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Springboks' Mbonambi update, le Roux explains his England bust-up
The Springboks have delivered the latest update regarding the ongoing Bongi Mbonambi investigation by World Rugby, while Willie le Roux has also explained his final whistle altercation last Saturday night with England players, including skipper Owen Farrell.
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It emerged on Monday that World Rugby were formally reviewing the allegation made by Tom Curry in relation to the alleged use of discriminatory language by South African hooker Mbonambi.
Ahead of their latest pre-Rugby World Cup final media briefing on Wednesday afternoon, reporters were told from the stage in Presles that neither assistant coach Felix Jones nor ‘bomb squad’ members Kwagga Smith nor le Roux would be taking questions on the matter.
Instead, a staff member said: “The Bongi investigation remains ongoing, it’s a World Rugby process, it’s live so we’re not in a position to answer any questions about the state of that investigation.”
Full-back le Roux shared his top-table interview time with Smith and during that segment, he was asked to explain what had happened immediately after referee Ben O’Keeffe blew his final whistle to confirm the Springboks were 16-15 winners over England.
“It was just emotion,” he claimed. “I think I had the same emotion as everyone back home, I was excited, the margins in those big games are so small.
“I just jumped up out of the emotion of happiness that we had just got through a World Cup semi-final. There was no disrespect to any of the English players. I think they thought there was and I immediately told them there wasn’t and then it stopped. There was nothing, nothing about that.”
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Saturday’s final will be assistant coach Jones’ last game with the Springboks before he links up with Steve Borthwick’s England for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations. There has been speculation that his arrival will see current defence coach Kevin Sinfield leave his post after just a year.
Jones, though, opted not to confirm the exact role he will be taking when he joins England. “I am assistant coach so between myself, Richard (Wigglesworth) and Steve that will all get sorted out. I rather not go into that with the game on the weekend.”
One of the main talking points heading into this weekend is whether Manie Libbok has a chance of selection after he was tactically replaced in the first half of the semi-final so that the under-pressure Springboks could improve their kicking game with sub Handre Pollard on.
Coach Jacques Nienaber insisted post-game that such an early substitution didn’t mean that Libbok wouldn’t be considered to start the final, and Jones confirmed that the experience hadn’t affected the way the out-half was going about his work this week with the squad.
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“Manie has been this week his normal self,” suggested Jones. “He has been doing everything he has normally done for us since he came in with the group just over a year ago… he has been his normal, happy self this week, helps the guys around him, performs his extras, performs his detail, assists in meetings, there has been no difference to Manie.”
Speaking generally, Jones added: “The mood in the camp, as you would expect for a World Cup final, everyone is hugely excited, a high level of focus, everyone wants to get their detail down early in the week and concentrate on delivering a performance and enjoying it.”
Springboks get down to Rugby World Cup final training on Wednesday in Paris. #NZLvRSA #RWC2023 #Springboks pic.twitter.com/QEBudLn9yu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 25, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to comments