Ken Borland

The last time the All Blacks played in Durban was on October 8, 2016, and the final round fixture of what had been a disappointing Rugby Championship for the Springboks began positively enough as Morne Steyn kicked two penalties to claim an early 6-0 lead.

What followed was an absolute bloodbath as New Zealand slaughtered the Springboks 57-15, inflicting the then biggest ever defeat in terms of points conceded on their greatest rivals. The visitors scored nine tries and the hosts zero, with Steyn’s five penalties being their only, sorry points.

The sense of depression over Kings Park was huge and even the famous outer fields after-match parties were relatively muted. A side note on a personal level is that it was the first Springbok Test my wife watched live, at the stadium. Although she remains a fan and will watch their games at home or at the pub, she has not returned to a stadium.

It was an ugly stain on the Springboks and coach Allister Coetzee struggled on for another year, ‘improving’ on the biggest defeat record by losing 57-0 to the All Blacks in Albany. The Rassie Erasmus era from 2018 has seen those bloody memories gradually fade and South Africa can now claim to have the upper hand in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, having won five of their last six meetings.

But that 57-15 scoreline is close to what I expect to happen when New Zealand play the Sharks at Kings Park.

Sharks rugby is in the doldrums, much like Springbok rugby a decade ago, having failed to make the playoffs of the United Rugby Championship last season. And coach JP Pietersen, whose 70^th and final Test was at the end of 2016 against England at Twickenham, has named a largely inexperienced side. Injuries have forced his hand in many cases, but the absence of players like Bongi Mbonambi, Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse and Makazole Mapimpi is still shrouded in some mystery.

Of the 23 who will run out to face the All Blacks at Kings Park on Tuesday night, only seven can probably feel confident that they will be involved in the first-choice URC squad for the coming campaign – Vincent Koch, Phepsi Buthelezi, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vusi Moyo, Jurenzo Julius, Ivan van Zyl and Luan Gilliomee.

The 44-year-old former All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu has been a controversial selection on the bench, having been appointed as a high-performance mentor for the Sharks last month.

But the injury curse continues to plague Pietersen as two key players were late withdrawals from the Sharks team the day before the game – young lock Emile van Heerden, who was their player of the season in the 2025/26 URC, and Springbok utility forward Vincent Tshituka.

“We’ve had a bit of a run of injuries, which is understandable considering we are midway through our pre-season. We have a few props out and there are lock issues as well. But the young boys have got youth and energy on their side and they will definitely show that and fight too. They’ll give it a good go and be competitive for the full 80,” Pietersen said yesterday.

“It’s the strongest team we could put out and it’s going to be a great test for them, youth versus experience, and it should be a great contest against a high-quality team. The occasion will be massive, facing the haka, that’s what players dream of. They can make memories.

“Ma’a Nonu’s name and what he has achieved says it all. He has helped the younger players with how they prepare for the game and their skill sets. He’s also given them a feel for what the All Blacks may give us, he’s given them a good picture.

“He’s slotted in like he has been here a long time. It will be emotional for him because it’s the first time he’ll play against the All Blacks. He’s got the experience, with our younger centres Murray Koster and Jurenzo Julius starting, and our other centres are not available,” Pietersen said.

One area where the Sharks could trouble New Zealand is in the aerial game, especially if the All Blacks back three misses as many contestables as they did in the opening tour match against the valiant Stormers.

The Sharks are used to the humidity of Durban making the ball slippery, but this time it’s a big cold front and rain which will provide even trickier conditions.

“Durban is always humid and the ball is slippery, so we are prepared for it,” Pietersen said. “I think both teams will adjust and there will be more kicking. The All Blacks pride themselves on ball-possession though, so it’s going to be interesting to see how they hold on to the ball in those conditions … “

Flanker Luke Jacobson will captain the All Blacks against the Sharks and he said they expect another aerial bombardment.

