The Olympics game in Beijing are almost over and South Africa still only has one medal to show for their efforts. Most of us had expected Team South Africa to return with much more than one silver medal especially with our swimming team. Firstly, credit is due to Khotso Mokoena for winning a silver medal in the mens long jump event. You have spared the nations blushes. However what I have not liked hearing over the last couple of days is the comparison between South Africa and Zimbabwe in the Olympics. Zimbabweans are right to come out and say that they have won 4 medals at the Olympics. Yes, all four were won by Kirsty Coventry in the swimming pool but so what? It may only be one person but Team Zimbabwe has four medals and South Africa only has one. I have come across many South African’s this weeks who have said that Coventry has four medals and not Zimbabwe. I find this to be very wrong! Read the rest of this entry »

After Saturday’s embarrassing defeat to New Zealand, the Springboks have to bounce back against Australia in Durban on Saturday (23 August). Winning the Tri-Nations for South Africa may be out of the question now but still the team has to go out and show the whole world why they are World Champions. I am getting sick and tired of hearing people saying that the Springboks are not worthy of being World Champions after being beaten by Australia in Australia and Saturdays drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks just solidified those ‘haters’ claim that the Springboks are not the best team in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

The Tri-Nations resumes this weekend (Saturday 16 August) with arguably the most important game of the series being played this weekend at Newlands in Cape Town between South Africa and New Zealand. This is going to be one heck of a game in a capacity stadium where tickets were sold out within hours of becoming available. The Springboks seem not to be taking any chances in the game and have called up Percy Montgomery and Fourie du Preez into the starting lineup. Montgomery will earn his 100th Test cap at Newlands in a back three that won the World Cup and one that started when they broke a 10-year losing streak at Dunedin earlier in the tournament. Read the rest of this entry »

Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, has named his team to take on Argentina in a once off test at Coca Cola Park (formerly Ellis Park) in Johannesburg this coming weekend (Saturday 9 August). De Villiers’ team sees a first start in the ‘Green and Gold’ for Cheetahs winger, Jongi Nokwe. Nokwe will make his Springbok debut in place of the injured Brian Habana who will be rested after his shoulder injury. Adrian Jacobs comes back into the team at number 13 having missed the previous match due to injury. Lions centre, Jaque Fourie will start on the bench having only come back into the Springbok scene after a long lay off from injury. Some are thinking that Fourie’s inclusion in the Springbok squad has come a bit too early as he has not even played for his province since returning from injury. Read the rest of this entry »

After last weekends historic victory against New Zealand, the Springboks go face to face with Australia on Saturday in Perth. Coach Peter de Villiers has decided to ring the changes again. The biggest change comes at full back where Percy Montgomery has been dropped and replaced by Conrad Jantjes. Percy does not even make the bench as De Villliers has opted to go with 5 forwards on the bench and only two backline players. Montogomery’s exclusion means that Butch James will take over the kicking duties with Frans Steyn as his deputy. Steyn will start the match in the centre position, replacing the injured Adi Jacobs. Having Steyn in the centre may be a good move in order to combat Australia’s Sterling Mortlock. Australia may have looked to target Jacobs but Steyn may prove to be a harder nut to crack in defence. Read the rest of this entry »

After the nail biting 30 - 28 victory against New Zealand on Saturday, South Africa are now the number 1 rugby team in the world again. South Africa’s win in New Zealand was their first win in the country in 10 years and bought to an end New Zealand’s 30 game winning record at home. Some have called Saturday’s victory an even sweeter moment than winning the World Cup final.

InTheNews.co.za would like to say congratulations to the Springboks for this historic win. You have made the whole country proud and we hope you can push on from this and win this years Tri-Nations.

Percy Montgomery and JP Pietersen will return to the Springbok starting lineup for the second test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday. This means that we will be seeing the same ‘back three’ that started in the World Cup final; Montgomery, Pietersen and Habana. I feel Conrad Jantjes will be disappointed by being dropped to the bench. He put in a good display in the first test and hardly put a foot wrong. But I guess coach De Villiers is trying something new this time around in his quest to beat the All Blacks. Read the rest of this entry »

The starting 15 to take on New Zealand on Saturday has been named today by Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers. The biggest surprise comes at number 8, where the coach has opted to start with Joe Van Niekerk ahead of Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski. Butch James comes back into the fly-half position in place of Frans Steyn. Some may say that the biggest ‘weakness’ in the Springbok backline will be centre Adi Jacobs. But looking at his opposite number from New Zealand, Conrad Smith, I do not think Jacobs will have many problems against Smith. Maybe against Australia when Jacobs will be up against Sterling Mortlock may we see some problems. Read the rest of this entry »

“I would be quite negligent as president if I did not have a Plan B tucked away at the back of a drawer,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter at a press conference before yesterdays EURO 2008 final. Blatter was making reference to South Africa’s ability to host the world cup in 2010. If something was to seriously go wrong and South Africa are not able to host the world cup, FIFA will have a plan ‘B’ in place. It is understandable that they have a plan ‘B’ as no one knows what will happen. I am sure it is pretty standard when organising a tournament of such magnitude that plans are put in place. We may not know exactly what the plan ‘B’ is with many thinking that plan ‘B’ will result in Australia hosting the world cup in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

The Springbok squad for the away leg of the Tri-Nations was named today. The biggest surprise was the inclusion of Shark winger, JP Pietersen ahead of Tonderai Chavhanga. Chavhanga did not have the best of times in the two matches he played against Wales this month but one may have thought that he would be selected based on the good form he showed in the Super 14. Pietersen himself has not been in the best of form since last years World Cup but seems to have been selected ahead of Chavhanga. Odwa Ndungane seems to have leaped frogged both Pietersen and Chavhanga in the pecking order. Odwa Ndungane started his first test for South Africa on the weekend against Italy and did not have a bad game and is deserving of his place in the team. Whether Ndungane or Pietersen started on the wing together with Habana, waits to be seen. Read the rest of this entry »