Latest news with #non-Test
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Siya Kolisi opens up about ‘special' Springbok environment: ‘A proper family'
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is enjoying the special environment in the camp ahead of the start of the international season next weekend. Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is happy to be back in a special environment as the world champions prepare to kick off their 2025 international campaign against the Barbarians in Cape Town this coming weekend. The Boks are currently in camp in Johannesburg, and will be leaving for Cape Town on Sunday, where they will get into their match week preparation ahead of their non-Test against the famed invitational team, following which they welcome Italy and Georgia for their incoming series. 'It is special' Kolisi recently spoke about how great it feels to be back in the Bok setup, and highlighted the return of veteran lock Lood de Jager, who has been out of the team for a couple of years due to health problems and injury, as to why it is so special. 'Playing here is not forever, and somewhere along the line, it is going to end. So, we appreciate it a whole lot more when we get back in camp. When you see a guy like Lood after such a long time, it is special,' explained Kolisi. 'The hugs are just different. I don't know how to explain it. He (De Jager) was punching me, and I asked him, 'Why are you hitting me', and he said, 'Because I am excited to see you'. He was greeting everyone with a smile on his face, and he knows how it feels when you are not here. 'That is the kind of environment we have. We see the management joke with each other. It makes it a proper family, and a safe space for a lot of us. That is why we can work that hard when they push us on the field.' All systems go With almost the full squad together after various franchise finals were played over the past weekend, Kolisi said that it was all systems go in training and that the coaches were pushing them as hard as possible to get up to speed. 'Training is as hard as games, sometimes it's even harder. Felix (Jones, assistant coach) is back, and he's always on our case and shouting,' said Kolisi with a laugh. 'When we did the fitness test (last week), he was always pushing you to get yourself there. You try and get yourself there, and you are dead (tired) by the end of it. And then he says, 'you did well'. 'That is all they want from us, to give our best and not worry about mistakes. Nobody makes a mistake on purpose. You play (your rugby) in safety here. They want us to play at this intensity, so they train us to get to that intensity. That is the nice thing, and I enjoy being here.' The Springboks will be playing their first Test in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) since 2021, when they played Argentina behind closed doors, and in front of fans since playing Australia in 2018, when they take on Italy in their second Test in July. Hometown It is Kolisi's hometown, while Bok coach Rassie Erasmus was born in Despatch (just outside Gqeberha), and the captain is looking forward to playing there again. 'It is going to be good to be back in the Eastern Cape. The people there are hungry for events and things to happen, and we know how much they support us,' said Kolisi. 'Myself and coach Rassie come from there. It's full at the airport when we get there, because people love rugby in the Eastern Cape. I have no doubt it (the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium) is going to be full when we play there. 'It is going to be a great atmosphere of course and I am really looking forward to seeing some old friends. So hopefully more events can happen in the Eastern Cape and Gqeberha.'
