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‘It’s a dream come true,’ says Krappie after stellar performance against All Blacks
A blinding performance from Springbok scrumhalf Morné van den Berg against the All Blacks in Baltimore on Saturday has likely catapulted him to the front of the Boks’ No 9 queue, after years of being a fringe player.
Krappie, as he is affectionately known, has been part of the Bok setup since making his debut in 2024, and has travelled extensively with them over the years as part of the wider squad, but up until last month had only made six appearances.
But he has gone on to play four games over the past month, coming off the bench against Argentina and in two Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tests against the All Blacks, before earning his first ever start against the Boks’ biggest rivals in the USA at the weekend. rocore.sbs
What followed was a superb all-action showing from the 28-year-old, as he played the full 80 minutes, provided crisp service and a competitive kicking game, while he sniped over for a try after pulling the ball out of a maul.
His efforts were rewarded with the man-of-the-match award, as he helped the Boks to a 43-28 win and 3-1 series triumph over their biggest foes, and backed up his brilliant cameo off the bench in the third Test in Soweto a week earlier.
‘Speechless’
“I’m so emotional. I just want to thank the Lord. It looked impossible that I would play in this series (due to picking up an injury late in the URC season), but his miracle hand touched me,” said Van den Berg in a television interview after the match .
“It’s been such a massive honour to play for this team, for this jersey, for our country, and for my family back home. I am so proud of the boys that we could pull it through. It was special (scoring a try). It’s always good to score tries, but a bit more special to score in this game.
“It’s a dream come true (playing against the All Blacks). You honestly dream of this when you’re a young boy playing (rugby) in the garden. Scoring tries in the corner of the garden. And then to be on this field in America, in Baltimore, in front of this amazing crowd. I am speechless.”
Decisions, decisions
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will now have some tough decisions on his hands, as Van den Berg is arguably the form Bok scrumhalf now, and has proven he has what it takes to play in the big games. Could he now be ahead of Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach in the pecking order?
It will be interesting to see if he will be given a bit of a run in the starting jersey when the Boks continue their Nations Championship campaign during the November internationals.
Next up though, in two weekend’s time, is the one-off Test against Australia, but like the rest of the Bok squad who have been in action in recent weeks, Van den Berg might be rested for the trip Down Under.
Williams, if fit, Herschel Jantjies, Faf de Klerk and even Hashim Pead could come into the reckoning for that Test against the Wallabies.
Madagascar: grève d’employés de l’aviation civile visés par une enquête du bureau anti-corruption
À Madagascar, une quarantaine d'employés de l'aviation civile sont en grève, depuis plusieurs jours, pour réclamer un rappel de salaire et une indemnité de logement. En toile de fond, il y a une affaire de corruption présumée. Le Bureau indépendant anti-corruption malgache (Bianco) enquête sur des recrutements, au sein de l'aviation civile, effectués, depuis 2023, une enquête corroborée par un rapport de la Cour des Comptes.
‘Awesome’ Cam worth the risk for Rassie
Rassie Erasmus feels the Springboks’ Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry success has vindicated him chopping and changing teams while backing the old guard to guide next-gen stars.
The Boks closed out the series 3-1 with a 43-28 win over the All Blacks in Baltimore on Saturday, fielding a starting XV with 927 caps – 327 in the backline, 600 among the forwards, plus 277 more on the bench.
Eben Etzebeth extended his record as the most capped Springbok ever to 146 Tests, while the loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese stretched their record to 19 starts together, with Wiese now one cap shy of 50.
ICYMI: Boks hit record rankings high
Erasmus pointed to that experience, and an average age of 31 in the run-on XV, as key to sustaining depth through heavy rotation.
“I know some people criticise us, or don’t fully understand, when we change the team by 12, 11 or 13 players. Most of the time, we calculate risk,” he said.
“But the team that played today, the average age was 31, so it’s not a young team.
“Our experience from series like the British & Irish Lions or a World Cup means you need guys who are experienced and can manage the pace of the game.
RASSIE: This is why we play rugby
“That’s what we’ve tried to do for four or five years, chopping and changing teams. Sometimes we get flak for that and we lose a game here or there.
