Reaction

SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said on Monday he was comfortable with the Springboks’ log position after wrapping up their group phase of the Rugby World Cup with a 49-18 victory over Tonga on Sunday, to put them at the top of Pool B.

Team announcement

Junior Springbok Women head coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt has appointed Western Province No 8 Beyonce du Plessis as captain for their international friendly against Zimbabwe in East London on Tuesday, with Bulls Daisies centre Shiniqwa Lamprecht serving as her deputy.

News

Lukhanyo Am, a member of the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup winning team, has been called into the 2023 squad as an injury replacement for wing Makazole Mapimpi who suffered a fractured cheekbone in Sunday’s 49-18 victory over Tonga.

Interview

The Springbok Women are keen to eliminate mistakes from their matches in recent weeks when they face Samoa in their final warm-up Test before the start of WXV in Hermanus on Saturday.

Match report

The Springboks all but guaranteed their place in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals – barring a mathematical miracle for Scotland – by edging their way to a 49-18 victory (halftime 21-8) over a feisty Tonga on a balmy evening at the Stade de Marseille on Sunday.