Former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen has stirred the pot with All Blacks fans after mocking Tupou Vaa’i’s celebrations in New Zealand’s 24-17 win over South Africa at Eden Park.
Vaa’i, who was one of the standout performers for the hosts, let his emotions fly after forcing a turnover—but Pietersen wasn’t impressed.
“I hope the All Blacks had their review of yesterday’s Test and the coach explained to their number 5, that celebrating a turnover like you’ve won the World Cup is embarrassing! Leave that to other teams……..”
Fans divided over Pietersen’s dig
Supporters were quick to weigh in, with reactions ranging from brutal takedowns to supportive nods:
- “The bloke was celebrating a knock on. I named him ‘handjies klap, kookies bak.’”
- “Surely you understand sledging and the role it plays in getting under the other team’s skin. Every team needs those players.”
- “Leave that to England?”
- “Guess you are South African again?”
- “A fair point—acting like you’ve been there before shows composure. Save the big celebrations for when the real trophies are lifted.”
It’s safe to say Pietersen’s comments have only added fuel to the fire in the always-heated All Blacks–Springboks rivalry.
“Shocking” – Five players who FLOPPED in round three of The Rugby Championship
Below, we take a closer look at five players who failed to deliver in round three of the Rugby Championship.
#1. Willie le Roux
RUCK 4.5/10: “South Africa’s centurion had a night to forget. Beaten all too easily in the build-up to Emoni Narawa’s try, his defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed. He failed to inject creativity or link play effectively in attack, looking off the pace throughout. With little contribution going forward and lapses at the back, his presence was more liability than asset. Withdrawn before 50 minutes, this was a flat performance from a player usually relied upon for composure.”
Planet Rugby 3/10: “A shocking start to the match as he poorly dealt with Beauden Barrett’s cross-kick to Emoni Narawa, and it proved extremely costly as the winger pounced to score. That was followed by a fumble in the air that resulted in a penalty to New Zealand. Le Roux did have some bright moments in the back-up and with his clearances, but overall, it was a very, very underwhelming performance from the veteran Bok. He was replaced early in the second half by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.”
The South African 5/10: “He offered little to nothing on attack and was poor in defence. It was his defensive lapse – where he dived over the ball-carrier instead of tackling him – that led to the All Blacks’ opening try in the second minute of the game. By the time he was hooked in the second half, he had already been a passenger for too long.”
Summary: Le Roux’s defensive errors and lack of attacking spark made him a liability; a forgettable night for the veteran.
