Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 5 December 12:30 pm

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

# We start with rugby: Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has received a 12-week suspension for gouging the eye of Welsh flanker Alex Mann. The incident occurred during South Africa’s dominant 73-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff last Saturday. An independent disciplinary committee considered Etzebeth’s act intentional and placed the offence at a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks. The sanction was reduced by six weeks due to his previously clean disciplinary record. The 34-year-old will miss the Sharks’ next 12 fixtures, and will not be free to play again until the 28th of March.

Meanwhile, the uncapped utility backline player Nabo Sokoyi has been included in the Springbok Sevens squad for this weekend’s World Sevens series tournament in Cape Town. The 23-year-old takes the place of Mfundo Ndhlovu in the only change to the squad that finished in fifth position in Dubai last week. Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman says Sokoyi has the talent and ability to become a permanent fixture in the squad. South Africa will face New Zealand, Fiji and Great Britain on the opening day tomorrow.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, says the team is ready and energised to face Ireland in the three-match T20 series, starting in Cape Town this afternoon. This is South Africa’s first assignment since losing to India in the final of the one-day World Cup last month. The series is part of preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales. Wolvaardt is expecting a tough series:

Meanwhile India hopes for a turn in fortunes in tomorrow’s third and final one-day international against South Africa’s men in Visakhapatnam after losing its 20th consecutive ODI coin toss in Wednesday’s second encounter in Raipur. Stand-in captain KL Rahul admitted to being amazed at the lack of luck, with Rohit Sharma last winning the toss during 2023’s World Cup. Rahul says he even practised to get it right, but that didn’t work. The series is currently even at one game all.

# And motorsport: Lando Norris says he would be hesitant to ask McLaren to impose a team order for Oscar Piastri to help him win his maiden Formula 1 drivers’ championship at the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Norris leads Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16 points. The Briton only needs a podium finish to become world champion. Norris says it will be up to the team to impose an order on Piastri:

Stay tuned for more news………….