Springbok star Willie le Roux was seen in Bath this week, so does it mean that Johann van Graan is about to end his search for a new full-back or is it pure coincidence?
Six years ago Rassie Erasmus had a problem to solve. He’d only been in charge of the Springboks for 10 games at that point and had started Faf de Klerk at scrum-half in nine of them.
A crowd of 33,210 turned up at the now-closed Newlands to see an age-grade South African side inspired by a then 18-year-old Handre Pollard end the four-year grip that the New Zealanders had on the title.
Rassie Erasmus has named 16 uncapped players in his 43-man squad that will assemble in March for a two-day 'alignment camp'.
When South Africa kick off their latest Junior World Championship campaign at home to Georgia in Stellenbosch on June 24, it will be two days after the 11th anniversary of their 2012 22-16 final win over New Zealand in Cape Town – the last time the tournament was held in that country.
A potential 2023 Springboks XV has been floated online which has South African fans worried as next year's World Cup approaches.
The IRFU's willingness to transfer players between provinces offers a lifeline to some but pain to others.
A win, a draw and a loss doesn’t exactly make for great reading. That’s exactly how New Zealand’s 2019 Rugby Championship campaign finished, however.