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André the Giant: Lack of discipline cost us
Captain André Esterhuizen has admitted that poor discipline and costly errors left the Springboks with too much to do in their dramatic 42-38 defeat to Australia in Perth on Sunday.
The Wallabies appeared to have the Test under control when they moved 42-17 ahead after 63 minutes, but four yellow cards in the closing stages opened the door for a remarkable Springbok comeback. newsbetting.cv
The Boks scored three late tries to close the gap to four points, but ultimately ran out of time as Australia held on for a famous victory.
While Esterhuizen was proud of the fightback, the Bok captain admitted they had put themselves in a difficult position through their own mistakes.
“We always knew it’s going to be a tough battle coming down here. Australia’s always a hard team to beat and such a good game to play,” he said.
“It was quite an intense game, quite quick for a Test match, but they capitalised on all our errors and discipline let us down especially in that first half, we let them in too many times and that really hurt us.”
REPORT: Wallabies survive late Bok surge
Esterhuizen rejected the suggestion that the Boks struggled because of a lack of cohesion after Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to the team that beat the All Blacks in Baltimore.
Instead, he pointed to execution and discipline as the decisive issues.
“I don’t think it was too disjointed, I think the discipline was the key factor that let us down,” Esterhuizen said.
“All of us trained together for the last 18, 19 weeks so we know the plan well but it was just about executing.”
MORE: Kiss of death as Wallabies tear up Bok blueprint
The Boks found themselves chasing the game for much of the second half before Australia’s discipline problems handed them an unlikely route back into the contest. Esterhuizen admitted the late comeback showed the character within the squad, but also stressed that it should not have been necessary.
“I was very proud of the fight the boys showed at the end, but we definitely need to be better than that. At that stage, we were concentrating on getting one try, getting another try, taking it step by step. But we never should’ve put ourselves in that position.”
PLUS: Boks’ ranking lead reduced
Photo: Antony Dickson/Gallo Images
The post André the Giant: Lack of discipline cost us appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
ALG : Mansoul veut rétablir la confiance au MC Alger (Lyes. L)
Contestée par une partie des supporters du Mouloudia d’Alger depuis sa nomination au poste de directeur sportif, Ameur Mansoul sait que les prochaines semaines seront importantes.
Pour lui, l’objectif consiste à rétablir la confiance autour de la nouvelle direction. Parmi les dossiers prioritaires figure la sécurisation des cadres de l’équipe, avec l’objectif de conserver les éléments considérés comme essentiels dans le projet du club. Dans cette optique, les pensionnaires de Zeralda ont engagé les démarches pour prolonger le capitaine Ayoub Abdellaoui. Le défenseur et leader du vestiaire devrait ainsi montrer la voie en prolongeant son contrat jusqu’en 2028. Pour accepter cette prolongation, Abdellaoui a toutefois demandé une revalorisation substantielle de son salaire, une requête qui aurait reçu l’aval du président Mohamed Arabi Yacoubi, très attaché au capitaine mouloudéen. La direction entend ainsi envoyer un signal en maintenant ses cadres et en leur accordant une reconnaissance à la hauteur de leur statut.
Menezla et Satta sécurisés
Abdelkader Menezla fait également partie des joueurs concernés par cette politique. Le défenseur algérois vient, lui aussi, de prolonger son engagement pour deux saisons supplémentaires, permettant à la direction de verrouiller un autre élément de son arrière- garde. Dans le même temps, le club a officialisé, via son site internet, la signature du jeune Abdelouhab Satta. Le médaillé d’or aux Jeux méditerranéens de Tarente a paraphé un contrat qui doit lui permettre de poursuivre son aventure avec le Mouloudia dans de bonnes conditions. Très convoité, notamment par plusieurs clubs étrangers, le jeune joueur aurait également bénéficié d’un effort financierdelanouvelledirection.Cette démarche traduit la volonté du club de sécuriser ses jeunes éléments à fort potentiel et d’éviter de les voir partir facilement, alors que leur cote ne cesse de progresser.
Halaïmia, le prochain sur la liste
Le chantier des prolongations ne devrait toutefois pas s’arrêter là. La direction aurait également prévu de s’attaquer au dossier de Daniel Mahdid, actuellement avec la sélection nationale U20 en Tunisie pour le tournoi de l’Unaf. Si aucun détail n’a filtré concernant les éventuelles modalités d’un nouvel accord, le club souhaite conserver les éléments sur lesquels il compte pour l’avenir. Mohamed-Réda Halaïmia pourrait également être le prochain joueur à finaliser une prolongation. Le défenseur natif d’Oran devrait, selon les informations disponibles, bénéficier lui aussi d’une revalorisation salariale, à l’image de son capitaine Abdellaoui. Pour Ameur Mansoul, cette période de trêve constitue donc une séquence particulièrement importante. Très attendu depuis sa prise de fonctions, le directeur sportif devra avancer sur plusieurs dossiers encore en suspens afin de consolider l’effectif et de donner davantage de visibilité au projet de la nouvelle direction.
-LYÈS. L
L’article ALG : Mansoul veut rétablir la confiance au MC Alger (Lyes. L) est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.
Bavuma leads from the front with Pink Day hundred
Temba Bavuma struck a captain’s century against Australia at the Wanderers on Sunday, leading South Africa’s recovery after both openers fell early.
Chants of “Oh, Temba Bavuma” rang around the Wanderers as the crowd urged the Proteas captain towards three figures. He gave the Pink Day supporters what they wanted with a hundred that began under immediate pressure.
Bavuma was called into action after just one delivery, with Aiden Markram caught by Cooper Connolly off Josh Hazlewood. Quinton de Kock then looked to be finding his rhythm before Hazlewood removed him too.
