Da Cruz: Chiefs Rose to a Tough Challenge

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz believes the tactical adjustments made at half-time allowed his players to show more freedom and attacking intent in the second-half.

The Glamour Boys returned to winning ways after they secured a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune at the FNB Stadium.

Goals from Luke Baartman and Mduduzi Shabalala saw Amakhosi walk away with all three points and back-to-back wins in the Betway Premiership. likesport.biz

Da Cruz highlighted the importance of creating chances in front of their home supporters as Chiefs continue to develop their attacking game.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, it’s a good team. The first half was maybe tactical at halftime and in the second half we accepted to be more free and play forward and to run forward,” Da Cruz told SuperSport TV after the game.

“It is very important, it forces us to create chances also when the fans come to the stadium so it’s what we try to do every time. But sometimes we arrive, sometimes we don’t arrive.”

The post Da Cruz: Chiefs Rose to a Tough Challenge appeared first on SportsClub.

Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes his new signings will make an impact against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, writes MORNÉ ESBEN.

Flyhalf Curwin Bosch, loose forward Hanro Liebenberg, wing Thaakir Abrahams and utility back Hakeem Kunene have all been included in Ackermann’s match 23.

Ackermann says he’s been encouraged by the integration of the new signings, praising the experience they have brought into the squad.

“Brilliant! All four of them have been amazing. They’ve settled in with the team, they’ve contributed and you can see they’ve been around the block,” he said.

“They’re easy to coach and bring a lot of experience into our camp, culture and character so I’m looking forward to see how they’re going to play, but also gel with the team during the season.”

BOSCH: My best is good enough for Boks

Like all the other South African URC clubs, Ackermann has had to make do without a host of Springboks but is still able to call on seasoned veterans in captain Marcell Coetzee, Willie le Roux and Embrose Papier.

However, Ackermann lamented the unavailability of some of his X-factor players like Junior Springbok Cheswill Jooste, who he feels would’ve been perfect for this clash.

“Cheswill came back from the Junior World Championship and we gave him two weeks off to recover. Then he only had two weeks in which to prepare – of which one he was very sick. So when he returned on Monday, I spoke to the medical team and the feeling was not to risk him because he hadn’t done any speed and contact work in three weeks.”

COETZEE: Bulls have to be clinical

The Bulls coach has enormous respect for the challenge posed by the All Blacks under Dave Rennie.

Ackermann expects New Zealand to bring a relentless tempo to Loftus, something he admits his team would normally require a full pre-season to handle.

“We know how the All Blacks play. I know Dave Rennie well. All his teams play at a very high tempo and they want to speed everything up,” he said.

“Lineouts, scrums, they keep the ball alive so to play at that tempo is something I enjoy and it’s something we strive towards. But to be able to do that, you would need to have a really good pre-season.

“You need to be fit and prepared to sharpen your skills on that level and we needed a few more weeks to get to that level.”

MORE: Ackers relishing Rennie reunion

Photo: Vodacom Bulls

The post Ackers hails injection of ‘brilliant’ new recruits appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – All is set for the Absa Ruiru Invitational, the fifth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, with a strong field of golfers expected to battle for honours at Ruiru Sports Club from Sunday to Tuesday.

The main tournament action will be preceded by a Pro-Am on Saturday, August 15 bringing together professional golfers and amateur players for a preview of the competition and an opportunity for partners, stakeholders and golf enthusiasts to experience the Ruiru course ahead of the three-day championship.

The tournament has attracted a diverse field of 63 professionals, amateurs and junior golfers from across the region, setting the stage for another competitive three days of golf as players seek valuable Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points, Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.

Among those expected to headline the field are Kakamega Sports Club’s Dismas Indiza and Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma, who return to Ruiru after producing one of the most dramatic finishes of last year’s tournament.

Indiza, who started the final round five shots behind Lejirma, mounted a remarkable comeback to tie at 4-under par 212 after regulation. He then edged Lejirma in a sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the par-4 18th to claim the title.

The two will be joined by a strong cast of Kenyan professionals including Samuel Njoroge Chege, Greg Snow, Daniel Nduva, Michael Karanga, David Wakhu, Edwin Mudanyi, Mohit Mediratta and Taimur Malik, among others.

Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera will lead the international challenge, with players from Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi also expected to feature, underlining the growing regional and continental reach of the Sunshine Development Tour.

The field also includes a number of emerging and amateur golfers, providing them with an opportunity to test themselves against established professionals while gaining valuable competitive experience.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Tournament Director David Kihara said the strength of the field and the history of the Ruiru leg should make for another closely contested tournament.

“Ruiru has consistently delivered competitive golf, and we are expecting another exciting contest this year. We have a strong field bringing together experienced professionals, emerging players and amateurs from across the region, which should make for a very competitive three days. The return of players such as Dismas Indiza and John Lejirma also adds an interesting dimension given what happened here last year. We look forward to welcoming the players and fans to Ruiru and seeing who will emerge as this year’s champion.”

The Absa Ruiru Invitational is supported by Absa Bank Kenya as part of its ongoing partnership with the Sunshine Development Tour. The Bank is supporting three legs of the Tour this season, including the Ruiru event.

The tournament forms part of the Sunshine Development Tour’s broader pathway for golfers seeking to progress to higher levels of professional golf, with players competing for ranking points and opportunities to advance towards the Sunshine Tour.

Flyhalf Curwin Bosch is among four Springboks named in the Vodacom Bulls starting XV for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour match against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Fullback Willie le Roux, scrumhalf Embrose Papier and flank Marcell Coetzee also bring valuable experience to Johan Ackermann’s side.

One of the biggest talking points is the return of Hanro Liebenberg. The hard-working loose forward is back in Pretoria after a successful stint with the Leicester Tigers and slots straight into the starting XV.

There is also considerable interest around Bosch, who returns to South Africa after two years in France. The gifted flyhalf has built a reputation as one of the game’s most dangerous attacking playmakers and prolific point scorers.

BOSCH: My best is good enough for Boks

Another new arrival, former Sharks and Munster wing Thaakir Abrahams, will wear the No 14 jersey, with ex-Sharks fullback Hakeem Kunene on the bench.

The selection also rewards dynamic No 8 Jeandré Rudolph, one of the standout performers from the Bulls’ 2025-26 Vodacom URC campaign.

History suggests the hosts’ challenge on Saturday will be a formidable one.

In four previous meetings dating back to 1949, the All Blacks have won three. The one exception remains one of the most celebrated victories in South African provincial rugby history, when Northern Transvaal defeated New Zealand 29-27 in August 1976, almost exactly 50 years ago.

COETZEE: Bulls have to be clinical

BULLS – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Thaakir Abrahams, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Juann Else, 1 Alu Tshakweni.
Bench: 16 Jaundre Schoeman, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Katlego Letebele, 23 Hakeem Kunene.

TEAM: All Blacks skipper returns for Bulls battle

Photo: Vodacom Bulls

The post Bulls get Bok boost for All Blacks clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

With only three rounds remaining before the semi-finals, every log point is becoming increasingly valuable in the race for playoff qualification in the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division 2026. This coming weekend sees two matches staged on Friday and one each on Saturday and Sunday.

The Fidelity ADT Lions and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers kick off the round-five action when they meet from 15h00 at Wits University on Friday. That clash is followed by the meeting in Kimberley between log leaders Suzuki Griquas and the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, starting at 17h05.

The Airlink Pumas welcome the DHL Stormers XXIII to the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday for their 17h00 game, and the round’s action concludes on Sunday when the Vodacom Bulls XV host second-placed Toyota Cheetahs in a 15h00 kick-off at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The weekend’s opening fixture between the Fidelity ADT Lions and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at Wits on Friday afternoon carries enormous significance for two teams still very much in the semi-final race. The Gautengers occupy third place on the log with 12 points after winning two of their opening four matches, while Boland are fifth on 11 points after a promising start to the campaign.

Last weekend’s results, however, told contrasting stories. The Lions suffered a 31-19 defeat to Griquas in Kimberley, while the Kavaliers were frustrated by a determined Sharks XV outfit, going down 19-12 in Durban.

The men from Joburg remain one of the competition’s most potent attacking teams, having scored 140 points and 20 tries in four matches, the highest points tally in the competition. Earlier victories over the Pumas (52-29) and Bulls XV (42-19) highlighted their attacking capability at home.

