URC: The Lions, with Morne van den Berg massive, roared the loudest at Ellis Park with an emphatic win against the Sharks, for whom Jurenzo Julius was the best player.

Morne van den Berg was the pick of the Lions and the best player on display in the Lions bonus point win. The Springboks scrum half was at the heart of everything good about the Lions performance, in a Round 8 match that was played between Rounds 11 and 12 of the competition.

The win moves the Lions into seventh place in the URC and it also kept alive the SA Shield. Had the Sharks won, they would have claimed the Shield, given they already had three bonus-point wins in four matches against their South African colleagues.

The Sharks have beaten the Bulls and the Stormers twice and lost in the final play against the Lions in Durban a month ago.

But it is the Lions who now can claim the Shield if they beat the Stormers at Ellis Park next Saturday.

The Sharks will play the Bulls at Loftus in Pretoria next week and the Stormers and Bulls will complete the South African derbies within the URC in Pretoria on the 14th March.

The Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen picked his strongest match 23 and they were too powerful and precise for a Sharks match 23 missing seven of their first choice Springboks. Sharks coach JP Pietersen invested in youth and some hardened veterans, but the collective of the Sharks could not match the individual class of 21 year-old centre Jurenzo Julius, who ran with condition and with reward, scored a try, had one disallowed and always made metres in the tackle.

JULIUS IN BOKS MIDFIELD AUDITION

Veteran lock Jason Jenkins battled hard, but that was the lot for the visitors who are ninth in the URC league standings. They have four wins in 11 matches.

Van den Berg was the general at No 9, his halfback partner Chris Smith did not miss a kick at posts and the Lions midfield of Bronson Mills and Henco Van Wyk were convincing as a pairing.

Wingers Angelo Davids and Kelly Mpeku chased everything and turned every kick into an attacking one.

Lions fullback Quan Horn was confident and flanker Ruan Venter, lock Ettienne Oosthuizen were a menace and a presence. My personal favourite Asenathi Ntlabakanye produced trademark tackles, handled the tighthead side of the scrum effectively and was regular in taking the ball to the line.

Van den Berg was very good and the Lions were very good in responding from the 52-17 defeat a fortnight ago against the Bulls at Ellis Park.

The Lions have beaten the Sharks in the last three matches at Ellis Park in the URC, each time comfortably, and have won five of the last six matches against the Sharks.

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP LATEST – WATCH THE LIONS v SHARKS HIGHLIGHTS

Ireland are celebrated for finding their identity in a record 42-21 win against England at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham and Scotland are lauded for finding a way to win a Six Nations match away from home. Here’s your media summary.

What the English media led with

• England’s recurring fast-start problem became the story again – an opening half-hour where Ireland went 22-0 up and effectively ended the contest.

• The post-match tone is brutal: “humiliation”, “nightmare”, “questions everywhere” around England’s direction, selection calls, and a side that’s messy under pressure (turnovers, set-piece errors, poor exits).

• Even where England “had entries”, the message is the same: they didn’t convert pressure into points, and Ireland did –  clinically.

What the Irish media led with

• A statement win built on speed, accuracy and edge – Ireland’s first-half blitz, then second-half control (Sheehan’s early score after the break = the hammer).

• The Irish framing is “old guard / leaders / selection calls justified” – Crowley steering, Gibson-Park snapping, McCloskey giving them gainline ballast.

• Farrell’s tone in reaction coverage: values + connection + belief (less “tactics board”, more “identity restored”).

Former players / influential voices (social + pundit loop)

• Dan Sheehan (via ITV quote carried by SA Rugby Mag): framed it as hunger + belief + emotional lift after the France loss – and called it one of their best performances.

• The wider pundit theme (echoed across liveblogs + post-match reaction): Ireland’s dominance wasn’t fluke finishing – it was system + tempo + accuracy, with England chasing shadows and confidence.

• “I backed England” regret content is already circulating (ex-player prediction culture) with former England fullback Mike Brown getting stick in UK rugby-content spaces after calling it wrong. He is just one of many. Andy Goode called for a rethink of Steve Borthwick as head coach and challenged Borthwick for a rethink of his selections.

South African view (SA Rugby Mag)

Two clean angles SA Rugby Mag are pushing:

• Mocke the notion that three weeks ago England were favourites to win the World Cup, according to their media, and now they have been destroyed, away to Scotland and at home to Ireland on successive weekends.

• Player-reaction line: Sheehan’s “special” framing – Ireland tapped into travelling support and came out of the blocks.

What Six Nations official platform says …

The official match report leans hard into:

• Frenetic start, Crowley penalty, then Gibson-Park’s quick-tap try as the tone-setter.

• The decisive rhythm: England scratched (Dingwall / Lawrence / Underhill), but Ireland had answers (Sheehan + Osborne) and controlled the contest after going 22-0 up.

KEO’S VIEW

I had England to win 30-21 based on Ireland’s lack of form in November against the All Blacks and the Springboks, and their defeat against France in Paris, coupled with their escape at home against Italy a week ago. What I overestimated was the quality of the England team to respond to last weekend’s drubbing against Scotland at Murrayfield. I also thought England would lift for captain Maro Itoje’s 100th Test for England. I underestimated that Ireland would find their identity or play in a way that speaks to the identity that made them a top two side and momentarily had them ranked one in the world. The visitors were superb. This is the first time they have beaten England by more than 20 points. I thought they were as inspiring as England were inept.

EVERY PLAYER AND TEAM STAT AFTER ROUND 3 OF THE SIX NATIONS

WALES v SCOTLAND – Wales improved, Scotland escaped

Result: Wales 23 Scotland 26 (Turner try + Russell conversion in the 75th minute).

Scottish media tone (and Scotland lens generally)

• The Scotland lens is “not pretty, but champion teams steal these” – resilience, finish, Russell influence, and bench impact (Turner delivering the match winner).

• Scotland’s broader narrative: they’re alive in the championship picture (table pressure) because they can now win away, even when off their game.

Welsh media tone (and Wales lens generally)

• The Wales lens is heartbreak with a sliver of hope: this was their best showing of the championship so far, but they still found a way to lose it late (errors, discipline, closing moments).

• The hard number that will sit in every Welsh recap: 14 straight Six Nations losses (and counting).

Former players / influential voices (social + pundit loop)

• The Guardian’s live coverage explicitly notes former Welsh captain Sam Warburton praising Wales’ belief/performance despite the late gut-punch.

South African view (SA Rugby Mag)

• Scotland “snatch” it from a “passionate Wales” – which tells you the editorial emphasis is Wales’ emotional performance and Scotland’s late ruthlessness.

What Six Nations official platform says …

The official report makes it very usable for your structure:

• Wales deserved the first-half lead: Carre + Adams tries, Costelow kicking, and a genuine edge in the arm-wrestle.

• The swing: Scotland’s second-half surge, and Wales being denied their first win again a “remarkable comeback” headline win for Scotland.

KEO’S VIEW

The question is what hurts most for the hapless Welsh supporters; to concede 50 points each time at home or to be five minutes away from winning and then to lose by a late converted try after leading 20-5 early in the second half? Scotland showed composure in the final 10 minutes and Wales, so desperate and filled with desire, had nothing left in the tank once Scotland took the lead 26-23. For a neutral it was a bloody good Test, filled with every drama.

SIX NATIONS ROUND 3 … WHAT WE CALLED

Jurenzo Julius and Henco van Wyk were colossal midfielders as schoolboys. Now they get the chance to make a statement to Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus that they should be on the national radar, if not for 2027, then definitely for the 2031 World Cup in the USA.

