GQEBERHA: Glenrose Xaba may have arrived in Gqeberha with tired legs after her World Half Marathon Championship outing in Copenhagen, but the South African road-running sensation left the rain-soaked streets with another piece of history.
The Boxer Athletics Club star scorched her way to a breathtaking 31:16 victory in Saturday morning’s SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge, producing the third-fastest 10km time ever recorded by a South African woman.
The clock was cruelly close to another national record.
Xaba finished only four seconds outside her South African record of 31:12, set at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on 7 July 2024.
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 26: Glenrose Xaba Boxer AC – AGN during the 2026 SPAR Women’s Grand Prix 10km Challenge and 5km Fun Run at Pollock Beach Grass Area Summerstrand on September 26, 2026 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)
That performance in Durban saw Xaba shatter the long-standing national record of 31:13 held by iconic South African distance runner Elana Meyer for 23 years.
In Gqeberha, the weather offered little assistance. Overcast skies, humidity and persistent rain turned the course into a slippery test of speed and strength, but Xaba treated the conditions as little more than another hurdle to clear.
Her 31:16 was a powerful statement so soon after representing South Africa at the World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen.
If fatigue was knocking on the door, Xaba refused to answer.
Behind her, Boxer teammate Karabo More produced another breakthrough performance, powering to second place in a brilliant personal best of 32:21.
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 26: Karabo More Boxer AC – AGN during the 2026 SPAR Women’s Grand Prix 10km Challenge and 5km Fun Run at Pollock Beach Grass Area Summerstrand on September 26, 2026 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)
More’s run added another layer to a dominant day for Boxer AC, with the club securing the top two places on the podium.
Ethiopian Selam Gebre of Nedbank completed the podium in 32:33, but the morning belonged to Xaba.
Her victory was not another routine entry in the record books. It was a reminder that South African women’s distance running has a formidable engine at its front, and Xaba continues to push the needle.
The stopwatch says four seconds separated her from her own national record.
The bigger picture says Xaba remains within striking distance of history.
And with the SPAR Grand Prix season gathering pace, the race against the clock has only begun.
The Boxer Athletics Club star has a shot at becoming the first woman to win four SPAR Grand Prix titles, but Saturday’s penultimate race in Gqeberha could send the championship race into overdrive.
Xaba currently shares the record of three Grand Prix crowns with fellow South Africans Rene Kalmer and Irvette van Zyl, and Ethiopia’s Tadu Nare.
A victory in this year’s series would put her alone at the top.
But the road to history is littered with potholes.
Kavanagh will miss Gqeberha after staying in Europe following the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where she smashed Elana Meyer’s South African 5km record with a sensational 14:51.
That absence has opened the door for the chasing pack.
And they are coming.
Ethiopian Selam Gebre, currently fourth, will be among those hunting points, while Karabo Mailula, sixth, arrives after finishing fifth in Thursday’sAbsa RUN YOUR CITY Joburg 10K in 34:44.
Irvette van Zyl, another three-time Grand Prix champion, clocked 34:51 in Joburg and sits 10th overall.
Neheng Khatala, Cian Gerber (Oldknow) and Karabo More are also expected to throw themselves into the points battle.
Xaba, meanwhile, is carrying serious form into Gqeberha.
She finished 13th in the Copenhagen half marathon in 1:07:49, the second-fastest 21km time of her career.
Sosibo was 70th in 1:14:00 and will be determined to protect her championship lead.
Then there is the course.
SPAR Grand Prix technical consultantBrad Glasspoole says the new route could produce a furious finish.
“The new Gqeberha route starts at Pollok Beach and avoids the city centre. This reduces traffic, turns and twists,” Glasspoole told Modern Athlete
“There is a 550m climb on 10th Avenue, followed by a 450m descent. The final 2.5km is flat and fast.”
That final stretch could become a sprinting lottery, with tired legs and championship points fighting for the same piece of road.
About 6,000 runners are expected, with wet and windy conditions forecast.
Glasspoole believes the new qualification rule could make Saturday even more important.
“This is a new rule we introduced this year to make the series more competitive. With Johannesburg as the final leg after Gqeberha, Saturday’s points could be decisive.”
Athletes must complete at least three races to qualify for the Grand Prix title.
