Welsh dual-code legend Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies has paid tribute to the late Sir Billy Boston following his death at the age of 92. The rugby league icon passed away in hospital just weeks after the death of his beloved wife, Lady Joan, with tributes pouring in from across the world of sport.
Jiffy leads tributes to Sir Billy Boston
Like Sir Billy - who scored a remarkable 571 tries in 562 first-class matches in rugby league - Davies played both codes and previously championed the contributions the Tiger Bay-born icon made to the 13-a-side game.
Paying tribute on Tuesday evening, Davies shared a photo of himself with Sir Billy and fellow Welsh rugby league great Jim Mills, and wrote: "RIP Billy Boston, a true legend." It followed tributes from across the rugby world, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham also issuing a statement and admitting he was "heartbroken" by the news of Sir Billy's passing.
"Heartbroken to hear my friend Sir Billy Boston has died," he wrote. "Billy was one of the greatest Rugby League players of all time but also one of the kindest and most down-to-earth people you could ever wish to meet."
"He always had time for people and gave so much back to his adopted home, Wigan. I will miss him greatly and am thinking today of Billy’s family, still grieving the recent loss of his beloved wife Joan. A giant of a man in every way," the PM added. "Thank you, Billy, and rest in peace."
Erasmus reverses captaincy decision
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Siya Kolisi will start and skipper his side against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday, with the decision to hand Pieter-Steph du Toit the captaincy on his 100th cap subsequently reversed.
Erasmus had previously taken the unusual step of naming both Kolisi and Paul de Villiers at number six when he announced his squad on Monday, with the Boks coaching staff giving the former additional time to prove his fitness after being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Du Toit was named as captain as a result, but the Springboks chief has now confirmed that this was only a precaution, with Kolisi now cleared to start the second Test against New Zealand as skipper.
De Villiers has dropped out of the matchday squad, with Kolisi, du Toit and Jasper Wiese making up the South African back row.
"Siya is 100 percent, he will be starting and he will be captain," said Erasmus on Tuesday, as he confirmed he was reversing his previous captaincy call. "We told him he needs to be able to run full-out on Monday, and he did that yesterday and today without any discomfort, so he is good to go."
"The only reason why we announced Pieter-Steph as captain is if a player has to go through a medical period on a Monday, and he has to be captain and he withdraws in the middle of a training session because his hamstring didn’t last, then all of a sudden we have to switch captaincy again. Where Pietie just took it for us on Monday, so Siya can concentrate on doing his job, and today me and Pietie had a chat. It is his 100th match, and in such a match you probably don’t want to have captaincy and a lot of other things around you, you really want to play well."
On Kolisi's return, he added: "For us and for South Africa, Siya means a lot. Pietie was excellent as captain, but Siya is our captain at this stage. Those 25 minutes he played against Argentina; he played really well. And obviously it’s not just his game. Also, he is a very inspirational person and a guy that means a lot to us on and off the field."
Sio ready for Cardiff challenge
Former Wallabies prop Scott Sio is relishing the challenge as he prepares for the latest chapter of his eventful career with Cardiff. The 74-cap international has spent the last four seasons with Exeter Chiefs after moving to the UK from Australia, but moved to Arms Park in a statement signing ahead of the upcoming United Rugby Championship campaign.
A highly experienced loosehead, Sio has played at the highest level of the sport but says he is looking forward to testing himself in a new league against "some of the best players in the world". In an interview with Cardiff, the 34-year-old said: "To be in a new city, a new team, to challenge myself against some of the best players in the world... Wales has such a rich rugby history, and Cardiff is no different. I mean, you can go through an extensive list of greats to have played for this club."
"I’m really big on rivalries too," he added. "At Brumbies, there was the Waratahs, and obviously at Exeter playing against Saracens. I know people definitely get around Welsh derbies, so I’m definitely looking forward to that. With the way that the team built last season, it’s definitely exciting to be able to see if we can not only replicate, but go up another level, another step from as a team."