“We know how South African teams play – maul, scrum and an up-front battering. We took some awesome lessons out of the Stormers game, it gave us a great taste of what we’re going to get on this tour. We haven’t had a whole lot of time to preview the Sharks, but we know they’ll be up for the battle, they’ll be looking to play their best rugby.

“We expect to be kicked on again, the Sharks have a really good kick-and-chase game, and we’ve put a big emphasis on the outside backs and how the other players work off the ball. You also have less time in the rain and the defences will be up higher. But that’s what we train for,” Jacobson said.

The Stormers produced a top-class display against the tourists and still fell 17 points short. A powerful set-piece, a focus on lineout drives and a strong kicking game were all part of a highly-competitive showing. But the Cape Town powerhouses fielded a URC-strength side, with five Springboks in the pack.

The Sharks have a couple of internationals starting and another pair on the bench in Nonu and scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl. But they are up against what could be a shadow Test side, with the first clash against the Springboks looming on August 22.

It is the first meeting between the All Blacks and the Black-and-Whites since 1992, when New Zealand were in South Africa to celebrate the return from isolation. South African rugby were in for a rude awakening during that tour and a Natal team that went on to dominate the decade locally, were beaten 43-25, with a rampant Va’aiga Tuigamala [PICTURED ABOVE] battering them relentlessly on the wing.

I was in the stands that day for my first view of the All Blacks in the flesh, having been dazzled by watching Bruce Robertson and Sid Going on TV in 1976. A great respect for the All Blacks was born that day, and I expect a callow Sharks team to be taught a lesson this evening.

Despite having won three times previously in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour, including one co-sanctioned event with the European tour, Shaun Norris was not on the lips of most fans as a potential winner of last weekend’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, adding to the sense of surprise when the 42-year-old snatched the prestigious title at Leopard Creek.

Norris fired an inspired five-under-par 67 in the fourth round to post 13-under for the tournament and overturn a six-shot deficit in the final round to win one of the major South African championships. He saw off more fancied opponents like Sweden’s Marcus Kinholt, reigning Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Ryan van Velzen, record-breaking Frenchman Romain Langasque, well-travelled former SA Open champion Dean Burmester, veteran campaigner Joost Luiten and the ‘King’ of Leopard Creek, Charl Schwartzel, who has won this tournament four times and finished second on five occasions.

It was Norris’s 13^th professional win, but perhaps the reason he is so under-rated at home is because seven of those triumphs have come in Japan. That is despite winning the Africa Open and the Nashua Masters, prime events on the Sunshine Tour, as well as the Steyn City Championship co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, and now the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The Johannesburg-born golfer has been ranked as high as 54^th in the world, but does not always get mentioned as one of South Africa’s best golfers.

“This is my fourth win in South Africa so I’m not sure why golf fans don’t know me so well,” Norris told SportsBoom.com after his dramatic Leopard Creek win by one stroke. “I love playing on the Japan Tour though, it brings out my better golf.

“But the Japan Tour don’t advertise that much, they’re not on TV everywhere, but there are great golfers there who a lot of people don’t often get to see. Winning the Japan Open in 2021 is still my biggest win because it’s a national open, that was massive. This Alfred Dunhill Championship ranks next, and my next step is to try and win the South African Open,” Norris said.

Even after winning the Steyn City Championship in Johannesburg in 2022 and earning a DP World Tour card, Norris has continued to focus his energies on playing in Japan and also on the Asian Tour, where he has won twice.

But this time his schedule could change a bit, with Norris telling SportsBoom that he will add more DP World Tour events to his roster.

“I’ve got so much to look forward to over the next few years and I will definitely be making some changes. Right now it’s time for a holiday and spending time with the family.

“But this win shows that my golf is good enough to compete with the guys in Europe and to put my name on the same trophy as Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen is very special. I’ll definitely be starting a few more tournaments in Europe, in places like Dubai, Qatar etc,” Norris said.

Schwartzel, Grace and Oosthuizen are members of the Stinger GC in LIV Golf and three of that team were at Leopard Creek last weekend – Schwartzel, Burmester and defending champion Oosthuizen (who missed the cut).

