Fired up South Africa name unchanged 23 man squad for England Test

over 2 years in The guardian

Handré Pollard and Cobus Reinach to start at TwickenhamJacques Nienaber seeks tour clean sweep after awards snubSouth Africans rarely need an excuse to feel aggrieved. This is especially true for the country’s most successful sports team. The Springboks’ World Cup wins in 1995, 2007 and 2019, as well as the series triumph over the British & Irish Lions this year, may have been built on a foundation of powerful forwards and a strong kicking game but they were fuelled by a desire to prove people wrong – to make real a blurred image of unity, to assuage a pervasive sense of national insecurity.World Rugby provided grist to the mill this week. The game’s governing body released the shortlist for its annual awards and, despite South Africa sitting at the summit of its rankings, failed to put forward Jacques Nienaber or any Springbok for the men’s coach or player of the year. Continue reading...

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