Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 22 November 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We kick off with rugby: Former Springbok and respected coach Johan Ackermann had been confirmed as new coaching consultant for the Junior Springboks. The 54-year-old returns to South Africa after seven years abroad, where he coached Gloucester in England and two Japanese teams. He left the country in 2018 after leading the Lions to three consecutive Super Rugby finals. He was previously also coach of the SA A team. SA Rugby describes Ackermann’s return as fantastic for South African rugby and believes he will be a great mentor.

More rugby news: Veterans Sam Cane and TJ Perenara will play their final Test for the All Blacks against Italy in Lanucia tomorrow night. Cane, a former captain who played 103 Tests for New Zealand, will wear the number seven jersey, and scrumhalf Perenara will earn his 89th cap from the bench. Both will play club rugby in Japan from next year, making them ineligible for the national team. Head coach Scott Robertson made five changes to the team that lost narrowly to France in Paris last weekend.

# Golf: Wynand Dingle and Stals Swart opened with a seven-under-par 65 to share the first-round lead in the South African PGA Championship at St Francis Links in the Eastern Cape. They are two strokes clear of their nearest challengers, Estiaan Conradie, Heinrich Bruiners and JJ Senekal. Three-time winner Jaco van Zyl opened with a round of four-under-par 68. He is aiming to join Harold Henning as the only other player to win South Africa’s second-oldest professional tournament four times.

# Tennis: Defending champions Italy beat Argentina two-one to make the Davis Cup semifinal in Málaga, Spain. The Italians dropped the opening singles match when Lorenzo Musetti lost to Francisco Cerundolo, 6-4, 6-1. World number one Jannik Sinner kept Italy in contention with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Sebastian Baez. He then teamed up with Matteo Berrettini to down Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 7-5 in the deciding doubles. The other nations in the semifinals are 28-time champions Australia, and Germany and the Netherlands.

# And finally, soccer: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension that will see him at the club until 2027. His contract was due to expire at the end of this season. The 53-year-old Spaniard joined City in 2016 and has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles. The contract extension comes on the back of defeats to Tottenham, Brighton, Sporting and Bournemouth. Guardiola says his focus is to win more trophies with City:

Stay tuned for more news………….