The Lions host the Sharks in the URC at Ellis Park on Saturday, and it is the performances of Julius, for the Sharks, and Van Wyk, for the Lions, that excites me the most in this match.

Julius, many forget, is still just 21 years-old. Equally is Van Wyk’s youthfulness at 24. The latter seems to have been around for a decade.

Both have carried the tag for best of in their class, with Van Wyk the Junior Springbok of the Year in 2021 and Julius the Junior Springbok of the Year in 2024.

Erasmus has never selected on sentiment and he has always been consistent that he differentiates between who is considered the best in a particular position and who is the best for his national squad.

He rates Julius and Van Wyk, having invited them to national alignment camps and picked Van Wyk for the senior SA XV that toured the north a few seasons ago.

Both players fit the mould of what Erasmus wants in a player. They have physical presence, skill and an engine.

Julius was so good when playing for Paul Roos in Stellenbosch, and equally imposing for SA under 18s and SA under 20s. Van Wyk, a few years before that, enjoyed as many accolades as the premier South African junior midfielder.

CASH IN WITH AFRICA PICKS

Van Wyk’s biggest challenge has not been that of selection at the Lions, but being consistently fit and available, whereas Julius walked into a Sharks set-up of Springbok midfielders in Lukhanyo Am, Francois Venter and current captain Andre Esterhuizen.

Ethan Hooker, who was used at centre and on the wing, played Test rugby for the Springboks in 2025 as a winger, but Sharks coach JP Pietersen has paired him with Esterhuizen in the past month. AM has left for Japan and Venter, alongside Julius on Saturday, has a greater mentoring role.

The beauty of Julius is that each time he has been given an opportunity, he has delivered. Van Wyk has shown the same pedigree when injury has not derailed his season.

Julius can play 12 and 13 and would not be out of place on the wing, and Van Wyk’s skillset makes him an option at 12 and 13.

SHARKS SCHOOL STORMERS IN THE URC

Van Wyk, at Monument High and with the Golden Lions Craven Week side, was exceptional at age group level. His transition into junior international rugby and senior rugby was as smooth, until injuries rocked him. From 2022 to 2024, injuries were more damaging than any opponent.

Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images

What he is showing this season is the result of uninterrupted rugby. He is sharp, his confidence is obvious and he is the primary point of attack in a talented Lions backline.

South African rugby produces outstanding schoolboy midfielders every year, and the latest is Paarl Gim’s Markus Muller, who is part of the Stormers squad and is currently on national duty with the SA under 20s.

Julius and Van Wyk will be mindful of the hype around Muller and they will be keen to remind him and another 2025 schools graduate, Grey College and Free State’s Ethan Adams, that there is a senior midfield queue and that the class of 2019 and 2024 are on the rise.

 

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Recent head-to-head (URC meetings)

• Jan 2026: Sharks 22–23 Lions (Durban)

• Mar 2025: Sharks 14–38 Lions (Johannesburg)

• Mar 2025: Sharks 22–25 Lions (Durban)

• 2024: Lions 40–10 Sharks (Johannesburg)

• 2024: Sharks 20–18 Lions (Durban)

Recent encounters show a clear home-field bias in Johannesburg, with the Lions winning comfortably there and edging the most recent contest in Durban.

LIONS v SHARKS: ALL THE TEAM NEWS

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21

Lions v Hollywoodbets Sharks

Ellis Park, Johannesburg – KO 12.00 IRE & UK / 13.00 ITA / 14.00 SA

Referee: Griffin Colby (SARU, 12th league game)

AR 1: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) AR 2: Zoe Naude (SARU)

TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

LATEST URC NEWS

Teams, kick-off times, data, match-ups. Look no further. We have everything you need to know for Round 3 of the Six Nations as France plays Italy, Wales host Scotland and England take on Ireland.

The big talking point this weekend will be the flamboyant England loose-forward Henry Pollock’s first start at No 8.

AFRICA PICKS: WHERE TO MAKE YOUR SIX NATIONS MONEY THIS WEEKEND

WHO’S RUNNING THE HOTTEST IN SIX NATIONS

Six Nations Round 3: Pollock’s Call, Ireland’s Test, Scotland’s Edge, France’s Warning

The headline is at Allianz Stadium. Henry Pollock gets his first start at No 8 for England against Ireland. It is refreshing from England coach Steve Borthwick and it changes the shape of England’s loose trio. Pollock joins Tom Curry and Ben Earl in a back row built for tempo and confrontation.

ENGLAND v IRELAND

Kick-off: 18:00 (UK), Saturday 21 February
Venue: Allianz Stadium

England
Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Arundell; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Chessum, T Curry, Earl, Pollock.
Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, Pepper, Underhill, Van Poortvliet, M Smith.

Ireland 
Osborne; Baloucoune, Ringrose, McCloskey, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Sheehan, Furlong, Ryan, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Kelleher, O’Toole, Bealham, Conan, Timoney, Casey, Frawley, O’Brien.

England’s 12-match winning run ended at Murrayfield, but at home they remain reliable. Their last defeat in London came in November 2024. Since then, nine straight wins. That matters.

Ireland, though, have owned this fixture recently. Five wins from the last six. The only loss in that stretch was a last-minute drop goal in this stadium two years ago.

Andy Farrell reshapes his spine. Jack Crowley starts at fly-half for control. Tadhg Furlong returns to strengthen the scrum. Beirne, Van der Flier and Gibson-Park are back. Ireland are leaning into experience because England at Twickenham demands it.

Recent results:
2025 (Dublin): Ireland 27–22 England
2024 (London): England 23–22 Ireland
2023 (Dublin): Ireland 29–16 England

 

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WALES v SCOTLAND

Kick-off: 16:40 (UK), Saturday 21 February
Venue: Principality Stadium

Wales
Rees-Zammit; Hamer-Webb, James, Hawkins, Adams; Costelow, T Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Francis, Jenkins, Carter, Plumtree, Mann, Wainwright.
Replacements: Elias, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Botham, Hardy, J Evans, Murray.

Scotland
Kinghorn; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (capt), Van der Merwe; Russell, White; McBeth, Cherry, Z Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, Brown, Darge, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Cherry, Schoeman, Millar-Mills, Williamson, M Fagerson, Horne, Hastings, Graham.

Wales are 0-from-2 and hurting. Scotland arrive confident after reclaiming the Calcutta Cup against England. Momentum says Scotland, recent history in this clash and Wales’s woeful two wins in their last 25 Tests, says it has to be Scotland.

Welsh coach Steve Tandy has made changes. Sam Costelow takes over at 10. Taine Plumtree strengthens the back row and Ben Carter’s form earns him reward. Blair Murray offers bench spark. Scotland have recalled power winger Duhan van der Merwe and Toulouse fullback Blair Kinghorn.

Recent results:
2025 (Edinburgh): Scotland 35–29 Wales
2024 (Cardiff): Wales 26–27 Scotland
2023 (Edinburgh): Scotland 35–7 Wales

 

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FRANCE v ITALY

Kick-off: 15:10 (UK), Sunday 15 February
Venue: Stade Pierre Mauroy

Italy left Dublin believing they are good enough to beat the very best, but still vulnerable in the big clutch plays. They pushed Ireland and were frustrated not to get the job done. The problem now is scale. France have opened this championship with authority and pace.

Last year in Rome, France dismantled Italy, but the more relevant match is the 13-all draw in Lille in 2024. Paolo Garbisi hit the post from a penalty attempt with the last kick of the match. It would have been Italy’s first win against France in France.