The five-race series visits Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha and Johannesburg, with R1,967,500 in total prize money and up to R212,000 available per leg for the South African competition.
Caster Semenya at starting line during the 2025 SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge and 5km Fun Run at Green Point Common Sports Ground on March 30, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Xaba, Sosibo, Mailula and More are coached by former Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya and her wife Violet Semenya.
Kabelo Mulaudzi made his move when it mattered to defend his Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K titleon Heritage Day, winning in 28:48 as Kenya’s Deborah Chemutai claimed her first Series victory in 32:50.
Mulaudzi raised his arms in celebration as he crossed the finish on Rahima Moosa Street after a tactical race on a hilly course in hot conditions.
The Boxer Athletics Club runner, who won four of the fiveAbsa RUN YOUR CITY Series races last year, stayed in the chasing bunch behind early pace-setter Dolphine Chelimo of Uganda before making his move in the final 3km.
He surged past Chelimo and held on to finish nine seconds outside his course record of 28:39.
“I wanted to defend my title because everyone had forgotten about me. I’m happy to be back. It’s my first win of the year and in the series. I’m very happy,” Mulaudzi said.
The 28-year-old has endured a frustrating season with a hamstring injury, but said the problem was no longer troubling him.
“I’ve been struggling this year but I’m happy with my performance and defending my title. The injury is fine. It’s just that the race was tactical because it’s high altitude, it’s hot and you are running fast and slow. So, you have to adjust.”
Mulaudzi finished four seconds ahead of teammate Zenzile Pheko, who secured his second consecutive runner-up finish after also placing second in Tshwane.
Kenya’s Stephen Kangethe matched Pheko’s 28:52, taking third after a sprint finish.
Mulaudzi thanked coach Richard Mayer, Series founder Michael Meyer, sponsor PUMA SA and Boxer for their support.
“I would like to thank my coach and Ntate Michael Meyer for organising such a good race, as well as my sponsor PUMA SA and club Boxer for their support.”
Chemutai strikes Joburg gold
Chemutai produced a commanding run to win the women’s race in 32:50, improving on the third place she achieved in Tshwane in August.
The Kenyan led a clean sweep of the podium, with compatriot Mercy Jelimo second in 33:10 and Esther Borura third in 33:27.
Great Britain’s Emma Pallant-Browne was fourth in 34:15, followed by Kenya’s Dorcus Chepkwemoi in 34:21.
Defending champion Karabo Mailula was the leading South African in sixth in 34:44, with Hollywood Athletics Club’s Irvette van Zyl seventh in 34:45.
“I’m happy to win the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K. The race was hard but I tried. It was my second 10km race,” Chemutai said.
“The course was hard and it was a little bit windy but I’m happy I won.”
Joburg was the fifth completed stop on the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series after Gqeberha, Durban and Tshwane, with Cape Town cancelled because of severe weather forecasts.
The Series heads to Bloemfontein on 25 October for the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K, with the race starting at 07:00 and entries closing on 8 October or when capacity is reached.
The event also featured a Chery vehicle giveaway, with Prudence Gumbi winning a new vehicle valued at R269,900.
Rassie ready to unleash World Player of the Year in new role against Wallabies
Rassie Erasmus is cooking up another Springbok surprise, and this one could see the World Player of the Year, Malcolm Marx, packing down far from his usual hunting ground.
Erasmus continues to redefine squad management, introducing 13 changes for the Test against Australia while building leadership depth through Andre Esterhuizen’s appointment as captain.
Andre Esterhuizen will officially become the 68th @Springboks captain in history when he leads the team onto the park at the Optus Stadium. pic.twitter.com/bLj9hUktGk
Malcolm Marxhas been named among the replacements for Sunday’s showdown with Australia in Perth, but Erasmus has revealed the wrecking-ball hooker could be unleashed at flank when he storms onto the field.
Yes, flank.
The revelation adds serious spice to an already radically reshuffled Bok pack as Erasmus attempts to keep his warriors fresh while building the depth he believes will be crucial at the next World Cup.
“Even later in the game, if Ox Nché comes on, Jan-Hendrik might move to hooker, and we’ve been trying Malcolm on the flank as well,” Erasmus said.
That means Marx could swap the No 2 jersey for the loose-forward trenches, where his ferocious carrying, physicality and breakdown work could give the Wallabies another headache.
