Category: 6. Sports

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong team for the side’s opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the matchday squad featuring 18 Rugby World Cup winners and only one player who made his Test debut during the July Test Series.

 

Only three players in the squad have five Test caps or fewer – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (utility forward), Edwill van der Merwe (wing) and Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), who made his Test debut against Italy in July.

 

The Springboks will be hunting their fifth successive victory against the Wallabies in the match after defeating them in both Castle Lager Rugby Championship games in Australia last season and once each in 2023 and 2022.

 

The match will mark a significant occasion for veteran Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth, who will extend his record as the most capped Bok of all time to 134 matches, which will see him pass Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray from joint-11th place in the global pecking order to joint 10th position with Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins.

 

Erasmus named an exciting backline, featuring a back-three of Aphelele Fassi and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Van der Merwe, while Jesse Kriel will join forces with Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield following a niggle picked up by Damian de Allende. Manie Libbok and Grant Williams will dictate at halfback.

 

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will don the No 8 jersey for the first time in a Test, in a loose trio with flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden, while Etzebeth and Lood de Jager will control the engine room behind a front row featuring props Ox Nche and Wilco Louw and hooker Malcolm Marx.

 

The Bok coach opted for five forwards and three backs on the replacements bench, where Bongi Mbonambi, Wessels and Ntlabakanye will serve as the impact front row, along with utility forwards Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith. The three backs on the bench are Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, and Damian Willemse.

 

“We’ve been experimenting with player combinations during the Castle Lager Incoming Series and at our conditioning camp in the last two weeks, and we believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want to play against Australia,” said Erasmus.

 

“The Wallabies will be determined to change their win record against us in the last three seasons, so they’ll come out guns blazing, and we are confident that the players we selected will be up for the challenge.

 

“All of the starters except for Edwill have faced them before, and we are confident that he is ready for this challenge.”

 

Commenting on the niggle to De Allende, Erasmus said: “Damian picked up a back niggle in the last two weeks and will train again this week, but Andre has been strong for us in the last few seasons, so it was an easy decision to name him alongside Jesse in the midfield.”

 

Erasmus added: “Cheslin (Kolbe) has also recovered from a niggle and trained with us last week, but we decided to exercise caution and give him extra time at training before selecting him. Edwill has been in good form this season, and it will be good to see what he brings in this match.”

 

With Australia coming off a confidence-boosting 22-12 victory after a heartbreaking 29-26 defeat against the British & Irish Lions, Erasmus expected a challenging test against them.

 

“Australia showed that they are on the right trajectory in their last two matches against the British & Irish Lions and we have no doubt they will enter this match with confidence and determined to build on those performances,” he said.

 

“They are a physical and well-coached team, and we’ll certainly not underestimate how much those performances, combined with their motivation to bounce back strongly against us after the last few results between the teams, and win their first match ever at Ellis Park, will inspire them.

 

“That said, we have also been working hard to keep building on our game and improve, and we believe our two-week conditioning camp has placed us in the right frame of mind for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship. So hopefully we can transfer that hard work into our game to place ourselves in a good position to defend the title.”

 

Springbok team to face Australia in Johannesburg:

15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 12 caps, 35 points (7t)

14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 3 caps, 25 pts (5t)

13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 80 caps, 95 points (19t)

12 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 20 caps, 0 pts

11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 26 caps, 100 points (20t)

10 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 20 caps, 108 pts (1t, 35c, 11p)

9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 25 pts (5t)

8 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 93 caps, 60 points (12t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 88 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps, 15 pts (3t)

5 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 67 caps, 25 points (5t)

4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 133 caps, 35 points (7t)

3 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 0 pts

2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 78 caps, 115 pts (23t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 41 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 79 caps, 70 points (14t)

17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 10 pts (2t)

18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions) – 1 cap, 0 pts

19 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 79 caps, 20 points (4t)

20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 53 caps, 45 points (9t)

21 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 70 pts (14t)

22 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps, 35 pts (7t)

23 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps, 61 points (5t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

 

Facts and Stats

 

Head-to-head v Australia

Played 95; Won 52; Lost 40; Drawn 3; Points for: 1 923, Points against: 1 672; Tries scored 227, Tries conceded 171; Highest score 61-22 (Pretoria, 1997); Biggest win 45 points (53-8, Johannesburg 2008). Win % 54.7%.

 

Miscellaneous

Should the Springboks win, it will be the first time they have won five successive Tests against the Wallabies in more than half a century (they won seven matches in a row against Australia between 1969 and 1971).

Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 134 Test matches when he takes the field. He will also move past Conor Murray as the 11th most capped men’s player in rugby history, which will see him level with Gethin Jenkins in joint-10th place on the list.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s starting berth will see him strike 94 Test caps, meaning he will only require six more Test appearances to become the ninth player in South African rugby history to earn 100 Test caps.

A victory for the Springboks will see them extend their unbeaten run against the Wallabies at Ellis Park to seven matches. They have never lost a match against Australia at the iconic stadium.

The Boks have won six of their last 10 matches against the Wallabies – a track record they will be determined to improve on this weekend. Their last defeat against the Wallabies was in Adelaide in 2022.

The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up are 725.

There are 180 caps in the backline, with 545 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 312 caps.

The average caps per player in the backline are 26, the forwards 68, while the players on the bench average 39.

Cristiano Ronaldo put a (huge) ring on it.

The soccer superstar has gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez. Rodríguez shared the engagement news on Instagram Monday, posting a picture of a gigantic diamond ring on her left hand.

“Yes, I do,” Rodríguez wrote in a caption translated from Spanish. “In this and in all lives.”

Ronaldo and Rodríguez met in 2016 at a Gucci store in Madrid, Spain, where Rodríguez worked at the time. They began dating shortly after, going public with their relationship in 2017.

The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Alana, in November 2017. They then had twins, daughter Bella and son Ángel, in April 2022, but Ángel tragically died at birth.

Rodríguez has also helped raise Ronaldo’s three other children — Cristiano Jr., who was born in June 2010, and twins Eva and Mateo, a daughter and son born via surrogate in June 2017.

Ronaldo, 40, is entering his fourth season with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus star is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who’s hoisted five Champions League trophies. He also won a European championship with Portugal in 2016.

Ronaldo is soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer at both the international level with 138 goals and overall with over 930 combined career goals between club and country.

LUANDA – MOCAMEDES (Angola) – The final rosters for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket were finalised on Monday evening in Luanda and Mocamedes following a FIBA technical meeting.

Sixteen teams split into Groups A, B, C and D will play 36 games from Tuesday, August 12 through Sunday, August 24 in Luanda and Moçâmedes.

The final rosters are as follows:

Angola I Cameroon I Cape Verde I DR Congo I Côte d’Ivoire I Egypt I Guinea I Libya I Madagascar I Mali I Nigeria I Rwanda I Senegal I South Sudan I Tunisia I Uganda.

FIBA

The opening of the aquatic facility represents phase one of the club’s broader Centre of Excellence project, which is being delivered in partnership with the NSW Government’s Office of Sport and the Australian Football League. 

The program is focused on creating elite sporting infrastructure that not only supports high-performance outcomes but also delivers broader benefits to the community, particularly in the areas of talent development, inclusion, and community access. 

Purpose-built in conjunction with FDC Construction, the aquatic centre represents a major milestone in the evolution of the GIANTS’ elite sport training environment and is a significant investment in the future of high-performance sport and community engagement in Western Sydney. 

It is integrated as part of the club’s headquarters that was also designed by Populous and opened in 2013, providing a Training and Administration facility that strengthens the status and identity of the GIANTS Football Club and inspires players and staff. 

Today marks the eleventh anniversary of Real Madrid‘s second Uefa Super Cup. On 12 August 2014, after securing La Décima a few months earlier, the Whites lifted a fresh continental trophy in Cardiff (Wales), where they defeated Sevilla courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo double (2-0). The Portuguese was named MVP of the match, which marked the official debut of one of our great legends: Toni Kroos.

Real Madrid broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Cristiano Ronaldo finished off a delightful cross from Bale on the left. In the second half, the Portuguese forward sealed the game with an angled drive. With this victory, the Madridistas lifted the trophy again, 12 years after the first Uefa Super Cup.

MATCH INFO:
2- Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrão (Marcelo, 84’), Modric (Illarramendi, 86’), Kroos, James (Isco, 72’), Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.
0- Sevilla: Beto, Coke (Diogo, 84’), Pareja, Carriço, Fazio, Fernando Navarro, Krychowiak, Aleix Vidal (Iago Aspas, 66’), Vitolo, Denis (Reyes, 78’), Bacca.

Goals:
1-0 (min. 30): Cristiano Ronaldo.
2-0 (min. 49): Cristiano Ronaldo.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England).
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium.

Manchester City considering move for Rodrygo, Nottingham Forest close to agreeing deal for James McAtee, and Chelsea and RB Leipzig discuss Christopher Nkunku in talks for Xavi Simons.

