A round up of what some of South Africa’s leading Sunday papers are saying, including an update on the Springboks squad to face Argentina.
The backpage in Rapport focuses on the Springboks’ final Rugby Championship fixture against Argentina in Salta next Saturday. The Boks have the opportunity to claim their first title since 2009 should they win with a bonus-point, depending on what happens earlier between the All Blacks and Wallabies in Perth. According to writers Brenden Nel and Simnikiwe Xabanisa, Bok No 8 Duane Vermeulen will lead a strong lineup that will include Beast Mtawarira and Trevor Nyakane as the starting props.
Staying in Rapport, the newspaper reports that Bok flank Pieter-Steph du Toit is being targeted as a potential signing by the Bulls. Nel writes that the Bulls have already put together an enticing offer for Du Toit. However, it would be a difficult decision for the 26-year-old to leave the Stormers, as he would be far from the family farm in the Swartland.
In the Sunday Times, writer Liam del Carme spoke to Cheetahs scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, who recently returned to the union after spending the last nine years abroad with Ulster and Montpellier. The 35-year-old, who made his first Currie Cup appearance for the side in their loss to the Lions on Friday, spoke about his ambitions with the Bloemfontein side. ‘I thought about finishing up there [in France],’ Pienaar said. ‘It wasn’t an easy decision to make. It will certainly be the last two seasons for me.’
