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Jacques du Plessis
Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais named Jacques du Plessis at lock for Friday night’s Absa Currie Cup semifinal match against DHL Western Province at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Du Plessis was a late withdrawal to the team that out-edged Steval Pumas 25-24 in Nelspruit last weekend, but is ready to take his regular number four spot in the team.
RG Snyman, who replaced Du Plessis for the Pumas match, moves back to the bench for his regular role as impact player, but his replacement in Nelspruit, Jason Jenkins, retains his spot on the bench.
Jenkins will take over from Ruan Steenkamp as the fourth loose forward as Marais opted for more bulk and size coming from the bench.
Agustin Creevy
Argentina are on a roll having beaten Australia and South Africa in the past 12 months and captain Agustin Creevy insists the Pumas have “no limits” at the Rugby World Cup.
With Ireland reeling from injuries to key players, Argentina can sense an upset in the quarterfinal at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
“I dream of lifting the cup. I don’t know whether it will come true, but I swear I dream about it,” said the 30-year-old Creevy.
Twelve months ago Argentina beat Australia 21 / 17 at home. It was the last straw in a troubled reign and Wallabies coach Ewan Mackenzie was gone within 2 weeks.
One month before coming to the Rugby World Cup they defeated South Africa for the 1st time – 37 / 25 in Durban – forcing Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer to apologise to the nation. He had to repeat it when they lost to Japan at the Rugby World Cup.
The Pumas world ranking has gone up in a year from 12 to 6, above England and France.
“This team has no limits,” Creevy declared.
Israel Folau
David Pocock
Australian Wallaby stars Israel Folau and David Pocock are doubts for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal with Scotland on Sunday.
However, they are both expected to train on Wednesday, coach Michael Cheika said.
Folau is trying to shake off an ankle problem that forced him off in the 33 / 13 whipping of hosts England and appeared to restrict his freedom of movement in the thrilling 15 / 6 victory over Wales last weekend.
Pocock, a revelation after being switched to No 8 from flank, is still battling a calf muscle injury that saw him leave the Wales game early and at a crucial period when they were down to 13 men.
There was better news regarding centre Matt Giteau, who is set to return to training after missing Tuesday’s session.
Jonny Sexton in tears after injury
Ireland are holding out hope that injury-hit flyhalf Jonny Sexton will be fit for Sunday’s quarterfinal against Argentina, according to assistant coach Les Kiss.
Sexton limped off after 25 minutes of Ireland’s hard-fought 24 / 9 victory over France last Sunday, a win that saw them undefeated in Pool D and avoiding a last-8 clash against defending champions New Zealand.
“Jonny has a slight adductor strain. There’s been some improvement. Hopefully we’ll see a little bit more on Wednesday and that’ll give us a clearer picture,” said Kiss.
“Each day will give us some more information.”
Kiss insisted head coach Joe Schmidt would not be rushed into a decision about picking Sexton, for whom Ian Madigan came on against the French, putting down his own marker with an astute play-making display.
“We have to be pragmatic about what works and it will probably come down to the last minute when we make the decision,” Kiss said.
Here’s a quick summary of the Diciplinary Sanctions imposed on cited players of remaining Quarterfinal Countries – Argentina, Ireland and Scotland – following the weekend’s last Pool Stage games in the Rugby World Cup of 2015.
- Marcelo Bosch of Argentina is suspended for 1 week, for a dangerous tackle
- Sean O’Brien of Ireland is suspended for 1 week, for striking a player
- Ross Ford of Scotland is suspended for 3 weeks, for his participation in a dangerous tip takle against Samoa
- Jonny Gray of Scotland is suspended for 3 weeks, for his participation in a dangerous tip takle against Samoa
Rugby World Cup organisers have announced that Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens, Jérôme Garcès and Craig Joubert will referee the Rugby World Cup 2015 quarterfinals this weekend.
England’s Wayne Barnes will take charge of the 1st match on Saturday between South Africa and Wales at Twickenham Stadium, London (Kick-Off 17:00 SA Time, 16:00 UK Time, 15:00 GMT) and will be joined by Assistant Referees George Clancy (Ireland) and JP Doyle (England) with the Television Match Official being Graham Hughes, also of England.
Later the same day, New Zealand take on France at the Millennium Stadium (Kick-Off 21:00 SA & French Time, 20:00 UK Time, 19:00 GMT) in a repeat of the Rugby World Cup 2011 final, with Nigel Owens of Wales refereeing the game at his union’s home ground. On the line will be Jaco Peyper of South Africa and John Lacey of Ireland while the Television Match Official will be South Africa’s Shaun Veldsman.
