Double Scrum & Brandy

Oh this is just absolutely brilliant

So as per normal here are my views on yesterdays game.

And just like that, after a long, bruising Outgoing Tour, the Springboks can finally flop onto the couch like the rest of us and enjoy a well-deserved breather, probably with a plate of braai leftovers nearby.

The Springboks ran wild in Cardiff, handing Wales a record-breaking hiding, 73-0 the rugby equivalent of “don’t bother washing your kit, boys, it wasn’t used.” Unfortunately, the party was slightly spoiled when Eben decided to audition for a role in Pirates of the Caribbean by testing the structural integrity of Alex Mann’s eyeball. A brilliant Springbok performance to end the 2025 season on a high, perfectly polished, utterly dominant… until Eben decided to sprinkle in a “terrible moment of madness” just to make sure no one forgot him. Because why finish a match without adding a bit of chaos, right? Referee Luc Ramos didn’t even need to think twice, out came the red card faster than a Welsh fan leaving the stadium. A lengthy ban is almost guaranteed, because apparently the only thing harder to stop than the Springbok pack is Eben’s occasional commitment to chaos.

Wales wrapped up their difficult year with the most predictable outcome imaginable: a thorough thrashing. Steve Tandy’s side held together with tape, hope, and whoever wasn’t on holiday had no access to their foreign-based players thanks to the Test window rules, and the Springboks (who also left a few big names at home) wasted no time exploiting the situation. South Africa racked up 11 tries, their forwards bullying everything in sight. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and André Esterhuizen had so much space behind the scrum they were practically hosting a braai back there.

Centre André Esterhuizen put in a MOERSE monster shift, a try, a stack of assists and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu casually racked up 28 points like he was farming XP… and yet all of that now sits in the footnotes thanks to one ugly, unnecessary moment of chaos stealing the spotlight. With every passing week, this Bok team keeps reminding everyone, “Yes, we really are that good, sorry to the rest of you for the inconvenience.” The rest of the world can compete for second place. The reward was a thumping performance that showed off the very best of South African rugby, basically a highlight reel with a National Anthem attached.

Yet again, the new Hybrid Esterhuizen was colossal, blasting through defenders like they were Wi-Fi signal bars, while Jasper Wiese, Siya Kolisi, Ethan Ho**er, Canan Moodie, (Wrong Turn) Kwagga Smith, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu all took turns looking downright magnificent.

Honestly, it was less a rugby match and more a full-team flex. The contest was basically finished by halftime, four tries in the bag, a scrum steamrolling everything, and the gain line moving like it owed the Boks money. No shock there: the World Champs took early control against a Wales side so inexperienced they probably needed Google Maps to find the stadium. Still, it was refreshing to see the Boks stick to the game plan with actual clarity.

Instead of turning into a circus with everyone trying to be the hero of their own movie, they stayed locked into the tactical battle, raining down aerial kicks, grabbing field position, and choosing territorial dominance like it was the only item on the menu.

I’m starting to think we’ve all been lied to…Has anyone actually seen Dan Carter and Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the same room? Because honestly, the way they play the game, think the game, see the game… it’s like watching a copy-and-paste job with better WiFi. Same skills. Same calmness. Same rugby IQ. Same “don’t worry guys, I’ve got this” energy. At this point, the resemblance is getting suspicious.

Someone should maybe… I’m just saying… quietly ask for a DNA test.

Dan, my guy, if there’s something you want to tell us now’s the time brother.

As we wrap up another cracking year, I just want to say a massive thank you to every single one of you. Thank you for every like, every share, every comment, every chirp, every debate, and every laugh along the way. Your support keeps this page alive, kicking, and scrumming straight!

On behalf of Double Scrum & Brandy, I’d like to wish you all an amazing festive season. Enjoy the time with your families, rest up, stay safe, and soak up every moment. And don’t worry we’re coming back swinging. Be on the lookout for fresh content, new energy, and all the build-up as we charge into the 2026 Springbok season. Cheers to all of you.

Here’s to a great festive break and an even bigger year ahead! For now I smell Welsh lamb on the braai.

Peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAd-Yo4-WSo

Get those early predictions in.

Early vibes: Springboks by 50+

So as per normal here are my views on last night’s circus.

Truly a masterclass in “how not to self-destruct,” generously demonstrated by the Boks…for free. Thank you Rassie and thank you Springboks.

It was rugby at its finest and its absolute messiest a perfect blend of brilliance and chaos. It was nothing short of an assault....Again.!!!!

Had this been boxing, Ireland would’ve been counted out by halftime surely. South Africa clearly arrived with the right mindset and toolkit, powered by a scrum that might actually be illegal in some countries and a defence that refuses to take “please stop” for an answer.

The Springboks once again reminded everyone they’re apparently the only team on the planet that reads the rulebook, bulldozing an Ireland side more interested in collecting yellow cards than points. Mix in raw power, brutality, and an untouchable scrum, and you’ve got Saturday night at the Aviva in a nutshell.

