Benji only in a rugby league of his own

SUPER Rugby this week said goodbye to Benji Marshall after just 212 minutes on the playing surface since converting from rugby league. Blues player Marshall was remarkably frank, describing himself as an average rugby union player in explaining his reasons to quit.

FRENCH glamour club Toulon will welcome Bryan Habana back from injury for today’s Heineken Cup semifinal against Munster. Amazingly, the four months that Habana spent on the sidelines is the longest he’s ever been out of action.

WARATAHS coach Michael Cheika turned to sarcasm when finding reasons for his team’s defeat to the Blues. “Maybe they think they’re the Harlem Globetrotters. I don’t know,” said Cheika.

SO, you think you are unable to understand what is happening in the scrums this season. “The scrums have changed but I can’t exactly say how,” Heinrich Brüssow told Tightheads after just one game back for the Cheetahs.

AT the launch of the 2014 Springbok jersey at Cape Town’s Waterfront this week, several players were asked to model the new design by Japanese manufacturer Asics. Willie le Roux and Juan de Jongh, who both look comfortable slicing through defences, were less sure of themselves on the catwalk. Lock Eben Etzebeth had to twirl and stretch awkwardly as a representative from Asics described the technological innovations in the jersey. He was jeered and ribbed by Bok teammates in the front row. They might be less mocking when Etzebeth dishes out some on-field retribution.

THE SA under-20 team for the world championships named this week included the sons of two former Boks. Twins Jean-Luc (flank) and Daniel du Preez (lock) are sons of Bok scrumhalf Robert. Their older brother, Robert jnr, played flyhalf for the SA under-20s last year while this year’s flyhalf, Jean-Luc du Plessis, is the son of the “Prince of Wings”, Carel. The Bulls provided 13 players to the 28-man squad and, unusually, there was a second set of twins in Jessie (fullback) and Dan (centre) Kriel.