Toby Shapshak

Stuff Rugby with Andy Capostagno

News EN ↓ 35 episodes

Andy Capostagno has been talking and writing about South African rugby for more than three decades. He's been my emotional support person for rugby since I was lucky enough to meet him when I was unexpectedly made the sports editor of the Mail & Guardian newspaper many moons ago. Welcome to Stuff Rugby.

Author

Toby Shapshak

Category

News

Podcast website

stuff.co.za

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

Boks beat England to open Test season 07.07.2026

Despite losing Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth on the morning of the inaugural Nations Championship Test to England, the Springboks still beat the old foe, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Coach Rassie Erasmus wasted no time in naming a team with 10 changes to the starting line-up for the second Test against Scotland. Read more on  Stuff .

Springboks go full strength for England opening Test 30.06.2026

Rassie Erasmus has named his strongest team for the opening England game of the new Nations Championship, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. With an eye to the future, there is plenty of youth in the Bomb Squad. Read more on  Stuff .

Springboks off to winning start against Barbarians + Norton, Moyo selected 23.06.2026

The Barbarians, coached by Scott Robertson in his first game since being fired as All Blacks coach, gave the Springboks a good run for their money, while u20 stars Riley Norton and Vusi Moyo have been elevated directly into the Boks squad, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Rassie picks a surprise at flyhalf and in the pack 16.06.2026

Lions fullback Quan Horn has been picked at flyhalf in the first Springbok team of the year – against the Barbarians. It’s classic Rassie Erasmus Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Meanwhile, the South Africa A against Zimbabwe blends a mix of youth and experience. Read more on  Stuff .

Rassie goes big with first Boks squad 11.06.2026

With two matches to play on June 20th (Springboks against the Barbarians and SA A against Zimbabwe), Rassie Erasmus has named a 51-player squad for both games, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Bulls, Stormers fly SA flag in URC semifinals 01.06.2026

The last thing any other URC team wanted to face in a semifinal are the two top South African sides, but that is what they’ve got this weekend, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Meanwhile Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is injured and potentially out for three months, but don’t panic, Cappy adds. We’ve got Mannie Libbok and Handre Pollard, in that order, next in line. Read more on  Stuff .

Kolbe’s back home and Naas is coaching in America 28.05.2026

Cheslin Kolbe is the latest high-profile Springbok to be lured back home, beefing up the Stormers, who are South Africa’s best prospects for the URC quarter-finals. So too are the Bulls but the Lions v Leinster is the game everyone will be watching. Meanwhile, legendary Bok Naas Botha has a couching gig in the States. Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak a heart-warming story about Naas in America....

18-year-old Siyaya catches Rassie’s eye 15.05.2026

With 18-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya invited to the Springbok camps, coach Rassie Erasmus shows how far and wide he casts his eye, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. The alignment camp announced five weeks before the first Bok game is filled with talented youngsters. Read more on  Stuff .

Great rugby in the six nations, pity about the defence 27.03.2026

The best Six Nations yet, but eventual winners France had 50 points scored against them twice in a row, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Plucky Italy did well to beat England, while Scotland’s victories over England and France were just as memorable. Read more on  Stuff .

Great year for the Springboks, Etzebeth and Jan-Hendrik not so much 10.12.2025

This has been a triumphant year for the Springboks and coach Rassie Erasmus, who has reinvented the dour kompestamp Bokke into the world’s most exciting attack team, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff . Would you like Stuff Rugby to do weekly updates on the URC, please let us know.

Ireland are worthy competitors for these Boks, who will still win. 21.11.2025

A third number five lock in two weeks is enough maths for this podcast, as Rassie Erasmus fields his strongest side against Ireland, the one side that has been able to unlock the Springboks, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Another red card, another triumphant Bok performance 18.11.2025

Digging deep two weeks in a row, the Springboks proved (again) that they can win with 14 men. If Rassie Erasmus wanted to build experience in pressure situations, these two intense Tests have been a boon, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak.  Finally Ox Nché has been nominated for World Rugby’s player of the year. Will this the year for a front ranker? Read more on  Stuff .

