De Allende eyes third RWC gold
Damian de Allende
admits being “flippin' disappointed” at being left out of the Bok team that
played in Perth against Australia last month.
De Allende however quickly added on To The Last Drop that all the Bok players understand and have bought into the rotation system that helps guide team selection.
He has left no doubt where he wants to finish his playing career. It is the Stormers or bust for the bulky Bok centre who is playing his club rugby in Japan.
De Allende who delivered a man-of-the-match performance against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday, has extended his stay in Japan by a further three years but it is his wish to finish his career in the Cape with his beloved Stormers.
Aged 32, De Allende knows the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia could be tantalisingly out of reach but he will do everything he can to stay fit and set the standard in the squad.
Listen to the details below, plus join the discussion as podcast hosts Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme debate the fate of All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.
Meanwhile: Rassie Erasmus has been the game changer in the Springboks' rivalry with the All Blacks, argues Kiwi journalist Jamie Wall (pictured above) on To The Last Drop.
The Springboks had an unflattering record against the All Blacks before Erasmus took the reins in 2018 but he has turned around their fortunes, even against their old foes.
Wall, author of The 100 Years' War, contends that Erasmus is similar to All Blacks coach Scott Robertson who is also an out-of-the-box thinker, while neither is tied to convention.
Click directly below to listen.
About the 'To The Last Drop' podcast hosts
Liam Del Carme is one of the country's most enduring sports writers. His time in the newsrooms pre-dates rugby turning professional in the 1990s. Del Carme has been in the employ of broadsheet newspapers The Argus, Sunday Independent, This Day and Beeld, and is currently the rugby writer at The Sunday Times.
Del Carme has reported at six Rugby World Cups and around 20 Currie Cup finals.
He loves cooking and travel and is the author of the book 'WINGING IT – On tour with the Boks'. When time allows he is a television pundit and writes a regular column on timeslive.co.za under the title ‘The Worst of Times’.
Brenden Nel
Rugby has always been a passion for Brenden, so much so that he made it a career. Since first entering a newsroom at the Citizen almost three decades ago, he has written for some of the biggest titles in the world, including Rapport, the Independent (UK), The Times (UK), South China Morning Post and a host of others. Currently, he covers all things rugby for Supersport.com and has reported on no less than four World Cups, five Sevens World Cups and around 250 test matches in total.
Brenden is also the author of "Derick Hougaard - Dieware storie van Loftus se Liefling” and has a popular YouTube channel under his name. He loves nothing more when away from the game than a glass of good red wine, a good fire and spending time with his wife and four rescue dogs.