And if that sounds like classic Rassie rugby roulette, it is.
The Boks have also thrown another curveball at No 8, with Marco van Staden packing down at the back of the scrum alongside Elrigh Louw and Paul de Villiers.
But Erasmus made it clear that Van Staden’s biggest assignment is not wearing the traditional No 8 hat.
“There’s not a specific role for the eighthman apart from scrumming,” the Bok boss said.
The real battlefield will be the breakdown.
“If you take Paul, Marco, Elrigh, Jasper [Wiese] if he comes on, André Esterhuizen and others, I think the breakdown battle is going to be massive.
“Marco will have a massive impact there. Like Fraser McReight and the guys in their team, there are certainly guys who can disrupt a defensive breakdown. They’re really good at that and hopefully Marco can help sort that out for us.”
With Australia boasting breakdown pests of their own, Van Staden has been handed the dirty-work job.
The Boks have also built a safety net should the pack start falling apart.
If Louw or De Villiers are forced off, Franco Mostert can move into the loose-forward mix, while captain André Esterhuizen can shift to either blindside or openside.
Then there is Jasper Wiese, waiting in the wings for his 50th Test cap.
Jasper Wiese will earn his 50th Springbok cap from the bench Photo: X.com
Erasmus admitted he would have preferred to start the powerful No 8, but wanted insurance on the bench if the new-look starting combination hits turbulence.
“We’d have loved to start Jasper, but we need some security on the bench,” he said.
“We’re sure the guys who are going to start are going to be a little bit energetic and haven’t played for a while. There might be some combination hiccups.”
Up front, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen will pack down either side of hooker Johan Grobbelaar.
The selections are part of Erasmus’ bigger body-management operation, with Grobbelaar getting his opportunity after Deon Fourie played three Tests in succession at 39.
“[Deon Fourie] playing three Test matches in a row at the age of 39, Grobbies deserves a chance now.”
Erasmus also stressed that Wessels and Grobbelaar have experience against Australia, adding another layer to the selection gamble.
“We’re trying to save the bodies, and manage the guys while winning but also building some squad depth.”
In Perth, therefore, the Boks are not merely taking a hammer to the Wallabies.
They are sharpening every blade in the toolbox.
And if Marx really does appear at flank, Australia could discover that Rassie’s bench has teeth in places nobody expected.
Sunday’s contest, kicking off at11:45 SA time on SuperSport, is more than another Test. It is another examination of Erasmus’ greatest creation: a Springbok system where stars rest, leaders emerge and the conveyor belt never stops moving.
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 André Esterhuizen (c), 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Bench: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nché, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn.
TheDHL Stormersare taking a more measured approach to managing their Springboks this season, with coach John Dobson determined to avoid the disruption caused by wholesale player changes during the previous United Rugby Championship campaign.
The Stormers have named a squad containing a significant Springbok contingent, creating the familiar challenge of balancing provincial ambitions with international commitments during a World Cup year.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobsonsaid the biggest availability concerns would come during periods surrounding international rugby, although he expects his leading players to be available when the URC reaches its decisive stages.
“I think we have our players always around the playoff times,” Dobson said.
“It’s this period that’s challenging around post-Rugby Championship, what is traditionally normally not this year, the Nations Cup, but normally by the end of the November 12th. That period is very tricky.”
The Stormers also expect complications during the current period, with their Springboks returning from the four-Test series against New Zealand and preparing for further international commitments.
Dobson acknowledged that the issue is not unique to Cape Town.
“As regards players being invested towards the sharp end, that applies across every team in every tournament, from English Premiership to Irish.”
The difference this season will be the Stormers’ attempt to manage those transitions more deliberately.
Rather than returning their internationals as a single group, the franchise intends to phase them back into the squad while maintaining an approximate 80% strength team. The objective is to preserve combinations and avoid the loss of structure experienced last season.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be one of the players carefully managed after accumulating substantial minutes during the Springboks’ recent series against the All Blacks. He will not start all four of the Stormers’ October fixtures.
The Stormers have also invested heavily in their performance structures through what they describe as Project 29.
Steph du Toit returns as the franchise’s fitness specialist, while a performance psychologist and Australian rules consultant Steve Boris have also been added. Leonora Osborne will serve as acting manager, while the academy continues under Jacques Hanekom, who brings experience from Leinster.
