Who on earth has got the chutzpah to rob Gloucester’s giant No.8 Ruan Ackermann? Probably only someone with a gun is the answer, and that seems to be the story coming out of South Africa overnight, with the 24-year-old on a break from club duties. Anyone who’s watched Ackermann on the pitch for Gloucester this season, son of head coach Johan, will know he’s a physical and talented player, fortunately unharmed in the incident. Moving on from that unpleasant story but sticking with South Africa there are plenty of news agency’s previewing the Guinness PRO14 clash between Toyota Cheetahs and Isuzu Southern Kings on Saturday. The Cheetahs pipped a scintillating first derby last weekend and the re-match is set to be a cracker. Back to the northern hemisphere and everyone is of course talking about the Guinness Six Nations, which gets underway on Saturday. If you missed any of the team announcements they’re all here, with one of the biggest stories of the day George North’s inclusion at outside centre for Wales. The 42.ie also has a story about a bristling Rob Herring, while we finish with the Belfast Telegraph and Mike Catt’s claim that Jacob Stockdale will be back at his best in the Six Nations.
