SportsLIVE PODCAST special | RWC preview: Kaplan on refs & Herschel Jantjies

The wait is over. The 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off this weekend and the tournament comes out swinging with SA facing New Zealand in one of the opening round matches.

It's going to be a box office affair in Yokohama and SportsLIVE host Sbu Mjikeliso will be at the game to witness the action live. But before he left, he took a deep dive into the main talking points of the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

We spoke at length to former renowned international rugby referee and author Jonathan Kaplan about the laws of the game, which will come under intense scrutiny at this tournament, especially in this era of social media.

Kaplan says: “The tackler is at the mercy of the ball-carrier.” He is referring to the alleged “diving” that has creeped into rugby. He also delves into the Owen Farrell controversial decisions that allowed England to beat the Springboks at Twickenham last year.

These and many other officiating talking points will have social media abuzz when the tournament officially begins. There are NBA references in there as well. And what does basketball have to do with it? You will have to listen to find out.

We also take a special look at Herschel Jantjies's rise to become a potential match-winner for the Springboks at the big showpiece. And we hear from the guy that made it possible for HJ to attend prestigious school Paul Roos, even though he was from a small town called Kylemore.

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