It was not only a busy week in South African rugby, it was indeed busy all over the World. Here’s a short summary of news from around the rugby globe. We discuss from Guinness Premiership to Currie Cup First Division to Super 14 to World Cup Preparation to Currie Cup Premier Division Log to European Challange Cup to French Top 14.
Guinness Premiership Round 5 Results:
Saracens went back to the top of the Premiership with a 22-15 win at Newcastle on Sunday.
Wasps held off a brave fightback from Northampton as they got back on track with a 20-15 success.
Mike Tindall created one try and scored another as Gloucester ended a dismal run of three successive losses and condemned bottom club Leeds to a 26-10 defeat.
On Saturday, Leicester beat Worcester 19-14.
On Saturday, Harlequins edged past Bath 13-11.
London Irish won 11-8 at Sale on Friday.
Currie Cup First Division semi-Finalists:
The 2009 Currie Cup First Division semifinalists have been confirmed:
The Pumas will host the Mighty Elephants in Witbank.
The SWD Eagles will host the Griffons in George.
The Eagles secured the crucial second position on the log and a home semifinal following their 18-16 victory over the Elephants at Outeniqua Park on Saturday evening.
In Welkom, the Pumas suffered their first defeat of the season after the Griffons shocked the log leaders to win 35-24 on Saturday. The result had no impact on the log and ensured that the visitors end the season in pole position in the competition.
In the other First Division match of the weekend, the Border Bulldogs secured their second victory of the season by defeating the Valke 39-15 in a bottom-of-the-log clash in East London on Saturday. The Valke also failed to win any fixtures in the competition this year.
Brumbies get new kit sponsor:
KooGa Australia will fit out the CA Brumbies as jersey and apparel partners from 2010.
The Australian owned and operated organisation will join Brumbies Rugby as commercial partners for the next four years, providing team kit and uniforms for the CA Brumbies as well as the official range of supporter merchandise.
The KooGA brand kick-started as a rugby apparel provider in the United Kingdom and services English Premiership clubs Harlequins and Saracens, as well as top line Welsh clubs Llanelli RFC, Ospreys, and Swansea.
In Australia, KooGa supply the Newcastle Knights and Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League and have recently announced they will be official apparel suppliers to the Wallabies and Queensland Reds from 2010.
All Blacks to start World Cup build up in the Northern Hemisphere:
With the final whistle of their 2009 Tri-Nations campaign still ringing in their ears the All Blacks looked north and singled out France in particular to begin tuning up for the 2011 World Cup.
After beating the Wallabies 33-6 a couple of weeks ago to bag second place behind the Springboks in the Tri-Nations, the All Blacks were keen to put a disappointing southern-hemisphere season behind them.
The six-match, end-of-year, tour would be a chance for players to play their way into the World Cup selection frame, Henry told reporters.
In recent years, France have earned a reputation as New Zealand’s bogey team having tipped them out of the 1999 World Cup semi-finals and 2007 World Cup quarter-finals as well as squaring a two-Test series in New Zealand in June.
Although several veteran All Blacks failed to measure up to their usual high standards this year, Henry dismissed suggestions the northern tour would be a chance to blood new players.
Henry said All Blacks certain to miss the northern hemisphere tour because of injury are hooker Keven Mealamu, lock Ali Williams and centre Richard Kahui.
Tour schedule:
Oct 31: v Australia, Tokyo
Nov 7: v Wales, Cardiff
Nov 14: v Italy, Milan
Nov 21: v England, London
Nov 28: v France, Marseille
Dec 5: v Barbarians, London
Ewen McKenzie ready to take Reds reigns:
Ewen McKenzie says that he is ready to hit the ground running as Reds coach and warned they risked being further destabilised by seeking an interim appointment.
The Reds are expected to announce Phil Mooney’s successor for 2010 in the next two weeks and McKenzie has been tipped for the job after meeting chairman Rod McCall.
McKenzie scoffed at claims that he would be a risky appointment after being sacked last month by French club Stade Francais and after he left the Waratahs last year.
Three Teams qualify for Currie Cup semi’s:
The inability of the Sharks to gain a bonus point against the Lions sees them drop to second place on the log by virtue of Western Province’s better points differential.
Western Province 49 (+221)
Sharks 49 (+178)
Blue Bulls 41 (+139)
Griquas 39 (-28)
Cheetahs 35 (+160)
Lions 33 (+97)
Leopards 6 (-287)
Boland 5 (-480)
European Cup Challenge fixtures released:
The fixtures, dates and kick-off times for the new-look European Challenge Cup, which from this season will see three Heineken Cup teams competing in the knock-out stages of the tournament have been announced by tournament organisers ERC.
