Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 15 November 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with rugby: World Cup-winning former Springbok Francois Louw has hit back at Welsh journalist Stephen Jones for his criticism of the Boks’ bomb squad. Jones said it was arrogant of coach Rassie Erasmus to go with a 7-1 split on the bench against Scotland last weekend, especially when he brought on six forwards at once. Jones wants World Rugby to change the replacement laws. Louw says next you would probably hear you can’t pick Cheslin Kolbe because he’s too fast, or Makazole Mapimpi because he’s too good.

Erasmus says he has reverted to the traditional split of five forwards and three backs on the bench, in a response to the challenge he expects England to pose at Twickenham tomorrow. South Africa’s starting 15 against England shows 12 changes to the team which defeated Scotland last weekend. Only Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nché and Bongi Mbonambi remain. Erasmus says he is happy with the quality of depth throughout the team:

Australian Brett Robinson is World Rugby’s new chairperson. The 54-year-old former Test flanker and surgeon turned businessman and sports administrator is the first permanent chairperson of the global governing body from outside Europe. Robinson was on Rugby Australia’s board for nine years and has served a similar spell on World Rugby’s executive board. He wants innovation and will oversee the Nations Championship when it finally gets off the ground in 2026.

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana has qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals without kicking a ball. This follows South Sudan’s three-two win over the Republic of the Congo in Juba. South Africa currently has eight points and two matches left to play in Group K, while Congo, with only four points, cannot surpass the 1996 Afcon champions even if they win their final game. Bafana Bafana and Uganda, who meet in their penultimate group clash in Kampala today, are guaranteed top-two finishes.

# And finally, tennis: The organisers of the Davis Cup Finals promised a special farewell to Spanish maestro Rafael Nadal at the tournament, starting in Málaga, Spain, on Tuesday. Tournament director Feliciano Lopez says they are lucky to host his close friend’s final tournament and plans to offer him a farewell that lives up to his glittering career. Lopez says many tennis and other sports stars want to attend. Nadal joins compatriots such as Carlos Alcaraz and Roberto Bautista Agut in the country’s team for the tournament.

Stay tuned for more news………….