SATURDAY MAY 22 2021 SPORT 49 Springboks are heading Down Under City adds JULIAN LINDEN

THE Springboks will return to for the first time in three years after the reigning steel to world champions confirmed they will rejoin the Rugby Championship in 2021 after controversially skipping last season’s tournament. The competition’s organ- isers SANZAAR lost millions of pursuit dollars in revenue when the South Africans pulled out of last year’s championship at the last minute – citing “player welfare” – leaving Australia, New Zea- land and to play a hastily arranged Tri-Nations of plate competition. But after getting approval from the South Afri- can government to host this MARCO MONTEVERDE year’s British and Irish Lions se- ries, the Springboks have given City’s A- their word they will renew hos- League dominance has been tilities with their southern due in part to a gruelling pre- hemisphere foes this year. season that added much- “Following the unfortunate needed steel to a team of COVID-related disruptions of nearly men. last year, we are very much Runaway leader City will looking forward to resume seal the Premier’s Plate with a playing against the , win over Central Coast Mari- Wallabies and the All Blacks,” ners at AAMI Park this even- Melbourne City coach South African director of ing. Patrick Kisnorbo. rugby Rassie Erasmus said. It’s A-League silverware “There is a great rivalry be- that’s overdue for the cashed- you have to go through some tween us, but we also have a lot up club owned by City Football bad times to get to a good stage. of respect for each other and Group. “I didn’t reinvent the wheel have built good friendships While it won the FFA Cup because we didn’t want that over many years.” in 2016, the Melbourne club but I wanted to challenge the The 2019 World Cup win- has largely underachieved. players. ners will host Argentina in two Last season, positive steps “(I) tested them mentally, matches, with the Pumas un- Wallabies star James O'Connor will remain with the Reds until the 2023 World Cup. were made as City reached physically, tactically, emotion- able to play at home because of the grand final under flam- ally and, through those times, I the pandemic, before travelling boyant Frenchman Erick think they’ve grown collec- away to play the Wallabies and Mombaerts. tively and individually. twice each. And this season, with Mom- “We’ve been tested a lot this The venue for South Afri- O’CONNOR SEALS DEAL baerts’ former assistant Patrick year. ca’s first match in Australia on Kisnorbo in charge, City has “When the tests have been September 11 is still to be de- MARCO MONTEVERDE battle against the said the previously wayward again stepped up. there, we’ve shown that we can cided but is almost certain to be at Suncorp Stadium. and controversial O’Connor, Sensing that his squad handle that.” in Sydney, probably ANZ Sta- WALLABIES fly-half James “I was born here, I love who signed with the Reds needed toughening up, the Kisnorbo insisted City would dium. The second match, seven O’Connor has declared he this state, I love pulling on two years ago, after a spell ruthless Kisnorbo ensured it treat Saturday night’s contest days later, has been locked in wants to finish his career the maroon , and this overseas. was going to be a pre-season like any other game despite the for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadi- with the Reds, after signing a is where I want to finish “I came back with the his players would never for- chance to wrap up the premier- um, the same venue where the new deal with the my career.” intention to play for my get. ship with three regular-season Springboks last played – and Queensland O’Connor recently led the country again and to prove “We put players under matches remaining. lost – in Australia. and . Reds to the AU to myself that I could take stress to see how they reacted,” “We know what’s at stake has been chosen to O’Connor, 30, has put pen title, scoring all of what I learned from overseas Kisnorbo said. but besides that it’s been pretty host this year’s only Bledisloe to paper on a new contract Queensland’s 19 points in its off the field and flourish in “At the start it was hard but much the normal build-up,” he Cup match in Australia after that will keep him with the three-point grand final win this environment. once they went through that said. Optus Stadium was given the QRU and RA until the 2023 over the . “I truly feel that we have hard stage and they found out “I don’t talk about winning, nod ahead of rival venues from World Cup in . “We have a great team the group of coaches and they could do it, they could I don’t talk about expectations; the eastern states. The block- “Queensland is my home,” now and I think we are going players to take Australian push themselves again ... and I talk about process. buster match will be played on said O’Connor, who will line to do some special things. I’m rugby back to the top, and I then the bar keeps rising. “We talk about hard work ... Saturday August 21, as the sec- up for the Reds in tonight’s excited to be part of it and to want to be part of that more “The demands were very the goal was to be as best as we ond leg in the three-game series. Super Rugby Trans-Tasman help take them forward,” than anything.” high and set from the start but can be every game.”

2021 NRL NT TIPSTERS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Nigel Roy 3 (9) Jack Hislop 3 (10) Steve Shervill 2 (9) Joshua Sattler 2 (8) Kiss of Death 0 (3) Katie Woolf 2 (7) Kate Worden 3 (9) Nathaniel Chambers 2 (8) Josh Spasaro 3 (10) Grey Morris 3 (9) NRL NT General Manager ABC NRL NT chairman City of Darwin Until Eternity Mix 104.9 Member for Sanderson NT News Sports Journalist NT News Sports Paginator NT News Sports Editor Brothers Brothers Brothers Rabbitohs Rabbitohs Rabbitohs Brothers Brothers Brothers Brothers Nightcliff Nightcliff Litchfield Nightcliff Litchfield Nightcliff Nightcliff Nightcliff Nightcliff Nightcliff Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston Raiders

V1 - NTNE01Z01MA