Katlego Sekhu

The anticipation for the Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand has reached an all-time high. However, the decision to have a 7-1 bench for the match has caused a bit of disappointment among some key players of South Africa’s 2023 campaign. Nevertheless, Captain Siya Kolisi assures us that there are no grudges held within the Springbok camp.
The team discussed the squad and the team’s strategy. Listeners also shared their well wishes for the team.
In other rugby news, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, Eben Etzebeth, and flyhalf Manie Libbok are among a top-class list of nominees for the 2023 World Rugby Awards, which will be presented at the Opéra Garnier in Paris on Sunday, October 29, a day after Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France.
Nienaber is in line for the World Rugby Coach of the Year award, while Etzebeth and Libbok have been nominated in the categories of World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year and World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, respectively. Etzebeth was also selected for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team.
Nienaber, who took up the role as Springbok head coach in 2020 after serving as an assistant coach to Rassie Erasmus, who switched roles from Bok head coach to SA Rugby Director of Rugby after the team’s triumphant 2019 RWC campaign in Japan, will go up against Ian Foster (New Zealand), Andy Farrell (Ireland), and Simon Raiwalui (Fiji) for the world’s most prestigious coaching award.
Etzebeth, who is currently the third most capped Springbok player of all time with 118 Test caps, has been nominated for the Player of the Year award alongside Bundee Aki (Ireland center), Antoine Dupont (France scrumhalf and captain), and Ardie Savea (New Zealand loose forward).
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