Italy’s backline is ambitious and their pack is no longer passive, but France, in the 2025 Six Nations and in the opening fortnight of 2026, have set the standard.

Recent results:
2025 (Rome): Italy 24–73 France
2024 (Marseille): France 13–13 Italy
2023 (Rome): Italy 24–29 France

If you want a snapshot of the weekend’s matches, England have entrusted youth in the name of Pollock, Ireland have opted for experience and the old guard, Wales, well they continue to search for relevance, and Scotland want consistency. Italy have belief but they are up against the best team in the competition who are playing with the authority of a champion.

ALL THE LATEST FROM THE SIX NATIONS

France have dominated the first fortnight of the Six Nations and they will continue the dream start to the 2026 tournament when hosting the improving Italy. Individually, the French players are also making the biggest statistical statements.

The French backs Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Theo Attissogbe and Matthee Jalibert are the most prominent in attack, with the two wingers three tries each second only to England winger Henry Arundell’s four.

No 10 Jalibert has scored two tries and made 32 carries, three more than his halfback partner Antoine Dupont, and four less than fullback Thomas Ramos’s 36. England’s No 8 Ben Earl has made the most carries (41).

Ramos, Bielle-Biarrey, Jalibert and Attissogbe are placed second to fifth in metres made, with Wales’s Louis Rees-Zammit topping the list with 238.

Jalibert, who was sensational for Bordeaux in the Investec Champions Cup Pool rounds, has been as good for France in the Six Nations.

No player has such a presence in so many facets of play.

Jalibert (10), Ramos (8) and Dupont (5) have made the most offloads, and Jalibert’s four try assists is the most.

Jalibert (10), along with Rees-Zammit, England’s Tommy Freeman and Scotland’s South African-born winger Kyle Steyn, has beaten the most defenders.

Jalibert (21) and Dupont (29) have combined for 50 kicks in play. England flyhalf George Ford leads the list with 34. Ford’s kick metres are the most, 1245, while Dupont (third with 827 metres) and Jalibert (sixth with 610 metres) total 1437 metres.

Jalibert (7) and Dupont (6), as a halfback duo, have no equal in the competition, combining for 13 kicks retained. Scotland’s Ben White, individually, is the leader with 10.

Jalibert (13) has bounced the most kicks, with Ford (11) in second place and Dupont third with 10.

Lineout steals have been minimal and Italy’s Manuel Zuliani and Michele Lamaro are the best with two each.

Defensively, Wales’s Aaron Wainwright (9) and Freeman (9) lead the dominant contact, with France’s Charles Ollivon and Earl (7) the next best.

Wainwright, with this dominance in contact, has the most post contact metres (55), followed by Freeman and Earl with 53 each.

FRANCE ON FIRE

The French attack has been on fire but defensively the French have been as good. Lenni Noguchi and Oscar Jegou, along with Italy’s Manuel Zuliani and Lorenzo Cannone and Steyn are grouped at the top with four each in the dominant tackle category.

(Lorenzo) Cannone, with 37, has the most successful tackles. Niccolo Cannone has 35 and Jegou 34.

Scotland’s Rory Darge (6) has won the most turnovers, with Zuliani second (5) and France’s Michael Guillard and Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey on four each. Winger Attissogbe has won three turnovers.

Wingers understandably dominate the attacking catch success with Ireland’s James Lowe, Arundell, Italy’s Louis Lynagh and Bielle-Biarrey all successful with two catches.

Ramos and Ford have scored the most points and they are the two most accurate sharpshooters, with Ramos tops with 85.7 percent and Ford striking at 81.8 percent.

EVERY PLAYER AND TEAM STAT FROM THE 2026 SIX NATIONS

France are on fire, dispatching Wales with ease in Cardiff in Round 2 of the Six Nations. Scotland were the Brave and Ireland were the fortunate in Dublin. But on the evidence of two Rounds the world champions and No 1 ranked Springboks are still some way ahead of the chasing pack, which is more France than anyone else.

For those who don’t have time to scan every rugby site for Six Nations reaction, here is your summary, with the scanning brilliance of Chat and my own wrap and understanding of what unfolded.

AFRICA PICKS: DID YOU CASH IN ON YOUR SIX NATIONS BETS?

WALES v FRANCE (Cardiff) Reaction: “France are ruthless; Wales are broken”

Result context: France ran in 8 tries and hammered Wales 54–12 in Cardiff.
Six Nations official tone: “record-breaking” French performance; clinical, fast, and brutal.

The Northern Hemisphere themes (what the NH media agreed on)

1) France’s attack is now operating at “Grand Slam pace.”
The common thread: France didn’t just win – they stacked pressure, scored early, and never came down. Their execution looked title-ready, not “round-two ready.”

2) Jalibert ran the game; the French back three feasted.
Reuters singled out Matthieu Jalibert as “masterful”, with France’s shape and kicking hurting Wales repeatedly.
The Guardian focus: wings/finishers cashing in, with Théo Attissogbe front-and-centre.

3) Wales’ defensive system was the story and not in a good way.
Wales missed 31 tackles, with a 68% tackle success figure doing the rounds.
It also wasn’t lost on anyone that the crowd mood and attendance reflected a nation’s frustration.

• Six Nations official: framed France as the tournament’s most clinical force; “run riot / record-breaking” framing.

• Reuters: Jalibert masterclass; Wales defensive collapse; low attendance noted.

• The Guardian: Attissogbe-led romp; France’s young backs looked fearless; Wales outclassed.

South African view (SA Rugby Mag / SA angle)

• SA Rugby Mag (digital): blunt headline energy – “Rampant France rout woeful Wales” and the key SA takeaway: France are the only side still tracking a Grand Slam after two rounds.

• Times Live: explicitly positioned this French run as a Springbok warning shot, tying it to SA’s own demolition job in Cardiff last November.

SCOTLAND v ENGLAND (Murrayfield) Reaction: “Scotland ambushed them; England had no Plan B”

Result context: Scotland beat England 31–20 and lifted the Calcutta Cup, ending England’s long winning run.

The Northern Hemisphere themes

1) Scotland’s start won it (and England never truly recovered).
Reuters captured it cleanly: Scotland sprinted into an early lead and played with belief; England spent the match chasing field position and control.

2) Finn Russell ran the show.
Across reports: Russell was the conductor control when needed, ambition when it was on.

3) Discipline (and Arundell) became England’s headline.
The red-card narrative dominated English-facing reaction, especially tabloid coverage.

4) “Plan A stalled” became the RugbyPass verdict.
RugbyPass pushed the familiar critique: England look blunt when their first pattern doesn’t land.

• The Guardian: Scotland “stunned” England; big tries, big moments, and England’s errors/discipline issues.

• Reuters: Scotland’s recent Calcutta Cup dominance underlined; Russell masterclass; Arundell card pivotal.

• The Sun: framed it as Arundell “hero-to-zero”, Grand Slam hopes crushed on the Murrayfield hoodoo.

• Sky Sports: breakdown angle on why England unravelled (discipline, start, game control).

South African view (SA Rugby Mag)

• SA Rugby Mag: “Storming Scotland end England’s winning run” straightforward: England’s streak snapped; Scotland revived their campaign; Townsend milestone context.

• SA Rugby Mag follow-up: quotes/angle pieces include Borthwick acknowledging England “gave them too big a start.”