READ: Proteas make four changes, Australia bowl first
The captain responded with intent. A beautifully timed cover drive brought his first boundary, and he followed it with a pull for six off the next delivery.
There was plenty more to admire as Bavuma settled in, from a crisp straight drive to a lofted cover drive. South Africa reached 51-2 after 10 overs, with their captain taking responsibility for the recovery.
He did receive a reprieve when Nathan Ellis dropped him in the deep off Adam Zampa. Bavuma made Australia pay, progressing beyond fifty and keeping the scoreboard moving.
David Miller also looked far more comfortable than he had in Durban, batting with confidence and good tempo alongside his captain.
Bavuma accelerated as his hundred approached. Three fours in the 31st over took him to 90, his placement leaving Australia struggling to protect the gaps.
ALSO: Proteas wear survivors’ names for Pink Day
The tourists also lost Ellis from their bowling attack with a side strain, reducing Mitchell Marsh’s options.
With the crowd behind him, Bavuma completed a hundred that had combined positive strokeplay with the responsibility of rescuing his side from early trouble.
Bavuma departed for 103 off 116 balls, walking off to a standing ovation from the Wanderers crowd after a captain’s innings featuring 10 fours and two sixes.
Caught by Xavier Bartlett off Jack Edwards, he left South Africa on 249-4 in the 38th over. His 156-run partnership with David Miller had transformed the innings from 93-3, with Miller unbeaten on 92 when the captain fell.
South Africa entered the match with a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Their captain’s innings gave them a platform to push for a series-clinching victory.
AFRICA PICKS: Cricket tips and predictions
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Bavuma leads from the front with Pink Day hundred appeared first on SA Cricket Mag.
Kiss of death as Wallabies tear up Bok blueprint
The Springboks’ cloak of invincibility was torn to shreds in Perth on Sunday as the Wallabies put a world of hurt on the world’s No 1 team. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
Australia played with power and purpose, getting in among Bok faces and causing mayhem in defence.
In the past three decades, they’ve seldom managed to match the Boks for pure power, relying instead on being smarter and more tactically astute.
Sunday was the same. They just about held their own in the scrums, but their attack was in a class of its own. Even when the Boks tried to stem the tide – emptying their bench in the 48th minute – little changed as the Wallabies tore into them.
The effect was savage. Tackles were missed, the fabled scramble defence went haywire and there was a very real sense of chaos amid the world champions. Headless chickens everywhere.
Astonishingly, the 42 points the Boks conceded is the second most in 96 Tests against Australia.
REPORT: Wallabies survive late Bok surge
There were mitigating factors, not least the patchwork composition of the starting XV and the reality that several hadn’t played since July, but the dropoff was nonetheless alarming.
Not even the SOS to players like Malcolm Marx, Jasper Wiese and Ox Nché had any significant impact. The Boks were blown away.
Australia have now won three of eight fixtures against coach Rassie Erasmus’ Boks, and they’ll be happy with that return given that they have never rated higher than South Africa in that time.
The prevailing narrative after the conclusion of the recent series against New Zealand was how unjust, and foolish, it was that the Springboks and All Blacks would likely meet in the World Cup quarter-finals next year.
But on this form, and the very apparent trajectory the Wallabies are on under coach Les Kiss, who’s to say the Wallabies won’t spring an upset against the All Blacks in their pool match next October? That would change everything.
This suggestion might have sounded sacrilege before Sunday, but the manner in which Australia dismantled the Boks suggests that they’ll back themselves against anyone at a home World Cup. And have the ammunition to do it.
PICK YOUR MVP: Boks vs Wallabies
There won’t be any panic for the Boks after this. And nor should there be. But there must be a reckoning as to why things fell apart so catastrophically.
Photo: James Worsfold/Getty Images
The post Kiss of death as Wallabies tear up Bok blueprint appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Espagne : Fabián Ruiz poursuit une incroyable série d’invincibilité
Fabián Ruiz continue d’accumuler les matches sans connaître la défaite avec l’équipe d’Espagne. Titulaire samedi soir à Wembley, le milieu de terrain du Paris Saint-Germain a participé au succès renversant de la Roja contre l’Angleterre (2-3), lors de la première journée de la Ligue des Nations 2026-2027.
51 matches sans défaite
Cette nouvelle victoire permet à l’international espagnol de porter à 51 le nombre de rencontres disputées avec la sélection sans subir la moindre défaite, en temps réglementaire. Selon les données communiquées autour de cette série, Ruiz affiche désormais 36 victoires pour 15 matches nuls depuis ses débuts internationaux en juin 2019.
Une performance particulièrement remarquable pour le joueur de 30 ans, qui avait déjà atteint la barre des 50 sélections sans défaite lors de la Coupe du monde 2026. La Fédération espagnole avait alors mis en avant cette série, entamée lors de ses débuts contre les Îles Féroé en 2019.
Une série qui se poursuit avec les champions du monde
Face à l’Angleterre, Fabián Ruiz était aligné d’entrée aux côtés de Rodri dans l’entrejeu espagnol. Il a finalement cédé sa place à Pedri à la 70e minute, alors que la Roja venait de reprendre l’avantage grâce à Mikel Oyarzabal.
Cette victoire à Wembley permet également à l’Espagne de poursuivre sa propre série historique : la sélection de Luis de la Fuente reste sur 39 matches consécutifs sans défaite, un record mondial pour une équipe nationale.
Depuis son arrivée en sélection, Ruiz a ainsi connu les principaux succès récents de la Roja, avec notamment la Ligue des Nations 2023, l’Euro 2024 et la Coupe du monde 2026.
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