English
Indian
العربية
Español
Deutsch
Türkçe
Русский
Français (Afrique)
Ex-Wallaby exposes All Blacks’ soft spot
Former Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley believes the All Blacks have given the Springboks a clear target ahead of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener at Ellis Park.
While Dave Rennie’s side have impressed with their attacking play during wins over the Stormers, Sharks and Vodacom Bulls, Foley believes their set-piece defence has shown signs of vulnerability.
“They look so dangerous when they are able to get that quick recycle, that ball in behind, especially on counter,” Foley said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts show. chickenroad.qpon
“What Dave Rennie is trying to do is very structured around counter and turnover plays. So I thought they’re starting to attack well, but there are probably a few moments where they looked a little bit vulnerable off their set-piece defence.”
MORE: Love opens up on All Blacks self-doubt
The former flyhalf believes that could prove costly against a Springbok side renowned for its ability to apply pressure through the set-piece.
Foley expects the All Blacks to continue with the attacking approach they have developed under Rennie, even against South Africa’s famed rush defence.
“They’ll definitely try. That’s what they’re trying to build in terms of Dave Rennie’s style of attack, to play those layers, play that depth and be able to bring their attacking flair into the picture,” he said.
“And that’s going to be the challenge, isn’t it? How they do it against such a rush and such a blitz that South Africa are going to bring.”
ALSO: The All Blacks’ weapon for Bok scrum war
Foley ultimately backed the Springboks to win the four-Test series 3-1.
“Their set-piece battle is probably going to set them up,” he added. “New Zealand have matched it there, but they’re looking a little bit vulnerable in their set-piece defence and they’ve given up a couple of tries in these early matches that I’m sure South Africa will be targeting.”
Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
The post Ex-Wallaby exposes All Blacks’ soft spot appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Kolisi and Nche ‘tracking pretty well’ for Springbok return, says Jones
Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones hinted that captain Siya Kolisi and powerhouse prop Ox Nche are on track to be included in the Boks’ match 23 for the opening Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Both Kolisi and Nche were serious doubts heading into the match week, but on Monday coach Rassie Erasmus said that if they made it through training they would be considered for selection, and Jones backed that up on Tuesday.
They could thus both find themselves on the team sheet when the side is named on Thursday afternoon, but whether they will start or play off the bench will be interesting, as Kolisi has only played 24 minutes of international rugby this season and Nche just eight.
Injuries
Kolisi was injured before their first Test of the season against England, and went on to miss all their Nations Championship games, then returned in their one-off Test against Argentina, only to be forced off with a hamstring injury in the first half.
Nche was also a first half casualty, in the Test against England, suffering a knee injury and has not been seen since.
“Both are tracking pretty well. There have been no flags or issues from what we’ve seen today (Tuesday) in training. We still have another session later in the week, but there’s been nothing majorly negative coming out of either of their recovery plans,” said Jones.
But this season already Erasmus has mentioned that players were in line for selection, and then not picked them, so it also wouldn’t be a surprise if neither of them was on the team sheet.
Enough cover
The Boks also have plenty of cover for both, with Paul de Villiers, Marco van Staden and Deon Fourie the options if Kolisi is missing, while Gerhard Steenekamp and Boan Venter would be the front runners to feature if there is no Nche.
Looking towards the match, Jones said that it would be two very prepared teams coming up against one another, with the All Blacks having played three tour matches against the South African franchises, while the Boks got good game time into some returning players against Argentina.
“New Zealand have had their franchise games, and we’ve had Argentina for some players, while a group of players remained behind in South Africa to do specific work,” explained Jones.
“I don’t think any preparation really replicates the level of intensity you’re going to experience when New Zealand plays South Africa. But I think both teams would say going into this game that they feel prepared.”
ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies Aged 93
ESPN co-founder Bill Rasmussen died at his home in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, on Tuesday, 18 August 2026. He was 93.
Rasmussen died from complications linked to Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed in 2014 and disclosed his diagnosis publicly in 2019.
Founding ESPN
Rasmussen co-founded ESPN with his son, Scott Rasmussen.
The network launched on 7 September 1979 as the world’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to sport.