IRELAND v ITALY (Dublin) Reaction: “Italy proved they belong; Ireland survived”

Result context: Ireland won 20–13, but the reaction was far more about Ireland’s wobble and Italy’s growth than Irish dominance.

The Northern Hemisphere themes

1) Ireland were “unconvincing” Italy dragged them into a scrap.
That “Ireland survived” framing is consistent across live reports and match wrap language.

2) Italy’s first-half performance made the story.
Italy led at the break; a maul try and defensive bite put Ireland under heat.

3) The Italian press angle: pride + frustration (and ‘it was there’).
Italian coverage leaned into: “great Italy for a half”, match flipped after the break, and the missed chance to land a historic result.

Outlet-by-outlet snapshot (Ireland + Italy)

• Irish Times: Italy led 10–5 at half-time; Ireland turned it with second-half tries (Conan/Baloucoune) to regain control.

• The Independent (UK): headline framing: “Unconvincing Ireland overcome half-time deficit” again, the win without the glow.

• Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy): strong Italy for a half; Ireland “trembled” but won; the swing came after the break.

• RAI News (Italy): second half “capsized” what looked like an Italian day; Italy started “azzurro” but Ireland flipped it.

• Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR): official Italian union tone: “grandissima Italia” that scared Ireland; positives to take even in defeat.

• OnRugby (Italy): positioned it as the “almost” moment and a national conversation piece (reaction roundup).

FOR ALL THE LATEST PLAYER AND TEAM STATS FROM ROUND 2 OF THE SIX NATIONS

• 2026 Six Nations fixtures:
  https://www.keo.co.za/2026-six-nations-fixtures-confirmed-france-to-open-blockbuster-campaign-on-a-thursday/

• France v Ireland analysis:
  https://www.keo.co.za/how-transformed-france-tortured-inept-ireland-in-paris/

• Previous British media reaction piece:
  https://www.keo.co.za/england-hammer-wales-as-british-media-deliver-brutal-six-nations-verdict/

A message to Super Rugby Pacific. South Africa doesn’t want back into your competition. Not now. Not ever.

Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley, speaking to Martin Devlin on DSPN, dismissed the idea of South African teams ever returning.

Pressed directly, he said:

“No.”

Asked why he would not welcome South Africa back into the competition, Mesley replied:

“If you go back and look at the data, those games did not rate well. They did not attend well. They did not rate like we’re rating now. They did not attend like we are attending now.”

He added:

“I think there is a romance associated with the South African days.”

Devlin joked:

“It always is about the girlfriend who leaves, mate.”

Mesley laughed and concluded:

“Even a South African one.”

Romance?

Let’s deal in reality.

The Springboks have thrived post Super Rugby’s exit.

Since South Africa shifted north post-Covid and into the United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup, the Springboks have become the dominant force in world rugby.

• Two Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023.
• Back-to-back Rugby Championship titles in 2024 and 2025.
• Five wins in their last six Tests against the All Blacks.
• A record 43-10 demolition in Wellington.
• A 35-7 humiliation at Twickenham.

This is more a measurable dominance than it is a sentimental nostalgia.

South African clubs now play in a weekly high-intensity cross-hemisphere competition against Ireland’s provinces, French heavyweights and English power clubs. They play against Welsh, Scottish and Italian teams. The URC and Champions Cup demand travel, adaptability, and confrontation with contrasting styles.

It has hardened South African players tactically and physically.

They are preparing for Test rugby and World Cups. This is not the exhibition of Bledisloe or the basketball of Super Rugby Pacific.

The All Blacks have regressed since South Africa left Super Rugby

New Zealand’s post-Covid Test record tells a different story.

For the first time in the professional era, the All Blacks have looked physically vulnerable. They have been bullied at the collision and they have lost multiple home Tests. They have been beaten consistently by the Springboks.

The annual three-week Super Rugby tours to South Africa once conditioned New Zealand franchises for brutality. Playing the Bulls at Loftus, the Stormers in Cape Town, the Sharks in Durban, and making trips to Bloemfontein and Ellis Park were a weekend physical audit.

That audit no longer exists.

Super Rugby Pacific is now largely an internal New Zealand competition with Australian and Pacific participation. The physical edge that South African teams brought has disappeared.

Eddie Jones, speaking to Devlin, bluntly addressed the decline.

“That’s the other thing that’s changed for New Zealand Rugby; Super Rugby was the greatest influence on world rugby for a long period of time. Whatever happened in Super Rugby basically set the trend for the game.”

He continued:

“Unfortunately, Super Rugby has dropped in terms of status. We all know South Africa has left, and now it’s a competition that doesn’t have as much influence around the world.”

What Jones is articulating is the structural erosion of the competition. Super Rugby, in its original Super 12 guise, had no equal in world rugby’s club environment. Super Rugby Pacific is now an afterthought to competitions like the Investec Champions Cup, the URC, the English Prem and France’s Top 14.

Super Rugby Pacific produces strong local derbies and healthy domestic numbers, but globally, its relevance has shrunk.

The winner is almost invariably a New Zealand side, the style is about attack and little regard for the nuances of Test rugby, especially World Cup rugby, and the buzz word is entertainment, ball in play and no respect for the pressure moments that define World Cup titles.

Test rugby is not exhibition rugby.

When confronted by the Springboks’ power game or France and England’s pack-driven precision, the All Blacks have looked less conditioned for the grind.

South Africa, meanwhile, are conditioned weekly in Europe and then sharpened further in the Rugby Championship.

The Arrogance

New Zealand Rugby previously dismissed South Africa’s contribution to Super Rugby. The outgoing CEO Mark Robinson made clear that the competition would move on without South Africa before even formally informing SA Rugby leadership.

Robinson, an average All Black, has been even more mediocre as NZ Rugby CEO. His reward for cocking it up was to get a job from his Aussie mate (World Rugby Chair) and namesake Brett Robinson, as the Chief of Rugby.

Chief of Rugby? What the Chair means is a portfolio created before appointing Robinson as the CEO of World Rugby.

It is messy, but not as messy as the illusion that Super Rugby Pacific has a global appeal.

SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC CEO MESLEY MOCKS SA RUGBY

Mesley speaks of romance and laughs at the idea of a South African return. Look, he is an Aussie, so that explains a few things.

But to believe he knows rugby is a stretch, despite the purple prose on his appointment.

Super Rugby Pacific Chair Kevin Malloy said Mesley’s strong marketing background and practical skillset made him ideally suited to the Super Rugby Pacific CEO role.

“What set Jack apart from a strong pool of candidates following a thorough search was his passion for rugby, his enthusiasm and a breadth of experience in both marketing and sports,” Malloy said.

OK, if you want to believe that Kev!

These are strange times in New Zealand rugby.

An ex-All Black in Robinson rejuvenated the Springboks in kicking South Africa out of Super Rugby and an Aussie marketer has added to New Zealand’s misery with his promotion of an insular Pacific competition.

The irony in the Republic is that South Africa still respects New Zealand. It is the Test South Africans always want to experience.

The Greatest Rivalry Tour later this year is sold out, within hours of tickets going on sale.

The All Blacks remain rugby’s most recognisable brand in South Africa, and there is no smugness in the Republic when South African rugby people speak of NZ Rugby or the All Blacks. There is only respect and a varying degree of adulation.

Mesley speaks with a smirk about South African romance in Super Rugby, but the South African game has grown stronger on every front since moving north and New Zealand rugby has grown smaller without South Africa.

There is a word in South Africa for dismissive arrogance dressed up as data. There is a word for Mesley.

