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Bok teammates worried about Siya
Trevor Nyakane and Steven Kitshoff have their fingers crossed Siya Kolisi is fit and firing to lead out the Springboks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Kolisi was forced off after 24 minutes of last week’s win in Argentina after injuring his other hamstring, having only just returned from a hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the Nations Championship.
Speaking on For The Love Of Rugby: South Africa podcast, Kitshoff asked Nyakane about their former captain and fellow two-time World Cup winner, and if the 35-year-old would recover in time to face the All Blacks in the first Test on 22 August. bettingx.club
“Hey, Stevie, that’s a very sensitive one. They’ve got me running here at the Sharks, and I was trying to sort out my achilles. You’re running, and then, next thing, boom – I’ve got a bit of a hammy,” the 68-Test prop said.
PLUS: Rassie recalls Bok veteran
“It’s a bit of a concern. You need all your soldiers, and we said a week ago that we’d like to see the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series start with all the best players from each nation on the field.
“In terms of the Springboks, I’m not worried. There’s plenty of leaders, and there are always people willing to step up and fill the shoes. But, for him personally, yes, I’m a bit worried.
“I’d love to see the man doing what he does best in that Greatest Rivalry. It would be a sucker not to have him there.
“Hopefully it’s not that bad. Maybe it’s just a bit of stiffness, and he’ll be able to get back and do what he does best.”
ICYMI: Erasmus sheds light on crocked Siya
Former loosehead Kitshoff then pushed Nyakane whether Kolisi stays in the Bok camp if ruled out of the Test series, for his leadership.
“Of course he’s a leader, and someone that people look up to,” he replied. “I think the Springboks will always do things fairly, and Rassie [Erasmus] and the coaching staff will assess the situation.
“If he’s going to be fit to play but might miss one game – there are four games, after all – I think he still has enough time to return. In that case, it’s worthwhile keeping him.
“But if he’s going to miss the entire series, then you need to bring in some fresh blood. I’m not saying he won’t come back and reclaim his spot, but if you keep someone there who can’t train or play for you, you’re closing off a spot.”
PLUS: Hansen hails Brannas’ desire to keep it up
Photo: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
The post Bok teammates worried about Siya appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
‘That day, we beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1’ – Ex-PSL star on muti experience
Former Free State Stars defender Yusuf Jappie has shared a hilarious story about his experience with muti during his playing days, which came against Kaizer Chiefs.
The 31-year-old, who also featured for clubs such as Golden Arrows, is the latest former PSL player to open up about the use of muti in South African football.
Over the years, several retired local footballers have shared stories about their experiences with muti, with some claiming it helped them win important matches or trophies, while others have insisted it had no effect.
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt previously recalled the use of muti during his time at Black Leopards and Moroka Swallows, revealing that he once suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates despite having muti used on both himself and his players.
Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Teko Modise has also spoken about his experiences with traditional practices in football.
Jappie recently spoke to KickOff about his own experience with muti during his PSL career, revealing how he was once forced to use a mysterious substance before a match against Chiefs.
“I don’t believe in it, obviously because of my religion, but I did play for clubs that believed in muti.
“I remember standing in a shower with a two-litre bottle of Coca-Cola, but what was inside was not Coke. I didn’t want to use it, but they warned me, ‘If you don’t want to do it, we will tell the boss!’
Jappie says Muti helped them beat Chiefs
“I had to do it. I had to wash from my elbows down to my hands, both arms, and from my knees to my feet. I also had to wash my face with it.
“That day, we beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1,” Jappie said.
Do you think Muti plays a big role in teams winning?
Nigeria: enquêté par les autorités, un colonel dit avoir préparé un putsch en 2025 par «patriotisme»
Au Nigeria, le média nigérian Premium Time a publié lundi 10 août les déclarations aux enquêteurs du colonel Mohammed Ma'aji, soupçonné d'être le cerveau derrière un projet de coup d'État en 2025. Six personnes, militaires à la retraite et civils, font l'objet de poursuites devant la justice fédérale, alors qu'une cour martiale a jugé un total de 36 militaires au mois de mai. Cette instance n'a pas encore rendu ses conclusions.
Gratitude and joy as Hele makes successful return
Very few, if any, in the Springbok Women squad were as pleased as Aseza Hele after she made a successful return to the Test arena on Saturday in Suva, where South Africa delivered a commanding performance as they defeated Fiji 55-12.
For Hele, who played in her 33rd Test, the return to the green and gold after injury was as good a feeling as making her international debut way back in 2018.
She last played for South Africa in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England almost a year ago and missed the early part of the season due to a hand injury that required surgery.
Now, back to her best, the Hermanus-based loose forward cannot wait for the second Test match this weekend, to be played at Churchill Park in Lautoka, where kick-off is scheduled for 13h00 (03h00 SA time) on Saturday.
“Yes, it was great being out there again,” Hele said from Nadi, where the Bok Women are based for the week.
“Coming back from rehabilitation, one is not always hundred percent sure how the body will react in a match situation. So I was pleased the way it went, given that I did not play for a while.
“Once the match started, I felt really comfortable and I could just focus on doing my job out there, which was great. It felt great to get back in the physical part of the game and I felt like I was myself again, so very happy with that aspect of it.”
Hele had 16 ball carries and made 127 metres, and her physicality was a menace to the Fijian defence.
“My fitness and conditioning was good – in these type of games you need to be at your best when it comes to fitness, so I am very happy the way it played out. There were some nerves at the beginning, but that is normal,” she said.
Hele was one of several players who did not start in the home series against the USA last month, so she could relate to those starting for the first time in a while: “I was happy for those who started for the first time in a while to be given that opportunity as they could step up and show what they are capable of and they did. From a personal point of view, I just went out there to make sure I fulfil my role to the best of my abilities.”
Hele is expecting the second Test to be as challenging as the first.
“It was tough out there, the wind was quite strong at times and when you play Fiji, you need to expect the unexpected,” she said.
“The crowd also goes wild when they have the ball, you can hear the noise going up and the pressure building from the crowd when they are in possession.
“It was most pleasing though that we executed our plays very well, we stuck to our guns and did not allow them to dictate matters. We came into this match well prepared, we worked hard back home and came here with good clarity on what we wanted to achieve. From that perspective, we really did well.”
The Test at Churchill Park will bring new challenges, she warned: “We know they will come back stronger. But that is good for us too, as we respond well to pressure. We also gained confidence from our own performances and we saw our hard work being rewarded. We stuck to our system and the system rewarded us.”
Hele was part of the team that suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the only other time the two teams met – at the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand – when Fiji scored in the final play of the match to snatch the win.
“We have buried that one now,” she said. “That defeat in New Zealand was still hurting and with this performance, we buried that for good.”
Another feature of Hele’s play, also came through in Suva – playing with a smile. And she had good reasons to do so.
“You don’t know how much you will miss that jersey until it happens, but I just realised it again,” said Hele.
“To be back in the team made the rehab worth the while. The mental side of the rehab is always the toughest. Patience is often a virtue as sometimes rehab has it ups and downs and for me it is 90% mental, 10% physical. So I am very pleased that I could be back doing what I love, playing for my country and inspiring others.”
The team for the second Test will be named on Wednesday. The squad will be without Lerato Makua and Eloise Webb, who picked up injuries last week, but could be bolstered by the return of team captain, Babalwa Latsha.
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
The post Gratitude and joy as Hele makes successful return appeared first on SportsClub.