“But then when the young guys come in, it’s not the first time, and they’re next to an older guy with a wise head – maybe not as fast or energetic, but calm. That’s the thought process. It’s not for us to make a jersey cheap or just give caps away.”
Erasmus also weighed the physical toll of four straight Tests against New Zealand in his selection calls.
“Sometimes we get it right, sometimes wrong. But the older guys help the younger guys, they pull them up, not push them down.
SIYA: Rassie reminded us how powerful we are
“There are six or seven older guys who, if we played next week, wouldn’t have been able to play. Their bodies are too tired. So we try to get that balance right.”
On six-cap Cameron Hanekom, who came off the bench and scored his second Test try, Erasmus explained the call for a tiring loose trio.
“Cameron Hanekom was awesome. Pietie [Du Toit] was cramping and Jasper was tired.
“When he came on, he was – he’s just getting better game by game and starting to feel comfortable in the system, so very happy for him.”
Photo: Michael Franken/Michael Franken Photography
The post ‘Awesome’ Cam worth the risk for Rassie appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Stade Malien – Colombe : tout se joue à Bamako
Le Stade Malien a désormais son destin entre les mains. Après avoir obtenu un nul sans but à Yaoundé (0-0) lors de la première manche, le club de Bamako accueille la Colombe Sportive ce dimanche au Stade du 26-Mars, pour le match retour du premier tour préliminaire de la Ligue des champions CAF. Le coup d’envoi est prévu à 16h00 GMT.
Le Stade Malien veut faire la différence
Le résultat enregistré au Cameroun a laissé les deux formations dos à dos. Si le Stade Malien n’a pas réussi à trouver la faille lors de l’aller, il a néanmoins ramené un résultat qui lui permet d’aborder cette seconde manche avec de bonnes perspectives.
Devant son public, la formation malienne devra toutefois se montrer plus entreprenante. L’objectif sera de prendre le contrôle de la rencontre et surtout de concrétiser ses occasions afin de valider sa qualification pour le deuxième tour.
Colombe veut créer la surprise
De son côté, la Colombe Sportive arrive à Bamako avec l’ambition de prolonger son aventure africaine. Le club camerounais s’était montré solide à l’aller en gardant sa cage inviolée et entend désormais réaliser une nouvelle prestation disciplinée loin de ses bases.
Dans une confrontation aussi indécise, chaque occasion pourrait avoir son importance. Les visiteurs devront donc trouver le juste équilibre entre prudence et ambition pour tenter de faire déjouer le Stade Malien.
Une qualification en jeu
Après 90 minutes sans but à Yaoundé, tout reste à décider dans cette double confrontation. Le Stade Malien pourra compter sur le soutien de ses supporters pour tenter de faire la différence, tandis que Colombe cherchera à résister à la pression du Stade du 26-Mars.
L’enjeu est clair pour les deux équipes : décrocher une place au deuxième tour préliminaire de la Ligue des champions CAF 2026-2027. À Bamako, le moindre détail pourrait finalement faire basculer cette affiche.
The post Stade Malien – Colombe : tout se joue à Bamako appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
PSG : le groupe pour Brest dévoilé, Zabarnyi et Mayulu absents
Le Paris Saint-Germain a dévoilé son groupe pour le déplacement à Brest. À l’occasion de la 4e journée de Ligue 1, le champion de France se rend en Bretagne ce dimanche soir avec l’obligation de réagir après un début de championnat compliqué. Toujours sans victoire après trois journées, le PSG reste sur deux nuls et une défaite.
Plusieurs recrues convoquées
Luis Enrique a retenu un groupe de 21 joueurs pour cette rencontre. Plusieurs recrues figurent dans la liste, notamment Godts, Akliouche et Torres, tandis que Ousmane Dembélé et Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sont également présents.
Le technicien espagnol a aussi décidé de convoquer Adam Mouak, jeune gardien de 17 ans. En revanche, deux absences sont à signaler : Illia Zabarnyi et Senny Mayulu ne font pas partie du groupe parisien pour ce déplacement à Brest.
Après trois journées sans le moindre succès en championnat, le PSG devra donc profiter de ce rendez-vous pour lancer enfin sa saison en Ligue 1. Une réaction est attendue du côté des hommes de Luis Enrique, qui n’ont déjà plus beaucoup de marge après ce départ poussif.
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