Ireland’s heroic resistance, sneaky tries, last-ditch penalties, and sheer stubbornness only delayed the inevitable. The Boks hit reset, collected a penalty try, and watched numbers drop faster than Dublin’s optimism. At times it felt less like rugby and more like a furious game of Uno.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu reminded everyone the bench could win Test matches on its own, and even late drama with Ireland camped on the try line couldn’t crack the green wall. Dublin finally conquered again much to the surprise of absolutely no one.

The World Champions remain unbeaten on their Northern tour. Next up: Wales, who are probably already reconsidering their life choices. They must be kakking themselves

Special mention to South Africa’s Malcolm Marx who just won World Rugby Player of the Year, proving that if you’re going to get banged around in scrums for a living, you might as well collect some trophies too. The 31-year-old beat out teammates Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ox Nche, along with France’s Louis Bielle Biarrey, proving that even in a team full of superstars, the ho**er still steals the spotlight.

The double World Cup winner is also the first ho**er to take home the Player of the Year crown since Keith Wood back in 2001, finally some recognition for the folks getting buried in scrums every week! Congrats Brother, well deserved.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can this week.

Stay Strong

Peace

Getting in those predictions early, when the only thing set is the kickoff time!

And go....

Well, who could have seen that coming? Franco Mostert’s red card in the Springboks’ win over Italy has been quietly wiped off the record by the disciplinary committee.

Wow, imagine if the game had actually been fair. Maybe World Rugby could start handing out penalties for questionable referee calls too, and while they’re at it, make sure some of those refs and TMOs never officiate again.

Because they KAK

Asking for a friend. 😃

So as per normal here are my views on Saturdays game.

A heavily shuffled Springbok squad, basically playing with 14 men for nearly 70 minutes, put on a performance for the history books snatching a brilliant 32-14 (halftime 10-3) tour win over Italy in Turin.

Adversity? They practically made it look like part of the game plan.

For the second week in a row, the Boks lost their number five lock, Franco Mostert, this time in the 12th minute for a “friendly hug” to Italian 10 Paolo Garbisi. Yes, the second man entering the tackle really knows how to make an entrance.

So the BOKS were an experimental team with more new combinations than a Rubik’s cube, facing 68 minutes with a man down against an Italian side fresh off a famous win over Australia. Piece of cake, right?
Somehow, call it magic, luck, or just sheer South African stubbornness, 68 minutes later, the Boks had piled on four tries to Italy’s one, serving up a win that will go down in history for bravery, guts, kak ref calls and showing that power and skill are apparently contagious.

Of course, the drama wasn’t done. As late as the 52nd minute, Garbisi’s third penalty goal cut the Boks’ lead to a single point, and with No 8 Marco van Staden sent to the sin bin for the offence that earned that penalty, the Boks were down to 13 men. Totally casual.
But, like seasoned heroes, they went on to score three more tries in the final half-hour,

World Rugby is really having a week, hey? From ex-Italian lock Carlo del Fava, to former All Black Jeff Wilson, to England’s Andy Goode, everyone and their Ouma seems to be lining up to mock World Rugby’s officials after they handed Springbok lock Franco Mostert a straight red card in Turin. Apparently consistency is optional these days.

Same incidents, yet somehow we the Springboks get a whole buffet of interpretations and POOR applications. Consistency? Nope, never heard of it.
World Rugby, you really should send this man and the entire South Africa a formal apology. Your bias, zero transparency, and “fairness” towards the reigning World Champions is honestly breathtakingly KAK.

At this point it looks less like officiating and more like a very public vendetta against the BOKS. Since the brilliant idea of the 20-minute red card was introduced, the Springboks have magically collected three straight reds, all of them questionable at best. And then you wonder why fans worldwide are losing respect for officials whose inconsistencies literally change the outcomes of matches. NEE man.

Take Cody Taylor’s yellow against England: the standard was set, loud and clear. Yet Maro Itoje gets to play the ball on the ground like it’s casual backyard rugby, no sanction, no problem. Apparently “fair play” now comes with selective application.Pollard gets smashed, takes a shoulder to the head, but sure, no review, no sanction, and the TMO suddenly develops temporary blindness. But they can rewind time for any other incident when it suits them.This northern-hemisphere bias act? Yeah, it’s getting old.

Despite all the chaos, South Africa’s defence and late-game control still wrapped up a third straight tour win. No one worked harder than fullback Damian Willemse, who somehow managed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch while being everywhere at once, in attack, in defence, joh he was very good. This is what makes the Boks… well, the Boks. Against all odds and every possible headache, they somehow cobbled together a win with a mix of sneaky tactics and pure, stubborn “we’re-not-losing-today” attitude.

World Rugby’s head contact rules right now? Absolutely comedic, consistent as a cat on caffeine and about as logical as a chocolate teapot. Useless lot

If player welfare is the real goal, maybe try this radical idea: every time someone takes a knock to the head, actually send them for an HIA. Wild concept, I know. Thank you for all the love and support shown last week, smile, sparkle, and slay this week like the legends you are

Peace