Cell C is playing the long game, by Douglas Craigie Stevenson
Like many South Africans, I watched the
Chasing the Sun documentary towards the end of 2020 with interest and reminisced. It relives how the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. With each episode, one could see the importance of leadership and how players had unique roles to play in the team’s eventual success.
But the Cinderella story started from a difficult place.
If you recall, the Springboks were not favoured to win the tournament. Doubters abounded. Winning the Webb Ellis trophy was a remarkable journey a turnaround strategy that came to fruition. Every player had to prove why they deserved to be world champions.
A smaller group of current and former players will also assemble in Brisbane and dial in during the evening. Sponsors and new designs mean jerseys from the past won’t be replicated or make a return but RA chairman Hamish McLennan echoes the view of many in Australian rugby that the national side needs to pick and stick with a classic colour moving forward. Eight jerseys have been on display at RA headquarters this week. They will be whittled down to one by some of Australian rugby’s most famous names.
Matt King/Getty Images
Kurtley Beale wearing the Wallabies Indigenous jersey of 2020 flanked by former Wallabies Lloyd McDermott (left) and Gary Ella (right).
Cheslin Kolbe returns as Toulouse hammer lowly Agen theusnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theusnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Kolbe returns as Toulouse hammer lowly Agen
Issued on: 3 min
Paris (AFP)
Toulouse defence coach Laurent Thuery praised South Africa Rugby World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe s attitude as he played his first game since mid-December to help Toulouse return to the Top 14 summit on Saturday with a 59-0 rout of bottom side Agen.
Kolbe, who missed four games with a finger injury, set up the league s top try scorer Matthis Lebel for one of his three efforts. Cheslin played a serious game on the wing and a little bit at full-back in the second half, Thuery told the post-match press conference.
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‘I’m keen to get my elbows dirty’ - Vunipola plots his own path towards Six Nations fitness
Elsewhere yesterday, the Springboks’ ‘very good’ Eben Etzebeth returned in Toulon’s win at Racing. By Press Association Monday 18 Jan 2021, 7:00 AM Jan 18th 2021, 7:00 AM 3,698 Views 1 Comment
Billy Vunipola (file pic).
Image: PA
BILLY VUNIPOLA WILL continue to favour playing over training as he plots his own path towards fitness for England’s Guinness Six Nations title defence.
Vunipola was the only member of Saracens’ England contingent on parade at Vallis Way on Saturday as the country’s solitary match of the weekend ended in a 27-26 defeat by Ealing Trailfinders.