The Stormers believe the investment can help them close the gap on a URC field where Dobson estimates that 14 or 15 teams are capable of challenging for a top-eight place.
Leinster remains the benchmark.
The Stormers’ Currie Cup campaign, despite ending before the semi-finals, also provided valuable evidence of their depth, with Vernon Paulo, MK and Tom Barnard among those to emerge as players capable of contributing at URC level.
Several younger players, including Markus Muller, Josh Boulle and Jonathan Roche, are also being integrated into the midfield, while the highly rated “Robertson Express” (Lleyton Davids) is being developed without being rushed into URC rugby this season.
There is less positive news surrounding Ben Jason, who remains with the squad after missing the Australian tour because of delayed concussion symptoms.
“He’s battling with delayed concussion symptoms. So he hasn’t gone to Australia. So he’s here,” Dobson said.
Jason is training with the Stormers but has not yet been cleared to play.
“Hopefully, he gets cleared in time for Connacht, but he’s with us at training with us at the moment. But he’s not cleared yet.”
For the Stormers, the challenge is therefore bigger than assembling a talented squad.
They need to keep it together.
With Springbok commitments, international workloads, injuries and a fiercely competitive URC, Dobson’s latest plan places cohesion at the centre of the Stormers’ pursuit of a first URC title.
The Proteas have a new look. Now the pressure is on to make it mean something.
South Africa’s netball warriors are stepping onto the international battlefield dressed in national colours and carrying expectations that weigh far heavier than a kit bag.
The Home strip explodes in green and yellow, while the Away version cuts a cleaner figure in white. Both are splashed with angular geometric graphics that appear to slice through the fabric like lightning across a stormy Cape Town sky.
The message is unmistakable: move forward, aim higher and never stop.
The upward-pointing arrowheads represent growth, ambition and evolution, while the zigzag graphics are designed to capture the speed, movement and intensity of netball.
“Netball South Africa is delighted with the new home and away kits for the SPAR Proteas and Protea Warriors for the 2026 Africa Netball Cup and beyond,” said Diale.
“We are confident that our kit partner PUMA has created a design that is both stylish and functional. We believe that the team will perform at their best in these new kits.”
Diale said the design also carries cultural and sporting significance.
“As a passionate sport, we believe the design encompasses a touch of African tradition, a variety of sports, lifestyle and performance elements.”
“The design embodies the spirit of the Protea men’s and women’s teams, bringing together performance, national identity and contemporary sporting style,” he said.
“The new kits celebrate the movement and passion that make netball such a growing and powerful part of South African sport.”
That growth brings scrutiny.
A beautiful kit cannot win a centre pass, produce a defensive turnover or bury the winning shot. Those jobs still belong to the warriors wearing it.
But clothing has power in sport. It can become armour, identity and a rallying cry.
The arrows on these shirts point upwards.
Now South Africa’s netball stars must follow them.
But there is another race nobody can afford to lose.
The race against the clock.
For ballot winners targeting the 2027 Two Oceans Ultra and Half Marathon, missing a crucial deadline could turn months of sweat, sacrifice and training into a cruel calendar casualty.
And there will be no sprint down the admin straight after the chequered flag.
Ultra hopefuls must complete an official qualifying race between 1 May 2026 and 7 March 2027.
Totalsports TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON powered by BYD PHOTO CREDIT Chris Hitchcock
A standard 42.2km marathon must be completed in under five hours, while longer races must satisfy the applicable Two Oceans qualifying standard.
The race must be officially measured and timed, with the distance meeting Athletics South Africa and World Athletics measurement standards.
In other words, runners cannot rely on a GPS watch having a bad day or a race organiser’s creative approach to kilometres.
For Half Marathon runners, the magic numbers are 10km, 15km and 21.1km. An official time from one of those distances must be submitted by 28 February 2027 to ensure correct seeding.
Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC, urged runners to get their ducks in a row.
“Race Day is the culmination of months of preparation, and we want to make sure that runners have all the information they need to prepare with confidence,” he said.
The 2027 running festival kicks off with the 8km Night Run on 31 March, followed by the 4.5km International Friendship Run on 1 April and Trail Run on 2 April.
Totalsports TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON powered by BYD PHOTO CREDIT Chris Hitchcock
The Half Marathon fires on 3 April, followed by the big one, the 56km Ultra, on 4 April, both finishing at the UCT Rugby Fields.
