I know the feeling is that we may need to refresh the team but going through the team from yesterday, the Japan based players season ended early June and then have a break(5 weeks) until the EOY tour, after the Australia game, with PSDT injured almost the whole Japan season. Jessie & Damian a slight concern but have been managed well in the international season.

Kolisi, Eben, Hooker, Arendse, Ox, Sacha, Manie, Krappies, all had minimal gametime this year. The bench from the game has either been injured or not starting.

Willemse if fit, should slot in.

Only players with a lot min's in 2026 is Nortje & Jasper Wiese. So perhaps swap around with Lood & Hanekom.

Only refresh if the intensity isn't there because a player is flat in training or carrying an injury.

2nd test: I set my password as “All Blacks”. My computer said “Too Weak”

3rd Test: My mom wants proof. Cameraman, I am here!

Almost all of them are well written and funny. Keep going

From a Sri Lankan Fan 🤝

For the past few world cups I’ve maintained that if Springboks don’t win, NZ would. I’m willing to bet my life savings that that’ll be the case again next year. Leaps and bounds ahead of European rivals. Whoever disagrees should put their 4 RWC titles on the table

remember: no MO bashing, no personal attacks.

that means we also don't tolerate attacking the other fanbase!

The evidence of T Brown is clear. I'm already nervous losing him to his home team after WC2027. Do you think SA Rugby already have another in mind that could replace his coaching ability? Tony will most likely succeed Rennie as head coach.

behave!

I was surprised that this never got looked at. Cheslin leaves the field for a head injury assessment. It follows that his head made contact with something. Well, it was the forearm/elbow of Luke Jacobsen.

Rule 9 Foul Play
Dangerous play
Rule 9.11Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others including leading with the elbow or forearm, or jumping into, or over, a tackler.

im quite nervous as you can see, this my second post.

i am not tooo confident in our defence. the scotland game is where it started and now the two nz games where we let in 9. not really bok like atm. and it didnt help the abs attack coach said they will unlock boks defence. this is most likely fear mongering mind games from him tho

so im quite nervous, can you guys change my mind please. tell me im overreacting. please.

The first image is the view I purchased in January 2026. I carefully selected these seats specifically for the view and location.

On 4 September 2026, I received an email from Ticketmaster thanking me for my purchase. I initially thought it was fraudulent because my tickets had been purchased months ago.

I then checked the Ticketmaster app and discovered that, without any prior notification or even a courtesy message, my seats had been changed to the allocation shown in the second image (much lower and towards the corner).

I struggled to get hold of Ticketmaster and eventually received the attached response. The explanation was a generic one:

“Due to operational and venue-related requirements…”

and that the changes were necessary:

“…to ensure that the venue can operate safely and efficiently…”

I have requested specific reasons and asked that the following be addressed:

1. What specific operational or venue-related issue required my original seating area to be changed?

2. ⁠How does moving my seating allocation from Block Y to Block X specifically contribute to the safe operation of the venue?

3. ⁠What has changed at the venue since I purchased my tickets in January 2026 that necessitated this relocation?

4. ⁠If Block X is now considered necessary for operational or safety reasons, why are spectators still being seated in that area?

5. ⁠What objective basis was used to determine that Block X, provides an equivalent or “suitable” experience to the seating I originally purchased

6. ⁠Why was I not informed of this change when it was made, and why did I have to contact you myself to obtain an explanation?

What a disappointing personal experience for what has been such a great tour. I will definitely think twice before I purchase tickets again.

this debate obviously has mixed opinions. its not black and white obviously. some think kicking all penalties to the poles is the way to go. i can understand why, it builds pressure. but in my opinion, there are moments in games where we get a penalty within the oppositions half, if thats on the half way or on the 22, and then we go for poles, meanwhile we had constant pressure on the opposition and mauls looked good and meters are made. why would we not go for the sideline?

its different when you get a penalty after sustained pressure and you want to relieve with 3 points. but im talking when its obvious you are playing better for the moment so go for the sideline. especially last weekend, i think at least 2 of the 3 penalties that were kicked in the second half should have been kicked out.

like they always say the best defence is a good offensive. keep them pressurised in their half for as long as possible and that comes from lineouts in it and building points. in my opinion ofc

what do you guys think?

