Rennie: Stormers will want our scalps

Head coach Dave Rennie says the All Blacks on Friday can expect a fired-up Stormers side packed with quality players out to prove a point to Springbok boss Rassie Erasmus.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener at Cape Town Stadium, Rennie acknowledged the extra motivation on offer for those in the Stormers camp with Bok aspirations.

“Absolutely,” Rennie said. “Rassie has shown that he’s prepared to take a punt on good young players coming through, and he’s used an enormous amount of players already this year.” afsport.lat

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Director of rugby John Dobson has named 11 URC champions in the Stormers match 23, including Evan Roos and Ntuthuko Mchunu, both released by Erasmus for the fixture.

“I would imagine that everyone is excited to perform well and apply pressure or get their name in the hat,” Rennie added. “I’m sure it’s a motivating factor for them.”

He was quick to dismiss any notion that the four club matches on tour are a warm-up before the four-Test series kicks off.

“There’s no shortage of talent and depth in this country. The old days of playing a French Barbarians or a South African XV to soften you up heading into a series have changed.

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“We’re well aware of the quality of the side that we’ll play, and we’ll give them that respect,” the Kiwi said. “We’ve had a decent look at all three sides and because of a short turnaround in games, we’ve looked for common ground… areas that we expect the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls to try and stress us.

“We know the Stormers will kick a lot and apply pressure through that. They’ve got absolute lightning wheels all over the park, so we’re going to have to deal with that.

“But it does create opportunities for us; the ball will be kicked to us and if we can deal with that, then we’ll get some opportunities. Hopefully the weather plays its part.”

ICYMI: Rassie unloads on media

Rennie, who kick-started his tenure with three successive wins in the Nations Championship, outlined what he wants from his side on Friday.

“We’ve had a little bit more time together and that’s been good, but there’s some new combinations,” he said.

“We’re going to play against a side that is very competitive in the URC, and who will be excited about the potential of an international scalp, so that makes them dangerous.

“We’ve got a Test match only around the corner and we know we’ll need to be better against the Springboks than we were in the previous three Tests.”

Photo: @THESTORMERS/X

The post Rennie: Stormers will want our scalps appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Argentina flyhalf Tomás Albornoz will miss Saturday’s Test against the Springboks in Buenos Aires after being suspended for confronting referee Angus Gardner.

The 28-year-old has copped a four-match ban for the incident which followed a 31-24 Nations Championship defeat against England in Santiago del Estero.

Los Pumas made a desperate attempt at a comeback in the closing minutes of the loss, but Gardner, after prolonged consultation with the TMO, disallowed a late try by Bautista Delguy that would have led to a conversion that could have secured a draw for Argentina.

Flyhalf Albornoz had to be physically restrained by a coaching staff member and then a teammate as he remonstrated with the referee and threw the ball into the ground after the final whistle.

ALSO: Nigel slams ref ‘abuse’ in Argentina

A World Rugby statement issued on Wednesday said a disciplinary committee found Albornoz “accepted his conduct, taken as a whole, was intimidatory”.

The committee said the contact with the referee, while limited, occurred in the context of disputing a match official’s decision and formed part of an overall course of intimidatory conduct.

Albornoz’s early acceptance of the charge, his undertakings to issue public and private written apologies, and his previously clear disciplinary record, led the committee to impose a four-match suspension.

Albornoz will now miss Argentina’s clash against the Boks on 8 August and two Tests with the Wallabies on 29 August and 5 September.

He has also been banned from French side Toulon’s match against La Rochelle on 12 September.

