Here are your rugby evening headlines for Tuesday, 2 August.
Dragons new signing settling in nicely
New Dragons signing Sio Tomkinson is settling in nicely to life in Wales.
The former Highlanders back - who can play centre or wing - arrived in Gwent this summer ahead of the new URC season. And the former New Zealand U20s international has admitted he can't wait for the campaign to get underway.
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"It's good." he told the Dragons' website. "The weather's been great. The boys say it's normally not like this. I think I've hit the jackpot with the weather.
"I'm looking forward to getting into a few games now. I'm looking forward to getting some game time. It's important we hit the ground running and put our best foot forward up in Edinburgh. We've had a few socials and I've got to know the boys. They've welcomed me.
"It's been great connecting with the fans (at the Royal Welsh Show). It was hot up there."
Bok legend says Cane 'not up to it'
Springboks icon Victor Matfield insists that All Blacks skipper is 'not up to it' as the two teams prepare to meet in Nelspruit this weekend.
Matfield led his country for many years and achieved virtually all there is to achieve in the game during a stellar 18-year playing career. He is now a pundit in South Africa and offered up his view ahead of this year's Rugby Championship.
"They're (New Zealand) still struggling to decide on their best loose-forward combination," Matfield told BokSquad. "Sam Cane is the captain, but I'm not sure he's up to it at the moment – in terms of getting over the ball, stealing the ball, slowing it down… all of that contributes to a team's defence.
"They're not really stopping the opposition from getting quick ball. They're allowing the opposition to get a quick recycle at the ruck and to launch a multiphase attack."
He added: "If we get into their half, we can build through our forwards and we can come round the corner. Once we set the platform, we can play a few options. That's how you can build momentum against them."
Faf de Klerk recalled by Springboks as Marx starts
Hooker Malcolm Marx will start for South Africa in place of Bongi Mbonambi against New Zealand, while scrum-half Faf de Klerk has been recalled for the Rugby Championship opener.
The only other change to the Springboks team that clinched the series against Wales last month is on the right wing where Kurt-Lee Arendse was selected in Tuesday’s team announcement for his second test in place of Cheslin Kolbe, who has a broken jaw.
The Springboks once again put six forwards on the bench, with Mbonambi joining props Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch, lock Salmaan Moerat and back-rows Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith. New scrumhalf Jaden Hendricks and Willie le Roux are the two reserve backs.
“One of the changes to the starting team was injury-enforced with Kurt-Lee coming in for Cheslin," said head coach Jacques Nienaber. "With Malcolm, we feel it is a big occasion to play one’s 50th Test so it will be good for him to start. We believe Faf’s experience and style of play will complement our game against the All Blacks,” explained Nienaber on why Arendse, Marx and de Klerk will all start for the Springboks.
“We feel this is the right squad for this specific challenge against New Zealand. The All Blacks are strong all around and they will come to Nelspruit desperate to avenge their series defeat against Ireland and to prove that they remain one of the powerhouses in world rugby, so we believe experience and physicality will be vital in this Test.
“The Springboks and All Blacks have a unique rivalry, and we always bring the best out of one another. They will play a different style of rugby to Wales, and we have been preparing for that, and like many of the northern hemisphere teams, their set pieces are strong, and they have fantastic skills in their backline, so we’ll have to be at our best to register a win."
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