Gordon Arons News Today

There are the 16 clubs left in the Investec Champions Cup and now the pretenders will be separated from the contenders.

For various reasons, several players in the Bulls and Stormers are motivated to show Bok coach Rassie Erasmus what they can do.

Player and fixture management is vital for South Africa’s leading rugby contenders while the Six Nations plays out in Europe.

The Stormers have only lost two matches at the stadium since the start of the United Rugby Championship (URC): the final against Munster in May and a 37-19 loss to the Lions in December 2021. 

The innings was largely held together by the retiring Dean Elgar, who was unbeaten on 140. 

There won’t be many times that a team will contemplate a winning scoreline of 43-12, and think that it could have been better. But that was the overriding feeling after South Africa mauled Australia at Loftus. What a position to start from in the 2023 Test season.

A car accident has ruled Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla out of the United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against the Bulls, while the Pretoria side has also endured a setback.

The Sharks’ have had an inconsistent and injury-ridden start to the United Rugby Championship season, which culminated in a 35-0 loss to Cardiff on Sunday. Their fins need to turn around soon.

Elton Jantjies recently spoke about the role director of rugby Rassie Erasmus played in his exclusion from the touring squad.

The Springboks have made minor tweaks for Saturday’s clash against a dangerous Italy in Genoa. On the back of two Test defeats on this tour, the match has taken on massive significance.