Full broadcast schedules will be announced shortly.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP 2009/10 FIXTURES
ROUND 1
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Montpellier 19.45
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Leeds Carnegie 19.30
POOL 2 Connacht v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 19.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Toulon 19.00
POOL 4 Bayonne v Roma 19.30
POOL 5 Albi v Montauban 20.00
SATURDAY 10 COTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Rugby Parma 13.00
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Newcastle Falcons 15.00
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Saracens v Rugby Rovigo 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Racing-Metro 92 15.00
ROUND 2
THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Toulon v Saracens 20.45
FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Connacht Rugby 20.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Petrarca Rugby 20.30
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Bourgoin 13.00
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Worcester 16.30
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Castres Olympique 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v London Wasps 15.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Bayonne 20.45
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Overmach Rugby Parma 15.00
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Albi 15.00
ROUND 3
THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Montauban 19.45
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 20.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Saracens 19.00
POOL 3 Toulon v Rugby Rovigo 19.30
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bourgoin 14.00
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Leeds Carnegie 13.00
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Connacht Rugby 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Bayonne 17.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Roma 20.45
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Albi 15.00
ROUND 4
THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Overmach Rugby Parma 19.30
POOL 4 Bayonne v London Wasps 20.45
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Worcester Warriors 19.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Newcastle Falcons 20.30
SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Montpellier 16.00
POOL 3 Saracens v Castres Olympique 19.45
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Toulon 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v Racing-Metro 92 14.30
POOL 5 Albi v Petrarca Rugby 19.00
SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bucuresti Oaks 15.00
ROUND 5
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Leeds Carnegie
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Montpellier
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid
POOL 3 Saracens v Toulon
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Rugby Rovigo
POOL 4 Bayonne v Racing-Metro 92
POOL 4 London Wasps v Roma
POOL 5 Albi v Newcastle Falcons
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Montauban
ROUND 6
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bourgoin
POOL 2 Montpellier v Worcester Warriors
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Connacht Rugby
POOL 3 Toulon v Castres Olympique
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Saracens
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v London Wasps
POOL 4 Roma v Bayonne
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Petrarca Rugby
POOL 5 Montauban v Albi
QUARTER-FINALS
8 / 9 / 10 / 11 APRIL, 2010
SEMI-FINALS
30 APRIL 1 / 2 MAY, 2010
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
21 / 22 / 23 MAY, 2010
Clermont lead Top 14:
Defending champions Perpignan slipped to fourth place in the Top 14 after suffering a 27-12 loss away to Biarritz on Saturday.
Clermont moved atop the league with a bonus-point 38-13 victory over Bayonne.
Castres went into second after edging a 21-19 thriller against Toulon.
Fourth-placed Toulouse registered a 30-12 win over Montpellier, a result that left the latter in trouble one spot off the foot of the table.
Racing-Metro moved into mid-table comfort with a 17-12 win over Montauban, while fellow Parisian side Stade Francais handed Brive a 44-16 thrashing on Friday.
In the late game, Bourgoin beat bottom-placed club Albi 26-16.
@Loosehead – Hi Loosehead,must say i wish they would show a few more of the games.The club rugby overthere seems to be a bit different to our kind of rugby and they seem to use the forwards a lot, they seem to play with a lot of grunt, please correct me if you think i am wrong.
@Treehugger – oh and why i am wrong
@grootblousmile – Morning Beasty man, :-)) how are you feeling? What kind of notebook did you buy? I got a Packard Bell Easynote MH36 at the end of March. Didnt know what to get but thought get a well known name at a mid range price of R7999.00 because i know nothing bout computers. Did i make a good choice or not.
@Treehugger – I like the style of rugy shown last night.
@grootblousmile – More Mense!…GBS..ek is bly almal skryf al weer die WP af. Julle doen dit elke week en kyk waar is ons nou al! Sharkies gaan kraak daar in Kimberley om te wen, wat nog van 5 punte te kry. Onthou, Griekwas kan nog 4de eindig indien hy wen of bonuspunte kry! Lions kon nog nooit twee Saterdae in ‘n ry ‘n groot game speel nie. Hulle het niks om voor te speel nie en WP speel vir top spot. WP en Sharks gaan altwee net 4 punte kry en die log gaan net so bly met Cheetahs was opskuif in 4de plek.
@Polla – Hope you are wrong, dont want to play the Bulls in a semi, must say your team is playing well and for the first time in a very long time am a bit apprehensive of them.
@Polla – 35
Hi Polla,
So who do you want to face in the final then at Newlands Bulls or Sharks?