The idea followed Rasmussen’s dismissal as public relations director for the New England Whalers hockey team. He helped fund the early network with a $9,000 credit card advance.
Changing Sports Broadcasting
ESPN introduced continuous sports programming and gave audiences access to sporting coverage throughout the day.
The network also televised the early rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Rasmussen did not own ESPN at the time of his death. The network is owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.
Recognition for His Contribution
Rasmussen was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2025.
He was also named among the 100 most important people in American sporting history.
His work helped establish the round-the-clock sports television format ESPN became known for after its 1979 launch.
The post ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies Aged 93 appeared first on InBound South Africa.
The International 2026 main event predictions: who will claim the Aegis?
The International 2026 (TI 2026) has already delivered plenty of surprises, cutting the field down to the final eight teams after an unpredictable group stage and elimination round.
Even though some of my earlier TI 2026 predictions didn’t pan out, I still finished in the 91st percentile – so I’m taking another shot at ranking the remaining Dota 2 teams based on their latest form, individual performance, head-to-head records, bracket position, and a little good ol’ fashioned hopium.
Overview: The International 2026 bracket predictions
You can refer to my prediction bracket for the TI 2026 main event to see my calls from the opening matches through the grand final.
While these picks are primarily based on the stats and research outlined in the sections that follow, they also include some personal biases, such as choosing Nigma Galaxy over Team Vision — controversial, I know. That said, I strongly encourage you to do your own research to inform your own choices.
#1. Team Vision (PARIVISION)
Team Vision has been the most convincing team at TI 2026 so far, finishing the group stage as the only 4–0 team with an 8–2 map record. More impressively, three of those series were against teams that also reached the main event, namely Team Falcons, BoomBoys (BetBoom Team), and Team Spirit.
Vision posted a flawless 3–0 record across those matchups and 6–1 in maps, triumphing in a lengthy 94-minute game with 56 kills against Team Falcons. More importantly, that run is part of a much longer hot streak after Vision went 16–3 at the Esports World Cup (EWC 2026), where they ultimately lifted the trophy.
Satanic leads TI’s statistical charts
Alan ‘Satanic’ Gallyamov has produced some of the strongest numbers at TI.
He currently leads the tournament in average GPM (938), XPM (1,049), kills (14.10), and KDA (17.20). Those numbers are even better than his already godlike performance at EWC 2026, where he averaged a 7.75 KDA across 19 maps.
However, the team isn’t entirely reliant on Satanic. EWC MVP Evgeniy ‘Noticed’ Ignatenko also posted equally impressive stats, ranking second in both average assists (20.10) and KDA (12.04).
Vision has dominated its TI 2026 rivals
Against other teams competing at TI 2026, Vision has the clearest path to the grand final.
In 2026, Vision dominated BoomBoys with a 5–1 record, including a 3–1 victory in the EWC 2026 grand final and a 2–0 sweep in the TI 2026 group stage. Vision’s head-to-head record against the main event teams on Patch 7.41 is currently 19-3-1, with losses only to Falcons, Yandex, and Spirit. Their map record is also an astounding 77–25 (75.5% win rate).
Needless to say, Team Vision’s raw individual performances are more than enough to take them to the grand final and give them the best shot at claiming the Aegis.
#2. Nigma Galaxy
Nigma Galaxy has been the most surprising team at TI 2026, finishing the group stage 4–1 with an 8–2 map record.
After losing their opening series to Iron Wing (1w Team), Nigma proceeded to sweep OG, LGD Gaming, Vici Gaming, and Team Spirit to qualify for the main event. This dominance mirrored their 9–1 map finish at EWC 2026, where they faced powerhouses Team Liquid and Aurora Gaming before dropping off in the playoffs.
SumaiL and Lorenof are carrying Nigma
The turnaround coincided almost exactly with Nigma replacing Denys ‘rincyq’ Bohushev and Tony ‘No!ob’ Assaf with Sumail ‘SumaiL’ Hassan as carry and Artem ‘lorenof’ Melnyk as mid.
Lorenof currently tops the charts in hero damage (55,723) and is second-highest in kills (11.70), while ranking among the top 10 players in KDA (9.42), GPM (770), and XPM (998). Meanwhile, SumaiL ranks second in hero damage (49,556) and third in both kills (10) and last hits (677).
