Give That Man-ie a Bells!

Man, how good was Saturday’s test between the mighty Springboks and the razor-sharp All Blacks! Even if it turned out to be a draw, I would’ve still called this one of the greatest tests of all time, along with SA vs France in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, when Antoine Dupont’s French side almost caused an upset! Thanks to that famous charge down of Kolbe on Thomas Ramos’ conversion kick, the Men in Green and Gold survived another match and went on to win the RWC!

Can the Boks do it 3 times in a row next year when they play in the World Cup in Australia? I certainly think so! The impact of Manie Libbok, amongst a few other players, was monumental in Saturday’s clash at Soweto! He brings a unique sense of calm and control to the backline, and his passing and decision-making galvanize an already star-studded mix of pacey wingers, hard-running midfielders, and skillful backs. Sacha Feinberg Ngomezulu is a serious talent, but is he ready to steer the ship for SA in 2027? Perhaps in the less important matches, but his ability to create something from nothing is undeniable. He has a serious X factor, does Sacha.

That mid-field bust from Jasper Wiese in the second half, the pass to Ox Nche, who had to juggle the ball below his waist to gain control and flip it on to a jinking and jiving Manie Libbok, must surely qualify as one of the best tries never scored! Poor Libbok just didn’t have the gas to make it all the way to the try line, but he didn’t need to, as the Boks powered over moments later by literally disintegrating the All Blacks pack in a scrum, which was a thing of beauty!

Libbok possesses a type of skill set which sparks the flame of Springbok running Rugby, and every time we see him distribute the ball to the wider channels, things start to happen, and other teams can’t contain us! I rate him very highly, and so too the youngsters on the wing, Ethan Hooker! He was a worthy Man of the match, displaying an unmatched work rate around the park, tackling, rucking, popping up everywhere, and always there to save the day or catch a high ball or contest. He has to be our best winger right now, given his overall contribution to the game!

I predict a tasty 4th test between these 2 teams in Baltimore, US! My prediction is a much more free-flowing Rugby match than the previous 3, with both Rassie and Dave Rennie experimenting with new players and new combinations. I predict a try fest in which the Boks will once again reign supreme, and a score of 38- 27 to the Springboks. Will we see explosive New Zealand runner Tawatawanawai in the backline for the ABs, and a Rieko Ioane on the wing? Or how about Manie Libbok and Morne vd Bergh starting, with Cam Hanekom at 6 and Esterhuizen combining with Jesse in the midfield? What a series this has been, and hats off to an incredibly competitive, insanely skillful All Blacks team, who almost ran SA off their feet in the first 30 minutes of the last match! I was out of breath just watching it! Simply sensational!

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