Cheetahs lose five for Bulls clash

Frans Steyn has rejigged his Cheetahs lineup for Sunday’s Currie Cup clash against the Vodacom Bulls XV in Pretoria, with several key players ruled out through injury. esporist.com

Bok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, who claimed his second Man of the Match award of the campaign in last week’s win over the Stormers XXIII, misses out with a shoulder injury.

Veteran fullback Clayton Blommetjies, concussed in that Athlone Stadium clash, is also unavailable.

Jaco van der Walt and Rewan Kruger form a new halfback pairing, with Cohen Jasper switching from the bench to fullback and Jooste Nel coming into midfield.

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FRANS: Faf didn’t do everything right

Injuries to flanker Juan Venter (sternum), centre Marco Jansen van Vuren (chest) and prop Frankie Dos Reis (knee) have also reshaped the starting XV, with Simon Miller shifting to flank and Aranos Coetzee and Daniel Maartens drafted into the front five.

The Cheetahs sit second on the log, level with Griquas, while the winless Bulls XV are rooted to the foot of the table.

CHEETAHS – 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Michael Annies, 13 Jooste Nel, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Neels Volschenk (c), 7 Simon Miller, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Arno van der Merwe, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Juan Smal, 1 Tebogo Nkosi.
Bench: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Tielman Niewoudt, 18 John-Kelly Okonkwo, 19 Curtly Thomas, 20 Sisonke Vumasonke, 21 Jandre Nel, 22 Tiaan Swanepoel, 23 De-An Ackermann.

Weekend teams

Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images

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Kaizer Chiefs defender Thabiso Monyane is confident his side can rise to the challenge against Mamelodi Sundowns when they meet in the Betway Premiership on Saturday.

The Glamour Boys are preparing for a tough showing against Sundowns when they meet at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

Amakhosi come into this fixture after claiming back-to-back wins in the Betway Premiership against Kruger United and Sekhukhune United.

Monyane believes the club’s improved performances against Mamelodi Sundowns last season will give them confidence ahead of their latest clash.

“Coming in from last season, look, we drew with Sundowns twice,” Monyane told the media.

“All I can say is that there is improvement, and we know their strengths, we know their weaknesses and we look to keep up on that.

“It’s a very interesting game, a very big clash. Look, I urge supporters of Kaizer Chiefs to come out in their numbers and support us.

“They really mean a lot to us, you know, they push us and give us that match-winning spirit. Look, we want them to come out in their numbers and support us.”

The post Monyane Confident Chiefs Can Rise to Sundowns Challenge appeared first on SportsClub.

Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Sphelele Mkhulise is expecting a fiercely contested Betway Premiership clash against Kaizer Chiefs.

The Brazilians will look to secure back-to-back wins in the Betway Premiership when they take on Amakhosi at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Sundowns come into this fixture off the back off a thrilling 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium.

Mkhulise has called on the Sundowns supporters to play their part as the 12th man while assuring them that the players will give everything on the pitch.

“Obviously, we are playing a big game, and we are ready as Mamelodi Sundowns to do our best, and our supporters must expect us to give our all on the field of play. I promise them that we won’t disappoint them as players,” said Mkhulise.

“We need them as the 12th man to give us support and to cheer behind us. It’s going to be a very difficult game because they [Chiefs] are doing well at the moment in the league.

“They have won their last two games in the league, and they are number one, I think. So, it will be a very difficult game.”

The post Mkhulise: Sundowns Must Be Ready for Chiefs Battle appeared first on SportsClub.

En République démocratique du Congo (RDC), le Conseil national de cyberdéfense est au cœur du procès de l'ancien chef d’état-major général de l’armée, Christian Tshiwewe, et de plusieurs autres généraux, accusés notamment de complot et de violation des consignes. Les avocats de la défense ont clos, jeudi 13 août, devant la Haute Cour militaire, le dépôt de leurs préalables. Durant ces trois dernières audiences, une requête était commune : la mise à l’écart des procès-verbaux établis par le CNC, relevant de la présidence de la République, à l’origine des arrestations massives de généraux et de hautes personnalités.

Former All Blacks flank Josh Kronfeld believes an obsession with big ball-carrying centres has changed the whole dynamic of the back row.

Kronfeld earned a reputation as one of the game’s finest ball-stealing openside flanks during his 54-Test career, but the role has evolved significantly since his playing days, with versatility increasingly valued over specialist skills.

That was highlighted when openside flank Du’Plessis Kirifi was a shock omission from Dave Rennie’s All Blacks squad for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa, with the coach preferring loose forwards capable of moving across the back row.

Kronfeld believes the shift can be traced back to changes in attacking approach.

“Rugby as it should be is to have a really good understanding of the beauty of passing before contact,” he told Betway. “It’s a skillset that was quite dominant in All Blacks rugby, but not like it used to be.

“It’s just shifting before the contact, changing the line of attack, and then shifting it again. I feel that sort of rugby used to exist all the time in the 1990s.

“But when Jonah [Lomu] came along, we moved on to the next lot of centres and midfielders like Tana Umaga, Ma’a Nonu and Sonny Bill Williams, who were all big ball players. But it was about shifting the ball in contact, not before it.

“I think we’ve got almost obsessed with that whole idea of the midfield having a big running dynamic [outside] centre or second five [inside centre] which became the key point for starting that next phase.”

Kronfeld believes that evolution in the midfield has had a knock-on effect.

“That’s changed the whole dynamic of the back row and loose forward play,” he said.

“Loose forwards now are all about retention at the breakdown to the extent you don’t have a genuine openside, or a six [blindside] or eight.

“The specialist thing has gone out the door, especially in New Zealand.

“A six, seven and eight now tend to be all the same style of player.”

KRONFELD: Springboks on another level

Kronfeld pointed to Luke Jacobson as an example of the modern versatile loose forward, but admitted he was frustrated to see him start at openside flank against the Stormers in Cape Town.

“Luke Jacobson has been unbelievable, his stats are off the chart in terms of ruck clear-outs and at the breakdown. He could play anywhere in the back row.

“But he’s not your typical openside and I was almost tearing my hair out when he was at seven against the Stormers.

“For New Zealand to leave behind Du’Plessis Kirifi after an amazing season with the Hurricanes says everything.

“He is a specialist openside, and he didn’t really fit into what they were thinking.”

MORE: Ex-All Blacks stunned by Kirifi omission

Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

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