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Springboks open 2026 with 80-31 demolition of Barbarians in Gqeberha
The Springboks opened their 2026 international season with an 80-31 win over the Barbarians in Gqeberha, with Edwill van der Merwe grabbing a hat-trick and Cheslin Kolbe kicking 10 conversions in a 12-try haul.
Springboks run in 12 tries in 80-31 demolition of Barbarians in Gqeberha
The Springboks ran in 12 tries to beat the Barbarians 80-31 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
Van der Merwe hat-trick headlines entertaining Springbok victory over Barbarians
Edwill van der Merwe scored three tries as the Springboks opened their 2026 international campaign with an 80-31 victory over the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium witnessed a high-scoring first half before the world champions pulled clear in the closing stages, running in 12 tries in total against a more competitive Barbarians side than last season's corresponding fixture.
Springboks open 2026 campaign with 80-31 victory over Barbarians in Gqeberha
The Springboks beat the Barbarians 80-31 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to open their 2026 international campaign, with Edwill van der Merwe scoring a hat-trick and Riley Norton marking his debut with a try in a 12-try performance.
Ratings: Edwill bags a hat-trick, Norton impresses on debut, and Kolbe is Kolbe
A full player-by-player breakdown of the Barbarians win — Van der Merwe and the loose trio lead the way, Norton's debut earns glowing marks, and the Horn fly-half experiment gets a cautious green light.
Van der Merwe hat-trick powers Boks past Barbarians in Gqeberha
A van der Merwe hat-trick drove the Springboks to a commanding victory over the Barbarians in Gqeberha.
SA 'A' run in six tries to blank Zimbabwe Sables 40-0 in Gqeberha
South Africa 'A' beat Zimbabwe 40-0 in Gqeberha, crossing for six tries despite Yaqeen Ahmed receiving a 20-minute red card in the second half. Ruben van Heerden took the match award.
Springboks host Barbarians in Nelson Mandela Bay with five uncapped players in squad
South Africa face the Barbarians at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with Junior Bok captain Riley Norton and prop Carlu Sadie among five uncapped players in the matchday squad.
Erasmus warns Springboks of 'intense' Barbarians challenge in Gqeberha opener
Rassie Erasmus has cautioned his Springboks side ahead of Saturday's season-opening clash with the Barbarians at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The head coach, who led the BaaBaas himself in 2018, expects a fiercely competitive encounter despite the fixture's non-Test status, with Scott Robertson and Felipe Contepomi guiding the invitational side.
Kolisi insists Barbarians clash is no festival as Boks open 2026 season
Siya Kolisi has dismissed any notion of Saturday's encounter with the Barbarians being a festival occasion, declaring the Springboks will treat the Gqeberha fixture as a full international. The match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium kicks off a double-header that also features SA 'A' against Zimbabwe, with Rassie Erasmus handing debuts to Riley Norton and Carlu Sadie whilst experimenting with Quan Horn at fly-half.
Lukhanyo Am eyes Bok return — and there's a tactical twist
Am's SA 'A' call-up is the first step in his Bok comeback, with a deliberate move to the 12 jersey adding a tactical dimension to his return.
Am at 12: A deliberate Bok plan finally getting its shot
Am's SA 'A' selection isn't a nostalgia pick — Mzwandile Stick reveals it's the execution of a year-old Tony Brown plan to slot him in at 12, with his Japan stint having revitalised him physically and mentally ahead of a Bok squad push.
Leinster 36-7 Bulls: Player Ratings from Croke Park
Cameron rates every Leinster player from their 36-7 Champions Cup demolition of the Bulls at Croke Park, with Deegan, Keenan and Prendergast the standout performers in what he calls Leinster's most complete display of the season.
Leinster's 36-7 dismantling of the Bulls — who starred and who struggled
Cameron's match ratings break down who drove Leinster's dominant 36-7 Champions Cup win over a Springbok-heavy Bulls side — Keenan, Deegan and Prendergast top the list, while the Bulls' big names were largely shut out.
Burger and Matfield cry foul over disallowed Bulls tries — but admit Leinster were simply better
Burger and Matfield have legitimate grievances about the two disallowed tries in the URC Final, but Burger's own post-match analysis points to a bigger failure: the Bulls never pressured Prendergast, and Leinster's dominance across every stat tells the real story.
Bulls humiliated again: Springbok pedigree counts for nothing as Leinster make history
Planet Rugby's five takeaways from Leinster's 36-7 URC Final win argue that the Bulls' Springbok-heavy side showed none of their world-class pedigree when it mattered, with Prendergast outplaying Pollard, Gibson-Park outclassing Papier, and a disciplinary collapse gifting Leinster the contest inside half an hour.
Bulls rated: Pollard's horror final, Hanekom's heroics and a squad that flattered to deceive
A scathing player-by-player verdict on the Bulls' fourth URC Final loss — Pollard and Moodie are roasted, Hanekom earns rare praise, and the ratings raise pointed questions about a systemic defensive flaw running through the squad.
Why Horn at 10 makes sense — and what Esterhuizen brings to the equation
De Villiers and Burger back Horn to do a job at 10, but frame it as depth-building with the Bok pack expected to do the heavy lifting — and Esterhuizen positioned as the pressure release if Horn's game management is tested.
Tshituka calls on forwards to unlock SA 'A' backline against Zimbabwe
SA 'A' captain Vincent Tshituka says the forwards must secure front-foot ball to unleash a backline of largely uncapped talent when the team hosts Zimbabwe at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, with Lukhanyo Am providing the experienced anchor in a squad that includes 21 uncapped players.
Quan Horn at 10, Du Toit's return, and an 18-point Bok win predicted — Boks v Barbarians preview
Quan Horn's surprise start at fly-half headlines a Boks v Barbarians preview that also tracks Du Toit's comeback, Kolbe's kicking duties, and whether the Barbarians can make a better fist of it than last year's 54-7 Cape Town hammering. An 18-point Bok win is predicted.