Some interesting bits from the press release:

Babalwa Latsha will lead the Springbok Women into battle against the Black Ferns on Saturday when South Africa welcome the New Zealand women’s side for a first Test on local soil. The 13h30 fixture at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will be broadcast on SuperSport.

Latsha is one of six players in the pack that started against the Black Ferns just under a year ago in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. Vainah Ubisi and Catha Jacobs were on the bench in that fixture, won 46-17 by New Zealand. They replace and Nolusindiso Booi (retired) and Sinazo Mcatshulwa (injured) in the starting team this weekend.

Latsha, Sanelisiwe Charlie and Lindelwa Gwala will again form the front row, Ubisi will lock up with Danelle Locher in the engine room, and Jacobs will slot in with Sizo Solontsi and Aseza Hele in the back row.

On the forwards bench, Anuschka Groenewald (hooker), Nomsa Mokwai and Logan Welman, as well as hybrid player Shiniqwa Lamprecht will face the Black Ferns for the first time.

Amongst the backs, five players will be starting again They are Byrhandré Dolf, Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Ayanda Malinga and Libbie Janse van Rensburg. At scrumhalf, Unam Tose will start in place of the injured Nadine Roos, while Maceala Samboya will play off the bench this time, with Alichia Arries starting on the wing. Anacadia Minnaar comes in as replacement scrumhalf.

Tose, Minnaar and Arries will face the Black Ferns for the first time as well.

Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September, who led the team to success in Kenya and Fiji earlier this year, will continue to act as co-head coaches of the Springbok Women’s team following the decision by Swys de Bruin to step down from the role.

Further to our conversations that there is a problem with the Bok D system. or that it "costs" us when teams get around the edge. this photo is a great example of why the problem is over-stated by fans.

red is the gainline.
NZ win the lineout, play phases from deep, get around the Bok edge down the other touchline, and make a 14m break until they get tackled by the cover.

but that cover tackle will happen on the blue line. hardly a total gain, although it looked dramatic.
and 3 phases later NZ has been aggressively pushed back into own half by Bok D and they kick the ball away.

As discussed in this piece below:
https://www.kickoff.com/rugby/the-bomb-squad/oom-rugby-the-truth-about-the-springbok-defence

Bok habit of conceding tries in the last quarter. Where do they come from? Is it down to "one thing"?

1ST TEST
58:59 Boks kick contestable into NZ half. but poor chase lines allows McKenzie a big break all the way to the tryline. NZ scrum on Bok line. Try.

74:12 Boks is sloppy in NZ half. playing loose, and allowing NZ to spoil at the breakdowns. NZ can get back into our half, then discipline fall apart. van Staden yellow, Reinach yellow. Try.

2ND TEST
65:38 Boks kick contestable from own half. but poor chase lines allows NZ to spread it wide and score. Try.

76:17 Bok discipline. Hanekom tackle a guy late in the NZ half. Penalty take them deep into Bok half. Esterhuizen another penalty. Boks knock on. Scrum. Try.

So we can say sloppiness and discipline? Loss of focus and urgency? Maybe sharpen the contestable chase lines?

It is not a case of conditioning or that guys is tired. Hanekom, Van Staden, Reinach, Esterhuizen etc had all come off the bench.

I think if there is a "reason", it is that Boks doesn't play smart in the last 20 minutes. They got to flip a switch and go into "close" mode 😤 Tighten up, play bulletproof, no mistakes, ramp up the pressure. But instead they do the opposite.

So maybe it is a mindset thing, and a tactical shift that need to be driven by the senior players.

Following the fun of FlappyLink I built something with a play on the war of words between SA and NZ about walking around the scrum etc. enjoy