Manchester City are considering a move for Real Madrid’s 24-year-old Brazil forward Rodrygo, who is valued at £87m. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Nottingham Forest are close to agreeing a deal for Manchester City’s 22-year-old English midfielder James McAtee. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Chelsea and RB Leipzig have discussed France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, during talks about Netherlands attacker Xavi Simons, 22. (Talksport), external

Monaco are interested in signing Newcastle’s 34-year-old former England defender Kieran Trippier. (Sky Sports), external

West Ham are preparing a bid for Southampton’s 21-year-old Portugal Under-21s midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who is valued at £30m. (Guardian), external

Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, will only consider reintegrating at Newcastle or signing a new deal if Liverpool directly inform him a deal is impossible this summer. (Givemesport), external

Inter Milan, Roma, Juventus and Napoli have joined AC Milan in expressing an interest in Rasmus Hojlund, with Manchester United ready to consider bids of £30m-£40m for the 22-year-old Denmark striker. (The i – subscription required), external

England midfielder Jack Grealish’s loan move from Manchester City to Everton includes a £50m option to buy the 29-year-old next summer. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Chelsea have lodged a £43m offer for 26-year-old Liverpool and France centre-back Ibrahima Konate. (Defensa Central – in Spanish), external

Brentford and Newcastle are in talks to sign Stade Rennais’ French striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, with the Bees slightly more advanced in negotiations for the 23-year-old. (L’Equipe – in French), external

Newcastle also have a strong interest in Leicester City and Morocco attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, 21, but face competition from Leeds. (Telegraph), external

Everton are interested in Leicester’s 21-year-old Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu after failing with multiple bids for Southampton’s 19-year-old England Under-21s winger Tyler Dibling. (Sky Sports), external

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has sacked his agent as he attempts to find a new club. The 28-year-old England striker has held talks with Manchester United, Newcastle and Leeds. (Talksport), external

Wolfsburg are interested in Sunderland’s 23-year-old Northern Ireland full-back Trai Hume. (Sky Sports), external

Chelsea are considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, 23, following 22-year-old England centre-back Levi Colwill’s serious knee injury. (Caughtoffside), external

German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 34, is keen to stay at Manchester City beyond the end of the summer transfer window despite interest from Galatasaray. (Football Insider), external

DUBLIN:

Wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali struck her second T20I century to lead Pakistan Women to a consolation eight-wicket win against Ireland Women in the third and final T20I of the series here at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin on Sunday afternoon.

Muneeba’s 100 not out off 68 balls led Pakistan over the line as they chased the 156-run target with 14 balls to spare. The left hander remains the only Pakistan batter to register a T20I century in Women’s T20Is after she first achieved the feat against the same opposition in February 2023 off 66 balls.

This is also Pakistan’s highest successful chase in Women’s T20Is and joint-highest second innings score surpassing their previous successful chase of 151-run target against South Africa in Karachi in 2023.

In pursuit of the chase, Pakistan finished the Powerplay with 55 runs on the board for the loss of opening batter Shawaal Zulfiqar and Natalia Parvaiz, who was promoted up the order. Muneeba opened the innings with a hat-trick of fours against Prandergast before striking another six fours and one six in the following five overs.

No.4 batter Aliya Riaz combined with the southpaw from Karachi to produce a magnificent unbeaten 101-run stand off 70 balls for the third wicket, which is also just the fourth century stand for Pakistan. Muneeba has been part of two of two such stands.

Muneeba brought up her half-century of 29 balls, while at the halfway mark Pakistan required 72 runs. Aliya contributed a 27-ball 39 not out with the help of five fours as Pakistan chased the total in 17.4 overs. The winning run also brought up Muneeba’s record century comprising 14 fours and one six.

For Ireland, Ava Canning and Lara McBride picked up one wicket each.

Earlier, Ireland got off to a rapid start with skipper Gaby Lewis (36, 22b, 8x4s) and Amy Hunter (29, 33b, 3x4s, 1×6) jotting together 52-run opening stand off 32 balls.

Player of the series Orla Prandergast struck 64 not out, off 46 balls hitting eight boundaries to steer the home team to 155-4 in 20 overs. For Pakistan, Rameen Shamim, Waheeda Akhtar, Sadia Iqbal and Fatima Sana dismissed one batter each.

Scores in brief

Match 3 of 3: Pakistan beat Ireland by eight wickets at the Clontarf Cricket Club

Ireland 155-4, 20 overs (Orla Prandergast 64 not out, Gaby Lewis 36, Amy Hunter 29; Rameen Shamin 1-18)

Pakistan 156-2, 17.4 overs (Muneeba Ali 100 not out, Aliya Riaz 29 not out; Ava Canning 1-17)

Player of the match – Muneeba Ali (Pakistan Women)

Player of the series – Orla Prandergast (Ireland Women)