Gary Lemke looks at a jam-packed sporting weekend as the Springboks faces Argentina, Man City host Arsenal and a highly anticipated Currie Cup final.
RASSIE BANKS ON STRENGTH IN DEPTH
The Springboks are around nine-point favourites to continue their juggernaut journey through the Rugby Championship. The thinking is that the first half in Santiago del Estero might be tight, but the famed “Bomb Squad” will come on and take over in the final 20 minutes.
Coach Rassie Erasmus knows that simply avoiding defeat to the unpredictable Srgentiniabns will ensure they win the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019. However, he has still made 10 changes to the starting XV that beat the All Blacks a fortnight ago. “We are building squad depth for 2027,” he said.
Rassie doing Rassie things.
The #Springboks have named their team for Saturday's big clash with @lospumas in Argentina - more here: https://t.co/It2NaNZY3A 🇿🇦#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/01vrBskxEi
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 17, 2024
GUNNERS HAVE TOUGH TASK AT CITY
A handful of matches into the English Premier League season and already we have Manchester City leading, with Arsenal on their tail. These two clubs have been the class acts for the past two seasons, so Sunday’s game at the Etihad is a blockbuster. It certainly won’t decide the champions – as Naas Botha used to say “the Currie Cup is not won in May” – but it will be significant in terms of mindset and belief going forward.
In terms of trends, few sides win five matches in a row, and that’s what City are attempting. Also, Arsenal have already kept three clean sheets in four games. They’re due to leak a goal, or two. City are obvious favourites, but I’m going for the draw in this one.
This is your last chance to win 2️⃣ tickets 🆚 Arsenal!
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 19, 2024
Enter now ⤵️
NORRIS FAVOURITE AS MCLARENS POWER ON
Last week Max Verstappen was 6-1 to win the Azerbaijan GP. This weekend he’s as big as 10-1 to win under lights at Singapore with Lando Norris the 2-1 favourite. It’s one of the big sporting shocks of 2024 how the wheels have all but literally fallen off the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Instead, it’s the McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri that are now calling the shots. The finishing line to the season might still come just in time for Verstappen, who remains odds on favourite to take the drivers’ title again, but the season has become full of intrigue and mystery, which is brilliant for the neutrals.
Lando Norris on #McLarens ‘Mini DRS.’:
— McLaren F1 Zone 🟠 (@TheMcLarenZone) September 19, 2024
Everything's been tested, everything's legal. We're doing what we can, that's what #Formula1 is for, exploring everything within the rules. We've cleared all the tests and everything and FIA are happy.
[via: @autosport]#F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/GytmuuDPeT
PROTEAS CAN’T WILT AGAIN, SURELY?
It would be amusing if it wasn’t true, but such was the official Proteas men’s Twitter (X) feed during the first ODI against Afghanistan that they put up posts like “30 overs down. Mulder standing strong here! South Africa are 93-8”. Then “100 up!” Then, “Mulder fought hard for us. South Africa post 103/10 in 33.3 overs”.
Then, “We are not making it easy for Afghanistan”. Then Afghanistan need 5o runs to win, SAA need seven wickets to win”.
It was an abject performance by the Proteas as they lost by six wickets, but there’s a short turnaround in this ODI series with the second game on Friday night in Sharjah. Sunday could well be the series decider, given the Proteas surely can’t play as badly as they did. The Proteas women were also in action on Friday, looking to make it 2-0 in their T20 series.
Match Day 2 is here!👊
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 20, 2024
The Proteas eye revenge for the recent loss at the hands of Afghanistan.👀💥
Our players are laser-focused for today’s clash! ⚡️
📺: Catch all the action LIVE on Supersport!
⏰: 14h00 SAST#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvAFG pic.twitter.com/YqS2kPVTNJ
CURRIE CUP REACHES FINAL SHOWDOWN
You can always rip the formbook to shreds when it comes to a rugby final. And Saturday’s Currie Cup final between the Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks at Ellis Park is no different. In the League phase, the Lions won this fixture 26-25 in Durban and the Sharks beat the Lions 35-22 in Joburg.
The two teams finished 1st and 3rd on the table and with high scoring a feature of the season, their average score after 10 matches was 47 (Lions) and 35 (Sharks). Finals just don’t have 80 points scored though, do they? Last week’s semi-final at Loftus did though! The betting markets suggest the Lions are three-point favourites to lift the trophy.
Only two remain! Who will lift the #CarlingCurrieCup on Saturday - the @LionsRugbyCo or @SharksRugby? More here: https://t.co/KSNkwYR69k 🏆#WhereChampionsRise pic.twitter.com/AwL8UgJOMR
— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) September 20, 2024
JOSHUA POWER CAN SWITCH OFF DUBOIS
We all know that Daniel Dubois, the big 1.96, 110kg British banger who puts his IBF heavyweight title on the line against Anthony Joshua in London on Saturday night.
Duboius has a record of 21 wins (20 by KO) and two defeats and our own Kevin Lerena was stopped by him in three rounds in 2022. However, we all know that Dubois is a bit “chinny” (again, ask Lerena) and the adage the bigger they are, the harder they fall, applies. Joshua (28-3) is now a veteran, but in good form and still one of the best three heavyweights in the world. I’m expecting him to win by stoppage.
🥊 Anthony Joshua (34 años) 🏴 vs Daniel Dubois (27 años) 🏴 pic.twitter.com/MydTBHp117
— Juanjo Toledo (@Juanjo_Toledo) September 19, 2024
