“We set out with the goal of growing the depth of the squad and I am confident that any of this 31 can step into a play-off match at the Rugby World Cup and deliver an outstanding Volume 19, Number 32 performance.” – Springbok director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus 29 August 2019 Register to receive your own free weekly newsletter at www.rugbyrsa.co.za Quietly Going About Transformation in Rugby A Springbok team led by Siya Kolisi that combines And the proof of this was perhaps most evident in the exuberance of youth with gnarled experience was the team selected to play Australia in The Rugby announced last Monday. The 31 players and back Championship this year. Eight of the fifteen men who room staff head for Japan today (Friday 30th) to ran onto that field that day were classified as black launch South Africa’s seventh assault on the Rugby players and yet, when the team was announced a few World Cup title. days earlier, few pundits remarked on it – that’s if they even noticed. But, perhaps more importantly, the squad for RWC2019 in Japan shows that the transformation of the team is well underway: of the 31 players selected for the global rugby show piece, eleven are classified as black, equating to a 35.4% representation. This is the highest black representation in any Springbok squad that has travelled to a World Cup. Furthermore, and perhaps most gratifyingly, the likes of Elton Jantjies, Sbu Nkosi and Trevor Nyakane are Why? Because every player on that field deserved his no longer considered ‘quota players’. Instead, they place on it. And the proof of that pudding was in the are now simply accepted, by most of the rugby way our Springboks destroyed Australia (35-17). But watching public. That they deserve their places that’s now history and a new challenge begins: purely on merit is no longer questioned at all. Rugby World Cup 2019. Which brings us to the coach, Rassie Erasmus, whose plans and activities have resulted in this squad: “We set out with the goal of growing the depth of the squad and I am confident that any of this 31 can step into a play-off match at the Rugby World Cup and deliver an outstanding performance.” And he’s not alone. If the bookmakers and the assembled punditry are to be believed, this Springbok team has a very real chance of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time in the country’s history come early November. KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER Still the Surprises Keep Coming in CCPD Springboks Qualify for Women’s RWC2021 The Cream Rises Right to the Top in CCFD Schools that Produced the RWC2019 Boks Griffons to Tackle Elephants in U20 Final Springboks Add Jones to Coaching Team Page 1 Still the Surprises Keep Coming in CCPD The Cream Rises Right to the Top in CCFD This past weekend featured three matches of what Meanwhile, across in the Currie Cup First Division were, effectively quarter-finals to decide the venue (CCFD), it was semifinal weekend and SA Rugby and participants in the Currie Cup Premier Division decided to schedule the two semifinals at exactly the semifinals this weekend. First up, early Saturday same time this past Saturday. In the match down in afternoon, was a top-of the table clash that would Welkom, Griffons put Eastern Province to the sword guarantee the winner a home semifinal – at least. running out 62-31 winners. Griquas hosted Golden Lions at a packed out Griquas Park in Kimberley and the fans got all the excitement they could handle but, for most of them, not the result they wanted. The young Lions ran out to an early lead but then relaxed a bit on defence and allowed the home team back into the contest. The last 20 minutes was a topsy turvy affair as the advantage swung one way and then the other. But, eventually, Lions held on for a well-deserved 26-27 win to move top of the table and guarantee a home Meanwhile, not to far away from there, in the semifinal. university town of Potchefstroom, which is the The next match was equally definitive. It featured chosen home base of the Jaguares, the Argentines then second-place Free State Cheetahs against fifth- hosted a Valke team that has been far from its best placed Western Province in Bloemfontein. The this season. visitors needed a bonus point to have a shot at the last But the men from Brakpan saved the best for last and semifinal place and they came out hard. had a full go at the team that has dominated this At one point Province had built up a massive 21- year’s competition. But Jaguares eventually downed point lead but then the Cheetahs began the fight- Valke (37-27) to secure a place in the final. back. In the end, the home side took it 38-33 and The result means that the top two teams (on the log) leapfrogged Griquas and Lions to the top of the log. in this year’s CCFD are through to the final this The final game of the weekend was the surprise of weekend. And, by virtue of finishing unbeaten with a the weekend. Blue Bulls went down to Durban full-house of four-try bonus points, the team from should have come away with an easy five points but Argentina has “home-ground advantage”. ended up with bloodied noses. That sets up the So, if you happen to be in the vicinity of semifinals for this Saturday afternoon: Potchefstroom on Saturday and you don’t plan to be Lions vs Griquas in Johannesburg at Emirates Airlines Park to watch the Golden Lions, Cheetahs vs Sharks in Bloemfontein you may want to pop down to the Fanie du Toit Sports Ground as North-West University to catch the CCFD final. It promises to be a real humdinger because, not only is the CCFD trophy on the line but the winner books a shot at Pumas for the right to play in the Premier Division next year. There’s still a considerable amount for which to play in CCFD this year. Page 2 Page 3 Griffons to Tackle Elephants in U20 Final U21 Champs Semifinals Kick Off this Afternoon As mentioned last week, the SA Rugby U20 Meanwhile, the other youth competition of the Championship semifinals took place over this past moment reached the semi final stage after the final weekend when Griffons entertained Boland Cavaliers round of pool matches last weekend. The first match in Welkom and EP Elephants battled it out with of this round of the SA Rugby U21 Championship Pumas in Despatch. saw Western Province hosting Golden Lions and, going in, the team from Joburg knew that they Griffons scrumhalf Max Williamson scored a brace needed a bonus point win to make the semifinals. in the semi-final, while flyhalf Jan Strydom scored a try and kicked four conversions, and centre Franco Their hosts meanwhile, needed to collect more points Smith contributed a try, conversion and two penalty from the round than Free State in order to achieve goals, which proved vital as they outscored Boland their goal of a home semifinal against the self-same seven tries to four. Final score: 51-33. team from Bloemfontein. The result was a tough match in which the defending champions came out A fine kicking display EP Elephants flyhalf Johan on top (32-33) but then both teams had to wait for the Lombaard – who slotted over three conversions and outcome in Bloemfontein where Free State were four penalty goals – steered them to victory against playing Sharks. Pumas (31-26) as they scored three tries to the visitors’ four. That sets up a final between the two remaining unbeaten teams in this year’s competition – until Saturday, Pumas were also unbeaten. But, significantly, neither team will have home ground advantage in the final. This is because it is being played in Potchefstroom on Friday as a curtain-raiser to the Currie Cup First Division final between Jaguares and Griffons’ senior Lions fans rightly expected the men from team (see page two). Bloemfontein to slaughter the kids from Durban but Last Saturday’s results, however, will have little Province fans wanted the opposite result. significance on Friday because it is, well, knock-out Unfortunately for the Lions, the unthinkable is what rugby. EP Elephants, in particular, may draw happened and, as a result, Province hung on to the inspiration from the fact that their defensive statistics home semifinal position. have been better than Griffons this season, while Blue Bulls meanwhile, continued the rampaging run their attacking stats have been close as well. of good results with a (75-7) thrashing of Leopards, But, due to the format of the competition, neither ending the season nine points clear at the top of the team has faced the other yet this season so the result log. That sets up what should be a very easy could go either way. The U20 final kicks off at 15:30. semifinal at Loftus this afternoon against Sharks, who finished 18 points behind them. Meanwhile, on Saturday, in the Western Cape [a venue had yet to be announced as we were getting ready to publish – Ed], Western Province will host Free State. Since both teams ended the pool rounds on 33 points and each took a win when playing the other at home, the odds are marginally in favour of Western Province. But, as we’ve said before, this is knock-out rugby.