The team’s supports are also pulling their weight, with Omar ‘OmaR’ Moughrabi leading with 20.40 assists and Maroun ‘GH’ Merhej ranking fourth with 18.30 assists. OmaR also excels in vision control, with the second-highest dewards (3.70) and the third-most observer wards placed (15.10).
A tough road ahead
This version of Nigma Galaxy has a 25–15 map record since the reshuffle, equivalent to a 62.5% map win rate. Despite that, they have a tough journey ahead and will have to overcome the defending TI 2025 champions, Team Falcons.
However, Nigma’s recent performance and late-game tenacity give them a strong chance of a deep run, no matter the bracket.
#3. Team Liquid
Team Liquid enters the TI 2026 main event as another likely grand finalist after posting its strongest stretch of the season.
The team went 4–1 in the group stage, continuing a late-season surge that began at 1win Essence II roughly a week before reaching Shanghai. Liquid won that event by sweeping Falcons 3–0 in the grand final, despite an earlier 2–0 loss to them in the upper bracket final.
Liquid showed the same mid-series adaptation in their TI 2026 group stage run, beating juggernauts Yandex, Iron Wing, and Aurora 2–1 before sweeping Vici 2–0, all while only losing to Spirit.
Liquid’s star players have been quieter statistically
Despite Liquid’s 4–1 group stage finish, though, their star players haven’t produced the same eye-catching numbers seen at previous tournaments. For example, midlaner Michał ‘Nisha’ Jankowski recorded the fourth-best KDA at 6.39 and the third-highest average killstreak at 6.07.
Meanwhile, carry player Michael ‘miCKe’ Vu posted the third-best tower damage per minute at 266.71. For context, Nisha and miCKe both led the leaderboard in kills at recent events, while supports Erik ‘tOfu’ Engel and Samuel ‘Boxi’ Svahn recorded the most assists.
Liquid’s biggest problem is consistency
Liquid also had a mixed season. They won 1win Essence II and BLAST Slam VI, finished second at PGL Wallachia Season 7, and posted respectable placements elsewhere. However, they also struggled at EWC and DreamLeague 29, finishing 9th–12th at both tournaments. Liquid’s overall map record of 74–52 on Patch 7.41 gives them a 58.7% win rate.
The main concern is that Liquid holds an 8–16 series record on Patch 7.41 against teams competing at TI. While Liquid swept their main event opening opponent, Yandex, during the group stage, the matchup has historically been difficult for them, with Liquid suffering two recent series losses, including a 3–2 grand final defeat.
#4. Iron Wing (1w Team)
Iron Wing has been one of the more difficult teams to gauge this season, but their 3–2 group stage has pushed the ex-Tundra roster right back into contention.
After winning DreamLeague Season 28 and ESL One Birmingham 2026, the team struggled to maintain consistency. They failed to reach the playoffs in three subsequent tournaments and suffered early exits in the playoffs of two others. Their best recent result was a third-place finish at 1win Essence II, where they lost 2–0 to Liquid.
Iron Wing survived TI’s toughest group stage gauntlet
Iron Wing arguably had the hardest path to qualify for the TI 2026 main event, facing five teams that also qualified. They swept Nigma 2–0, beat Falcons and Yandex 2–1, but lost 1–2 against BoomBoys and Liquid. Iron Wing later comfortably swept GamerLegion 2–0 in the elimination round to punch their ticket.
The team has also posted outstanding stats at TI 2026, reflecting how well they work as a unit. Support Matthew ‘Ari’ Walker averaged 86.57 seconds of stuns per map, the second-highest at the tournament, while his 5.06 neutral camps stacked per map ranked fifth. As a team, Iron Wing also averaged 1.63 Roshan kills per map, the fifth-highest figure at TI.
Taken together, those performances make Iron Wing a genuine dark horse at TI 2026. Although their strong run following the previous TI began to lose momentum later in the season, their impressive group stage gauntlet showed that they still have the quality to make a serious run at the Aegis.
#5. Team Yandex
Team Yandex is the strongest team in the bottom half of the ranking. However, the team’s 2–3 Group Stage record doesn’t truly reflect how dangerous they have been this year.
