Siyabonga Ntshingila

I suppose it’s best to start this with the current burning issue. The Lions. Let’s leave aside for one second the issue of who is slated to replace them. I personally couldn’t care less if the SWD Arende u/19s were the ones being touted as the Lions replacement. The fact is, the Lions have hardly […]

So a Springbok coach named a contentious squad and there are rumblings over his choice of captain? Now where have we heard that before? To get the obvious out of the way, the Stormers trio of Aplon, Kolisi and De Jongh can consider themselves unlucky. Massively so in fact, but you know what, that happens […]

So the PSL season is set to close with another bum-clencher of a finale. The defending champions, Orlando Pirates, enjoying something of an Indian summer when it comes to trophies recently, are set to put their fans (this writer included) through the emotional shredder once more as they go up against their oldest rival Moroka […]

So much for that long, slow rebuilding period, eh? Having lost a number of Bok legends and the durable Danie Rosssouw, no one expected the Bulls to do more than compete this year. But someone clearly forgot to tell that to the (relatively) young guns left behind to build the next blue-clad dynasty. From 1-22 […]

Well that’s a pretty disappointing start, isn’t it? A moment of magic sparked by Paul Jordaan in the 72nd minute of that dull arm wrestle in Tshwane. And that’s pretty much it as far as bothering the tryline has gone for the Sharks in 2012. Its been pretty moribund stuff really. Not poor, but certainly […]

Now let me start by saying that I don’t really believe JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana are done as wingers for the Bokke. But if the experiments with them at outside centre prove successful, and there is no reason to believe they won’t, we could get to the international part of the season with a […]

The Cheetahs were the 2nd highest points scorers in Super Rugby last year. Only the All Black-laden Crusaders scored more. However, the flip side of the coin is that, along with the Brumbies, they were tied for third most points conceded, beaten only by the newcomers Rebels and the spirited but defensively shambolic Lions. They […]

Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s devastating form against the Bangladeshis should, hopefully, have made the selectors sit up and take note. Having been consigned to the role of drinks boy for most of the group stages, Tsotsobe reminded all and sundry why he was even on the trip to India to begin with. Which now leaves the selectors […]

President Jacob Zuma must be feeling pretty miffed right about now. I certainly would be if I was in his place. Even accepting — as our legal system has and we certainly must respect their decision not to proceed — that the president was not in any way involved in corrupt activities with Schabir Shaik, […]

Arsenal have had a topsy-turvy time of it since their calamity against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final a fortnight ago. Victory against Leyton Orient seemed set to get them back to winning ways but a draw against Sunderland, with referee Anthony Taylor playing no small part in that, and defeat at the hands of […]

Maybe Jermain Defoe has a future as a soothsayer. Just months after the often misfiring Tottenham Hotspur finisher was derided for saying Harry Redknapp’s side could do better than illustrious rivals Arsenal on the club game’s biggest stage, he has been proven right. Of course this had as much to do with the incompetence of […]

Firstly, before Arsenal throw their toys out the cot blaming ref Massimo Busacca, they must remember they had 90 minutes in which all they needed to do was match Barca goal for goal on an aggregate basis. That is all. Teams often come to the Nou Camp with greater tasks than theirs. They must remember […]