8:15 AM BST Liam Napier Style versus substance. Or, more to the point, why not have both? The recently-completed British & Irish Lions series, won 2-1 by the Springboks, was a bore. There’s no other way to say it. Sir Graham Henry described the series as a tough watch; All Blacks coach Ian Foster said
Rugby
7:26 AM BST After a one-off Tri Nations tournament last year, the Rugby Championship is back to decide southern hemisphere rugby supremacy in 2021. Fresh off their 2-1 series defeat of the British & Irish Lions, the Springboks will rejoin the All Blacks, Wallabies and Pumas after South Africa opted out of last year’s tournament
2:33 PM BST South Africa made 10 changes to their side to kick-off the Rugby Championship against Argentina in Nelson Mandela Bay on Saturday, with hooker Joseph Dweba to debut and players who did not feature against the British & Irish Lions given a run. Coach Jacques Nienaber says they do not mean to disrespect
10:38 AM BST The decision to launch a female British & Irish Lions touring team will be made before the end of the year, Lions’ chief executive Ben Calveley has said. A feasibility study is underway to address the financial and logistical hurdles that exist within the women’s game and to look into the viability
6:22 AM BST All is seemingly forgiven with the Wallabies set to welcome back sinning superstar Marika Koroibete for Saturday’s do-or-die Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks in Auckland. Dropped alongside forwards Isi Naisarani and Pone Fa’amausili for a late-night drinking session, Koroibete is likely to be rushed straight back into Australia’s starting line-up
3:32 AM BST South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx believes the Springboks will have no trouble lifting themselves for the start of their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) on Saturday. The Springboks defeated the British & Irish Lions 2-1 in a bruising series, but have little time to reflect on that
1:45 AM BST The scope of Dave Rennie’s challenge was perhaps best evident after the final whistle of Saturday night’s opening Bledisloe Cup match at Eden Park. There was Aaron Smith, the World Cup winner and veteran scrum-half, receiving a New Zealand cap to mark his 100th Test appearance in the black jersey. Later in
7:16 PM BST Veteran Morne Steyn kicked over a last-gasp penalty to hand South Africa a narrow 19-16 victory over British & Irish Lions in the third and final test on Saturday to seal a 2-1 series victory. The 37-year-old reprised his heroics from 12 years ago when he did the same for the Springboks
9:02 PM BST South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber hailed nerves of steel from flyhalf Morne Steyn as his “fairy-tale” return to the Springbok team led to the penalty that won the series against the British & Irish Lions, a repeat of his feat from 12 years before. The 37-year-old Steyn came off the bench to
NZLNZLAUSAUS NZL No. Name 15Damian McKenzie, FB 14Sevu Reece, W 13Anton Lienert-Brown, C 12David Havili, C 11Rieko Ioane, W 10Richie Mo’unga, FH 2 9Aaron Smith, SH 1George Bower, P 2Codie Taylor, H 3Nepo Laulala, P 4Brodie Retallick, L 5Samuel Whitelock, L 6Akira Ioane, FL 7Dalton Papalii, FL 8Ardie Savea, N8 Replacements 16Samisoni Taukei’aho, R