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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 ratings v Zimbabwe: Am the standout, a future 50-cap Bok, and a red card that's a learning curve
Planet Rugby rates the SA A squad after a 40-0 win over Zimbabwe — Am leads by example, a 20-year-old hooker is tipped as a future Bok stalwart, and Ahmed's red card is the main cautionary note.
Am makes steady return as SA A whitewash Zimbabwe in Gqeberha showcase
Lukhanyo Am featured for South Africa A in their 40-0 victory over Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, marking his first appearance in national colours since November 2024. The two-time World Cup winner provided a steadying influence in midfield alongside teenage sensation Markus Muller, though the occasion was marred by a red card for flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed. Am's selection signals his intent to force his way back into Rassie Erasmus's plans after missing the entire 2025 international season through injury.
Ahmed red card clouds SA A's 40-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe
SA A beat Zimbabwe 40-0 in Gqeberha, but a red card for Junior Boks flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed — who could face a ban that affects his Junior World Championship participation — overshadowed a six-try performance.
SA 'A' run in six tries to blank Zimbabwe 40–0 in Gqeberha
South Africa 'A' beat Zimbabwe 40–0 in Gqeberha, scoring six tries in a performance headlined by several members of the 2025 Junior Bok squad, despite carrying a 20-minute red card for most of the second half.
SA 'A' run in six tries to blank Zimbabwe 40–0 in Gqeberha
SA 'A' beat Zimbabwe 40–0 in Gqeberha, scoring six tries in a performance dominated by graduates of the Junior Bok programme, including Haashim Pead, Yaqeen Ahmed and Markus Müller.
SA 'A' backline shines in 40-0 demolition of Zimbabwe
Fortune's ratings from the 40-0 win over Zimbabwe read as a Bok squad audition — Jaco Williams topped the charts at 9/10, Giliomee impressed at 15, and Ahmed dazzled before a red card ended his night, while the forwards delivered a patchy but functional showing.
SA 'A' backline shines in 40-0 demolition of Zimbabwe
Fortune's player-by-player breakdown of SA 'A''s 40-0 win over Zimbabwe highlights a dominant backline performance — Williams and Giliomee lead the ratings — while flagging set-piece concerns up front and a red card for Ahmed as the main talking points.
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.
Pollard and Le Roux endure nightmare as Bulls suffer fourth URC Final defeat
The Bulls' 36-7 capitulation to Leinster at Croke Park marked their fourth consecutive URC Final defeat, with World Cup winners Handré Pollard and Willie le Roux delivering performances well below their usual standards. Two yellow cards for deliberate knock-ons and a series of uncharacteristic handling errors left the Pretoria side chasing shadows as Leinster secured back-to-back titles. The margin of defeat was established within the opening half-hour, raising questions about whether the Bulls had left their best performance at Murrayfield a fortnight earlier.
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.
Bulls' URC Final collapse dissected: a damning scorecard
A damning player-by-player breakdown of the Bulls' third consecutive URC Final defeat, with Pollard (1), Moodie (2), and Vermaak (2) singled out for errors that directly shaped the scoreline. The forwards showed more resolve, but it wasn't close to enough.