The 3rd quarterfinal between Ireland and Argentina in Cardiff (Kick-Off 14:00 SA Time, 13:00 UK Time, 12:00 GMT) on Sunday will be refereed by Jérôme Garcès of France with his countryman, Romain Poite, and New Zealand’s Chris Pollock as Assistant Referees. George Ayoub (Australia) will be the Television Match Official.
The final match of the stage will take place at Twickenham on Sunday (Kick-Off 17:00 SA Time, 16:00 UK Time, 15:00 GMT) between Australia and Scotland and will be refereed by Craig Joubert (South Africa). He will be assisted by Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Pascal Gauzere (France) with Ben Skeen (New Zealand) the Television Match Official.
Heyneke Meyer
His body language on match day is so often a dead giveaway, and Heyneke Meyer is the 1st to admit that he “stresses”.
So don’t expect the Springbok coach to be getting the best sleeps of his life in the build-up to Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against Wales at Twickenham (17:00 SA Time).
After all, he is facing arguably the most pivotal, “crossroads” game of his coaching career, when you think about it.
Not even the achievement of making the Bulls the 1st South African franchise to win Super Rugby in its properly pro-era incarnation in 2007 can be considered to rank as high in gravitas as this maiden knockout fixture at a Rugby World Cup for the very recently-turned 48-year-old from the Lowveld.
Unlike predecessor Peter de Villiers in 2009, Meyer has not had the opportunity to steer the Springboks through what might be considered next in line for heavyweight status after Rugby World Cup, a visit to our shores by the British & Irish Lions (next tour only due in 2021).
His tenure since 2012 has not yet brought the fruit of a Rugby Championship success, although he does warrant great credit for overseeing successive sweeps of European end-of-year tours in both 2012 and 2013, at a time of season when South African players are seriously vulnerable to fatigue.
Considering the unexpected degree of turbulence in the Springbok results column during the current season (including that Rugby World Cup-opening Japan shocker), reaching the semifinals of this tournament, all things considered, can probably be deemed as just about a “par” achievement for Meyer in his 1st exposure to a Rugby World Cup.
Japanese players celebrate after beating the Springboks
Japan’s rugby players received a heroes’ welcome on their return home Tuesday after their stunning Rugby World Cup campaign boosted the popularity of a sport in the country.
Although they failed to make it through the qualifiers, Japan came away with 3 victories – including an astonishing win over South Africa in their opening game.
They became the 1st nation to take 3 group games but still fail to reach the quarterfinals.
After the team flew back to cheers from fans gathered at Haneda airport, coach Eddie Jones hailed the Brave Blossoms as “new sporting heroes”.
“What a fantastic achievement for the team,” he said in a nationally televised press conference at a Tokyo hotel ballroom, a rare treatment for the sport in a country where baseball, sumo wrestling and football reign supreme.
“They have changed Japanese rugby. Everyone talks about hard work. I worked hard. But more importantly they played with courage, not only physical courage but also mental courage,” said the former Australia boss.
Pennyhill Park Hotel
The Springboks welcomed the chance to take over England’s posh base at Pennyhill Park this week, saying it would allow them to focus away from all the distractions of the Rugby World Cup.
The base, which is set in the Surrey countryside, feels like a continent away from the hustle and bustle of London, and requires most journalists 2 trains and a 20 minute cab ride to even get to the plush 120 acre estate.
But the base, even though it is in the middle of nowhere, has been set up perfectly for England’s ill-fated campaign, with an indoor pitch, training area and gym as well as a manicured outdoor pitch now at the beck and call of the Springboks for the remainder of the competition.
Ironically while England would have used the base for the entirety of the competition had they stayed in this year’s Rugby World Cup, but the team that was actually allocated the base because of the draw – Michael Cheika’s Australian team – turned it down and opted for the Springbok base last week at the Lensbury in Teddington.
The absolute difference in opulence is apparent when you arrive in Ascot to take the final steps towards the new Springbok base and one is greeted by a McLaren dealership, where prices resemble some of the most expensive houses in South Africa, not to mention the nearby famous Ascot racecourse.
DHL Western Province head coach John Dobson has announced his team for Friday’s 2015 ABSA Currie Cup semifinal clash against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Fullback Cheslin Kolbe, winger Seabelo Senatla, centre Johnny Kotze, flanker Rynhardt Elstadt, lock Ruan Botha, prop Steven Kitshoff and hooker Bongi Mbonambi all return to the DHL WP starting 15 this week, hardman Elstadt’s return the big news after missing his team’s last 4 encounters with a thigh problem.