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lions to kick off 2025 Tour with shocking display of elitism and snub to rivals
The Lions will kick off their 2025 Tour with a stunning display of elitism - there will be no 'test caps' for the game with Argentina. This at a time when the Pumas are FIFTH in the world rankings, three spots ahead of world-ranked EIGHTH Australia for whom Lions caps will be awarded for playing against. The Lions will play nine matches on their 2025 Tour, one in Ireland and eight in Australia. Of those, four are against national sides, the opener Argentina in the Aviva Stadium and the three-game series with Australia. There are a further three games against Super Rugby teams, one against a representative selection and one game against opposition yet to be confirmed. Yet there are only Lions caps awarded for the games with the Wallabies, a clear snub to the Pumas - never mind those playing over €150 to watch the game in Dublin which is essentially ranked by the Lions as an 'exhibition'. "For us, the most important thing is not who we play or where we play, it is the jersey we put on," insists teak-tough Puma centre Matias Moroni. "So it doesn't matter if it's a game in a park or in a stadium with all the crowd, every time we put on our jersey it is the most important thing, because we represent all our effort. "We represent all the players that have played for Argentina, our country, our family, our amateur clubs, our coaches. "So I think, obviously it's real for us, it's gonna be a really good amount of fear, but the most important thing is to do our best in the jersey that we're gonna put on." Ireland may have five players in the mix to start as the likelihood is the eight Leinster players who started against Bulls last weekend won't be considered while there are a further three on the injury list. Ronan Kelleher, who was on the bench for Bulls might be involved, while Connacht's Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen - none of whom were born in Ireland - and Munster's Tadhg Beirne are in consideration. A poor return for Irish for fans for a game which does not award Lions caps and for which the lowest priced tickets for the Aviva are €158. A cost that has drawn criticism from many quarters and compares unfavourably with the list prices for the rest of the non-Test games on the Tour as, for instance, the Lions vs Western Force match in Perth has tickets from €58. The game against Queensland Reds in Brisbane has tickets for €67. Meanwhile, Scotland second-row Scott Cummings is expected to claim one of the second-row spots on Friday, most likely alongside Beirne. "It was definitely a bit of a surreal moment hearing your name get called out and that you had made the squad," admitted the Scot who was only considered 40/60 to make the cut beforehand. "It's something you dream of as a kid and as a player. Over the past couple of years, it's definitely been a target for me. "Obviously, with being injured for a decent part of the season, I didn't know if that was going to affect my chances so hearing your name called out was probably the highlight of my professional career so far. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind since then, getting to meet everyone. Andy Farrell has set his stall out in terms of what he wants from us all and it's just getting to know everyone and build that cohesion." Cummings revealed that Farrell, pre-Tour, had decided on a light touch. "He didn't load us too much before we came in. We were playing with our clubs and he wanted us finishing the season winning if we could. "But since we've been in, there's a lot of detail being added. Everyone's trying to help each other out. "Obviously, some of the Irish guys have been through certain things but it's a different game plan and there's a lot of stuff coming from all the teams so everyone is working together as much as they can. "It's tough because there are different coaches, there's lots of stuff we're taking from the different teams we're trying to integrate into one." Cummings has enjoyed the freedom to finish out the season with Glasgow without the extra Lions pressure. "I've always said that if you play well for your club, you get picked for national and if you get picked for national, you end up being picked for the Lions. "For me, it's just trying to represent Glasgow as well as I can every day and represent Scotland as much as I could. I want to get my hands on the ball. "I feel like I'm someone who has got a bit of speed in their game, that's probably one of my points of difference, so trying to get my hands on the ball, run lines, and impact the defence as much as I can." And now the hope is he will impress against Argentina "I think the coaches have put it on us. We've only been together for a short period of time so there will be some mistakes. "We're still learning our systems over the past couple of weeks, but Friday is a massive opportunity for us to show what we've been working on. "We have high quality players across the team, and they're just telling us to go and make rugby decisions; attack it, don't sit back and let Argentina play their style. Go and get them, go and show what we can do as a team.. "It's a massive occasion, if I'm lucky enough to get selected it will be a huge moment for anyone."
