“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, 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 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 ’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 , and 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 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 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 at a packed out 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 against fifth- hosted a Valke team that has been far from its best placed Western Province in . 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 went down to 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 at Emirates Airlines Park to watch the Golden Lions, Cheetahs vs 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 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 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 meanwhile, continued the rampaging run their attacking stats have been close as well. of good results with a (75-7) thrashing of , 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.

Page 4 Page 5 Springboks Qualify for Women’s RWC2021 Schools that Produced the RWC2019 Boks

The Springbok Women booked their place in the There was a time, in not too many years gone by, 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand when a high percentage of the players selected for with victory against Kenya (39-0) in Brakpan. The Springbok duty would have come from just a handful win marked a clean sweep for the Springboks in the of schools. The likes of Paarl Gymnasium, Paul Roos qualifying competition and delivered maximum Gymnasium and Grey College (Bloemfontein) would points from their three matches after they had also have loomed large, contributing a significant number beaten Uganda (89-5) and Madagascar (73-0). of the players.

However, it has to be noted that the teams that the Springboks faced in this competition were relatively weak. Looking ahead to RWC2021, the other teams already qualified for the tournament are: Australia, Canada, , France, New Zealand, United States and Wales.

As far as we can tell, the Springbok Women have only ever beaten one of those teams: Wales at the But not so much any more. Well, OK, Paul Roos is 2010 World Cup. Then again, opportunities to play still up there with four of the 2019 World Cup squad and hone their skills in tough matches have been few having attended that school: , Steven and far between for rugby-playing women in South Kitshoff, and . Grey Africa – but that’s changing as women’s rugby College had only two former pupils in the squad attracts more interest from the public and, ( and Francois Steyn) but then so did consequently, more sponsorship. Hoërskool Hugenote in Springs ( and ). With the Women’s Rugby World Cup still two years away, we hope that the local rugby powers that be will work hard to schedule a challenging build-up that will give these women the best chance to do our country proud.

The Springboks are currently 11th in World Rugby’s women’s rankings – but, looking at the points, there is a vast chasm (about 25 points) between them and New Zealand at the top of the tree. Three matches are scheduled for September and October – one against Spain (9th) and two against Scotland (12th) but the fixtures beyond that are murky. Hopefully, matches are planned before 2021 against sterner opposition, For the rest of the squad, everyone comes from a higher in the world rankings. We live in hope. different school. Importantly, there are a number of schools on the list who will be celebrating their first Springbok ever.

That is both refreshing and welcomed because it suggests growth of the game at true grass roots level. You can find the full list of schools and players on Sport24.co.za.

Page 6 Springboks Add Jones to Coaching Team

News a couple of weeks back would have placed The pair worked together a few years back after Lions’ supporters in a bit of a quandary: Erasmus joined Irish provincial side Munster as the Swys de Bruin advised Springbok management that Director of Rugby. And while Jones has only been a he wished to be released from his role as an attack coach since 2016 Erasmus clearly values his consultant with the team. Lions supporters also contribution. Before that, and as a player, the 32-year- support the Springboks and while they may have old was part of ’s famed U20s Six Nations been pleased for their provincial franchise, they’d Grand Slammers in 2007 and earned thirteen Test caps have been perturbed for the national team. for Ireland.

But news this week would have been great relief for Unfortunately for him, his playing days were curtailed those Lions supporters as they can now be happy prematurely by a serious neck injury four years ago, that Swys is free to consult at Emirates Airlines when he was forced to retire. Since he was playing for Park while secure in the knowledge that his Munster at the time, it was no surprise to see his replacement will bring great value to the Springbok services retained by the club – originally under the title camp. of technical coach.

But who, exactly, is Felix Jones? Well, he has been Working initially under Anthony Foley, the Munster on Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ shopping list great who had named Jones team captain on a handful for some time. of occasions, Erasmus would arrive as director of rugby and ultimately took on a greater level of authority following Foley’s shock passing in Paris on the eve of a Champions Cup clash with Racing 92.

That the partnership was instrumental in the success enjoyed by the Irish provincial side in the years following is no secret. Clearly, the pair built a good rapport and Jones’ addition to the Springbok coaching staff can only be seen as a good thing.

It may even come in handy at the World Cup if the potential World Cup quarter-final between the Springboks and Ireland comes to pass. But that probably wasn’t part of Erasmus’ calculus when he identified Jones as someone to bring on board.

Page 7 For your weekend viewing pleasure

The friendly rugby continues on the international front this weekend (see alongside) as teams continues to test out combinations and try new players ahead of RWC2019. Unfortunately, only France vs Italy will be seen on local screens – unless you’re a subscriber to one of the many television streaming services that are popping up these days.

Locally, we also have a lot to which we can look forward – and it begins today (Friday) with the SA Rugby U20 Championship final (see page four), which kicks off at about 15:30. It will be the first (and only) match from that competition to be televised this year – as far as we know. A little after 18:00, the final of Currie Cup First Division will be contested (see page two) and televised – this is another competition that has seen zero television coverage this year. After that you can catch France vs Italy.

Then on Saturday, the Currie Cup Premier Division The SA Rugby U21 Championship is at the semifinals will be decided: first Golden Lions vs Griquas semifinal stage this weekend as is the B section (14:00) and then vs Sharks (17:00). of the Women’s IPL – but neither will be [We fully expect to see a Lions vs Cheetahs final in televised, sadly. Bloemfontein next week - Ed].

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