane, though, Friday night belonged as much to the Stormers and Cape Town as it did to the victorious tourists. Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry needed a memorable opening act, and the Stormers delivered one.
Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
The post Stormers lost but won appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Sharks sweating over Springbok’s fitness
The Sharks could be dealt a major blow ahead of Tuesday’s Greatest Rivalry clash with the All Blacks, with one of their stars in doubt.
According to Rapport, Springbok loose forward Vincent Tshituka took a heavy blow to the head during a Sharks training session and will have to pass a fitness test before being cleared to face the All Blacks in Durban.
The 27-year-old was on Friday named on the Sharks bench after being released from the Springbok camp for the historic clash.
TEAM: Nonu to tackle All Blacks
It is not yet clear who would replace Tshituka should he be ruled out.
Tshituka and Vusi Moyo were released by the Boks to bolster the Sharks for Tuesday’s clash, but the Durban-based side is dealing with a lengthy injury list and are without Springboks Jaco Williams, Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse and Bongi Mbonambi.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
The post Sharks sweating over Springbok’s fitness appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
PSL Matchweek 2 Preview: The Early Storylines Take Shape
PSL Matchweek 2. One round in and the new top-flight season is already throwing up talking points. Matchweek 2 is a first chance for the early pace-setters to build momentum — and for anyone who stumbled on the opening weekend to put things right before the narrative sets. Here’s what to watch across the weekend’s fixtures.
Champions Under the Spotlight
As reigning champions, Orlando Pirates will be expected to back up their opening result and show the consistency that won them the title. Mamelodi Sundowns, chasing the crown they surrendered, can’t afford to drop early ground, while Kaizer Chiefs will want to build any opening-day momentum into a genuine early-season statement.
Fixtures to Watch
The matchweek-2 programme brings another full slate of top-flight action across the country. [PUBLISHER: insert the confirmed Matchweek 2 fixtures, dates and kick-off times, and highlight the standout tie once the round is scheduled.]
The Newcomers’ Next Test
For promoted pair Kruger United and Milford, matchweek 2 is another important marker. A point or three early on does wonders for confidence at this level, and how they respond to their opening fixtures — whether backing up a good start or bouncing back from a tough one — will tell us plenty about their season ahead.
Our View
It’s early, but rhythm matters — the sides that start well tend to carry belief through the first block of fixtures. Expect the big guns to assert themselves, but don’t rule out an early upset or two; the PSL rarely follows the script for long.
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