Ken Borland

A 3-0 series victory over Malawi was as good a debut in charge as new Proteas netball coach Jenny van Dyk could ask for, but she said there is still plenty of room for improvement as she looks to grow the depth of the South Africa squad.

The Proteas won the three Tests, played at the Ellis Park Arena last weekend, 68-31, 69-38 and 69-24, a record winning margin against Malawi, a side who have always provided tough competition and are currently ranked seventh in the world to South Africa’s fifth.

“I’m really happy, it’s the way we wanted to start and I’m really proud of the girls,” Van Dyk said. “The team reacted well and they stuck to the game-plan, they played with a lot of passion, they played hard and they did us proud. As a first series, it was certainly good enough, we’ve got the goals we wanted. I challenged them to get certain scores and they have shown themselves to be coachable and they have a great mindset.

“Scoreline-wise, I am very pleased. To win 3-0 in your first run out is great and we also managed to test a lot of combinations. At times our second combination was under pressure and there are more proper tests to come. This series was an opportunity to pair the right combinations together and they gave it a good shot.

“We could just revert back to the old combinations, but I want 15 strong players. I understand it’s a tall order, but we’ve seen those cycles when we have seven strong players, but then you have one or two injuries and the whole campaign is destroyed. So we need to create depth and I will also be having a good look at the U21 World Cup next year, that gives good exposure to the young talent,” Van Dyk said.

The team will now have a short break before gathering in early December for a camp that will take place at the same time as the Spar National Championships in Johannesburg, and the next week the Proteas head off to Namibia for the Africa Cup in Swakopmund from December 9.

Four of the Proteas squad are, however, involved in the Fast 5 World Series in New Zealand, including Kamogelo Maseko, the creative mainstay of the team, and exciting new goal shooter Rolene Streutker.

Veteran Karla Pretorius is still an absolute pillar in defence for the Proteas, and she emphasised the learning curve that the national netball team are on at the moment.

“This series was an opportunity to push different combinations, it was not just about getting good wins but also testing combinations and putting players in different situations. We wanted tough games, to be in those tricky situations, out of their safety zones. To put out different combinations and still win 3-0 is the positive.

“We’re happy with what we got out of the series, we never panicked and we always felt fully in control. We just need to adapt quicker, not let the opposition get momentum. We need to get into the game defensively a bit quicker,” Pretorius said.

Defence was also the one area that Van Dyk highlighted as needing attention.

“We weren’t as pleased with the defending as we wanted to be, we weren’t quite in the positions we wanted to be and we allowed Malawi too much space. Especially our attackers, they need to be tighter on their opposite numbers. That is something we need to work on,” Van Dyk said.

Kagiso Rabada is once again the No.1 bowler in red-ball cricket according to the ICC world rankings, but as much as he believes Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, South Africa’s spearhead says winning the World Test Championship is not at the top of his bucket list.

The Proteas, whose inability to win a limited-overs World Cup has baffled cricket-lovers around the globe, are in position to make the World Test Championship final next year, even though they are currently lying fifth in the standings with a win percentage of 54.17. But their last four Tests in this cycle are all at home and winning all of those games, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will lift that figure to 69.44%, which will guarantee them a place in the final at Lord’s from June 11 to 15 next year.

A couple of draws and two wins could also be enough, depending on the results of the Tests between Australia and India and New Zealand and England.

In the last calendar year, South Africa have come closest to breaking their World Cup hoodoo, reaching the semi-finals of the 50-over event last November in India and making the final of the T20 tournament in the West Indies and USA in June 2024. They seemed on-course to win that final against India, but superb bowling at the death, led by Jasprit Bumrah, saw them fall short by just seven agonising runs.

Rabada, who reached 300 Test wickets in the least-ever number of balls during the recent 2-0 series win in Bangladesh, has said previously that individual milestones are not his main motivation, but winning a World Cup for South Africa is his chief goal.

But, in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom at his home ground of the Wanderers, Rabada said claiming the World Test Championship crown would not scratch that itch, even though the longest format is his favourite.

“The T20 World Cup was extremely heartbreaking, but I feel we rose to the occasion,” Rabada said. “We are edging closer and closer to winning a World Cup and it’s just a matter of making that last, full step. But it was nice to be in that moment, we now know what it takes. You need a bit of luck as well.

