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CLASS OF '25: Are You Not Entertained?

rugby28 July 2025 12:00
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Robbie Williams once sang, “Let me entertain you”—and while that’s not the first phrase that springs to mind when foreign fans see the Green and Gold, the Springboks have done exactly that in the opening month of the 2025 international season.

Victories? Yes. But also moments of madness, magic, and everything in between.

So sit back and relive five unforgettable flashes of Bok brilliance. Some were outrageous, some sublime—but all of them got us talking.

1. How Could Sacha Do That to Peter O’Mahony?

Peter O’Mahony’s final outing in a rugby jersey was meant to be a celebration. A Barbarians cap, a packed Cape Town Stadium, and 80 minutes to savour. But no one told Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

The young Bok flyhalf didn’t just show up—he showed off. With a dummy so outrageous it should’ve come with a warning label, Sacha sent the Irish legend one way while he strolled the other. The crowd gasped. O’Mahony could only shake his head.

It was audacity, artistry, and a little bit of mischief—all in one moment. And just like that, the kid stole the show.

2. Jasper’s Moment to Forget

Italy came to Gqeberha with a plan: poke the bear. And Jasper Wiese, fiery as ever, took the bait.

A soft red card? Maybe. But it was a moment of madness that cost him dearly—not just a place on the field, but the chance to share a Springbok debut with his brother, Cobus. That one will sting for a while.

The incident sparked debate across braais and timelines: red or not? Fair or harsh? Jasper owned up to it on SuperSport, calling it “not my best moment.” But whether you agreed with the call or not, it was the talking point of the weekend.

3. The “Russian” and Other Rassie Tricks

Want to get the rugby world talking? Easy—just let Rassie Erasmus cook.

In the second Test against Italy, the Boks pulled off a lineout move so slick it looked like something out of a video game. Turns out, it came from Paul Roos Gymnasium’s under-19 B team. Yes, B team. Rassie saw the clip, loved it, and brought it to the big stage.

Dubbed “The Russian” by PRG coaches De Wet Marais and Erhardt Muth, the move worked to perfection—twice. Canan Moodie and Cobus Wiese cashed in, and the rugby world lost its mind.

Now the question hangs in the air: will World Rugby let it live, or will they shut it down before it becomes the next big thing?

4. Kamp Daandraad

Who needs a wellness retreat when you’ve got Kamp Daandraad?

Early in the season, whispers turned into legend: Daan Human’s farm near Verkeerdevlei, where Bok hopefuls go to suffer—and come back better. Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Jan-Hendrik Wessels were the latest recruits, sent for a week of fire and fitness under the Free State sun.

Ntlabakanye dropped 18kg across his visits. Rassie even posted the footage, just in case we forgot how brutal it was.

If the next Chasing the Sun doesn’t dedicate an episode to Daan’s farm, we’ve all been robbed.

5. The Great Spying Scandal That Wasn’t

Just when you thought the Springboks had run out of plot twists, along comes Warren Gatland with a tale straight out of a Cold War thriller.

In a British newspaper column, the ever-cheerful former Lions coach claimed that Rassie Erasmus had spied on their 2021 tour—allegedly renting a house in Arabella and using long lenses to film training sessions. His “proof”? Lukhanyo Am’s early tackle on Elliot Daly in the first Test. Too good to be instinct, apparently.

Gatland also reckoned Rassie had snapped a photo of their game plan on a piece of paper. What was on it? Moves? Codes? A melktert recipe? Who knows.

The irony? The Lions won that first Test. Then they moved training indoors… and lost the next two.

Maybe it was espionage. Maybe it was just Am being Am. Either way, one thing’s clear: Rassie’s still living rent-free in Warren’s head.

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