Offside opinion

New Article: Springboks Announce Squad For New Zealand Test🏉🇿🇦🇳🇿📋 Includes pieces on: Jan Hendrick Wessels; Nicolaas Janse Van Rensburg; Jasper Wiese; and Canan Moodie Link Here: offsideopinion.substack.com/p/springboks-a…

@jaredwright17 @rugby_ap Ruan Nortje

Question. Who is NON-World Cup winner who is going to be crucial for the Springboks this year and next? @rugby_ap might very well know my answer.

@Slipcatch @adrian_slabbert @rugahl If circumstances are so important then it's important to mention that it was classic racial profiling as well. He knocked the guy out because the guy was black and he assumed he was stealing. Not so normal after all!

@adrian_slabbert @rugahl You must know the circumstances 1st. Was he a dealer? No. Was he a user? No. Did he moer somebody? Yes. A normal night in Cape Town. Or something like that.

Bronson Mills was arrested for an alleged assault during a cocaine fuelled rage back in Nov 2025. What happened with this?

@SpringbokRWC Fassi hate will not be tolerated. Passing game is better than people think and is electric with the ball. Not to mention the air game👀

Apart from Fassi that is a dream Sharks backline

@ChalynRugby 100% agree. And with that Josh Murphy should never have gotten off with mitigation from JHW's ban.

If this is the case, then both players should be banned. But none of it excuses Eben’s reaction. He could’ve gone straight to the referee, asked for the footage to be reviewed, and let the officials deal with it. Kids might do these kind of silly things but you expect far better from the greatest Springbok of all time. #Springboks #WALvRSA #Rugby

@ColmGrimes1 @CaptSpringbok It not the fact that it's a 'weaker scrum' that results in the yellow cards. It's intentionally collapsing that does that. So here's a bit of advice, if you have a 'weaker scrum' just bite the bullet and go backwards. It's the same either lineouts, don't do anything illegal.

@CaptSpringbok I dunno, why can’t a dominant scrum win a game without resulting in 2/3 yellows for the weaker scrum? I think I would like to see the scrum used to win games without resulting 15 players.

Like clockwork!

@ChalynRugby The amount on times I've heard "this is the springboks' biggest game of the year"🙄 not saying that it isn't but why do people change their mind every week?

A gentle reminder: this is the Springboks’ biggest game of 2025. Maybe their biggest since the RWC 2023 final. All that hype they carried into Eden Park this year? Let’s be honest… even with their golden generation and a four-match win streak over the All Blacks, everyone knew deep down that the All Blacks would show up at Eden Park and get the job done. And they did. But tomorrow is a completely different story. Yes, the Springboks are world champions. but they were beaten fair and square by this Ireland side in ‘23 RWC pool games. Then Ireland went to South Africa the following year and won on South African soil. The Boks haven’t won at the Aviva Stadium since 2012, and their November record against Ireland is honestly embarrassing. This is the game Rassie Erasmus has been planning for since the start of the year. The chopping and changing, the endless combinations, the big calls, all of it was aimed at building a team capable of finally beating Ireland in Dublin. Because the last thing a coach of Rassie’s calibre wants is to get outsmarted by Andy Farrell again. 🤞 #Springboks #Ireland #IREvRSA #Rugby 🇮🇪🇿🇦

@Jamespkeeton @TheShaunR_ If you really want to address the outcry and the inconsistencies I suggest a thread about why it was clearly direct head contact, not on the shoulder that then moved up (which is what most fans believe)

@Jamespkeeton @TheShaunR_ Untrue. Your thread only mentions the decision of whether there was head contact once, in the 8th slide. But instead of addressing the issue you simply state that the refs deemed it head so it must be red. The fans issues are that they do not see the head contact as the refs do.

Mostert red card a thread... 1/ The latest SA lock getting a red caused uproar, claims of bias and inconsistency on social media. Here's a thread that explains why the call was correct, the law applicable and an explanation of a few of the errors being made on X etc.

@BladeDinno @clueclucks @jaredwright17 @StatBoy_Steven @WorldRugby 100% agree, still images are dangerous. But the point remains that it should never have been a permanent red.

@OffsideOp1nion @clueclucks @jaredwright17 @StatBoy_Steven @WorldRugby My point was that still images never show the full picture of what happened and can be used to downplay or overplay what actually happened. My pic overplayed. OPs pic underplayed.

Brilliant stat via @StatBoy_Steven: Since the introduction of the 20-minute red card, the Springboks have been given a full red card 3 times: July 12 vs Italy: Wiese in the 12th minute November 8 in France: Lood de Jager in the 40th minute November 15 in Italy: Franco Mostert in the 12th minute In 178 minutes combined in those matches after being shown the red card, they have conceded just 17 points and just 1 try, and won all 3.