So runners, lace up, check the diary and get moving.
Because on this particular race, the first finish line is paperwork.
Miss it, and the mountain may never get the chance to break you.
The return of Tatjana Smith has injected fresh electricity into next week’s South African Short Course Championships, turning a routine national meet into one of the country’s most intriguing swimming stories of the year.
Tatjana Smith – Credit World Aquatics
Smith, formerly Schoenmaker, will return to competition at the GC Jolliffe swimming pool from 24 to 27 September, almost two years after retiring following her gold and silver medals at the Paris Olympics.
The four-time Olympic medallist is entered in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, as well as several relays for her new Stellenbosch-based team, Lane Leader.
Tatjana Smith gold – Credit World Aquatics
Swimming South Africa Head of High Performance Dean Price welcomed her return.
“We’re very excited that Tatjana is coming back to swimming. We know Tatjana is an excellent racer, so you can really count on her in a big event. I think she’ll be a huge addition to our team, and I think not only in the individual, but I think she can be of great value in the relays as well… We look forward to her competing in her first event, and we feel very confident that she’s going to do very well.”
Michael Houlie, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist and former national teammate, believes Smith’s new-found freedom could make her particularly dangerous.
Michael Houlie – Credit SASCOC-Team SA
“She’s a phenomenal swimmer, but more importantly, she looks like a happy swimmer right now. And that could be dangerous for everyone else, so the world better watch out,” he said.
“She has absolutely nothing left to prove, which means she has the opportunity to race completely free and just enjoy swimming again.”
Duné Coetzee, another former Tokyo teammate, added: “I think it is amazing that she is coming back. She is the best there is and such a huge inspiration to me. I’m really excited to see her race again and to learn from her.”
Houlie will also make his first appearance at the championships since 2018, targeting qualification for December’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and 50m freestyle.
“Short course metres is a different type of racing,” he said, pointing to the increased demands of walls, pullouts and transitions.
Coetzee brings another compelling storyline. Having moved to Pietermaritzburg a month ago to train at Seals Swimming Club under Wayne Riddin, she will race eight individual freestyle and butterfly events in her home training pool.
Dune Coetzee – Credit SA Sports Images
“Training has been going exceptionally well,” she said. “I’ve been doing some of the hardest sets I have ever done, which has been really motivating and has also given me a lot of confidence in my swimming.”
Commonwealth Games relay medallists Hannah Pearse, Georgia Nel, Guy Brooks and Chris Smith are also entered, while Para swimmer Christian Sadie arrives fresh from winning S7 50m freestyle gold in Glasgow.
For four days, the 25m pool will become a cauldron of turns, underwater battles and stopwatch drama.
Adam Lipschitz turned pre-race confidence into a record-breaking performance at the OUTsurance Gun Run Half Marathon, while Irvette van Zyl marked her return to the race with a convincing victory.
Lipschitz had made no secret of his ambition before Sunday’s 21.1km race, arriving in Cape Town determined to attack the course record.
Lipschitz, who won the Gun Run 10km in 2025, controlled the early stages with a series of fartlek-style surges before making the decisive move with about 19km remaining.
The acceleration proved decisive as he broke clear of his rivals and maintained his momentum to the finish.
Seutloali finished second in 1:02:53, with Hollywood teammate Tsépo Ramashamole completing the podium in 1:03:13.
Former Gun Run 21.1km winner Lloyd Bosman of Nedbank Running Club SWD was fourth in 1:03:28, while local athlete Anthony Timoteus finished fifth in 1:04:06.
For Lipschitz, the performance also provided valuable race-specific preparation as he continues building towards the marathon distance.
The women’s race produced another significant performance as Irvette van Zyl returned to the Gun Run Half Marathon after a seven-year absence and claimed victory in 1:14:03.
The 39-year-old Hollywood Athletics Club runner finished nearly three minutes clear of defending champion and clubmate Busisiwe Chamane, who crossed the line in 1:17:24.
Former Gun Run champion Fortunate Chidzivo of Nedbank Running Club WP was third in 1:18:23.
Van Zyl said the conditions and altered route made the race challenging.
“Today’s race was a bit tough. It was really humid because yesterday it rained,” she said.
