Author: admin
Rassie Erasmus says that Siya Kolisi will continue to lead the Springboks in 2026 after shifting his mindset around the captaincy. The Bok boss does not believe that there will be a change in the leadership role this year, but has pinpointed the factors that may change things. Siya Kolisi the icon Kolisi’s role was under the spotlight last year when the flanker was plying his trade at French club Racing 92 with Erasmus admitting that he preferred his Springboks skipper to be locally based as it allowed for better access. Still, the flanker continued to lead the side in…
Fabien Galthie is set to back the tactic that paid dividends against Italy. Fabien Galthie will reportedly persist with the forward-heavy bench approach popularised by Rassie Erasmus and Springboks. During his tenure as France’s head coach, Galthie has regularly selected a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards, but he doubled down in response to Les Bleus’ defeat to England. For the Six Nations round three match against Italy, he selected seven forwards and one back on his replacement bench – a tactic the Springboks utilised on three occasions in 2023 and once last year. The ploy paid huge dividends…
Graham Potter has been left in no doubt that money will be tight at West Ham this summer but there’s a £15m carrot dangling. It seems unthinkable that Graham Potter wouldn’t have known the financial situation at West Ham when taking the job. Potter is being assisted by new head of recruitment Kyle Macauley in identifying targets for the summer. The goal is to revamp West Ham’s ageing squad significantly. Except PSR restrictions mean the Hammers need to sell players to fund that rebuild. West Ham plan to make over £100m in sales with as many as seven in the shop window. A number of other current…
Aston Villa have placed themselves favourably for progress into the quarter finals of the Champions League after they took a 3-1 aggregate lead back to Villa Park next Wednesday evening having toppled Club Brugge. Villa returned to the scene of Tyrone Mings’ misjudgement, but he made up for that indiscretion and then some with an astounding goal-line clearance at 1-1 to keep Villa on terms and allow them to go forth and claim a lead. After Leon Bailey’s opener had been cancelled out, an own goal forced by Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead before Marco Asensio’s late penalty settled the evening…
SA Rugby has confirmed the venues of the Springboks’ six local Tests during this season’s Incoming Series and Rugby Championship. The Springboks are set for a season-opener at the end of June as they build towards a jam-packed 2025 Test schedule. With the Springboks soon set to gather for their first alignment camp of the year, it has been confirmed that options are being investigated for a match prior to the Incoming Series. During a press briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday, Rassie Erasmus went one step further to reveal that they will play the Barbarians ahead of the July…
Sign up to our Sunderland AFC newsletter Former Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie has slapped an enormous price tag on Sunderland duo Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg – and compared the pair to Jamed Maddison and Jack Grealish. The teenage duo were both recognised at the North East Football Writers Association Awrds on Sunday evening, sharing the Young Player of the Year accolade after a meteoric 12 months that has seen them establish themselves not only as key players for Sunderland but also as reported transfer targets for several Premier League and European heavyweights. In recognition of their rapid development, the Sunderland…
Newcastle United visit West Ham in the Premier League on Monday night and the pressure is all on Eddie Howe’s side. Historically, games between West Ham and Newcastle are always entertaining. In 145 matches between the Hammers and Magpies, the fixture has averaged three goals a game. Newcastle have had the better of things overall down the years, winning 60 to West Ham’s 44 with 41 draws in all competitions. But West Ham won the last meeting, pulling off a shock 2-0 victory at St James’s Park after the November international break. That result has typified the seasons of both clubs. For…
Frans backs ‘next Lukhanyo Am’ to shine Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn has picked a player at outside centre for their opening SA Cup match against Boland who he believes has the potential to emulate a Springbok star. Raegan Oranje has played scrumhalf and wing for the Cheetahs since arriving in Bloemfontein from Griquas, but Steyn insists the 28-year-old has what it takes to excel in the No 13 jersey. “He’s big and strong. He’s fast and communicates on defence. He has never made a wrong decision in our [training] drills. “He doesn’t bother me there [at outside centre], he looks…
Under-fire Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou will have a “Plan B” up his sleeve — although it won’t be a long-term fix — according to one of the manager’s former players. In an injury-plagued season that has seen Spurs slump to in 13th place in the Premier League, Postecoglou has faced criticism for failing to adapt his attacking style to the rigours of English football. Shane Stefanutto, a senior member of Postecoglou’s Brisbane Roar side that won back-to-back A-League championships and went on a league-record 36-game unbeaten run, says there are parallels with Spurs’ struggles this season and what the coach had to deal with at…
Former England and Lions winger Ugo Monye has called for “greater” off-field sanctions following the introduction of 20-minute red cards. Ahead of the 2025 Six Nations, it was confirmed that the tournament would adopt the 20-minute red cards that were trialled during the autumn. The World Rugby law trial means that players who are sent off for technical offences can be replaced by a team-mate after 20 minutes with referees retaining the ability to issue a full red card. While the on-field sanction has been reduced, the off-field punishments have remained the same and has been particularly topical after Romain…