@rugby_ap A-P will never get off this train, I respect it🙌

@BladeDinno @clueclucks @jaredwright17 @StatBoy_Steven @WorldRugby But if it starts on the chest and moves up to head then it can only be yellow card. You just proved yourself wrong in your own post.

@clueclucks @jaredwright17 @StatBoy_Steven @WorldRugby You can make it look better or worse depending on where you pause it. Looks way worse when you stop it here.

@will_owen9 Hence why the British press whining about Australia's breakdown infringements was just absolute bollocks and should be called out...

Many are pointing out half of these steals are illegal - and they’re right. And yet, he got away with every single one of them. McCaw knew how to win decisions better than any other player in history. It’s what made him a GOAT, and you’d say the same if he was on your team.

@jameswhile @jaredwright17 Never thought a non-saffa would write the biggest referee bashing article of all time. I really thought we would take that one😅

I will probably be shot for this article- and it’s all a bit of fun…but I think there’s a fair point underlying my sledgehammer humour… I checked that me and @jaredwright17 would remain best boets before I filed. I’m taking him at his word…… ;) planetrugby.com/news/opinion-s…

@ajsrugby Plus Mpimpi and Kolbe

@OffsideOp1nion Every tweet seems to be a rage bait tweet. Arendse is an elite finisher, don't you worry.

Genuinely think England are blessed with having some of the best finishers in the World Rugby Except for LBB, Penaud and Jordan I can't think of many better finishers than Freeman #PREMRugby #NORvSAR

@ChalynRugby What's the difference between a 'Performance Coach' and a 'Head of Performance' role😂😂

All Blacks backroom staff 👀 • Scott Robertson (Head Coach) • Jason Ryan (Assistant Coach - Forwards) • Scott Hansen (Assistant Coach - Defence) • Jason Holland (Assistant Coach - Backs) • Tamati Ellison (Contact Skills Coach) • Wayne Smith (Performance Coach) • Jamie Hamilton (Head Performance Analyst) • Al Beeton (Assistant Performance Analyst) • Jon Gardner (Assistant Performance Analyst) • Ceri Evans (Head of Leadership + Mental Performance) • Nic Gill (Head of Performance) • Adam Hay (Performance Scientist) • Martin Swan (Doctor) • Karl McDonald (Lead Physiotherapist) • Teresa Te Tamaki (Assistant Physiotherapist) • Kat Darry (Dietician) • Paul McLaughlan (Team Manager) • Megan Compain (Commercial Manager) • James Iversen (Logistics Manager) • Matt Manukia (Communications Manager) • Paula Powlesland (Business Manager) • Bianca Thiel (Operations Manager) 22. Wow #AllBlacks #Rugby

@ajsrugby @dcron911 Very convenient for you to be a expert on the law in this example but uninformed on the Murphy incident. Is it not starting to make sense why bok fans feel targeted?

@dcron911 No. 2 different incidents, haven't seen the details of the other one fully

People confused why it's a 5 game ban. Mapimpi entered at the lowest ban entry point for a red card of 6 weeks. Players get reduced to 3 or 4 for a good record and then 2 or 3 for admitting guilt. Mapimpi does not have a clean record as he's been banned TWICE for eye gouging.

@JackCounsell @URCOfficial Hey Jack I'd love to know what you think of Josh Murphys acquittal? Do you think it wasn't a high degree of danger and didn't warrant a red card? Genuinely interested👍

@URCOfficial Fair ban, can't do that. Fascinating that all of South African twitter are convinced he didn't do it, can't even entertain for a second that he did/admitted guilt in the hearing.

🚨 Disciplinary Decision 🚨 🐃 Jan-Hendrik Wessels - Vodacom Bulls #URC

@mangorugby @DummySwitchPod Was Josh Murphys punch to the back of the head not a clear breach of the law? Why hasn't he been cited?

@DummySwitchPod Lifts him well beyond horizontal – clear high degree of danger. Terrible disciplinary record, so won’t benefit from a reduction. So what’s your issue with the ban? Why do Saffas seem to think their players should be immune from punishment for clear breaches of the laws?

5 match ban for Mapimpi 🤷🏽‍♂️

@GmanSupBro @Alphablondin4 @ropaingtarmack @ChalynRugby What a comeback🤣🤣

@Alphablondin4 @ropaingtarmack @ChalynRugby Well just pass on your mom’s details to him then.

. #Springboks #France #FRAvRSA 🇿🇦🇫🇷