Skipper Juan de Jongh will lead the defending champions into battle in Pretoria, partnering Johnny Kotze in midfield, with Senatla, Dillyn Leyds and Kolbe forming a razor-sharp back 3.
Nic Groom and Robert du Preez will comebine at halfbacks, with experienced scrumhalf Jano Vermaak back on the bench after missing DHL WP’s last 2 matches with a groin strain.
Prop Oli Kebble has shaken off an ankle injury to be named on the bench, where he is joined by lock Chris van Zyl – who, like Kebble, started last Friday’s 45 / 14 win over the EP Kings at DHL Newlands.
James O’Connor
Former Wallaby James O’Connor will return to Europe after the Queensland Rugby Union made the decision to release the Reds’ player from his contract.
O’Connor joined the Reds on a 2-year deal ahead of the 2015 season, but due to a number of personal matters, which the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU), Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) have been aware of since May, the QRU has agreed to release him from his 2nd year.
QRU CEO Jim Carmichael said: “James has experienced a difficult time personally since returning to Australia and we’ve been aware of that for some time. It is disappointing that James was not able to reach his full potential while he was with us but after a great deal of thought, we believe it is in his and the Reds’ best interests that we exercise our release clause in his contract.
“Therefore, James will return to Europe where he feels the spotlight on him is less intense. In our discussions, we’ve agreed that should James return to Australia to play rugby in the future, the Reds will have the 1st and last rights to secure his services.”
The Springboks are likely to be at full strength when coach Heyneke Meyer picks his team to face Wales in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal at Twickenham.
The Springboks reunited after going their separate ways for 4 days with their wives and girlfriends, exploring all parts of London – with 1 or 2 even heading across to France for their recess, and it was apparent that the Springboks would be able to select from all 31 in the squad when they make their team announcement on Wednesday.
While there were no new injuries, it seems Bok veterans JP Pietersen and Victor Matfield could also be fit for selection after overcoming their injuries that kept them out of the USA game.
Another player who missed that match, Jannie du Plessis, is also set to be fit for selection when the team is decided upon.
Ireland have moved up 2 places to 3rd in the World Rugby Rankings after beating France in the Rugby World Cup Pool D decider on Sunday.
Joe Schmidt’s side, who topped the pool with their 24 / 9 win against Les Bleus, have leapfrogged Wales (4) and South Africa (5) in the rankings, which are published by World Rugby every Monday.
7 Of the 8 Rugby World Cup 2015 quarter-finalists feature in the Top 8 of the rankings; the exception being Scotland, who remain 1 place below England in 9th position.
Under the points exchange system used to calculate rankings, sides take points off each other based on the match result; whatever 1 side gains, the other loses. Such points exchanges are doubled during the Rugby World Cup to recognise the unique importance of the event.
Ireland flanker Seán O’Brien and Argentina centre Marcelo Bosch have been cited for alleged acts of foul play.
Liam Williams injured against Australia
Liam Williams joined Wales’ World Cup casualty list after he was ruled out of the rest of the tournament on Sunday with a foot injury.
The 24-year-old Scarlets wing limped off with a foot problem during the 2nd half of Wales’ 15 / 6 Pool A defeat by Australia’s Wallabies at Twickenham on Saturday.
“Disappointing news out of camp this morning. Liam Williams ruled out of Rugby World Cup with foot injury,” said a statement on the Welsh Rugby Union’s Twitter feed on Sunday.
He is the 6th member of Wales’ original Rugby World Cup squad to be ruled out because of injury following Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos and Cory Allen.
Williams had to overcome a foot injury just to gain a place in coach Warren Gatland’s original 31-man squad.
Peter O’Mahony
Ireland flank Peter O’Mahony will play no further part in the Rugby World Cup after suffering knee ligament damage in his team’s victory over France.
There were continuing doubts over the future participation of captain and lock Paul O’Connell and flyhalf Jonny Sexton, who both went off injured in a ferocious 1st half of Sunday’s match won 24 / 9 by the Irish at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
“Peter O’Mahony suffered a knee ligament injury and is returning to Dublin. He will play no further part in the World Cup,” said Ireland team manager Michael Kearney.
“Paul O’Connell suffered a significant hamstring injury and was hospitalised overnight.”
Sexton, who limped off in the 25th minute, sustained a “groin injury” and was awaiting scans later Monday, Kearney said.
