This week on The Rugby Scoop Pod:

• Stormers loose forward Ruan Ackermann has been suspended for a dangerous cleanout against Leinster (3 match ban)
• The Stormers have ended their pursuit of Argentina lock Tomás Lavanini. - “We would rather put our faith in the local guys like Connor Evans, [Junior Boks captain] Riley Norton and Gary Porter, who are full-blooded Stormers,” - Dobson
• Hurricanes scrumhalf Cam Roigard has come under fire for his actions during Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against the Blues.
• Rassie Erasmus has revealed the objectives for the South Africa A game against Zimbabwe next weekend as SA Rugby looks to ‘capture’ top Junior Springboks talents.
• Also, Vickers are you happy with the squad? We know Bulls players will join after this coming weekend
• Congratulations to Mzwandile Stick on leading the SA A side
• NZR announce Tony Brown as Allblacks assistant coach for 2028 and beyond - who can replace Tony? We know some wanted him to leave
• Lalakai Foketi joins the Ospreys
• Rassie says flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, ‌would be ready six weeks before the first of four tests against New Zealand on August 22, as would be his ‌usual halfback partner Cobus Reinach.
• Congratulations to the Knicks, winning the NBA after 53 loooooooong and grilling years. Spike Lee & Ben Stiller must be so happy
• Farrell said he expected Lowe and centre Bundee Aki to sign new contracts.
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• But while Aki agreed a new one-year deal to stay with Connacht, Lowe is set to leave when his contract expires this summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Japan's Suntory Sungoliath.
• Moving to Japan would halt his Ireland career a year out from the Rugby World Cup in Australia given the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU)'s policy of not selecting players based outside of Ireland.
• So James Lowe is retiring from International Rugby
• Last topic before we jump on the games: Hurricanes have scored 100 tries this season. And they’ve done it in 16 games - is Super Rugby the T20 of rugby?

Topics:

• Premiership: Joseph Dweba will be in the Premiership finals
• Bath choked this season? With everything they did last season, everyone expected more from them. This season they finish with 0 silverware
• On Bath - 4 mins 29 seconds ball in play 40+ phases and to be held up over the goal line
• Super Rugby Semifinals: Chiefs rip through the Crusaders
• Hurricanes second half performance - all this talk about Segner, he was absent last night
• Bulls / Leinster Preview: Last Dance for James Lowe. Do we genuinely believe Bulls can upset Leinster in front of 60k Irish fans

News:

• Rassie Erasmus has named a 51-man Springbok squad for a season-opening double-header in Gqeberha. 21 uncapped players included in the squad
• Aphelele Fassi has been granted a sabbatical by the Sharks to play in Japan and will return to Durban in June next year.
• Bordeaux have signed two young players from South Africa - Benjamin Coetzee and Diaan Augustyn on junior contracts
• Embrose Papier, has a contract with the Bulls until 2027, however The Sharks in Durban have offered to pay a fee to release him early - Sharks desperate?
• Ardie Savea and Dave Rennie are Japanese League one winners
• Stormers head coach has apologised to Leinster and Leo Cullen for Ruan Ackermann's red card

• double World Cup-winning centre Damian de Allende could also make his way back to the Mother City.
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• Ivan van Rooyen admitted the Lions were taught a harsh lesson by Leinster after their 59-10 defeat in Saturday’s Vodacom URC quarter-final in Dublin
• Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured his ankle in the act of scoring a second-half try and was walking with crutches after the match,
• Ruan Jacobs will be the Sharks’ new talent recruiter.
• Ruan Venter’s knee injury has messed up Rassie Erasmus’ plans to use him at No 4 lock for the Springboks.
• Lions and Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has little appetite to challenge the ruling that will keep him sidelined until November 2027.
• Former Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies is reportedly being pursued by both Sars and creditors over unpaid debts.
• New Zealand Rugby has reportedly intervened with Hurricane Fehi Fineanganofo’s Newcastle Red Bulls negotiations in hopes of keeping the star winger on home shores.