She also had to adapt to a course that had changed significantly since her previous appearance in 2019.
“There’s a lot of up and down sidewalks and we had a bit of a cobblestone stage we actually run on,” Van Zyl said.
A two-kilometre hill also disrupted her rhythm.
“I would have hoped to run closer to 73, but I just couldn’t get my rhythm going the first 12-ish kilometres,” she said.
Her race improved after the climb, when she returned to the road and later reached the promenade.
“Overall I’m happy with today and happy with the win,” Van Zyl said.
She believes there is scope for a faster performance should she return, having now experienced the revised course.
“Hopefully when I return I can run faster than that, because then I will know what is ahead.”
The Hollywood weekend had already produced a strong result in Saturday’s 10km, where veteran Stephen Mokoka, 41, won in 29:36.
Hollywood AC veteran Stephen Mokoka won the Gun Run 10km on Saturday on debut.
Awethu Ntsotho of Athletes Academy in Boland was second in 29:49, while Eersterivier AC junior Beautin Van der Westhuizen finished third in 30:02.
Russian-born Stellenbosch-based athlete Olga Firsova, 43, won the women’s 10km in 35:17, ahead of Yandiswa Shange (38:12) and Nadia Turton (39:08).
For Lipschitz, the Gun Run provided a record to celebrate. For Van Zyl, it offered a successful return and a glimpse of faster days ahead.
TheAll Blacks are desperate. The Springboksare hunting. Baltimore is the battleground.
There will be nowhere to hide when the Springboks and All Blacks slug it out in Baltimore on Saturday.
This is rugby stripped down to its studs: four games in a row, two wounded heavyweights, one series trophy and enough national pride to power a stadium.
The Boks lead. The All Blacks want to drag them into the gutter and level the series.
Siya Kolisi has seen this movie before. He knows the haka comes with teeth.
“We definitely want to win the series,” said the Springbok captain.
“We don’t want to draw it, and that has been our mindset this week.”
Translation: the Boks have no appetite for polite handshakes and participation medals.
They want the trophy.
They want the win.
And, above everything, they want South Africans to puff out their chests.
“We’ve all seen in the last three games that if you are not at your best, they have what it takes to punish you. But so do we, and we want to make sure we keep making our people proud.”
The stakes are already sky-high. Then rugby decided to throw another log on the fire.
Saturday marks Rassie Erasmus’ 100th Test match in his two Springbok roles as head coach and Director of Rugby.
For Kolisi, this four-Test marathon has felt less like a series and more like a succession of World Cup finals.
“In my experience, it doesn’t get tougher than this. It’s like playing four Rugby World Cup finals in as many weeks given the quality of both teams.”
That is not hype. That is a warning label.
The All Blacks have changed personnel and brought Richie Mo’unga back at flyhalf. Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expected the move and reckons New Zealand could unleash an even more adventurous attack.
“Richie is world class and we know him well,” said Stick.
“I think the All Blacks are going to be even more bold tomorrow when it comes to keeping the ball alive and using the wide channels, and we know how dangerous they are.”
So expect the ball to fly, bodies to fly and somebody’s game plan to eventually crash into the advertising hoardings.
The Bok answer?
Bring the thunder.
“The most important aspect for us is to enforce our game on them physically and go from there,” Stick said.
That phrase, enforce our game, should make the All Blacks nervous.
Because the Boks are not arriving in Maryland to admire the scenery.
They are arriving to impose themselves.
Kolisi, meanwhile, has no intention of allowing outside noise to hijack the Bok blueprint.
“Our system isn’t rigid. We can play set-piece rugby and a kicking game. We don’t have a system that says we have to play a certain way. It’s one that creates opportunities for us to play.”
And Baltimore is already buzzing.
Stick says South Africans are everywhere, dressed in green and gold and travelling from across the United States to back their team.
“There are a lot of South Africans here and the vibe is great, so we are excited about the opportunity to promote rugby in the USA.”
Even Stick got a taste of American sporting culture, watching baseball and ticking an item off his bucket list.
His verdict on the pitchers?
“I thought (Kagiso) Rabada (Proteas bowler) was fast until I saw those pitchers.”
Now the Boks need to throw a few fastballs of their own.
Kick-off is 17h00 Baltimore time, 23h00 SA time, live on SuperSport.