Grace was absent because he was trying to save his spot on the LIV Tour in the Promotions event in Riyadh. He had to win the tournament to retain his card, but narrowly failed as he finished runner-up, two strokes behind Lee-Chieh Po from Taiwan.

Stinger, who have one of the strongest team identities on the LIV Tour because they are all South Africans, will now have to make a “business case” to the organisation for Grace to retain his place. This was confirmed to SportsBoom by Norris’s agent, who was wearing Stinger GC branded kit.

And Norris has previously played on the LIV Tour, winning $1 million in 2022. So perhaps that is another option, if Grace falls out, for someone who surely wants to gain the appreciation and respect his exploits and more than €7 million in career—earnings deserve?

The DP World Lions Ladies team produced an excellent display at the weekend to inflict a first defeat of the season on the HollywoodBets Dolphins in Durban, as they beat the log-leaders by 31 runs in their Pro20 Series match.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, opener Nonkululeko Thabethe stuck around brilliantly until the penultimate over as her run-a-ball 55 provided the backbone of our innings on a slow pitch that provided a little turn.

Thabethe was well-supported by fellow opener Palesa Mapoo (22) in a fine opening stand of 49, and then she and Kirstie Thomson (24) added another 40 for the second wicket, providing the foundation for a competitive total of 126 for three in their 20 overs.

The DP World Lions were then outstanding with the ball and in the field as they bundled the high-flying Dolphins out for just 95 in 18.5 overs.

Former Border spinner Liyema Jubati had not played for #ThePrideOfJozi before, but she was not overawed even though she was given the new ball. She responded by dismissing the in-form Alexandra Candler (11) and then three overs later Jubati fielded superbly at wide mid-on and scored a direct hit at the bowler’s end to run out Nicole de Klerk (18).

Jubati’s slick fielding would see her effect another run out towards the end of the Dolphins innings, and although she did not take another wicket while bowling, the Dolphins batters were not able to score quickly off her either as she conceded just 17 runs in her four overs.

The Dolphins batters were not able to handle the spin of Raisibe Ntozakhe either, as she ripped through the middle-order with three for 24 in her four overs, and another slow bowler, Madison Landsman, took two for six.

In the HollywoodBets Pro50 Series match on the preceding day, #ThePrideOfJozi skipper Kgomotso Rapoo also won the toss, but this time selected to bowl first. A very good batting display by the Dolphins saw them post 286 for three, with Candler scoring 104 and De Klerk 96.

Sarah Nettleton was the best of the DP World Lions bowlers, her 10 overs of accurate spin going for just 33 runs.

In reply, the DP World Lions batters could probably have shown better shot-selection, as the crack Dolphins attack bowled them out for 171, inflicting a 115-run defeat.

Thomson was the best of the batters with a mature 53 off 70 balls, while Jenna Evans showed her talent as she cracked 43 not out off 56 deliveries.

Staying calm under pressure is probably the most necessary attribute needed to succeed at the highest level of sport and Marais Erasmus always gave the impression when he was umpiring out in the middle that he was in full possession of his faculties and emotions.

Getting 94% of your decisions correct – the general benchmark for being on the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of umpires – requires great composure and equanimity, as well as the ability to maintain credibility and authority in the highly-charged arena of the game at its pinnacle.

They are the qualities that Erasmus was most known for during his 16-and-a-half years as an international umpire. As renowned Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle says in the Foreword to the biography Telford Vice has written on the South African umpire – Marais Erasmus: The Rock ‘n Roll Years – “Apart from everything else, umpires, like doctors, must radiate confidence and a sense of calm. Marais Erasmus had that. When he walked out on to the field, you felt secure. You knew you were in safe hands.”

While the former Boland bowling all-rounder’s ‘bedside manner’ was imperturbable, Erasmus himself says it is a bit of an illusion.

“I didn’t set out to have a straight face all the time, and I did struggle sometimes not to show my emotions. But I couldn’t give away to the players that I was shitting myself, they do pick up that sort of thing.