Jonny Gray
Ross Ford
Ross Ford and Jonny Gray are in danger of missing Scotland’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against the Australian Wallabies, after both were cited on Monday.
1st Choice hooker Ford and lock Gray, who forms an effective partnership with older brother Richie, have been cited for a lifting tackle during Scotland’s thrilling 36 / 33 win over Samoa on Saturday.
Their hearing will take place in London on Tuesday morning and will be heard by English lawyer Christopher Quinlan.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Monday confirmed the kick-off times and match officials for the semi-finals of the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division and the various junior competition playoff fixtures.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls host the DHL Western Province this coming Friday at Loftus Versfeld and the starting time for the 1st Premier Division Semi-final in Pretoria is 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
On Saturday, the Xerox Golden Lions host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in the 2nd playoff match at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg. Kick-off time is 13:45 SA Time (11:45 GMT).
Referee Marius van der Westhuizen will take charge of the Pretoria encounter while Jaco van Heerden will referee the Johannesburg match.
Both ABSA Currie Cup Semi-finals clashes will be televised live on SuperSport 1.
The 2 ABSA Under 19 A-Division playoff matches are scheduled for this coming Friday, while the 2 playoff matches in the ABSA Under 21 A-Division are scheduled for Saturday.
Kieran Read sitting on the ‘Naughty Chair” after being Yellow Carded in the Tonga game
The New Zealand All Blacks’ image as surefire Rugby World Cup winners is starting to fade.
Not only critics, but also the team’s fans, are beginning to question coach Steve Hansen’s master plan.
Even Kieran Read, the stand-in captain for Friday’s 47 / 9 win over Tonga, admitted there were problems to be addressed.
Hansen put on a bold front after the game, declaring himself “very happy” with the way things are going.
“What’s happening now is irrelevant. What happens next week will be and it’s about maintaining performances from here on in and winning,” he said after Tonga finally folded at St James’ Park.
“We had a plan and we stuck to that plan now we have to wait to see if it works.”
John Smit
Cell C Sharks CEO, John Smit, has a message for disappointed Sharks fans after the team’s failure to reach the Currie Cup semifinals.
After playing to a 34 / 34 draw to the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein at the weekend, the Durbanites finished 5th on the overall Currie Cup Log, to miss out on a playoff spot.
The Cell C Sharks appeared to have the game in the bag, leading 34 / 20 with 4 minutes remaining, but 2 late converted tries gave the Toyota Free State Cheetahs a draw – and a place in the semifinals at the expense of the Cell C Sharks.
Smit wrote a message to fans on the Cell C Sharks’ official Facebook page.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs clinched a dramatic 34 / 34 draw on Saturday against the Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein to finish 4th on the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division Log, and in doing so, they booked themselves a Semifinal clash against the Xerox Golden Lions next weekend in Johannesburg.
The Free State Cheetahs scored 2 converted tries in the in last 5 minutes at the Free State Stadium, while replacement fullback Neil Marais slotted the vital conversion after the final hooter to draw the 2 teams level in Bloemfontein and at the same time shatter the Cell C Sharks’ playoff hopes. The Free State Cheetahs finished 2 points above the Cel C Sharks on the final Log with 24 points.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls finished 2nd on the Log after they edged the Steval Pumas 25 / 24 in Nelspruit on Friday and they now meet 3rd-placed DHL Western Province in Pretoria in the playoffs. The Blue Bulls versus WP clash is set for this coming Friday evening at Loftus Versfeld.
In Cape Town, DHL Western Province finished their league commitments with a bonus-point 45 / 14 win over the Eastern Province Kings. Runaway Log leaders, the Xerox Golden Lions, completed the round-robin phase unbeaten with 10 wins after their much changed side defeated the ORC Griquas 29 / 19 in Johannesburg.