It starts with a P … and it isn’t Pacific.

England didn’t just hammer Wales 48-7 at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham; they reminded the visitors that they will only be good for the wooden spoon in the 2026 Six Nations.

The contest was over before kick-off but confirmed as officially over before the 20th minute when Wales trailed 10-0 and were reduced to 13 players. That score doubled to 22-0 before the 30th minute and it could have been even more damning but for England’s inaccuracy and many poor decisions when playing 15 versus 13.

The British media were ruthless in their assessment of England’s demolition of the Welsh, with the flameless Dragons offering no resistance. Their discipline collapsed, belief vanished, and England didn’t need to be spectacular to be savage.

Henry Arundell scored a hat-trick and No 10 George Ford was voted Player of the Match. Wales’ catastrophic discipline, turned a historic rivalry into a one-sided examination.

Across the UK press, the only argument was about how deep Wales’ problems run.

Planet Rugby

Planet Rugby framed the match as an England statement, focusing on clarity of attack and ruthless punishment of Welsh indiscipline. Their assessment was that England didn’t chase miracles – they simply played what was in front of them and dismantled a side repeatedly reduced by yellow cards.
🔗 https://www.planetrugby.com

RugbyPass

RugbyPass led with England “running riot”, highlighting Arundell’s finishing and Ford’s authority at No 10. The tone was decisive: Wales lost control early and never recovered, leaving England to dictate tempo, territory and scoreboard.
🔗 https://www.rugbypass.com/news/england-stars-run-riot-as-wales-dismantled-in-six-nations-opener/

BBC Sport

BBC Sport focused on England’s composure, stressing how quickly the contest slipped away once Wales started collecting yellow cards. England were praised for discipline and patience – doing nothing spectacular, but everything right.
🔗 https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union

The Guardian

The Guardian called it a resounding win, pointing out England left points on the field while Wales self-destructed. Their report linked the performance to wider Welsh instability, suggesting the problems extend well beyond 80 minutes.
🔗 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/07/england-wales-six-nations-match-report

Rugby365

Rugby365’s reaction was blunt and familiar: ill-discipline killed Wales, England simply obliged. The outcome was decided early, repeated penalties and cards ensuring no route back.
🔗 https://rugby365.com

SA Rugby Magazine

SA Rugby Mag viewed the result through a global lens – England rising, Wales regressing. Less about the score, more about trajectory, with England building momentum in winning for a 12th successive match, and Wales stuck in survival mode.
🔗 https://www.sarugbymag.co.za

Welsh response

Welsh media reaction were more sombre than angry. Discipline, fragility and a lack of physical authority were recurring themes. The concern is no longer about losing to England; it’s about how easily Wales are folding under pressure.

*Italy beat Scotland 18-15 in Saturday’s early game.

HOW THE MEDIA RATED FRANCE BEATING IRELAND 36-14

ALL THE PLAYER AND TEAM STATS FROM ROUND 1 MATCH CENTRE OF THE 2026 SIX NATIONS

AFRICA PICKS CASHED IN BY SCORING IT ENGLAND 30-35 POINTS AND BY CALLING ENGLAND TO COVER THE +26.5 HANDICAP, MEANING THEY WOULD WIN BY 27 OR MORE POINTS

France changed players, approach and tactics to torture Ireland 36-14 in Paris in the Six Nations. We look at the difference between 2026 win and the 2025 win by France against Ireland in Dublin.

Six Nations 2025 – Dublin

Ireland 27 France 42

Six Nations 2026 – Paris

France 36 Ireland 14

Here’s what France did differently.

1) 2026: France dominated the match. 2025: France stole it with efficiency.

Dublin 2025: Ireland had 58% possession and 53% territory, and France still won by 15. France were happy to defend for long stretches (they made 187 tackles) and then punish Ireland when the game fractured.

Paris 2026: France flipped that script. They had 55% possession and 59% territory and played the game mostly in Ireland’s half. That’s not “clinical counterpunching”. That’s control.

The tell: France ran for 588 metres in 2026 vs Ireland’s 385. In 2025 it was basically even (474 vs 477). France went from “equal metres, better strike-rate” to “more ball, more territory, more metres, more everything.”

2) 2026: France carved Ireland open. 2025: France finished better than Ireland.

Clean breaks

• 2025: France 7 clean breaks, Ireland 5 (tight margin).

• 2026: France 19 clean breaks, Ireland 5 (a gulf).

That’s the difference between a game you win and a team you hurt.

3) 2026: France’s pressure forced Irish errors at scale.

Ireland’s “handling under heat” fell apart in Paris:

• 2026 turnover knock-ons: Ireland 11, France 6

• 2025 turnover knock-ons: Ireland 7, France 3

France didn’t just wait for mistakes in 2026. They manufactured them with territory, line-speed, and contestable moments.

4) 2026: Ireland couldn’t tackle France. In 2025 they couldn’t stop France finishing.

• 2025 missed tackles: Ireland 23 (France 16)

• 2026 missed tackles: Ireland 42 (France 21)

That’s not “a few soft shoulders”. That’s structural stress: repeated breaks, repeated reloads, repeated one-on-ones lost.

5) 2026: France won the first hour. 2025: France won the key moments (and the second-half surge).

In Paris, Ireland were 29–0 down before they got going. France had already cashed the bonus point and then eased.

In Dublin, France’s big statement was the second-half blitz, after losing Antoine Dupont early (he went off around the half-hour and later it was confirmed as a cruciate injury).

So:

• 2025: a win built on resilience + clinical finishing after disruption.

• 2026: a win built on front-foot brutality + sustained dominance.

6) The halfback axis changed – and so did the type of threat.

In 2026, with Ntamack out, Jalibert started and had a direct hand in multiple tries, while Dupont called their connection “very positive.”

That matters tactically: Jalibert tends to play flatter and more visibly, and France’s attack in 2026 looked like a team choosing to rip you open in-phase, not just punish you when you overplay.

The simplest summary

Dublin 2025: France were ruthless in chaos – even while defending for long spells.
Paris 2026: France were ruthless in control – more territory, more breaks, more metres, and Ireland cracked.

This is where the regression is most obvious – and most damaging.

FIERY FRENCH APPLAUDED 

1) Physical dominance at the contact point

Ireland’s biggest slide is brutally simple: they are no longer winning collisions consistently.

Against France in Paris, Ireland were regularly knocked backwards in contact, which killed their ability to play fast, accurate phase rugby. Once that happens, everything else collapses – tempo, shape, decision-making.

A season earlier in Dublin, Ireland could still absorb France’s power and recycle quickly. In 2026, France dictated the gainline on both sides of the ball and Ireland were playing from behind bodies instead of on top of them.

This is the clearest regression because Ireland’s entire system is built on fast ruck ball. Take that away and the system has no oxygen.

2) Defensive resilience under sustained pressure

Ireland used to bend without breaking. They now bend, fracture, and then leak tries.

The missed-tackle spike in Paris wasn’t about effort – it was about:

• repeated reloads

• fatigued edge defenders

• centres and back-three players making late, reactive reads

In Dublin 2025, Ireland could survive France’s big moments and reset. In Paris 2026, once France scored early, Ireland never regained defensive authority. The scoreline at halftime wasn’t a fluke it was the logical outcome of structural stress.

3) Attacking clarity without Johnny Sexton

This is not about nostalgia – it’s about control.

Ireland have regressed in:

• in-game management

• territory selection

• when to slow down a match

In Paris, Ireland chased the game far too early, forcing passes under pressure instead of building pressure. Sexton’s absence isn’t about individual brilliance – it’s about knowing when not to play.

