Ox Nche back for Rugby Championship ‘Final’

By Adnaan Mohamed

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has recalled powerhouse prop Ox Nche for Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider against Argentina at Twickenham in London.

Nche, a late withdrawal in Durban last week, returns to the front row alongside Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit. Grant Williams, Jesse Kriel and Bongi Mbonambi are back on the bench in the only other changes to the match-day 23.

“This match is a Final for us, and we know how dangerous Argentina can be, so we selected combinations we feel will be best suited for this game,” said Rassie.

“There are minimal personnel changes, with the bulk of the team having done the job for us last week against the Pumas in Durban and our other Rugby Championship matches.

“Ox and Grant could have played last week if we really needed them, but Boan (Venter) and Morne (van den Berg) did really well, while Jesse was rotated in the last two matches and is raring to go.

The same applies to Bongi, who last played against Australia, and who is excited for this opportunity.

“Their experience, combined with the younger players in the team, makes this an exciting squad, which is exactly what we need in a match that will essentially be the Rugby Championship decider.”

Eben Etzebeth wins his 138th cap in the second row, while Siya Kolisi will lead the side in his 98th Test.

The rest of the starting XV is unchanged, with Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu again at halfback and Damian Willemse at fullback.

Erasmus warned of a backlash from the Pumas:

“They may be out of the title race, but they have beaten the All Blacks, Wallabies, and British & Irish Lions this season. It’s going to be another hard grind.”

The Boks will know exactly what result is needed after Australia face New Zealand earlier in the day.

Kick-off is at 15:00 (SA time).

SPRINGBOKS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Jesse Kriel.

Source: SA Rugby

Boks brace for All Black war in Wellington

Adnaan Mohamed

Wellington has always been a theatre of drama for the Springboks. From that famous 36-34 ambush in 2018 to the nail-biting 16-16 draw a year later, the Cake Tin has witnessed South Africa’s grit under the fiercest spotlight.

On Saturday morning, Siya Kolisi and his men return to the capital with the Rugby Championship title race wide open, the Freedom Cup on the line, and pride at stake against their oldest foes.

Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick knows exactly what it will take.

“Last week we had two soft moments early in the game, and it cost us,” he reflected on the 24-17 defeat in Auckland.

“This time, we need to be at our best for the full 80 minutes. We must be clinical, execute with precision, and turn opportunities into points.”

It is a simple equation against the All Blacks: blink, and you bleed.

Kolisi, who will lead the Boks for his 96th Test, echoed Stick’s call for composure. The chatter around South Africa’s new-look backline being too young, too raw, too untested, doesn’t faze him.


“There’s a good mixture of players in this team,” he said.

“Some have been here before, some have lifted two World Cups. It’s not a completely new side. The new faces bring something different, and that excites me.”

For Kolisi, the challenge feels familiar yet fresh.

“It’s going to be intense, like a World Cup final in the way you need to stay calm and composed. But this is its own battle. There’s enough motivation to win this game and to make our country proud.”

The Freedom Cup adds its own layer of symbolism. South Africa claimed it last year for the first time since 2009, and defending it on New Zealand soil would be another statement of intent.

More importantly, a win would keep them in reach of both the Rugby Championship title and the No 1 world ranking.

The All Blacks will be ready, the crowd baying, the weather unpredictable. But as Kolisi leads his men out one truth remains: matches in Wellington are rarely forgotten.

Teams

New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Ruben Love.

South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.

Springbok Team Photo in Wellington Credit: SA Rugby

Date: Saturday, September 8
Venue: Wellington Regional Stadium
Kick-off: 09.05 SA time
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)

Boks Shuffles Deck for Wellington Gamble

By Adnaan Mohamed

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has thrown his cards on the table, unveiling a reshuffled Springbok backline for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks in Wellington. This is a duel doubles as the decider for the Freedom Cup.

Ethan Hooker, 22, barely two caps old, is thrust into the spotlight for his first Test start, joining a back division brimming with new combinations.

Cobus Reinach links with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Damian Willemse partners Canan Moodie in midfield, while Cheslin Kolbe and Aphelele Fassi provide the familiar fizz out wide.

Up front, Rassie leans on trusted muscle. Siya Kolisi resumes his captain and flank duties alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit, with Jasper Wiese charging back from suspension like a pent-up bull. Malcolm Marx anchors a front row unchanged, while Lood de Jager’s return adds heft beside Ruan Nortje in the engine room.

The Bok coach has again gone with a 5–3 bench split, deploying RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith as his impact forwards, while Manie Libbok and Andre Esterhuizen wait in the wings to add late spark.

“This is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side,” Rassie insisted, well aware that last week’s lapse in Auckland gifted New Zealand the upper hand.

“We’ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we’d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.

“This is a vital match for our Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result.”

Rassie added: “Every player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.

“They have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they’ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.”

History frowns on South Africa in Kiwi stadiums, but Sky Stadium has served up tight battles before, including a 16–16 draw in 2019.

With the Freedom Cup dangling as both carrot and crown, Erasmus’ men will chase redemption in the capital, banking on fresh legs to unsettle the world’s No.1 side.

SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.
Bench: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 André Esterhuizen.

All Blacks punish Butterfinger Boks

By Adnaan Mohamed

Eden Park remains rugby’s most impregnable fortress, and on Saturday the All Blacks once again proved why.

Their 24–17 Rugby Championship win over South Africa was less a spectacle of champagne rugby and more a ruthless masterclass in doing the basics with the precision of a locksmith turning a well-worn key.

For the Springboks, it was a night of buttered fingers, creaky set-pieces and coach-killing errors. Coach Rassie Erasmus’s men were not so much beaten as “out-Bokked” by New Zealand at their own game.

