Eight months into his URC career, Lions flanker Siba Mahashe is already tracking toward Springbok contention — Bok alignment camp, South Africa A debut, and a Player of the Match against the All Blacks all within his debut year. This feature-length interview traces his path from Eastern Cape football kid to one of South African rugby's most watched youngsters, and gets him talking candidly about what makes this Lions squad work. His answer goes beyond X's and O's: it's the collective identity, the love for Johannesburg, and a senior leadership group that pulls younger players in rather than keeping them at arm's length. For Bok-watchers, Mahashe's self-awareness about his game — the energy he brings, the areas he's still developing — and the Lions' early-season form ahead of a Loftus derby make this worth reading.
Siba Mahashe on brotherhood, belief, and what drives the Lions
Siba Mahashe opens up on his rapid rise, his Lions environment, and what drives a team that's started the URC season with back-to-back wins — with a Loftus derby against the Bulls up next.
- United Rugby Championship
- Emirates Lions
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Loftus Versfeld
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.
Hansen's Right to Back Himself — But the Boks' Five-Match Streak Tells a Different Story
Jean de Villiers acknowledges Hansen's logic but argues last year's results and performances make it hard to see the All Blacks closing the gap on the Boks — and the panel get genuinely animated over what a 2-2 series tiebreaker would even look like.
Springbok Recall! Relive Phepsi Buthelezi's 2025/26 Season
#SharksRugby #PhepsiButhelezi #Springboks
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.