Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 11 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 taken to social media to address his 12-week match ban. Last week, an independent disciplinary panel found him guilty of eye-gouging Wales flanker Alex Mann in Cardiff last month. In the social media post, Etzebeth used three video clips to make the point that his action was accidental, but admitted that he accepts guilt. He says he does not want young kids who look up to the Springboks to think that it’s okay to eye gouge someone, but unfortunately, mistakes happen.

Meanwhile, Stormers head coach John Dobson has included nine Springboks in his starting line-up for Saturday’s Champions Cup encounter with La Rochelle in Gqeberha. Warrick Gelant, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Evan Roos and André-Hugo Venter all come into the line-up. The replacements bench includes hooker JJ Kotzé, lock Connor Evans, loose forward Ruan Ackermann, scrumhalf Imad Khan and utility back Wandisile Simelane. Dobson says his team is looking to build on their encouraging performance in France last week when they beat Bayonne 26-17.

# Cricket: The third and final women’s T20 match between South Africa and Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Benoni due to heavy rain. The Proteas Women won the three-match series 2-0 with comfortable victories of 105 runs in the first match in Cape Town and 65 runs in the second in Paarl. The teams will now shift their focus to the three-match one-day series, which begins at Buffalo Park in East London on Saturday.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s men and India face off in the second of five T20s in New Chandigarh today. The hosts won Tuesday’s first encounter in Cuttack by 101 runs after bowling the Proteas out for 74 – their lowest T20 score ever. This followed after South Africa won the Test series 2-0 and India clinched the one-day series 2-1. The third T20 will be played in Dharamsala on Sunday, the fourth one in Lucknow on Wednesday, and the tour will conclude with the final encounter in Ahmedabad next Friday.

# And soccer: Mohamed Salah’s Egyption teammates have rallied around him after his fallout with his manager at Liverpool, Arne Slot. The Dutchman left him out of his team for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan after he criticised Slot in public. This followed after he had to start three matches on the bench. Egyptian striker Kouka Hassan describes Salah as a legend for club and country. Salah joins his national teammates for the Africa Cup of Nations, starting in Morocco on the 21st.

Stay tuned for more news………….