Bulls load up on Boks for Paarl trip

Four seasoned Springboks have been included in Johan Ackermann’s 35-man Vodacom Bulls squad to face the Stormers at Faure Street Stadium on Friday afternoon. cat-cross.com

They are two-time World Cup winner Willie le Roux, veteran forwards Marcell Coetzee and Nizaam Carr and newly arrived playmaker Curwin Bosch.

Utility back Sebastian de Klerk also returns after a long injury layoff and is set to share wing duties with the likes of Riyaad Bam.

At flyhalf, Bosch is paired with youngster Ruben Groenewald, while Harold Vorster, Stedman Gans and Stravino Jacobs offer options in midfield.

ALSO: Dobbo’s troops going to do it without Boks

Up front, Coetzee, Carr, Hanro Liebenberg, Jeandré Rudolph, Ruan Vermaak and Francois Klopper carry the experience, with Cephas van Biljon and Hakeem Kunene among those looking to force their way into selection next season.

Kick-off for the pre-season fixture in Paarl is 3:30pm as Ackermann looks to test new combinations and give fringe players a shot ahead of the 2026-27 Vodacom URC season.

The Bulls kick off their campaign on Saturday, 26 September against Zebre Parma in Italy.

ACKERS: Pre-season derby not about result

Bulls squad
Forwards: Alu Tshakweni, Sti Sithole, Sandi Msengana, Juann Else, John Hobson, Christiaan Grundlingh, Francois Klopper, Khuta Mchunu, Mornay Smith, Ruan Vermaak, Jaco Grobbelaar, JF van Heerden, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marcell Coetzee, Cephas van Biljon, Hanro Liebenberg, Nizaam Carr, Jeandré Rudolph, JJ Theron.
Backs: Paul de Wet, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Curwin Bosch, Ruben Groenewald, Riyaad Bam, Sebastian de Klerk, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs, Pieter van der Merwe, Stedman Gans, Demitre Erasmus, Thaakir Abrahams, Cheswill Jooste, Willie le Roux, Hakeem Kunene.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

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Arrivé au Paris FC cet été, Lassine Sinayoko n’a pas mis longtemps à se faire remarquer. En seulement trois journées de Ligue 1, l’attaquant malien a déjà trouvé le chemin des filets à quatre reprises et s’est offert un triplé retentissant face à l’Olympique de Marseille (3-2), dimanche au Vélodrome.

Face à l’OM, Sinayoko a frappé trois fois, aux 1re, 19e et 86e minutes. Un triplé qui a permis au Paris FC de décrocher une victoire spectaculaire au terme d’une rencontre particulièrement animée. Par son efficacité, mais aussi par son activité, l’international malien a été l’un des grands artisans de ce succès.

Un impact immédiat

Avant son déplacement à Marseille, Sinayoko avait déjà montré de belles dispositions lors des deux premières journées. Malgré le nul concédé face à Troyes (0-0), il avait affiché une activité intéressante sur le front de l’attaque, avant de participer au large succès parisien contre Nice (3-0).

Son profil apporte plusieurs solutions au Paris FC. Explosif, capable de prendre la profondeur et de multiplier les appels, l’ancien Auxerrois sait également se rendre utile dans le pressing. Une activité qui lui permet de peser sur les défenses, même lorsqu’il n’est pas directement impliqué dans les actions décisives.

Une recrue déjà décisive

Recruté cet été pour environ 8 millions d’euros, Sinayoko avait été choisi pour renforcer le secteur offensif du Paris FC. Trois journées auront suffi pour mesurer l’impact de son arrivée.

Avec quatre buts au compteur, le Malien occupe déjà une place importante dans le dispositif parisien. Son triplé au Vélodrome vient surtout confirmer une efficacité qui pourrait s’avérer précieuse tout au long de la saison.

À 26 ans, Sinayoko semble avoir rapidement trouvé ses marques dans son nouvel environnement. Si cette dynamique se poursuit, la recrue estivale pourrait rapidement devenir l’un des principaux atouts offensifs du Paris FC.

Après trois journées seulement, le choix du club parisien semble déjà porter ses fruits.

The post Paris FC : Sinayoko, une bonne pioche déjà payante appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.

Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie say the Springboks’ set-piece dominance in Joburg on Saturday meant New Zealand’s attacking skills simply weren’t enough.

They were speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast after the Boks’ 29-24 win at FNB Stadium, a result that put South Africa 2-1 up in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series ahead of this Saturday’s finale in Baltimore.

Hansen felt the All Blacks’ second-half scoreboard chase cost Dave Rennie’s men dearly.

ALSO: All Blacks coach tired of the same story

“They had to [chase the game], because they got too far behind on the scoreboard, and you’re not going to beat the Boks until you can get parity at scrum time and you can get decent ball in the lineout,” the former All Blacks coach said.

“A lot of the times we were having to go to the front and it was messy or ugly, and you’re letting them get a free shot at you from the back with their defensive system the way it is.

“We’ve got until next year, the World Cup, to get those things right, and I think we will. Once we do that, then we’re right in the hunt.”

EX-ALL BLACKS: Boks thrive on pressure

McKenzie pointed to the same scrum imbalance but was equally taken by the Kiwis’ running rugby, even as Ardie Savea’s injury disrupted their shape late on.

“The points difference and the scrum … was very good for them [the Boks], and their scramble defence. They got up in their [All Blacks’] faces,” the ex-Wallabies boss said.

“But New Zealand, some of the attacking footy they played at times was as good as you’ll see. The skill execution was brilliant but not good enough to win the game, unfortunately.

ALSO: ‘Humble’ Kiwis look for scrum quick fix

“Losing Savea was probably important from a leadership point of view … They probably lost a bit of composure right at the death.”

Hansen viewed the same passage of play as a lesson New Zealand can carry forward.

“That 10-minute mark, and this will be a great learning for this team, you can’t go scoreboard-focused because it creates an outcome pressure that you don’t need.

“You just have to say, ‘What do I need to do right now, right here?’

“We probably wasted five of those 10 minutes worrying about the scoreboard … Wanting to win is not a bad thing, but you’ve just got to be in control.”

Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

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Mike Blair is frustrated after another New Zealand Test dogged by missed opportunities and demands better execution in the finale of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

The All Blacks lost 29-24 to the Springboks at FNB Stadium on Saturday, leaving Dave Rennie’s charges 2-1 down going into Saturday’s clash in Baltimore.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Weekend Sport, Blair said the Kiwis had produced plenty of attacking quality but failed to turn enough of it into points.

EX-ALL BLACKS: Boks thrive on pressure

“Yeah, we’re obviously really disappointed with the result. We felt in the first half we put a lot of our game on the pitch,” the assistant coach said.

“We were able to move South Africa around. We scored a couple of great tries, and we felt we were going to bear fruit for the work that we put in the first half.

“Unfortunately, in the second half, we struggled to get any momentum in the game for one reason or another.”

ALSO: ‘Humble’ Kiwis look for scrum quick fix

Blair pointed to the offensive success of the All Blacks at the Calabash, but said the problem was familiar.

“We’re frustrated. We had some excellent work. I think we had 12 linebreaks, which is a great stat against the South African defence,” he added.

“But it was the same story last week [in Cape Town]; we just need to finish those opportunities.”

Blair believes the All Blacks can put the world’s best defences under pressure when they build momentum.

“We’re also really confident in what we’re trying to do; we’ve got to just put our game together for longer.”

EXPLAINED: Why Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry ends in USA

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

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