Porter is like most props — he has some guys he matches up really well against, and then some guys who are a stylistic nightmare for him. Essentially, the super heavyweights who can slip inside the gap between him and Sheehan really easily.

Something @rugbykino.bsky.social pointed out earlier: the team that wins Group E or F will avoid playing any other group winners until AT LEAST the semi-final. In related news I am very much hoping Ireland end up in Group E or F.

Took a closer look at how the Boks became Test rugby's most potent team: – Scoring progression from 2018 to 2025 – The Tonyball shift – The kick-chase double down Not just the world's leading attacking side in 2025, but the most complete all-court team 🧵

Tired of rugby analysts being happy with a lack of knowledge of the scrums So I called up a scrum expert to get the verdict on Ireland's Springbok capitulation TLDR: Ireland shouldn't be worried, but the 'Boks are ludicrously powerful. What makes them so good? www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

So chosen because of the way it will prompt those online to say "actually, that is two words". qed.

The final @89combo.bsky.social Weekend Post-Mortem is done, with @haribaldijones.bsky.social & I running through the Boks record win over Wales in Cardiff Live now, everywhere: open.spotify.com/episode/0u5l...

Honestly, there is no better rugby writer out there than @bloodandmud.bsky.social. This preamble is a work of art. #WALvRSA www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2...

The Welsh Scrum. #WALvRSA

"ons gaan hawe too" #walvsa

Met one of my heroes tonight was amazing.. thank you @lekkerrugbypod.bsky.social thank you and thanks to Paul. 🤗

That’s their weakened side?! 😭

Don’t let Duane walk behind any players on stairs this week.

I just backed Crocodile Dance - An Africanfuturist Animated Film on @kickstarter.com - because we need more diverse voices in animation! www.kickstarter.com/projects/cok...

this is how I imagine most people look at the scarlets in training

Megafoon Rugby is giving away 2 tickets to a meet-and-greet with Siya Kolisi & Eben Etzebeth in Cardiff on 27 Nov! Comment “I’m available in Cardiff on 27 Nov!” to win! @haribaldijones.bsky.social @huwgriffinrugby.bsky.social

Thought they could trick us into batting last by giving us a 300 run lead but we weren't born yesterday.

Only possible solution is India, Australia, and England restrict their income even further and not play them at tests at all

And, yes, I am rather vexed. That scrum regularly gets tuned like a wonky piano, and yet you go up against, of *all* teams on God’s good green earth, the Bokke without a replacement lock? That’s not even hubris, that’s just straight-up stupidity. It got what it was asking for.

I had forgotten about the horrendous elbow-drop/croc-roll Doris/Ryan combination on Malcolm Marx last year that broke his leg. Ryan has been on borrowed time for quite a while before the flying shoulder to the face got caught yesterday.

Malcolm Marx got the Leonard di Caprio The Revenant Oscar WPOTH for a lifetime achievement, even if this wasn’t anywhere near his best season. He’s definitely been the best hooker in the world for close to a decade and is massively important to the Springboks. But Ox Nche was ROBBED!

@bretdevereaux.bsky.social What a top scrum looks like. Note how *fast* it is, and that once it starts moving, it just all cascades back and momentum keeps it going. This is not a fifteen-second contest, let alone a fifteen minute one. Othismos was not a scrum analogue.

I love scrums. Adore scrums. Hated all this running about bit, but loved even scrums that didn’t go well. So, to watch a righteous punishment of gimmickry and treating the scrum as something to be gamed around is, for me, the sort of OT divine chastisement sent to lead a people to repentance.

Deserved recognition for Marx – and he had some stiff competition from Du Toit and Nché, who've also had massive seasons.

LBB seeing Marx with the trophy.

Disappointing that Boks didn't convert more chances. But here's some context, re Bok tries for and against in recent matches v Ireland: 0-1 in Durban (2024) 3-3 in Pretoria (2024) 1-1 in Paris (2023) 2-2 in Dublin (2022) 0-4 in Dublin (2017) Tonight: 4-1 to Boks Massive

Look, I'll be entirely blunt: if I were a team who take scrums seriously, given the opportunity to smash a scrum that's relied on gimmicks, I'm not stopping all night. The backs can bring deckchairs and a good book, bucket of cocktails or something, I'd not stop while there's work still to be done.

Crowley and Prendergast both in the bin together is hilarious content, fair play

You don’t spend all day really looking forwards to going for the dentist to get that root canal surgery do you? Get it done first thing. Use powerful prescription drugs to help forget about it. Try to move on. #WALvNZL

Everyone agrees my little baby Bokkies are underdogs for this match right? Probably the lowest of under under dogs for any match in a long time. We have a 20% win rate against these Irish GIANT BULLIES! It's a safety risk imo

Another example of why your ideal qb should be dating a 8/10 devout Christian girl they met when they were 13. You can NOT have your qb learning new things that aren’t football

Someone with more time on their hands needs to make some form of George of the Jungle-esque "Watch out for that Tree" thing and add it to Lucu tackling the post last night

A brief thread on Trump renewing his threat to sue the BBC. (Note I am not an American lawyer, this is perspective of an English legal commentator.) >

You are statistically way more likely to die on the drive to the airport than in a plane crash, so don't worry, you can be freaked out about that part too.

André Pretorius and MW Welman break down the Springboks’ tactical masterclass vs France. Down to 14 men, mindset, defence, and ruck pressure made France’s best fall short. This was one for the ages! @haribaldijones.bsky.social @huwgriffinrugby.bsky.social youtu.be/ns_ZKFqEByY

"If their ambition is to portray the WRU as cartoon baddies, they could scarcely make it any more obvious if they took to parading up and down Westgate Street every day in front of an orchestra belting out the Imperial March". gwladrugby.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/i...

They’ve woken up a beast now

Keeping track of replacements has gotten too hard with these people.

AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES - Round 2 Review The Rugby Update: Now with even more Saffa smugness and lack of self-awareness. No doubt I'll be brought back to earth 3mins into the URC in a few weeks. Pls watch, like, sub, share and bear with me. youtu.be/7G_u3scvGXU

That's a lot of rugby to go nowhere...

How do you celebrate personal or professional milestones? Human wing walking

Lazy arse. Can’t even walk, has to be carried. Jacky was on to something.

14-man South Africa hold off France in thriller (✍️@rugby_ie) #Springboks #Rugby #SouthAfrica

Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu winning Player of the Match after missing 8 points off the tee and overcooking close to half of his field kicks is proof that pretty privilege is real.

My 2 cents It makes f*ck all sense to me that the ref's on field red is weighted more than the bunker review red which by definition is the more informed decision Ref should give a 20 min red which can be upgraded to permanent by bunker is a far more logical system

The biggest downside watching SA play intbrhe Quilter series is not having access to supersport commentary.. #FRAvRSA #QuilterSeriea