The weight of history

Fifty-one matches now, and still no opponent has left Eden Park smiling since 1994. For the Springboks, that ledger stretches further back to 1937. That’s when their last victory here came in an age of leather balls and long boat journeys. Saturday’s contest was meant to be a fresh chapter, yet the script followed a familiar arc: mistakes punished, momentum squandered, and the All Blacks grinning at the end.

Early jitters, costly gifts

The match began with the Boks wobbling like toddlers learning to walk. Within two minutes, Handré Pollard spilled a pass, gifting the All Blacks field position. From the ensuing ruck, Beauden Barrett floated a kick-pass that found Emoni Narawa, who skipped past Willie le Roux’s flailing arms and sold Cheslin Kolbe with a dummy. Eden Park roared, the scoreboard blinked 7–0, and the Boks had set the tone for a self-sabotaging half.

More wounds followed. Malcolm Marx, normally so reliable, threw three crooked darts and missed a tackle that allowed Will Jordan to slice through untouched for the All Blacks’ second. At 14–0 after 17 minutes, the Boks looked less like world champions and more like tourists fumbling with a foreign map.

Their lineout creaked, their scrums buckled, and Thomas du Toit folded under Ethan de Groot’s weight, while Ox Nché made Fletcher Newell look like a folding deckchair, but cohesion was absent.

The half-time riddle

By the break, the All Blacks led 14–3. It wasn’t champagne rugby with rain squalls turning the ball into a bar of soap, but New Zealand’s economy of effort shone.

Small margins were decisive. Every Springbok error was a black jersey opportunity. Every black jersey misstep was smothered before it became fatal. South Africa, in contrast, trudged into the sheds with just a Pollard penalty to show for their sweat.

A glimmer, then another stumble

The second half began with a flicker of green hope. The Boks finally rumbled into the All Blacks’ 5m zone, only for Nché to be held up by Rieko Ioane. Soon after, Damian McKenzie slotted a penalty to push the lead to 17–3, a cold shower on any Bok momentum.

At last, in the 62nd minute, the visitors’ famed scrum punched a hole in New Zealand’s armour, Marx crashing over to bring life to their challenge.

But as quickly as it arrived, it was undone. Ruan Nortjé’s obstruction at the restart handed momentum straight back, Kwagga Smith saw yellow, and Quinn Tupaea finished off the punishment to make it 24–10.

Cobus Reinach darted through late to set up a nervy finale, but when the Boks sniffed a steal in the dying minutes, Ardie Save, celebrating his 100th Test, swooped like a hawk for the game-sealing turnover. Eden Park roared once more, a citadel unbreached.

Execution vs. errors

The difference was not in ambition but in execution. The All Blacks were serrated in their precision: three tries born directly from Springbok mistakes.

They didn’t overcomplicate, didn’t gild the lily. They kicked, chased, tackled, and played territory like a chess master nudging pawns into position.

The Boks, in contrast, stumbled from one unforced error to the next. Their set-piece, normally their strong point, turned into a blunt instrument. Their backline offered little beyond blunt-force charges, reverting to type when invention was required.

A flattering scoreline

In truth, the seven-point margin flatters South Africa. The All Blacks had more than enough buffer, their victory rarely in doubt. Eden Park remains their canvas, and though this was no masterpiece, it was another brushstroke in a mural of invincibility which is now painted with the inscription “51 unbeaten.”

Erasmus’ headache

For Rassie Erasmus, the takeaways are stark. His side were dominated in the very arenas they pride themselves on: set-piece, physicality, and ruthlessness. New Zealand’s defence coach Scott Hansen promised a direct, aerial, physical approach during the week. The All Blacks delivered it with the cold efficiency of craftsmen.

Next week in Wellington, with the Freedom Cup on the line, Erasmus will demand sharper execution, calmer heads, and a return to their true DNA. Because in Auckland, the Boks were hunted, harried, and ultimately humbled in rugby’s Garden of Eden, where the fruit remains forbidden.

Scorers
New Zealand (24): Tries – Emoni Narawa, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea. Conversions – Jordie Barrett, Damian McKenzie (2). Penalty – McKenzie.
South Africa (17): Tries – Malcolm Marx, Cobus Reinach. Conversions – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty – Handré Pollard.

Springboks charge Eden Park hoodoo head-on

By Adnaan Mohamed

History stands on the tryline. The Springboks return to Eden Park on Saturday, the All Blacks’ impenetrable fortress since 1994, chasing a first victory in Auckland since 1937.

“Facing New Zealand away from home is always a challenge, and playing at Eden Park will make both teams equally desperate,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.

“There’s no doubt the players will throw everything out there on Saturday. There is a massive rivalry between the sides, and the history between us is tremendous.”

The Boks’ two lone wins at Eden Park came in 1921 and 1937. Since then, seven defeats and one draw have left the ground a graveyard of green-and-gold dreams.

Now Erasmus’ men, back-to-back World Champions and reigning Rugby Championship holders, want to flip the script.

“Playing against New Zealand in their backyard… is special, and we don’t need more motivation than that. It’s going to be a nervy week for both teams,” he admitted.

Erasmus brushed off talk of Eden Park being an impossible fortress:

“People are making a big deal of the Eden Park record and, of course, it adds pressure. But if one looks back a few weeks ago, we lost against Australia at Ellis Park, and it’s now history.

For us, it’s a huge honour to get the chance to play at Eden Park, and it’s a great opportunity for us.”

And when asked if this was the biggest Test since the World Cup Final? His answer was blunt:

“It would be a slap in the face to Australia and Argentina for us to say this is the biggest game since then.”

With both sides ranked one and two in the world, Saturday’s Test match will be a collision of legacies and settle the argument for now as to who can claim the bragging rights of being the best rugby team on the planet.