South Africa’s biggest domestic rugby Saturday of the season will feature 38 Springboks across two blockbuster URC derbies, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane believes the Stormers’ clash with the Sharks in Cape Town and the Bulls’ showdown with the Lions at Loftus will give fans a rare opportunity to see so many Springboks in action for their respective clubs on the same day.
“This is the strongest exhibition of South Africa’s locally based Test quality this season.”
The Cape Town derby carries particular significance, with the Stormers reviving their famous Men in Black jersey and welcoming 50 former players and their families to the occasion.
Siya Kolisi’s return to the Stormers adds another emotional dimension, while his Springbok teammates Wilco Louw and Ox Nché will face off in a heavyweight scrum battle that Keohane believes could have a decisive influence on the result.
“Their engagement is worthy of a prize-fighters’ billing because one mistake can shift the field, the scoreboard and the match,” Keohane writes.
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Keohane says the derbies are about more than established Springboks renewing rivalries. They also offer members of South Africa’s successful U20 teams an opportunity to measure themselves against players who have conquered the game at the highest level.
For Rassie Erasmus and his coaching staff, the matches will provide valuable evidence of how Test players perform under pressure and whether the next generation is ready to challenge them.
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Keohane also warns against assuming home advantage will prove decisive, pointing to last season’s results when the Sharks won in Cape Town, the Lions triumphed at Loftus and the Bulls won at Ellis Park.
With 24 Springboks involved in Cape Town and another 14 at Loftus, he expects both derbies to live up to their billing.
“This is the biggest domestic Saturday of the season so far and be guaranteed that the rugby will be as big as the hype around the two respective occasions,” Keohane concludes.
The post Bok stars set for derby fireworks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
South Africa’s biggest domestic rugby Saturday of the season will feature 38 Springboks across two blockbuster URC derbies, writes @mark_keohane
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