Ireland still have quality decision-makers, but they don’t yet have a single, dominant conductor who can steady the ship when momentum is gone.

4) Backline punch against elite defences

Ireland’s backs no longer frighten top-tier defences the way they did in 2022–2024.

Against France:

• line breaks were rare

• defenders were not fixed

• edge space was never clean

France could defend honestly and aggressively, without having to overfold or gamble. That is a massive red flag.

A year ago, Ireland could create indecision. In Paris, France defended with certainty.

5) Psychological authority

This is subtle – but it matters.

Ireland used to walk onto the field believing they could impose themselves on anyone. In Paris, once France landed early blows, Ireland looked like a team hoping the storm would pass rather than one capable of changing the weather.

The best Ireland sides of recent years could absorb momentum swings and reassert control. This version struggled to do either.

The uncomfortable truth

Ireland haven’t fallen off a cliff – but they have slipped off a plateau.

They are no longer physically dominant, tactically inevitable, or psychologically imposing against the very best.

FRANCE 36 IRELAND 14: EVERY PLAYER AND TEAM STAT 

AFRICA PICKS: YOUR BEST MONEY-MAKING SIX NATIONS BETS

*CHAT supported 

Conviction in the performance, but caution in the storytelling summarised the French media reaction to their brutal 36-14 Six Nations win against Ireland Paris. For the Irish, it was a case of alarm bells ringing.

France had destroyed the Irish in Dublin 42-27 a season ago having led 42-15 with 10 minutes to play. Two late tries added some comfort for Irish supporters. Then came the defeat to the All Blacks in Chicago and the humiliation against the Springboks in Dublin.

Paris was equally damning for Ireland as they were steamrolled.

France led 22 nil at half time and 29 nil after 57 minutes.

Two Irish tries between the 60th and 65th minutes offered more caution to France than hope to Ireland and the hosts finished the final five minutes attacking the Irish try line before crossing for their fifth try.

France are the bookies’ favourites to defend the Six Nations title won last season.

I asked my mate at ChatGPT to do a round up of how the Irish and French Rugby Media reacted to the match.

The Irish Times

Tone: bruised realism.
Summary: framed it as a throwback “Parisian beating” and a reminder of “bad old days” patterns, with Ireland blown away early and left trying to salvage dignity late.

Irish Independent

Tone: alarm bells, big-picture worry.
Summary: leaned into “new reality” language: Ireland didn’t lose a classic, they lost a mismatch, and the margin could have been uglier without the late rally.

Irish Examiner

Tone: sharp critique of Ireland, plus the French pace-setter angle.
Summary: sold it as France starting and finishing with a flourish while Ireland were “abject” for too long; a fast French start “filleted” Ireland before the game ever became a contest.

The Times

Tone: statement win, title warning shot.
Summary: framed it as France sending a message to the championship, with the emphasis on the bonus-point dominance, the early avalanche to 29–0, and Ireland being outmuscled and out-thought until the contest was gone.

L’Équipe (“Le Quippe”)

Tone: controlled praise with a small caution.
Summary: credited a brilliant, accurate French first-half and “seductive” spell, then noted France were less sovereign after the break when they conceded two tries that slightly stained the overall polish.

Rugbyrama

Tone: France’s tempo and discipline as the headline.
Summary: stressed how France’s pace exhausted Ireland, how clean the first-half was (discipline/accuracy), then pointed out Ireland only found daylight when France dropped intensity after building the lead.

SA Rugby Magazine

Tone: acknowledgement of quality and statement intent.
SA RugbyMag’s headlines framed the result as France making a statement in their Six Nations title defence, highlighting coach Fabien Galthié’s praise of France’s attacking display in Paris. The emphasis was on the dominance and intent shown by the defending champions rather than harsh analysis of Ireland’s shortcomings.

Rugby365

Tone: bold and definitive.
Rugby365 was unequivocal: France “made a statement” in this opener, labelling the performance a demolition job on one of the Six Nations’ traditional heavyweights. Their report leaned into the idea that France weren’t just winning they were announcing their intentions for the tournament from the first whistle.

Planet Rugby (South African audience perspective)

Tone: tactical and analytical.
Planet Rugby’s reaction, widely read by South African fans, focused on key takeaways from the match: France’s first-half masterclass, sharp player ratings (with Sam Prendergast singled out as struggling for Ireland), and how the French backs and playmakers ran the Irish defence ragged. They combined phrase-by-phrase insights with ratings and analytic angles rather than pure storytelling.

Overall SA reaction themes

South African rugby media weren’t interested in gentle language and they saw France’s dominance as clear and meaningful:

• Statement performance: France announcing themselves as early title favourites.

• Clinical attacking rugby: emphasis on the French backs and strategic intensity that pushed Ireland on the back foot.

• Confirmation of expectations: the result was consistent with pre-match previews and broader Six Nations narratives.

AFRICA PICKS: WHAT TOTAL POINTS WON YOU IN CASH

KEO & ZELS CALLED A DOUBLE DIGITS FRANCE WIN

Antoine Dupont is the flex in a fantastic French match 23 that will be too powerful for Ireland in Paris in the Six Nations season opener.

Dupont alters the physics of the contest, and he adds an extra layer of muscle, authority and inevitability to a side already designed to win Test matches through force. His long injury absence is irrelevant now. What matters is what he brings back with him, and that is control, collision dominance and an edge.

Dupont is the best scrumhalf in the world and he he is the national team’s talisman.

But it is up front where all the work will be done for Dupont to play conductor. France’s selection confirm intent and physicality. It is a pack chosen for confrontation.

Jean-Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand and Dorian Aldegheri are a front row built to scrum, carry and squeeze the life out of opponents, while locks Charles Ollivon and Mickaël Guillard bring physical presence, aerial dominance and edge in the tight exchanges. The back row of François Cros, Oscar Jegou and Anthony Jelonch are physically relentless and they feed off collisions.

This is a French pack that creates the tempo and then Dupont determines the range of this tempo.

Ireland’s pack has peaked and France coach Fabian Galthie would have studied their capitulation to world champions South Africa in Dublin last November. The Boks destroyed Ireland in the scrums and the collisions.

Props Thomas Clarkson and Jeremy Loughman face an enormous examination against Gros and Aldegheri, and if Ireland concede scrum dominance, their entire game model collapses because it is built on control, rhythm and precision rather than chaos.

The French halfback pairing only amplifies that threat. Matthieu Jalibert plays flatter and faster than the Ireland flyhalves of recent seasons, and Dupont’s presence ensures defenders are constantly torn between folding around the ruck or drifting early, a dilemma that France exploit ruthlessly.

Ireland’s continued struggle to replace the authority and game management of Johnny Sexton remains an issue. Sam Prendergast is a talent, but opening a Six Nations campaign in Paris against this French pack is a brutal assignment, and he will be targeted physically and mentally.

ALL THE 2026 SIX NATIONS FIXTURES

The Irish backline, stripped of key personnel, looks noticeably less imposing as a unit. Without Hugo Keenan at fullback, without the aerial pressure and edge of Mack Hansen and James Lowe on the wings, and without the direct power of Bundee Aki at inside centre, Ireland lack the punch that previously allowed them to play beyond the gain line.

France, by contrast, look balanced and settled, with Thomas Ramos offering control and goal-kicking, Louis Bielle-Biarrey providing genuine pace, and Jalibert bringing attacking ambition, supported by centres and wings comfortable in a collision-heavy Test.