“But having that experience is important, coming so close under high pressure, experiencing that will be invaluable going forward. I think the lesson we take from that final is not to over-complicate things, but the lessons will apply to each individual differently. But there was so much agony and once you feel it, you can’t unfeel it.

“Winning the World Test Championship would not completely satisfy me, although I would still be very proud and it would be amazing to do it. But the 50-over World Cup has so much value and history; the World Test Championship is not there yet, it’s a new thing.

“For me, winning the ODI World Cup is the holy mecca. You lose one game in the playoffs there and you’re gone. Whereas the World Test Championship is about who the best team is over a two-year period. We are now at crunch time in that tournament,” Rabada said.

Trying to decipher the South African team’s resting policies can at times feel like picking through dirty laundry, but the 29-year-old Rabada is frank about the management of his workloads, which has seen him sitting out the current T20 series against India.

“I’ve learnt to listen and understand my body better and I know I won’t feel the same as I did in my early twenties. I’ve bowled a lot of overs and it’s been a high workload. So looking at my path moving forward, I’m going to prioritise Test and ODI cricket.

“It’s not just about physical fatigue but also mental, and I believe it’s the smart decision to preserve myself. It also gives opportunities for others to step up and come through.

“But Test cricket is the best and all the greats played that. Even the most dominant T20 players, they play Test cricket. It’s the hardest and best format,” Rabada said.

With 313 wickets in 66 Tests at an average of just 21.49, 157 ODI wickets in 101 matches while conceding a touch over five runs-an-over, and 71 scalps in 65 T20 Internationals, it is easy to think Rabada is at his peak.

But the athletic U19 World Cup winner says there is still room for improvement.

“I don’t know if I’m at my best yet. I just want to keep pushing the limits. It could sound crazy, but I believe you never know how much you can get out of yourself.”

And, given that he is now clearly one of the strongest leaders in the Proteas set-up, what about captaincy?

“Taking more of a leadership role has come naturally really, it’s the circle of life and I’ve been in the Proteas team now for nine years. I’ve just taken it in my stride and I’m happy to be one of the leaders. I feel it’s something I’m meant to take on and I’m not shy about it.

“It’s a natural process when you consider the experience and knowledge that I’ve gained. So I’m willing to express myself and pass down that knowledge, when there are people who want to hear it. It’s because I have a lot of care for this team, why wouldn’t I want to be involved in the decision-making?

“As far as the actual captaincy goes, I have thought of it. Pat Cummins actually asked me about it and he said he found it difficult to separate it from playing his own game. He said as a bowler, you need a lot of assistance to be captain.

“But it’s something I would not rule out, but I won’t be strongly advocating for it. It must just happen naturally,” Rabada said.

Caring for the Proteas and their performance comes naturally too for Rabada. As does his undiluted passion for the game: The fifth-leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s Test history insisted on conducting this interview sitting outside on the balcony of the president’s lounge at the Wanderers, so he could watch the progress of his Central Gauteng Lions domestic team as they opened their four-day campaign.

How does it feel now that you have become the most-capped Springbok ever?

EE: It’s difficult to put in words how I feel. Thank you to everyone for your kind words. Guys like Victor Matfield were one of a lot of heroes I had growing up.

This team is a bunch of unbelievable guys, we have the best supporters in the world and I could not ask for a better family that supports me.

That’s why I play rugby, to play for this team, it is so special. We just want to do the country proud because rugby is like a religion in South Africa. To play for the Springboks is the best feeling and hopefully I can stay fit and the coaches keep selecting me.

What has driven you to achieve 128 caps?

EE: I could not have done it without the team, guys who I’ve been to three World Cups with, guys like Siya Kolisi, Jesse Kriel, Handre Pollard, Frans Malherbe, Willie le Roux, Damian de Allende. They’ve been with me from day one and I would not have reached this milestone if they weren’t there. To do it together with this team, we are best pals, makes it even more special. It’s also not nice if you lose on a day like this. This was a final for us and the guys made it special for me. We will celebrate very nicely, you must win in this industry to be able to enjoy your beer.

There was obviously a lot of attention on you in the last week, how did you avoid becoming distracted with the Rugby Championship title on the line?

EE: Because of social media, it’s difficult not to see stuff, sometimes hard to get it out of your head. But we are all professional and we’ve managed to get through World Cup finals before. You just have to make sure you prepare well, because that’s something you can fall back on. At the end of the day, you must just make sure you perform.