#Rugby #ARGvENG

TOMÁS ALBORNOZ citado por World Rugby

El apertura de Los Pumas acusado de “mala conducta” en el procedimiento por abuso de árbitros

Regla 18 – Código de conducta

Cada vez que veo la última jugada es más inentendible la decisión de A.Gardner & B.Cronan pic.twitter.com/JcBjbjkwbo

— Fran Capizzi (@Fran_Capizzi) July 22, 2026

– AFP

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Huit montées et 2 850 mètres de dénivelé positif étaient au programme de la cinquième étape du Tour de France féminin qui traversait des appellations réputées, du Saint-Amour au Villié-Morgon entre Mâcon et Belleville-en-Beaujolais sur 140 kilomètres. A 30 kilomètres de l’arrivée, au sommet du col de Durbize, dans les pourcentages les plus difficiles, la Néerlandaise Demi Vollering a accéléré et la Française Pauline Ferrand-Prévot a craqué. Maillot jaune sur les épaules, la Suissesse Marlen Reusser est resté au contact avec aussi Katarzyna Niewiadoma, lauréate de l’édition 2024. Dans la dernière difficulté, sur le Mont Brouilly et ses 3 km à 7,7 %, Demi Vollering n’a pas réussi à distancer Marlen Reusser et Katarzyna Niewiadoma qui ont terminé l’étape ensemble. Au sprint, Demi Vollering a devancé Marlen Reusser et Katarzyna Niewiadoma. Marlen Reusser reste en jaune.

L’attaquant guinéen Morgan Guilavogui s’est une nouvelle fois montré décisif, malgré l’élimination du Real Salt Lake face aux Mexicains du Tigres UANL.

Dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi, le Real Salt Lake se déplaçait sur la pelouse du Tigres UANL dans le cadre du premier tour de la League Cup nord-américaine.

Au terme d’une rencontre disputée, les deux équipes se sont neutralisées à l’issue du temps réglementaire (1-1). Les Mexicains ont finalement décroché leur qualification lors de la séance de tirs au but, remportée sur le score de 6 tirs à 5.

Malgré la défaite de son équipe, Morgan Guilavogui a laissé son empreinte sur la rencontre en délivrant une passe décisive dès la 16e minute sur l’unique réalisation du Real Salt Lake.

Avec cette nouvelle offrande, l’international guinéen porte son bilan à un but et cinq passes décisives en 15 apparitions toutes compétitions confondues cette saison.

Une prestation encourageante de plus pour Guilavogui, qui confirme son importance dans l’animation offensive du Real Salt Lake et poursuit sa montée en puissance au sein de la formation américaine.

A. Diouma Bah

The post League Cup : Morgan Guilavogui brille, mais le Real Salt Lake tombe aux tirs au but appeared first on AFRICASPORT.ORG.

Orlando Pirates will begin their MTN8 title defence against Durban City on Saturday, 8 August at Orlando Amstel Arena.

Kick-off is at 15:00.

The 2026 MTN8 which launches on Wednesday has been using the same format for years where a team that finishes top of the log faces a team that finishes eighth.

And having won the Betway Premiership last season, the Sea Robbers set up a date with Khalil Ben Youssef’s Durban City.

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ORLANDO PIRATES TO BEGIN MTN8 TITLE DEFENCE WITH IMPRESSIVE RECORD

Pirates won the MTN8 a record four times in a row between 2022 and 2025 under the leadership of two coaches.

Former coach Jose Riveiro won it thrice before he left after three seasons while Abdeslam Ouaddou won it in his first campaign with Pirates.

Interestingly, the Soweto giants have lost just once in the competition since 2022, and this was against Stellenbosch FC in the return leg of the semifinals.

They won the first leg 2-1 away from home before going down 1-0 to Stellies on 24 September 2023 in the second leg but advanced to the MTN8 final on away-goal rule.

Also read: Stellenbosch FC unveil Kaizer Chiefs defender

WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS SAYING?

Since the start of the 2022 MTN8 campaign, Pirates have played 16 matches in the competition.

They won a whopping 10, drew five and lost just once in the process – it is the same run that saw them bag four MTN8 titles in a row.

Furthermore, Pirates are the second most successful team in the competition with 14 titles to their name. Only Kaizer Chiefs have more (15).

This year could prove crucial as Ouaddou’s charges would want to smash that long-standing Amakhosi record.