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
In at the deep end but Sexton out to bring value to Farrell's Lions camp
It took all of 30 seconds for Johnny Sexton to jump into the deep waters of elite coaching with Ireland and the British & Irish Lions but the fly-half legend thinks he would have regretted it for the rest of his life if he had not dived in. Twenty months after turning his back on rugby when he hung up his boots at the end of the 2023 World Cup and began life in the business world, Sexton was speaking at University College Dublin on Monday as an assistant to Lions head coach Andy Farrell. The Lions, now complete with the arrival of a victorious 12-strong Leinster contingent following Saturday's URC title victory, and three English Premiership finalists from champions Bath and runners-up Leicester Tigers, are almost up to their full complement ahead of Friday night's non-Test international and pre-tour warm-up against Argentina at Aviva Stadium. Just returned from a six-day Lions training camp in Portugal, primarily working with available fly-halves Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, he admitted there had been some trepidation about entering the coaching world at such an exalted level. The Test centurion and former Ireland captain, a two-time Lions tourist as a player in 2013 and 2017, had returned to the Irish camp at Farrell's invitation on a part-time basis last November and was back in a similar capacity for this season's Six Nations campaign. The IRFU announced Sexton would become a full-time coach with the national team next season but Farrell appointed him old to his Lions staff for this summer's tour to Australia and he confessed he had been a little daunted by his new status. 'Yeah, of course there would be that type of… as a player I would have always doubted myself throughout the years, whether it was coming into the Irish set-up for the first time or when you become a Lions for the first time, or Leinster. 'You always have those doubts. It's no different now. You're going in, you want to prove yourself, you want to show that you can bring value. 'Yeah, it was something I considered when Andy picked up the phone, you're kind of going 'wow'. It's such an honour, how can you say no? Like, I didn't pick myself. He asked me to come, I considered it for about 30 seconds and ultimately how could you? I'd have regretted it for the rest of my life.' Sexton added that he would be kidding himself if he had resisted the pull of the sport he graced for more than 20 years as a professional. "I think when Andy asked me to come back in, in November, I knew deep down that I was going to miss it. It wasn't until I was back in it that I missed it. Sometimes you try and kid yourself when you're out of it and you're watching and you're going, you feel a bit detached from it. 'So, it was comfortable. When you're starting a new job, in a new line of work, you're learning. I was learning a lot, but it's hard to contribute because you're sitting in a room with people that have 20 years, 30 years' experience in the industry. Whereas, that's my now. I've had 20 years' experience. Yes, I haven't coached but the role that I'm in allows me to I suppose give some experience without having too much responsibility in terms of the team, being able to influence it in certain ways so it's been a good balance with how I've started off. Read More Leinster contingent reports for duty with British and Irish Lions 'I'm hoping that with the Ireland set-up, there will be a bit more of that responsibility and we'll see how that progresses over the next while.' Sexton said he was looking forward to a front row seat for the upcoming duel between Farrell and his Irish predecessor Joe Schmidt, the current Australia boss whom the fly-half had played under for a decade at Leinster and Ireland. He had been viewed as Schmidt's on-pitch coach and addressing the upcoming series Sexton said: "Maybe that's why Andy asked me. "Maybe that was part of it, I am not sure you would have to ask him. "I'm sure Joe has evolved as well. He has left the country since 2019, he has been in different jobs Blues, New Zealand, now Australia, and I am sure he has evolved and has changed. "But I doubt if he has changed some of the big factors that he always coaches, the importance of the ruck, both sides of the ball, how he looks at the game, how he breaks us down, those type of things. "Like you say, very knowledgeable but Andy knows him well, Simon Easterby knows him well and he knows them so it is going to be... I suppose the best thing for a neutral watching in, it is going to be pretty fascinating in how they take each other on.' Ioane jibe still stings Sexton Leinster's decision to sign All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane from December to June next year has not gone down well with Johnny Sexton. The two have been engaged in a spat since they exchanged words after New Zealand's 2023 World Cup quarter-final victory over Ireland. The Irish fly-half legend claimed in his autobiography last year that Ioane had told him: 'Don't miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement,' with the addition of an expletive. Sexton was not on the field when next the two nations met in Dublin last November yet Ioane celebrated their victory by posting a picture of him leading the Haka, accompanied by the words: 'Put that in the book.' Sexton's Lions press conference closed with the question, did he ever think he would see Reiko Ioane at Leinster? "Wow, save the best for last,' the assistant coach replied. 'I purchased my Munster season ticket last week, put it that way...'