What are your future plans, how much further do you think you can extend your record?

EE: I’m staying put for now. I will push my body as far as it can go. The ultimate is playing rugby for this team, so I will keep on pushing, training hard and trying to perform for my club [the Sharks]. Hopefully the coaches will keep selecting me. But other than that I prefer to keep my goals close to my heart.

You seldom show your emotions, but today must have been very special and emotional for you?

EE: I was thinking of my Pa [late father] pouring brandies up there with the angels. It was also a very special day for my wife and baby girl. Siya and I have come a long way and he spoke so nicely about me, he is an unbelievable person. As a small boy, you just want to play for the Springboks, and to now have the most caps feels unreal, it is unbelievable.

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Siya Kolisi on Eben Etzebeth – It’s a special moment for Eben  and I’m so grateful to be part of it. He has taught me on and off the field ever since I met him when I was 18. I had a sleepover at his house and we have been mates ever since, even when he left to play overseas.

I’ve been so excited for him and I know he didn’t want it to be about him, but the biggest way we could have shown how special he is to us is by playing well. It was our responsibility as a team.

A lot of people see the brutal force he brings, and that is an awesome role he plays, but his leadership is also very important and people don’t understand that he is so smart, he has a great rugby brain and he comes up with awesome plans.

But he is so much more than just a player, one of the most consistent players day in, day out. It’s the way he cares about this team and the team’s values, he has kept those intact, he makes sure everyone stays in line.

So today was special for all of us. To Eben, you are an yster [iron man] and I’m so grateful to have been able to walk this journey with you and I’m so grateful for your support, from when Rassie Erasmus first made me captain, you have had my back. He leads the team, he is so smart and I am so proud of you. I can’t wait to tell my grandkids that I played with Eben Etzebeth. I love you, my brother.

Victor Matfield on Eben Etzebeth – I was very fortunate to also become the most capped Springbok in Nelspruit, taking over from another legend in John Smit. And now another legend has overtaken me. What Eben does on the field is incredible, but he does even more off the field and is a great ambassador for South Africa. I was there with him when he was 19 years old.

Siya Kolisi said he can’t wait to tell his grandchildren that he played with Eben Etzebeth, while the giant lock himself said he would not have reached his landmark of becoming the most-capped Springbok rugby player ever if he had not been playing alongside his captain and other South African veterans who have won the last two World Cups.

Etzebeth won his 128^th Test cap on Saturday as the Springboks hammered Argentina 48-7 to claim the Rugby Championship title in Mbombela. He surpassed the previous record of 127 caps held by Victor Matfield, between 2001 and 2015.

“To Eben, you are an yster [iron man] and I’m so grateful to have been able to walk this journey with you and I’m so grateful for your support, from when Rassie first made me captain, you have had my back. He leads the team, he is so smart and I am so proud of you. I can’t wait to tell my grandkids that I played with Eben Ysterbeth. I love you, my brother,” Kolisi said in an emotional post-match interview on TV.

Etzebeth responded in the post-match press conference, saying: “Siya and I have come a long way and he spoke so nicely about me, he is an unbelievable person. As a small boy, you just want to play for the Springboks, and to now have the most caps feels unreal, it is unbelievable.

“To do it together with this team, we are best pals, makes it even more special. I could not have done it without the team, guys who I’ve been to three World Cups with. They’ve been with me from day one and I would not have reached this milestone if they weren’t there.

“It’s also not nice if you lose on a day like this. This was a final for us and the guys made it special for me. We will celebrate very nicely, you must win in this industry to be able to enjoy your beer,” Etzebeth said.

The 32-year-old Etzebeth will now have an eye on the all-time Test record of 171 caps set by fellow lock Alun-Wyn Jones of Wales and the British and Irish Lions.

“I’m staying put for now. I will push my body as far as it can go. The ultimate is playing rugby for this team, so I will keep on pushing, training hard and trying to perform for my club [the Sharks]. Hopefully the coaches will keep selecting me,” Etzebeth said.

Matfield praised Etzebeth for being an ambassador for South Africa as a whole.

“I was very fortunate to also become the most capped Springbok in Nelspruit, taking over from another legend in John Smit. And now another legend has overtaken me, I was there with him when he was 19 years old. What Eben does on the field is incredible, but he does even more off the field and is a great ambassador for South Africa,” Matfield said.