Yandex won PGL Wallachia Season 7 and BLAST Slam VII, and finished second at ESL One Birmingham. More impressively, they boast a 61.3% win rate on Patch 7.41 with a 49–31 map record. Alimzhan ‘watson‘ Islambekov remains the centerpiece of the team and accounts for nearly all of Yandex’s records at TI 2026.
Watson is highly efficient in lane, ranking fourth in last hits per minute (13.11) and average creeps denied (19.24), while also holding the fifth-longest killstreak (5.59). He is also tied for the second-most diverse Dota 2 hero pool, behind only Topias ‘Topson‘ Taavitsainen.
Yandex still needs a statement win
Despite all of Yandex’s past achievements, they still rank #5 in my TI 2026 predictions because they simply haven’t produced a convincing enough win against a top team at TI. In the group stage, Yandex beat winless Huligani and defeated Team Resilience 2-1.
Granted, they suffered close losses to Liquid, Aurora, and Iron Wing, but they also barely escaped elimination with a 2–1 win against LGD. Even so, Yandex has the potential to re-establish itself as a grand final contender – but only if it can rediscover its earlier form.
#6. Team Falcons
Team Falcons enters the Main Event with a chance to defend its title, but the reigning champions haven’t looked nearly as dominant throughout 2026.
After winning TI 2025, Falcons went on to win FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2 and finish as runners-up at BLAST Slam IV. However, their most recent grand final appearance came at 1win Essence II. The team’s overall record on Patch 7.41 also makes those inconsistent placements somewhat misleading, with Falcons posting a strong 74–41 map record and a 64.6% win rate.
Falcons have struggled to close out series
Falcons went 3–2 in the TI group stage, with all five series going to three games, including the tournament’s longest game so far. They opened with a win over LGD before losing consecutive series to Vision and Iron Wing, then recovered with 2–1 victories over GamerLegion and BoomBoys. Falcons eventually qualified for the main event by sweeping Vici 2–0 in the elimination round.
Individually, Falcons haven’t produced the same kind of tournament-leading numbers as some other contenders.
Although Andreas ‘Cr1t-‘ Nielsen leads the leaderboard in average camp stacks (6.12) and Oliver ‘skiter‘ Lepko ranks fourth in average tower damage (243.99), Falcons’ inability to cleanly close out games – combined with their lengthy matches – gives opponents plenty of wiggle room to punish them and potentially eliminate them from the tournament.
#7. Team Spirit
Team Spirit had one of the strangest routes to the TI 2026 main event, starting the Group Stage 3–0 before nearly being eliminated.
They swept Xtreme and Aurora before beating Liquid 2–1, putting them one series away from qualifying. Instead, Spirit were swept 2–0 by both Vision and Nigma, forcing them into the elimination round, where they recovered with a close 2–1 win over Team Resilience.
Yatoro might be Team Spirit’s not-so-secret weapon
Ilya ‘Yatoro’ Mulyarchuk remains the biggest reason Spirit is still in contention for the Aegis, as his other teammates have fallen behind.
The two-time TI winner has recorded the fifth-highest average kills (9.57), second-highest GPM (855.36), and second-highest average last hits (704). He’s also highly efficient when split-pushing, dealing the second-most tower damage per minute (279.37), but also active in fights, with the fourth-most hero damage per minute (834.65).
Beyond his overall numbers, Yatoro also tied SumaiL for the most kills in a single TI game, recording 31 kills against Team Liquid.
Team Spirit’s inconsistency makes them a gamble
Since Alexey ‘not me‘ Kosmynin joined in May and Aleksandr ‘rue‘ Filin moved to position five, Spirit has posted a 49–28 map record for a much stronger 63.6% win rate.
However, their head-to-head record against the other main event teams is less convincing: 9-14-1 in series and 21–30 in maps. Spirit have surprisingly dominated Liquid with a 4–0 series record on Patch 7.41, but are 0–4 against both Falcons and Yandex.
With Yatoro playing at his usual TI level and the current roster performing much better than earlier versions of Spirit, a deep run is not out of reach. The only problem is that their inconsistency makes backing them for a third Aegis a bigger gamble than the teams ranked above them.