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Gary Kirsten unmasks PCB's politics, sheds light on ‘tumultuous' Pakistan head coach tenure: ‘Teams need to be run by…'
Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten opened up about his time as the Pakistan cricket team's white-ball coach and revealed why he relinquished the position. Kirsten, who led India to their 2011 ODI World Cup title, was appointed as Pakistan's white-ball head coach in 2024 on a two-year deal. However, his tenure got off to a tough start during the T20 World Cup, as Pakistan fell at the group stage following shock defeats to the USA — a non-Test side — and to archrivals India during their US leg. The Proteas veteran was assured a significant role in selection decisions upon his appointment, but that changed after Pakistan's T20 World Cup exit, when he found himself excluded from subsequent selection meetings. He then decided to relinquish the head coach position after just six months. Kirsten revealed that losing his say in team selection made it difficult for him to coach effectively and make a meaningful impact on the group. "It was a tumultuous few months. I realised quite quickly I wasn't going to have much of an influence. Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach then to have any sort of positive influence on the group," Kirsten told Wisden. The 57-year-old remains open to a return to Pakistan's coaching setup, but stressed that he would do so only under the right conditions. "If I got invited back to Pakistan tomorrow, I would go, but I would want to go for the players, and I would want to go under the right circumstances," Kirsten said. Pakistan cricket has witnessed a big downfall in the last few years, with back-to-back group stage exits in the ICC events - 2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy. Conflict, internal divisions, and growing interference from officials have become a defining feature of the Pakistan Cricket Board's landscape, fueling controversy and unrest within the game. Kirsten also highlighted the challenge of operating within a PCB structure where cricket isn't necessarily led by those who have played the game — something he believes has a detrimental impact. "Cricket teams need to be run by cricket people. When that's not happening and when there's a lot of noise from the outside that's very influential noise, it's very difficult for leaders within the team to walk a journey that you feel like you need to walk in order to take this team to where it needs to go," he added. The 2011 World Cup-winning coach made it clear that he doesn't want to get involved in politics and other agendas outside cricket and just wants to coach a team. He also reserved high praise for Pakistan cricketers and talked about the pressure their players face after a loss. "I'm too old now to be dealing with other agendas, I just want to coach a cricket team, work with the players – I love the Pakistan players, they're great guys. I had a very short period of time with them and I feel for them. More than any other team in the world, they feel the pressure of performance massively, when they lose, it's hectic for them, and they feel that. But they're professional cricketers and I'm a professional cricket coach. When we get into that environment, there are generally certain things you do to help a team be the best that they can be, and when there's no interference, you go down the road, and if it's a talented group of guys, you're generally going to have success," he concluded.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Boks camp ends in Cape Town: ‘We must continue to evolve,' says Rassie
The Boks are first in action late next month with a match against the Barbarians in Cape Town. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said Friday it was important that the two-time world champions continued to evolve to stay ahead of their competitors as the year's second alignment camp came to a conclusion in Cape Town on Friday. The national coaching team have now held two alignments camps ahead of the year's international fixtures, which include matches in July against Italy and Georgia. The Boks also again take on Argentina, Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship later in the year before wrapping up the season's fixtures with a four-game tour of Europe in November. The two-day camp in Cape Town featured a series of boardroom sessions and an optional gym session on Friday, while a bunch of overseas-based players joined the boardroom sessions virtually. The players also participated in a series of virtual training sessions to familiarise themselves with the new structures. The season gets underway in a little over a month when the Boks play a non-Test against a Barbarians team in Cape Town. 'Remain a force at top level' 'We are fast approaching the international season, and although most of the players have big matches lined up in their respective competitions before we assemble at our training camp in June, we were pleased with what transpired at the first and second alignment camps, and we believe we are on the right track in terms of our preparations and planning for the season,' said Erasmus. 'The coaches have been working tirelessly to improve our structures to ensure that we can improve on our performances last season, and it was great to see how the players responded to the adaptations and changes we have made to our structures. 'We have said time and time again that we have to continue to evolve to remain a force at the top level of the game, and although we are under no illusions about the challenging season ahead, we are pleased with the progress we have been making off the field, and we are really looking forward to the season ahead.' Newcomers to the squad Erasmus was also pleased to see the enthusiasm among the new players in the group – Vincent Tshituka, Ntokozo Makhaza, and Juarno Augustus, who tuned in virtually from England – and he believed that this experience would benefit them immensely to grow even further in their careers. 'They are all very talented players, and it was evident how proud they were to have this opportunity to rub shoulders with this group of players, some of whom have been with us since 2018, and to learn from them and the coaches,' said the Bok coach. Erasmus will name his squad for the June training camp in the next few weeks.
