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Mondial 2026 : L'Équipe de France intraitable avec le Maroc, Mbappé en patron
"L'Équipe de France est-elle trop forte pour cette Coupe du Monde ?" : voici la question posée par les journalistes sportifs du New York Times à la suite de la nouvelle démonstration des Bleus en quarts de finale contre le Maroc. Un match à sens unique où le score (2-0) aurait pu être encore plus sévère sans un immense Yassine Bounou. Le fruit du travail collectif mené par le sélectionneur Didier Deschamps mais aussi des individualités qui ont brillé : Kylian Mbappé, avec son 8e but et Ousmane Dembélé, avec son 5e but du Mondial. Qui de l'Espagne ou de la Belgique pour retrouver les Bleus ? Le décryptage dans le Club Mondial avec Jules Boiteau, journaliste à France24 et Hervé Kouamouo, docteur en sociologie du sport.
Champions Cup fixtures confirmed
The dates and times have been announced for the Vodacom Bulls, Lions and Stormers’ fixtures in the pool stage of the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup.
South Africa’s three representatives in rugby’s premier club competition, which kicks off on the weekend of 16-18 October, learned their schedules on Friday. truewildslot.com
The Lions, set to make their maiden appearance in the tournament, kick off their campaign against two-time winners La Rochelle on Saturday, 17 October in France, before they host six-time champions Toulouse (12 December) and the Exeter Chiefs (16 January) at Ellis Park, either side of a trip to English giants Saracens on 10 January.
ICYMI: Stormers to tackle Euro champs
The Stormers welcome the Bristol Bears to Cape Town Stadium to launch their European journey on 17 October, before heading to reigning back-to-back champions Bordeaux Bègles on 13 December and a visit to Gloucester on 9 January. John Dobson’s men then return to the Mother City for a date with Racing 92 (16 January).
The Bulls, who have twice reached the knockout stage of the competition, tackle Stade Français on 17 October at Loftus Versfeld, before a run of matches against Montpellier away (12 December), Bath at home (9 January) and the Northampton Saints away (15 January) to close out the pool phase.
ALSO: Sharks, Cheetahs travel for Challenge Cup openers
The action culminates at Lyon’s OL Stadium, which hosts both the EPCR Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals on 21 and 22 May.
SA Investec Champions Cup fixtures
Bulls
vs Stade Français, Saturday, 17 October, Pretoria, 2pm
vs Montpellier, Saturday, 12 December, Montpellier, 5:15pm
vs Bath, Saturday, 9 January, Pretoria, 5:15pm
vs Northampton Saints, Friday, 15 January, Northampton, 10pm
Lions
vs La Rochelle, Saturday, 17 October, La Rochelle, 6:30pm
vs Toulouse, Saturday, 12 December, Johannesburg, 3pm
vs Saracens, Sunday, 10 January, London, 3:15pm
vs Exeter Chiefs, Saturday, 16 January, Johannesburg, 3pm
Stormers
vs Bristol Bears, Saturday, 17 October, Cape Town, 4:15pm
vs Bordeaux Bègles, Sunday, 13 December, Bordeaux, 5:15pm
vs Gloucester, Saturday, 9 January, Gloucester, 3pm
vs Racing 92, Saturday, 16 January, Cape Town, 5:15pm
FULL INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP FIXTURES AND SCHEDULE HERE
Investec Champions Cup pools
(Teams do not play team from same league in pool)
Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, Pau, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, Clermont Auvergne
Pool 2: Toulouse, Lions, Saracens, La Rochelle, Exeter Chiefs, Connacht
Pool 3: Bordeaux Bègles, Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol Bears, Gloucester
Pool 4: Northampton Saints, Bath, Cardiff, Montpellier, Stade Français, Bulls
Investec Champions Cup 2026-27 match weekends
Round 1: 16/17/18 October 2026
Round 2: 11/12/13 December 2026
Round 3: 8/9/10 January 2027
Round 4: 15/16/17 January 2027
Round of 16: 2/3/4 April 2027
Quarter-finals: 9/10/11 April 2027
Semi-finals: 30 April/1/2 May 2027
Final: Saturday, 22 May 2027
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Champions Cup fixtures confirmed appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Most of Chiefs squad jets off to Spain for pre-season tour
Kaizer Chiefs were due to arrive in Spain on Friday for a pre-season tour that will involve three friendly matches.
Chiefs’ three friendlies
Amakhosi will play Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers on Sunday, and will then play Saudi Pro League side Al Kholood on July 15. They will finish their tour off with a game against Spanish LaLiga side Elche CF on July 18.
The Rangers game will be played behind closed doors but the matches against Al Kholood and Elche CF are open to the public.
The pre-season will give neew head coach Fernando Da Cruz the chance to put his squad through their paces.
Chiefs midfielder Thabo Cele did not travel with the squad, with SABC Sport reporting that the 29 year-old only learned very late that he would not be going to Spain.
Amakhosi and Cele are said to be in discussions over a settlement on Cele’s contract, which has two years left to run. Cele join Chiefs on a free transfer in January 2025, and has so far made 36 appearances in all competitions.
New signings
Chiefs’ new signings – goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner and defender Thabo Moloisane – have travelled to Spain with the squad.
Rwandan goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari has not travelled with the Chiefs squad, as he is reported to be set to go on loan to new Betway Premiership side Kruger United.
BOD takes another dig at Nienaber’s defence
Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll believes Jacques Nienaber’s defensive system at Leinster continues to create problems for players when they return to the national side.
Ireland survived a major scare to edge the Wallabies 33-31 in last weekend’s Nations Championship clash in Sydney, conceding 24 first-half points before fighting back to claim victory.
O’Driscoll felt the visitors were fortunate not to fall even further behind, pointing to Hugo Keenan’s try-saving tackle on Joseph Suaalii as a pivotal moment.
“It’s a huge try-saving tackle from Hugo, another bad defensive error,” O’Driscoll said on Off The Ball.
AFRICA PICKS: Nations Championship Round 2 accumulator
The former Ireland captain has previously questioned whether Leinster players are finding it difficult to switch between Nienaber’s aggressive blitz system and Ireland’s defensive approach, and he believes the Wallabies exposed that disconnect.
“There’s definitely an issue with transferring one defensive system to another. It’s ingrained in these Leinster players, and actually it’s not just them,” he said.
“I saw [centre] Stuart McCloskey at one stage shooting out of the line and the big thing about the shooters coming out of the line is you have to stop the ball or force the players back inside, but Australia were getting the ball out the back, they were doing those little loop plays.
“They have big variety hitting the short runner after that and sometimes going out the back, so Ireland looked incredibly exposed.”
ALSO: Beirne relishing Ireland captaincy
O’Driscoll acknowledged the challenge facing players asked to switch systems between club and country.
“I have sympathy for these players because it is something which has been drilled and drilled over the course of the last few years, particularly at Leinster with Jacques Nienaber’s defence,” he said.
“When they have line speed off the line, they think whoever is outside them is going to shut it off as well and that actually hasn’t been happening because it’s a different system.”
BARNEY: Don’t rule out Rassie, Jacques reunion
Despite his concerns, O’Driscoll expects Ireland to tighten up defensively when they face Japan in Newcastle this Saturday.
“I will imagine it will be significantly better,” he said.
Photo: Matt King/Getty Images
The post BOD takes another dig at Nienaber’s defence appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.