Los Pumas turn to rookies for Bok clash

Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi has been forced to select 10 uncapped players in a 34-man squad to face the Springboks and Wallabies next month. cricket-ipl.in

Los Pumas host the world champions in Buenos Aires next Saturday, before back-to-back home Tests against Australia on 29 August and 5 September.

Joaquin Oviedo, Julian Montoya, Gonzalo Garcia, Justo Piccardo and Bautista Delguy are among the experienced names missing from the squad due to European club commitments.

ICYMI: Los Pumas No 10 charged for referee abuse

In their absence, Contepomi has called up loose forwards Facundo Cardozo, Juan Martin Scelzo and Juan Penoucos, lock Franco Carrera, prop Francisco Moreno and hooker Leonel Oviedo as newcomers up front.

The uncapped contingent extends to the backline too, with centre Benjamin Ordiz, wing Agustin Fraga and fullbacks Mateo Soler and Tobias Wade all in line for their first Test involvement.

Argentina squad
Forwards: Facundo Cardozo, Franco Carrera, Pedro Delgado, Efrain Elias, Benjamin Grondona, ⁠Tomas Lavanini, Rodrigo Martinez, Pablo Matera, Francisco Moreno, Joaquin Moro, Leonel Oviedo, Juan Penoucos, Guido Petti, Tomas Rapetti, Ignacio ⁠Ruiz, Juan Martin Scelzo, Mayco Vivas, Boris Wenger.
Backs: Simon Benitez Cruz, Gonzalo Bertranou, Santiago Carreras, Lucio Cinti, Agustin Fraga, Rodrigo ⁠Isgro, Ignacio Mendy, Matias Moroni, Agustin Moyano, ‌Benjamin Ordiz, ‌Santiago Pernas, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Nicolas Roger, Faustino Sanchez Valarolo, Mateo Soler, Tobias Wade.

Photo: Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images

The post Los Pumas turn to rookies for Bok clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Rugby might be edging toward its own version of the NFL quarterback headset, and a Currie Cup encounter in Bloemfontein just gave us a glimpse of why, writes DEVIN HERMANUS.

Faf de Klerk was Man of the Match in the Cheetahs’ 43-21 win over the Sharks XV last Friday. During a break in play, cameras caught him talking animatedly into a handset, and head coach Frans Steyn later confirmed who was on the other end.

“If Faf has something on his mind and picks up the radio to share it with me, I love it,” he said. “I’m not out there on the field with them. We in the coaches’ box see things from a different perspective than the players do on the pitch.

“And after Faf and I spoke over the radio, there was a shift in the game. If I’m not mistaken, we scored points shortly afterwards.”

That’s a scrumhalf feeding real-time information upward, not just receiving instructions. It’s a small shift, but a telling one.

South African rugby has never been shy of blurring the lines of sideline communication. Rassie Erasmus was doing it as Cheetahs coach back in 2006, using coloured cards and then colour-coded lamps atop the Free State Stadium to send messages to his players.

He revived a version of that at the 2023 World Cup, using lights from the Springbok coaches’ box with assistant Felix Jones during a win over Scotland.

And Erasmus famously turned waterboy duties into an extra line of communication during the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, drawing accusations of overreach in the process.

Jacques Nienaber borrowed the same trick coaching Leinster in the 2024 Investec Champions Cup final, deep in conversation with match officials before addressing the players directly.

None of that is an accident. It’s a coaching culture that keeps hunting for an edge in the gap between what’s visible from the box and what’s felt on the field.

Other sports have already formalised it. The NFL fits radio receivers into the helmets of the quarterback and one defensive player per team, though the flow only runs one way, from coach to player.

Julian Nagelsmann wanted football to go further. Speaking in 2021 while at Bayern Munich, the German coach argued for a two-way system: “This is something that we absolutely need in football.”

De Klerk and Steyn showed rugby what that looks like in practice, without a formal system built for it. A flyhalf or captain wired into the coaches’ box in real time could flag referee tendencies, opposition shape or fatigue before the box has even processed it themselves.

Rugby already lets coaches talk to players. The next step is trusting players to talk back, mid-game, and having coaches actually act on it.

That Bloem radio call might be a preview of where the sport is headed.

Photo: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images

The post SAFM to tune Rassie the game plan? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Le président sénégalais se rend au Mali ce mardi 28 juillet pour une visite de travail. Depuis le 19 juillet, il est aussi le président en exercice de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Va-t-on vers un rapprochement entre la Cédéao et l'AES, l'Alliance des États du Sahel ? Et Bassirou Diomaye Faye pourrait-il jouer un rôle de médiateur dans la guerre civile qui déchire actuellement le Mali ? Pape Ibrahima Kane, expert des questions géopolitiques, répond aux questions de RFI.

Former Kaizer Chiefs player Knowledge Musona has made it clear that retirement is not on his radar just yet, insisting he will continue playing for as long as his body allows.

The 36-year-old forward says he still feels capable of competing at a high level and has no intention of setting a date to hang up his boots.

Musona featured for Scottland FC in the match against Kaizer Chiefs over the weekend.

Musona vows to keep playing

Speaking to Kick-Off, Musona said his fitness remains the biggest factor in determining how long he will continue his career.

“As for now, I’m still fit.

“I can still play at least 90% of the games, so as long as I’m injury free, I will continue to give everything that I have until the end.

“I will not give it a timeline, but I will take each season as it comes and if injury free, I will play as much as I can.”

A career that has spanned three continents

Musona began his senior career with Kaizer Chiefs in 2009 before earning a move to Germany in 2011, where he played for Hoffenheim.

The experienced attacker later featured in Belgium and Saudi Arabia, building a career that has taken him across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Scottland FC move brought Musona home

In 2025, Musona returned to Zimbabwe to join Scottland FC, marking the first time in his professional career that he had played in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

Musona joined the club on a free transfer from Saudi side Al Akhdoud.

He integrated rapidly into the team’s attack alongside his brother Walter Musona and Khama Billiat. His clinical finishing directly spearheaded the club’s domestic title charge.

Musona has scored 8 goals for Scottland FC during the 2026 season.

The Warriors international continues to play a key role for Scottland and believes he still has plenty to offer as long as he remains fit and free from injury.

Au Cameroun, Patrick Mengue, poursuivi pour outrage au président de la République, a été condamné dimanche 26 juillet à six mois d’emprisonnement ferme après avoir publié un texte attentatoire selon le ministère public contre le président, même si ce dernier n’est pas cité. Interpellé le 13 avril dernier, soit deux jours après la publication du post en question, Patrick Mengue avait été placé en détention provisoire. La présidente du tribunal de première instance de Yaoundé a rendu sa décision devant une dizaine de membres de sa famille et du collectif d’avocats qui l’assiste.