#Bongi Mbonambi

Dan Biggar urged his Wales side to hit the standards they've set in South Africa on a regular basis going into a World Cup season and not regress to the paucity of their Six Nations displays. At the start of the year, Wayne Pivac's side could only beat Scotland of their European rivals and lost at home to Italy for the first time. It meant that a…

The grandest stage in European club rugby has begun its shows for another year. With a new, faraway country in the mix to try their hand at the European Rugby Champions Cup, things got spicy quickly. South Africa's proud rugby history was injected into the Champions Cup for the very first time in the competition's existence this past weekend, and…

The four nations of the clunkily named Rugby Championship do battle after dodgy July series. Argentina nipped a depleted Scotland at the last moment. South Africa laboured to a brutal win over a limited, dour Wales. Australia was overpowered by England after a hopeful first Test. New Zealand lost every facet of their series against Ireland. With…

South Africa face a crossroads fixture against Australia six days after losing to the Wallabies, with their Rugby Championship title chances riding on whether they can avenge that defeat Quade Cooper delivered the goods for Australia in his recent comeback against South Africa, but the enraged Springboks head to Suncorp Stadium on Saturday as…

The port city of Marseille is no stranger to debate. Each election cycle this ancient place is used by the governing and the challenger to prove a point. Ask a hundred French what they think of Marseille and at least seventy will mention crime, with a generous dose of'code words.' To critique Marseille as a seething hotbed of vice, contraband, turf…

France will be out for an improved performance from their narrow win over the Wallabies when they host the Springboks. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 7am (AEDT). South Africa have recalled the experienced duo of fullback Willie le Roux and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk while adding goal-kicking insurance on the bench. Le Roux…

France continue their end-of-year internationals with another supreme test of their mettle and quality, as the world champion Springboks head to Marseille's Stade Velodrome. Les Bleus needed a last-gasp try from Damian Penaud to edge Australia in a 30-29 victory in Saint-Denis, overcoming the Wallabies in a match that saw both teams edge in front…

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa have included uncapped flyhalves Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in their squad for next month's autumn international series, and electric winger Cheslin Kolbe returns after recovering from injury. The Springboks will play four tests, starting against Ireland in Dublin on Nov. 5, followed by matches on…

The Autumn Nations Series certainly delivered over the weekend, with gripping contests played out in Dublin, Paris and London. And did the All Blacks finally turn the corner of their topsy-turvy season in a runaway victory over Wales in Cardiff? Perhaps Scotland can halt New Zealand's mini resurgence this weekend in Edinburgh? Read on for all the…

Pierre Spies is the best No 8 to have played in Super Rugby, writes Mark Keohane, who picks his all-time Super Rugby XV. I was privileged to report live from the ground on 14 of the 16 South African Super Rugby matches in Australia and New Zealand in 1996. The reason I couldn't be at all 16 was because of the schedule and of being in Australia on…

South Africa have recalled hooker Malcolm Marx and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk to the starting lineup for their Rugby Championship opener with New Zealand at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday. A third change from the side that beat Wales 30-14 in Cape Town last month sees rookie wing Kurt-Lee Arendse come in for the injured Cheslin Kolbe, who is nursing…

South Africa'A' coach Mzwandile Stick, meanwhile, included nine capped Springboks in a 19-man squad that will travel to Ireland next week Saturday for their two-match tour against Munster and the Bristol Bears, where they will be joined by seven players from Nienaber's squad following the Springboks' opening Test against the top-ranked team in the…

South Africa have included uncapped flyhalves Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in their squad for next month's autumn international series, and electric winger Cheslin Kolbe returns after recovering from injury. The Springboks will play four Tests, starting against Ireland in Dublin on Nov. 5, followed by matches on consecutive Saturdays…

Siya Kolisi of South Africa during The Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on September 24. Darren Stewart/Gallo Images Nienaber will also be pleased that younger players like Jaden Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie were thrown into the deep end and swam to shore comfortably. Also, senior player Jasper…

This weekend the curtain came down on the local rugby year with the two South African United Rugby Championship derbies that were brought forward from 2022 due to the recent discovery of the new COVID variant Omnicron that has once again disrupted the world. CAPE TOWN - A rugby season without disruptions seems like something from our wildest dreams…

Siya Kolisi of South Africa during The Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on September 24. Nienaber will also be pleased that younger players like Jaden Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie were thrown into the deep end and swam to shore comfortably. Also, senior player Jasper Wiese made his comeback to…

As the Stormers kick off the defence of their United Rugby Championship title, there will be marauding stuff; counters and passes out of contact. But should there be even a splinter of a second to pause and think, will anyone consider just how mad it is that they are the champs? You should. But let's examine why. "It was very unsettling," says…

The famous'bomb squad' is back for the deciding contest of the 2022 Rugby Championship when the Springboks take on Argentina in Durban on Saturday. Coach Jacques Nienaber has returned to a six/two split between forwards and back on the bench after two weeks of the more traditional five/three split. It was in part forced on him, with all three…