Add the significance of the Stade de France on opening night, where French energy multiplies and visiting teams feel pressure accumulate with every lost carry and every retreating scrum, and the advantage tilts decisively towards the hosts. When France dominate the gain line and Dupont starts probing around fatigued forwards, Ireland will be forced to chase a game they are no longer structurally equipped to chase.

This is not about flair or reputation, it is about force, physical authority and control, and France hold the upper hand in the pack, at scrumhalf, off the bench and in the stands.

Just as they did in last season’s match-up in Dublin, which they won comfortably 42-27, having led 42-15 with five minutes to play.

AFRICA PICKS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR YOUR FRANCE V IRELAND BETTING

My call: France 33 Ireland 22.

DuPont on Jalibert’s influence 

Give JP Pietersen the Sharks job and let him get on with it. He is not an interim measure. In the past fortnight he has done the double on the Stormers, and done it emphatically.

Pietersen, a presence of power and precision on the right wing in the Springboks 2007 Rugby World Cup title win in France, was given the Sharks head coaching job six weeks ago.

In that period, his team, so subdued and absent in the Investec Champions Cup and first eight rounds of the URC, have won four from five matches in all competitions. They have beaten Saracens in Durban in the Investec Champions Cup, hammered a makeshift Clermont and done the double over a Stormers team in the URC that had not lost in the league in eight matches.

Pietersen’s Sharks won 30-19 in Cape Town a week ago, having led 30-12 until the final minute, and in Durban a week later the 36-24 win was as emphatic.

The Stormers, pre the Sharks double header, were lauded for their attack and defensive structures. But they were outscored nine tries to five over 160 minutes, dominated in most facets, physically second to the Sharks in the moments that mattered and in the close exchanges, outthought, outplayed and out passioned.

In Cape Town too many suggested the Stormers were done a dirty by the referee. Already I am seeing a similar narrative on social media. Regardless, of the critique of match officials the Sharks won and the Stormers lost because over two Saturdays the Sharks were the better team, in game management, and in execution.

Pietersen has transformed the attitude of the squad. It is as much a compliment to the World Cup-winning wing, as it is an indictment on the situation under John Plumtree. These are the same players, but they look like two very different teams, coached by two very different individuals.

Pietersen’s decision to appoint Andre Esterhuizen as his captain, on the player’s 100th match, has proved inspirational. Esterhuizen has led and those around him have followed.

Individuals, so good for the Springboks, have played with the same intent and authority for the Sharks in the past fortnight,

Springboks, in the Sharks line-up, have played like current Springboks. The opposite has been true of the Stormers, who have looked fatigued, flat, confused in game plan, and in desperate need of a fortnight away from the game.

The Stormers have earned the right to drop a game or two because of a stunning eight successive wins in the league, but the nature of the back-to-back defeats can’t be ignored, which is disappointing.

The ill-discipline of Cape Town’s defeat continued in Durban. Two yellow cards in Cape Town and two in Durban. Repeated infringements, an inability to defend the Sharks line out maul, second in the collisions and second in most things.

The Stormers started the derby double header unbeaten and in 1st place. The Sharks were two wins from eight and in 14th. You would never have guessed that watching the 160 minutes.

There can be no argument from Stormers supporters. The Sharks did them, in the coaching game of chess, and on the field where the chess masters are the players.

Esterhuizen was supreme, Ethan Hooker was as strong, young Jaco Williams on the wing played like he had been there for a decade and No 9s Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse combined for the perfect package over 80 minutes. Williams plays with tempo and Hendrikse, when switched on, plays with poise.

The aerial battle was one-sided, in Cape Town and in Durban. This was a strength of the Stormers early season, but they couldn’t catch a high ball, even when gift wrapped with sticky gloves. The Sharks, in kick and chase, were superb.

The Sharks played like a team knowing every limitation and every strength. The Stormers continued to play like a team convinced they only have strengths.

Piestersen’s perspective has been refreshing, both in Cape Town and in Durban.

There has been a realism about him and his Sharks in the past fortnight and crazily there has been more romance than realism from a team that a month ago had not lost a game in any competition.

The Sharks head into the February break with one defeat from their last four matches, and the Stormers put their heads to a pillow with one win in their last four matches.

It makes for the most intriguing of returns in the latter part of February, when the URC resumes.

DOBBO AND SACHA RUE ILL-DISCIPLINE 

ALL THE TEAMS AND MATCH-UPS FROM URC ROUND 11

These are Johann Ackerman’s Bulls. Strong, physical, brave, enthusiastic, desperate and rugby intelligent.  The Bulls who demolished the Lions 52-17 at Ellis Park in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship are the Bulls that have taken 14 matches in all competitions to confirm their 2025/26 season’s arrival.

The Bulls were so different, in every positive way, to the team playing a month ago.

They lost seven in a row in all competitions and were conceding on average 40 points a match and four-tries before half-time.

At Ellis Park, they kept the Lions scoreless for 40 minutes, conceded a try in the 45th minute and then coughed up one after the final whistle. In between they scored eight tries and dominated every facet.

They were very good in winning their third successive match on the road, in three different countries, after the horror run of seven defeats on the trot.

Ackerman once coached the Lions. They made two successive Super Rugby finals, hosting the Crusaders in the first one. He turned the Lions from a circus act into a national geographic documentary on why Lions should be respected.

It has taken two months longer than most thought, but now he is righting the wrongs of a Bulls team whose performances were a betrayal to the club’s history.

On Saturday, in the toughest of environments, a South African northern derby, the Bulls sent a message to every team in the league and to Glasgow, who they play in Glasgow in the Investec Champions Cup last 16 in April, that something has changed.

The bully boys in blue are back. Gone are the try-conceding fans of a freebie.

This is what Johan Ackermann has changed, as reflected in the post match reporting in South Africa.

1) The set-piece stopped being “a phase” and became a weapon

The Bulls earned the right to play, and it was not the Instagram version. This was real: scrum, lineout, maul threat, and then the carry pattern that forces defenders to make choices they don’t want to make. The tries were from repeat pressure and the Lions folding.

2) Discipline = possession that actually means something

“70% possession” is a dead stat if you hand it back with penalties, cheap turnovers and panic decisions. The Bulls didn’t. They played in the right areas early, squeezed the Lions, and were already out of sight at 26-3 at half-time. That’s control.

3) Defensive desire: no freebies and no soft shoulders

This was a Bulls attitude day more than a carnival all out attack day. This was 50 points scored because the pillars were bricks and not a hope for dodging quick sand areas at Ellis Park. The Bulls’ defensive work-rate and collision presence killed any Lions second half comeback prospects.

4) Carry, carry, carry… then strikes

This is the most important part: the Bulls’ attack looked better because the forwards made it simpler for everyone else. Hard carries, post-contact wins, and forward pods doing honest work so the backs don’t have to manufacture miracles from standing starts 20 metres beyond the gain line. This had Ackerman’s paw prints all over it.

5) Handre Pollard ran the game like a double World Cup winner

Pollard has been more accurate in games, but he played with presence and authority. With a functioning pack, led by a back three of Marcell Coetzee, Elrigh Louw and Jeandre Rudolph, Pollard played with the comfort of front foot ball and, outside of him, inside centre Harold Vorster looked like a teenager in his impact and enthusiasm.