#8. BoomBoys (BetBoom Team)
BoomBoys enter the TI 2026 main event much lower in this ranking than their previous tournament achievements would normally suggest.
The team had one of its most successful seasons, winning PGL Wallachia Season 8 with a dominant 15–3 map record and finishing second at EWC 2026 after reaching the grand final with a 14–2 record. They also had several other top-four finishes in 2026. BoomBoys have also posted an 85–48 map record (63.9% win rate) this season, reinforcing their excellent track record.
Despite that, their TI 2026 group stage was shaky, starting 2–0 with wins over OG and Iron Wing before losing three consecutive series against Vision, Aurora, and Falcons. They eventually recovered by sweeping Aurora 2–0 in the elimination round.
BoomBoys face the toughest opening matchup
Ilya ‘Kiritych‘ Ulyanov showed how high the team’s ceiling can be, recording the tournament’s highest single-game GPM of 1,105 on Necrophos. He was particularly impressive in their elimination series against Aurora, especially the 10/2/7 performance on Io in the deciding map. While Danil ‘gpk‘ Skutin is one of their star players, he has yet to make a statistical mark at TI 2026.
However, BoomBoys sit this low in my TI 2026 main event predictions largely because they have arguably the toughest opening matchup of any remaining team.
Their first opponent is Vision, a team that has dominated them throughout 2026 with a 13–5 map record and already swept them 2–0 in the TI Group Stage. If their underwhelming group stage form continues, BoomBoys could very well bow out early from TI 2026.
Conclusion
With eight teams left and several contenders already showing weaknesses, TI 2026 remains difficult to call heading into the final week. While Team Vision is the “safest pick” for the Aegis, any of these teams could realistically go all the way.
While raw stats and numbers can always serve as a good forecast for what’s about to happen, they will never guarantee the results when these elite teams go head-to-head in Shanghai.
Disclaimer: All statistics are accurate as of Aug. 19, 2026, and are sourced from DatDota and Spectral.gg.
The post The International 2026 main event predictions: who will claim the Aegis? appeared first on Esports Insider.
Msendami hoping for more game time at Pirates after maiden goal
Daniel Msendami hopes his maiden Orlando Pirates goal will earn him more playing time at the Buccaneers this season.
Msendami netted the third goal as Pirates defeated Chippa United 3-0 in a Betway Premiership clash played at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban last Sunday.
It was his first competitive goal for Pirates since joining the Soweto giants from Marumo Gallants in January.
“I am happy to have scored my first goal for Orlando Pirates, and I hope to continue getting more opportunities to play,” Msendami told Zimbabwe’s Herald Online.
“My aim is to keep working hard, score more goals and help the team continue winning matches. There is a lot of competition in the squad, so I have to make the most of every opportunity I get.”
Msendami added that he was delighted to have fulfilled his dream of playing for a big club like Pirates.
“Joining Pirates is a dream come true for me because Pirates are one of the biggest teams in Africa,” Msendami said in January.
“I am excited to be here and I am looking forward to delivering by scoring goals to help the team continue to win matches.”
Msendami has faced stiff competition for places in a Pirates attack since joining them from Gallants, but Sunday’s contribution strengthened his case for more minutes.
“I joined Pirates knowing that they have a big squad and for me that was a big motivation because I always want to compete and be one of the best in the team.
“I am now focusing on improving game by game and being in the best physical and mental state as the season progresses,” commented Msendami.
Ouaddou hails Msendami
Meanwhile, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised Msendami following his maiden goal in Buccaneers’ colours.
“He’s somebody who was dreaming to play for Pirates. I know coming into a big club like that, sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes you have to be patient because there is a lot of competition, but he gets there,” said Ouaddou.
“He’s holding, he’s working and we start to see the benefit of his work. I was very happy about his goal. Like you said, it’s very important for his confidence.
“But me, all the time I had this trust on him because I know him from a previous club [Ouaddou and Msendami worked together at Marumo Gallants] and I know what he can bring for the club. He has a different profile regarding the other ones, but I’m sure we will be able to use him in different games.”
Following the win against Chippa, Pirates will now shift their focus to Saturday’s MTN8 semifinal first leg game against Sekhukhune United at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium (kick-off is at 3pm).