Boland, meanwhile, have been one of the strong outfits of the season, opening their campaign with victories over the Bulls XV and Stormers XXIII before narrowly losing to the Pumas and Sharks XV.

The previous two meetings between the sides are even, with the Lions beating the Kavaliers by 67-19 in one of the two semi-finals last September in response to the Bolanders’ 29-10 win a month earlier in Wellington.

Coincidentally, both these teams have also each won two of their respective five previous games in all competitions, which means we are in for a very competitive match in Joburg on Friday afternoon.

Next up is the late afternoon match between Suzuki Griquas and the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV in Kimberley, at 17h05.

The defending champions continue to gather momentum, moving to the top of the standings after dispatching the Lions 31-19 in Kimberley last week, maintaining their impressive home form and improving their record to three wins from four matches.

The Sharks, meanwhile, revived their playoff hopes with a hard-fought 19-12 victory over the Kavaliers and now sit seventh, just two points outside the top four.

The men from the Northern Cape have built their success on a potent balance between attack and defence. They top the standings, have scored 130 points scored and boast notable wins over the Bulls XV, Cheetahs and Lions. Their only setback came in the opening round against the Stormers XXIII.

The Durbanites have shown significant improvement after opening with an away win over the Pumas, followed by defeats against the Cheetahs and Stormers XXIII, before bouncing back last week against Boland.

In terms of the head-to-head between these sides, it is the men from Kimberley who have a 3-2 advantage over a five-game stretch in this competition, while they are also 4-3 to the good in terms of their current form over seven games overall, including a three-game winning streak.

The Airlink Pumas return home for their Saturday encounter with the DHL Stormers XXIII, knowing victory could propel them firmly into the top four. The team from Mpumalanga produced one of the results of the season last weekend when they edged the Bulls XV 33-31 at Loftus, securing an important away win that lifted them to fourth on the log.

The Stormers XXIII, in contrast, suffered a narrow 31-26 defeat to the Cheetahs despite a spirited performance at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

After an inconsistent opening month, the Pumas appear to be finding rhythm. Since losing to the Lions in round two, they have recorded consecutive victories against Boland and the Bulls XV.

The Capetonians have shown flashes of quality throughout the tournament. They began by defeating Griquas and later overcame the Sharks XV, but heavy defeats to the Kavaliers and the recent loss to the Free Staters have left them sixth on the standings.

In head-to-head encounters, the Cape side lead 3-2 over five games between them, while their respective form guides over the same number of games also favour the Stormers XXIII by the same margin.

The final match of the round on Sunday sees a rejuvenated Toyota Cheetahs side travel to Pretoria to face a Vodacom Bulls XV team still searching for their first victory of the season.

The Free Staters climbed to second place on the standings, level on points with Griquas, after their dramatic 31-26 victory over the Stormers XXIII in Cape Town, while the Bulls XV remain rooted to the bottom of the table after their heartbreaking 33-31 loss to the Pumas last weekend.

The Bloemfontein outfit have quietly assembled one of the strongest form guides in the competition. Since their opening-round victory over the Lions, they have also beaten the Sharks XV and Stormers XXIII, with their only defeat coming in a narrow 24-21 contest away to Griquas. Their attack has produced 124 points and 19 tries in four matches, illustrating why many view them as genuine title contenders.

While the men from Pretoria are winless, their performances have arguably been more competitive than the standings suggest. They pushed both the Pumas and Cheetahs hard and were in contention deep into several matches.

The two sides are even at two wins each, plus a draw, over their last five Carling Currie Cup outings, and another even and tightly contested encounter is expected. On current form, the Bulls XV have lost four of their last five games, while the Cheetahs have managed to win three games during this period.

Match information:

Fidelity ADT Lions v Sanlam Boland Kavaliers
Date: Friday, 14 August 2026
Venue: Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
TV: SuperSport

Suzuki Griquas v Hollywoodbets Sharks XV
Date: Friday, 14 August 2026
Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley
Kick-off: 17h05
Referee: Griffin Colby
TV: SuperSport

Airlink Pumas v DHL Stormers XXIII
Date: Saturday, 15 August 2026
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 17h00
Referee: Christopher Allison
TV: SuperSport

Vodacom Bulls XV v Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Sunday, 16 August 2026
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Jonathan Lottering
TV: SuperSport

SOURCE: SA RUGBY

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