WATCH: Keo and Zels on the Lions v Bulls

Scorers

Lions 17

• Tries: Morne van den Berg, Bronson Mills

• Conversions: Chris Smith (2)

• Penalty: Chris Smith

Bulls 52

• Tries: Harold Vorster (2), Johan Grobbelaar, Handré Pollard, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Embrose Papier, Mpilo Gumede, Keagan Johannes

• Conversions: Pollard (5), Johannes

AKKERS ON THE BULLS WIN 

The Sharks host the Stormers in one of two South African URC derbies to end the first half of the league season. The Lions are at home to the Bulls in the northern derby. Here’s everything you need to know for the weekend’s Round 11 showdowns.

The South African teams have all chosen the best available squads in the last Saturday of the month and the last Saturday of URC action until the league resumes in the last weekend of February.

The Six Nations takes priority in February, with the first three rounds played before the URC starts up again for the last eight league matches and the play-offs.

The Stormers, beaten for the first time in the league last Saturday, get the chance of redemption in Durban. It was the Sharks who beat them in Cape Town. The same is true of the Lions and Bulls derby. The Lions earlier in the league, won at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

Several of the Northern Hemisphere clubs are severely understrength for Round 11, as the leading current internationals have been in camp with their respective national teams preparing for next weekend’s Six Nations opening round.

It makes for a punter’s nightmare in these matches because the form guide is not a measurement with so many frontline players missing.

WATCH: KEO & ZELS ON SHARKS, STORMERS, LIONS & BULLS

AFRICA PICKS RUGBY: Keo calls the South African derbies 

Andre the Giant brought his own storm to Cape Town on the most perfect of January summer evenings. The Stormers mantra is to make Cape Town smile but all they did was make Cape Town cry as Esterhuizen owned the hosts in a complete performance.

Esterhuizen, at inside centre, scored the try-scoring bonus point which finished off the home team in the 72nd minute.

The Sharks beat the Stormers 30–19 at a sold-out DHL Stadium and there was nothing accidental about it. From the first kick-off they were ahead on the scoreboard, ahead in intent and ahead in appetite. They scored inside four minutes and they were never behind.

This was a win built on desire, discipline and leadership and Esterhuizen, the captain at inside centre, embodied all three.

The Stormers imploded from he kick-off when they dropped the ball and within two minutes they’d made three errors, conceded a penalty and within five minutes they trailed by seven points.

It never got better as they shunned any hint of a team effort and individuals chased a glory moment to transform a match they had served to the Sharks on a silver platter.

The Sharks didn’t overplay. They didn’t chase magic. They trusted their systems and trusted each other. Their early try came from pressure and accuracy and not invention. Lineout five metres from the Stormers try line. Five points.

The Stormers had five such opportunities in the 81 minutes, lost three to contesting and two to skew throws.

It was a shocker from the hosts.

Not so Esterhuizen. He was immense. He did not dabble with speculation or theatrics. He was just relentless.
He was strong over the gain line, brutal in the tackle, smart with ball in hand, calm with ball at foot and lethal when striking.

He led and the rest of his players followed.

There was a moment that defined him and the match. Leolin Zas broke clear on the counter. The crowd rose. The Stormers needed something. Esterhuizen hunted him down from inside centre and smashed him into touch. No celebration. Back to work. That was the difference between the teams. The visitors were desperate and the hosts were dazed.

The Sharks won the breakdown battle and they defended with numbers and purpose. They kicked with intent. They didn’t gift territory. When the Stormers made mistakes, the Sharks punished them.

At halftime it was 17–12, and that felt generous to the home side.

The Stormers were frantic. They chased the game instead of managing it. Five line-outs lost in attacking positions. Two yellow cards. Passes forced that didn’t need to be thrown. Kicks played because panic demanded it, not because space existed.

The Sharks stayed composed. They trusted their leaders.

When Ox Nche came on, the tone hardened at the set piece. He dominated his side of the scrum and added another layer of control. The Sharks played like a side that knew exactly what was required and exactly how to deliver it.

The bonus-point try in the final quarter made it 30–12 and ended the contest. The late Stormers score changed nothing.

This wasn’t about league positions. It wasn’t about form tables. It was about attitude. One team arrived ready to fight for every inch. The other looked surprised that a fight had started.

Stormers:
Tries: Willemse 2, Penalty Try
Con: Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Sharks:
Tries: Jenkins, Williams, Buthelezi, Esterhuizen
Cons: Jordan Hendrikse 2
Pens: Jordan Hendrikse 2

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (captain), 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ruben van Heerden, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Jurie Matthee.

Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen (captain), 11 Jaco Williams, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Nick Hatton, 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Jurenzo Julius.

Johan Grobbelaar was pure gold in a precious Bulls URC win. Lions captain Francke Horn was on fire in the 24-all draw against Ospreys.

The Bulls did not win pretty in Edinburgh, but they won properly, with defensive grunt again the take away from a desperate finish. The Lions, having drawn 20-all against Perpignan in the EPCR Challenge Cup a week ago, drew again in Bridgend, Wales.

Handre Pollard’s second conversion proved the decisive scoreline differential for the Bulls and the biggest positive is that Pollard, back at the Bulls from Leicester’s Tigers, started and completed both Bulls matches in against Pau and Edinburgh respectively.

The Bulls are now two from two in all competitions, having snapped a seven-match losing streak. They also ended a four match losing sequence in the URC.

Friday night matches in the United Rugby Championship in the north in late January is not about shape and style but about never, accuracy, honesty in defence, desire to make a tackle and intelligence in worshipping the advantage of field position.

The rain is a leveller and the cold adds to so many of these match-ups being decided by one score.

The Bulls win was a team effort, but hooker Johan Grobberlaar was the stand out in this collective.

Grobberlaar maximised his playing opportunities against Italy and Wales on the Boks northern tour last November, and he is the one Springbok in the Bulls set-up who has played with the authority of a Test player.

Grobbelaar played the full 80 minutes. At hooker. In Edinburgh. And was deservedly named Player of the Match. His numbers tell the story: 43 attacking metres, 15 carries, 13 tackles.

Grobbelaar scored the Bulls’ first try, but his real value was in work rate and accuracy. He carried into traffic. He made his tackles. He hit his throws. There was no fuss.

The Bulls trailed at half-time and never looked comfortable, but they never panicked. They stayed direct, backed their pack and trusted that Edinburgh would blink first. That moment came after the break when the Bulls’ substitutes started making the right kind of noise.

The Bulls Springboks flanker Marco van Staden’s impact was immediate and decisive.

He brought urgency, physicality and intent. His try shifted momentum and his work around the ruck lifted the Bulls when the game was still in the balance. Van Staden doesn’t need long minutes to influence matches. He needs moments, and he made them count.

WATCH: KEO & ZELS ON THE BULLS & LIONS

This win matters for the Bulls.

The URC table is unforgiving and away wins are gold. The Bulls needed one.

The Lions didn’t get a win, but they didn’t lose either – and they took three league points from Bridgend.

A draw away to Ospreys keeps the Lions in the fight and showed again that this group competes, even when the margins are thin. They were good in patches, vulnerable in others, but never folded.

Captain Francke Horn led from the front. He scored early, worked tirelessly and set the tone defensively. On a wet night when control was hard to come by, Horn provided it through effort and presence.

The Lions remain vulnerable in their inability to close matches they should be winning, but they have shown character and desire to stay in the fight until the final whistle. They scrap for everything, and that is something that can’t be coached.

SA Rugby Mag match reviews on Bulls and Lions

All the latest from the URC’s ROUND 10

Bulls 19 Edinburg 17

Ospreys 24 Lions 24