“I just tried to apply the laws, even though sometimes a law is controversial. There are some grey areas in cricket, although less so than in rugby. I think it helps immensely to have been a former player, although it’s not a given that if you played good cricket you will become a good umpire – there are lots of other skills involved.

“Simon Taufel was one of the best umpires ever and he didn’t play first-class cricket, so potential umpires shouldn’t be discouraged if they didn’t play to a high level. But at the Elite level, on average 10 of the 12 on the ICC panel will have played first-class cricket, a lot of them have played international cricket. In South Africa, about 40% of our umpires are former first-class players. It means you’ve been in pressure situations before, the players will accept you more and that gives you confidence,” the former Boland flyhalf/fullback says.

The cricket world changed dramatically while Erasmus was progressing from a player who retired in 1996/97 to making his international debut as an umpire in 2006, standing in his first Test in 2010. In that time, the television umpire has become crucial, and the IPL arrived, making India the global superpower of the game. But, unfortunately, India have also not been shy to exert a “Might Is Right” philosophy on cricket and they are used to getting what they want. Which included not using DRS for their games until the absence of it had burned them too often.

Hostile crowds are matched by over-stimulated players like Virat Kohli, who occasionally lose their impulse control. One of India’s greatest captains infamously shouted into the stump-mics at Newlands in January 2022, accusing broadcasters SuperSport and the umpires of bias. Erasmus was standing in that match alongside compatriot Adrian Holdstock due to the Covid pandemic and the difficulties it caused in terms of international travel.

Erasmus had to give Sachin Tendulkar out lbw in his debut Test, thankfully not in India, where international cricket’s leading run-scorer is literally considered to be a god. These are also the days of social media allowing millions of people to dissect and criticise every decision. The officials can be crucified in the court of public opinion should they get the wrong decision wrong at the wrong time. Just think of how we South Africans curse referee Bryce Lawrence to this day for giving David Pocock free rein in the breakdowns during the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.

So Erasmus experienced pressure right from the outset and his ability to handle it saw him appointed to the middle for seven World Cup finals across the formats, including the greatest of them all, the 2019 finale’ at Lord’s when England and New Zealand tied and England won the super over.

“Virat was like some of the kids when I was teaching. You give him Ritalin in the morning and you’ll have a good day. But sometimes by second break it’s gone … But we had a good relationship. David Warner is a dangerous man because he doesn’t understand when he’s being stupid and Ricky Ponting always wanted to fight with umpires,” Erasmus says.

Nathan Lyon is someone Erasmus singles out as a favourite, the Australian off-spinner saying on a live television interview that “Marais is a great man and an even better umpire,” when former captain Mark Taylor asked pointed questions about decisions that did not go their way.

Ben Stokes is another who Erasmus found to be likeable and the recently-retired England captain was, of course, pivotal in that 2019 World Cup final.

“Ben is one of my favourites. When you go to a team’s practice, some of the players ignore you but others come up to you. Ben would always ask how the last few months have been, how’s your family? He’s a good human being, although he has got himself in trouble and been through some fires on occasion.”

The details of the drama of the overthrows off Stokes’s arm and the full explanation as to why England were credited with an extra run they shouldn’t have been, are all in the book. Typically, Erasmus does not shy away from accountability.

“The overthrow incident was just a mistake. Kumar Dharmasena and I looked at each other and said ‘Six? Yeah’. Rod Tucker, the TV umpire, asked over the comms whether it was six and Peter Manuel, who was our umpires coach, was trying to explain that where the ball was released was crucial. But that was impossible for me to see.

“Part of the romance of our sport is that the umpires are not without blemish. The only way to survive as an umpire is not to dwell on your wrong decisions. Our coaches used to tell us to park them; my one New Zealand colleague then said ‘but my parking lot is full’.”

In Marais Erasmus: The Rock ‘n Roll Years, the subject brings that same voice of reason and gentle humour to corruption in cricket, the rise of technology and the many memorable Ashes clashes he was involved with.