Is Handre Pollard really the third choice Springbok flyhalf? #StuffRugby 14.11.2025

Against minnows Italy, coach Rassie Erasmus has given his dirt trackers a run…. Including double World Cup winning flyhalf Handre Pollard, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Centurion Siya and his brave Boks win Le Grudge in style #StuffRugby 11.11.2025

Captain courageous Kolisi leads from the front – and the sidelines – as we saw in his 100th Test when Lood de Jager’s red card saw him sacrificed at half time. Along with Andre the Giant, the newest hybrid player, the 14-man Springboks turned Le Grudge match into a triumph for centurion Kolisi, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Super Siya's century – We'll always have Paris #StuffRugby 07.11.2025

Siya Kolisa, the captain of South Africa, is running out for his 100th Test in coach Rassie Erasmus's 50th game in charge. After the extraordinary Springbok win in the 2023 World Cup quarter final (called the best rugby match ever by some) the losing team are calling this a “grudge match”, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Zac to the future: Boks newbies replace legends #StuffRugby 22.10.2025

Rassie Erasmus bold selection of 21-year-old tighthead Zachary Porthen has set tongues wagging, even as the coach leaves legends at home. The changing of the guard is fully underway, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Springboks retain Rugby Champs. Obvs. #StuffRugby 06.10.2025

Of course, the Boks won the Rugby Championship against Argentina at Twickenham, with the next World Cup side starting to take shape, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Is Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu the next best thing since sliced-bread? #StuffRugby 29.09.2025

There is no doubt Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a "generational” talent – after his record-setting 37-point individual score in a Test. Poor Argentina, who like both Australia and New Zealand, but had no answer to South Africa’s mercurial 23-year-old prodigy, who scored a hat-trick of tries and 37 points, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Is this the younger Springbok side emerging, as they take on Argentina in Durban? #StuffRugby 26.09.2025

With two injury-enforced changes, the Springboks to face Argentina in Durban have a new look about them. Is this the beginning of the next World Cup defending team, Toby Shapshak asks Andy Capostagno. Read more on  Stuff .

Springboks blow All Blacks away: is this the beginning of the threepeat? #StuffRugby 17.09.2025

After the bitter defeat at Eden Park, a wounded Springboks side blew the All Blacks off the Wellington pitch with a triumphant 43-10 win, the biggest ever defeat for New Zealand at home or away. Ouch. But the real pain, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak, is that All Blacks legends can see the country just doesn’t have the depth of talent it needs for the modern era. Read more on  Stuff .

What just happened? Can the Boks bounce back from Eden Park and win in Wellington? #StuffRugby 08.09.2025

After a game to forget at Eden Park, Rassie Erasmus wasted no time in announcing his Springbok team on Monday morning. Gone are two former captains, Jesse Kriel and Eben Etzebeth, as well as veterans like Handre Pollard, Willie le Roux and Damian de Allende. This is not the team Rassie planned, and some big names have been omitted Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

The biggest game of the year: Boks v All Blacks at Eden Park | #StuffRugby 28.08.2025

There will be no bigger Test this year than the Springboks v All Blacks at Fortress Eden Park, where New Zealand haven’t lost for 30 years, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Springboks go big for Wallabies at Ellis Park | #StuffRugby 11.08.2025

The usual giant players are joined by a few just as giant youngsters for the first Test against the Wallabies at Ellis Park. Coach Rassie Erasmus named his team on Monday, a world-first Toby Shapshak jokes with Andy Capostagno. Read more on  Stuff .

The Wallabies are back, kinda | #StuffRugby 08.08.2025

Despite. Stronger showing in the third Test against the British and Irish Lions, the Wallabies are still a work in progress. The Springboks, meanwhile, are the strongest they’ve ever been, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

Now the Springboks mean business – Rugby Championship preview | #StuffRugby 25.07.2025

Rassie Erasmus has effortlessly begun the transition to the next Rugby World Cup cycle by leaving out three double world cup winners for the Rugby Championships; while bringing in a crop of talented youngsters, Andy Capostagno tells Toby Shapshak. Read more on  Stuff .

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