USA Eagles (8) 18 / 28 (17) Brave Blossoms (Final Score)
The United States Eagles and Japanese Brave Blossoms did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 15:00 US Eastern Time, Monday 04:00 Japan Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Ireland (9) 24 / 9 (6) France (Final Score)
Ireland and France did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 17:45 SA Time (17:45 French Time, 16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Italy (22) 32 / 22 (3) Romania (Final Score)
The Italian Azzurri and Romania did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Sandy Park, Exeter, England at 15:30 SA Time (15:30 Italy Time, 16:30 EEST, 14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Los Pumas (36) 64 / 19 (7) Namibia (Final Score)
The Argentinian Los Pumas and Namibia did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Leicester City Stadium, Leicester, England at 13:00 SA Time (13:00 Namibia Time, 08:00 ARG Time, 12:00 BST, 11:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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England (21) 60 / 3 (3) Uruguay (Final Score)
England and Uruguay did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Manchester City Stadium, Manchester, England at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 16:00 Uruguay Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (9) 15 / 6 (3) Wales (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Wales did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 17:45 SA Time (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT, Sunday 02:45 AEST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Samoa (26) 33 / 36 (23) Scotland (Final Score)
Samoa and Scotland did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
St James’ Park, Newcastle at 15:30 SA Time (14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT, Sunday 03:30 Samoa Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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FS Cheetahs (17) 34 / 34 (13) Sharks (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 14:00 SA Time (12:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 2 on TV in SA.
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All Blacks (14) 47 / 9 (3) Tonga (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Tonga did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
St James’ Park, Newcastle, England at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, Saturday 08:00 NZ & Tonga Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Steval Pumas (7) 24 / 25 (13) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Steval Pumas and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 18:00 SA Time (16:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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(We have given score updates of the DHL Western Province vs EP Kings clash, which took place at the same time!)
DHL WP 45 / 14 EP Kings (Final Score)
Mihai Macovei
Romanian captain Mihai Macovei will miss his country’s pivotal final Pool D match with Italy on Sunday after being suspended for a fortnight for a dangerous tackle.
The 28-year-old loose forward was hailed as a hero earlier in the week for his 2 tries in Romania’s superb comeback from 0 / 15 down to beat Canada 17 / 15 and set his team up for Sunday’s match where the winner will seal 3rd place and automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
However, he fell foul of the citing commissioner and has now been found guilty of a dangerous tackle during the Canada match.
“Mihai Macovei has been suspended for 2 weeks for a dangerous tackle contrary to Law 10(4)(e),” read the statement from the disciplinary commission.
Warren Gatland
Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, ruled himself out of the running to succeed England coach Stuart Lancaster by telling reporters: “I don’t think they can afford me.”
Although under contract until 2020, Lancaster’s time in his job could soon be up after England became the 1st Rugby World Cup hosts to be knocked out of the tournament at the group stages.
Wales played a key role in England’s demise with a thrilling 28 / 25 win over their old rivals at Twickenham.
Australia then delivered the telling blow to England’s hopes of getting out of the ‘Pool of Death’ with a comprehensive 33 / 13 win over Lancaster’s team last weekend.
Since England lost to the Wallabies, there has been plenty of speculation about how Lancaster could be out of a job following the team’s now ‘meaningless’ concluding Pool A match against Uruguay in Manchester on Saturday.
Gatland, whom England could have tried to appoint after the 2007 World Cup, the year before he oversaw his 1st match as Wales boss, has been 1 of several names linked with Lancaster’s job in recent days, along with Australia’s Eddie Jones and South Africa’s Jake White even though, as yet, there is no vacancy.
Stephen Betham, Samoa head coach
Samoa coach Stephen Betham claimed Thursday the Pacific island teams had been singled out over rough play and were warned about their discipline before the Rugby World Cup began.
As the penalties and Yellow Cards mount up against Samoa, Fiji and Tonga, Betham said the teams were “tainted. We were warned at the start.”
His outburst came as Samoa considered appealing a 5-week ban on Alesana Tuilagi for kneeing Harumichi Tatekawa as the Japanese player tried to tackle him.
The judicial ruling has been widely criticised on social media by former players as video replays indicated a problem with the technique of the much smaller Tatekawa as he tried to stop Tuilagi in full flight.
“We are feeling the pain,” Betham said of not being able to field the giant Newcastle wing in their final pool game against Scotland on Saturday.
Lwazi Mvovo, Greg Levendahl & Pat Lambie
After watching 2 of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup Pool B victories in England, Springbok bus driver Greg Levendahl, said he is leaving England knowing that Heyneke Meyer and his team will do well in the rest of the tournament.
The 62-year-old Levendahl, who has been driving the Springboks’ bus in South Africa for the last 8 seasons, supported the Springboks in their matches against Scotland in Newcastle and the USA in London.
It was his 1st trip abroad, made possible by the players, through their internal team fund, the South African Rugby Union and the Springbok team management, all of whom made contributions to pay for Levendahl to make the trip across to England.
Levendahl, whose nickname is ‘Getuie’ (Afrikaans for witness), is a firm favourite of all the players and he said it was wonderful to spend some time with them in England.