@grootblousmile – 29
Hoping GBS. That will make my weekend :-))
@Polla – Verstaan nie hoekom jy dink dat die Sharks gaan “kraak” in Kimberly nie. Ek reken eerder dat WP gaan sukkel om te wen in JHB die naweek.
Hang seker maar af uit watter hoek jy na die ding kyk. 🙄
Puma – Would like to play WP in the final this year. They definately had our number without our boks this season, and it would be nice to set the record straight.
Durban would be nice, but if in Cape Town, so be it.
@Snoek – Hope you right and wp feel the pressure and fall to pieces 😀
@Snoek – 40
Yes they did get us twice this year without our Boks. For me though I just really enjoy a Sharks/Bulls game.
Looks like we going to meet in the semi. Tank is always sold out when we play Bulls and the atmosphere when our two teams meet is always brilliant at the Tank.
Lets see what happens this weekend. We may pick up the 5 points and WP may only get the 4. So it could still be on for a Bulls/Sharks final.
35@Polla – Ek skryf nie die WP af nie… ek dink genuine eerder dat die Leeus ‘n opwaartse kurwe toon.
Dit gaan nie maklik wees vir WP om ‘n Bonuspunt te kry teen die Leeus in die Cokeblik nie…. gladnie… alhoewel dit seker haalbaar is, afhangende van watter Leeus span opdaag.
Persoonlik is dit my sienning dat die Tjarks komende naweek hulle 5 punte sal kry teen die Kwas. Ek dink Kwas het hulle goeie run gehad maar dis nou verby.
Bulle EN OOK die Cheetahs gaan altwee elk 5 punte optel teen die stoepkakkertjies van die Leopards en die Boland, so Cheetahs SAL opskuiwe na 40 Log punte… Bulle SAL opskuiwe na 46 Log punte.
Eintlik is daar net 2 games wat regtig kardinaal is…. Kwas / Sharks en Lions / WP. Dit gaan plekke 1, 2 & 4 bepaal. Die Bulle is reeds gevestig op Nr 3.
PUMA SNOOKUMS COME CHAT
Afternoon Treehugger. See you up there.
@Treehugger – 44
:-)) How you young lady?
Sien Bakkies en FDP sal reg wees vir wedstryd teen Luies.
Nou wonder ek wat die beste is: moet Ludeke sy beste span speel, of moet hy sekere spelers laat rus, asook spelers met ‘niggles’ uit die span los ?
Om sy beste span te speel het voordele en nadele.
Voordeel: die week daarna is dit reg of weg, en sekere spelers kort wedstrydfiksheid en samespel.
Nadeel: beserings aan sleutelspelers.
Moeilike besluit om te neem.
Dalk is die beste om jou sleutelspelers op die bank te plaas, en dan die wedstryd te eindig met jou beste span waarmee jy die semi’s wil speel.
@Puma – Hello, wish i were young 🙂 . Saw you getting upset on the otherside, dont let a few wayward breezes upset you, their tails are up and hopefully will be between their legs in the near future 😉
@Treehugger – 48
Yes I was. Always thought that oke was a decent guy. Thats probably why. Look some said worse about our team its just because he always seemed so decent but hey!!!!! True colours are coming out over there 😉
@Polla – 35
Hello Polla and all the nervous wishful thinkers up North.
@Puma – So are you going to be watching the cricket this afternoon, at least it will be relaxing cause we not playing lol
@Treehugger – 51
Yes it is relaxing if we are not playing. Just my superbru..hehe. Actually not too worried about that now. Want NZ to beat Oz. Going to be tough.
@SA Barbarians – 50
Afternoon to you BAB. Who would you like to face in the final? Sharks or Bulls? Seems as if Province will be playing in the final.
@Puma – So do i but i think it is a bigh ask.
oops big
Hellloooo GBS i see you at the top there
@Puma – 53
Howzit Pums
I would never be so arrogant as to say or think that WP WILL play in the final. As the saying goes, premature exclamation is not cool, and in any event top of the log for that has already been taken by supporters of other teams 🙂
As far a the semi is concerned, I think that the Cheetahs (if they make it)are as dangerous as both the Sharks and the Bulls.
@Puma –
Howzit Jungle Cat and the rest…just popped in for a ‘quickie’.
Phewww Puma, you okes played it too close for comfort last weekend, I only watched the replay now, couldn’t watch direct.
What’s going on there with your team?
I’ve put up a Cricket Thread for the farking cricket lovers, for today’s ICC Final….
@SA Barbarians – 57
Yes agree, Cheetahs could beat anyone of the teams on their day.
WP will be in the semi so thats a cert.
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