Monthly Archives: June 2010
All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter threw a scare into his camp on Thursday as he laboured with a calf strain ahead of Saturday’s second rugby Test against Wales.
Although Carter remained on the team sheet following a training session late in the day, the All Blacks selectors have taken the precaution of calling up Luke McAlister as cover if he does pull out.
Lock Danie Rossouw has withdrawn from the Springbok rugby team to face Italy at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Saturday.
Rossouw, who was selected on the bench for the match, suffered a hip flexor injury during training this week and has been withdrawn by the medical team.
At 31 years of age and with almost more injuries than goals scored during the first two weeks of the World Cup, André Pretorius says he still has the hunger for big rugby.
The Western Force have bolstered their squad with the addition of talented back Gene Fairbanks on a two year deal.
It is also reported that they are looking to secure the services of Sias Ebersohn of the Cheetahs to replace Andre Pretorius who never played a game for the Franchise before once again being injured.
Additionally it was announced that Ryan Cross has left the Western Force to join the Waratahs for next season’s Super 15 tournament.
Springbok Earl Rose looks set to continue in the rugby wilderness after the Free State Cheetahs have denied they are looking for him to join them.
This comes after Golden Lions CEO Manie Reyneke confirmed earlier in the week that he had been approached by the Cheetahs for Rose and had expressed an interest in another Springbok – Ashley Johnson as a possible player swop.
Francois Hougaard has recovered from hand surgery following the Super 14 Semi-Final and Super 14-Final and is ready to join the Springboks on their tour to New Zealand.
After a very good Super 14 on the wing for the Bulls, Francois had undergo a hand operation having broken a bone in his hand in the penutimate Super 14 game but notwithstanding the injury completed the Super 14 Final, also scoring a try in the process.
England finished their June tour of Australasia with a 35-28 loss against the New Zealand Maori in Napier on Wednesday.
Wing Hosea Gear scored three of the New Zealand Maori’s four tries. Gear touched down once in the first half, and then twice in the first five minutes of the second half giving the lead the the Maori’s which they never conceded.
The 3rd Round of the SWC starts today. For 16 teams this Round will spell the end of SWC 2010. We stand together today behind South Africa who are with little hope of survival.
Read on to see all the landmarks reached by the Proteas in this match.
A very dull draw though on a pitch called a tar road by commentators.
Smit made his debut here against Canada a decade ago
John Smit has recovered from his hamstring injury and will lead theSpringboks on Saturday in the second Test against Italy, at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London.
From New24
The IRB World Rankings saw a dramatic change as 20 countries dropped places and 19 improved their positions as a result of the matches this weekend.
At the top, whilst New Zealand and South Africa recorded victories over Wales and Italy respectively to maintain the top two positions, Australia dropped from third to fourth after suffering a 21-20 defeat to England at the ANZ Stadium.
The All Blacks have made seven changes to their starting line-up for the second Test against Wales in Hamilton on Saturday and star flyhalf Dan Carter remains in doubt.
Ronan O’Gara has been dropped ot the bench for what could be his 100th Test cap in Ireland’s final game of the season against Australia.
Chris Henry will win his first cap for Ireland when he lines out at No.8 in the team to play Australia in Brisbane this Saturday.
Ex Shark and South African Ex-pat, Brad Barrit has been selected for England against the New Zealand Maori team.
Chris Ashton is the only player from the England starting team that beat Australia to be named to face the New Zealand Maori rugby team at Napier.
New Zealand remain the only side to lift the IRB Junior World Championship trophy after producing a dominant display to beat Australia 62-17 at the Estadio El Coloso del Parque in Rosario on Monday.
In general I was not impressed with the Springbok performance in Mordor (Witbank) on Saturday and felt it necessary to bring out my own Rating of the individual Bokke.
Victor Matfield and a few key Bokke are set to be rested for the 2nd Test against the Azuri from Italy in East London.
Eary indications are that John Smit will lead the side in the Test and recalls of Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie, Danie Rossouw and Wynand Olivier as well as the omission of Flip van der Merwe, Alistair Hargreaves and Bandise Maku (who did not travel with the team to East London) indicate that we’ll see a considerably revamped Bokke Team this Saturday.
Western Province and Stormers Senior Professional coach Rassie Erasmus and his lawyer friend Frikkie Erasmus are planning a new tournament of “instant” rugby that will revolutionise the game.
According to a report in the Afrikaans weekly Rapport the tournament, based on the highly success Indian Premier League (20-overs) cricket series, will attract 200 of the world’s leading players.
Nick Mallett, Ex Springbok and Ex Springbok coach and also now the coach of the Azuri made a promise to his Azuri charges that he’d shave his head if the Azuri loses with less than 20 points this past Saturday, so we can expect to see a “New Mallett” for this coming weekend’s clash.
After the 29-13 win by the Springboks against Italy in Witbank on Saturday, Nick said he would stick to his promise to shave off his hair if Italy lost by less than 20 points.
Saturday’s 16 points difference beat the 19 (score 40-21) in 1995 and last year’s 22 (score 32-10).
Mallett indicated that he’s probably sport a beanie on the head when next we see him.
After the high intensity performance against France the previous week and the come-from-behind effort in Cardiff the week before that, the Springboks were probably due the step backwards they took against Italy in Witbank.
Following the Wallabies loss to an average England side and generally 2 poor weeks of Test rugby for them, the Wallabies are looking decidedly frail, a situation which is not helped by the fact that the Wallabie injury list is now fast becomming longer than my arm.
Three key All Blacks were injured in the All Blacks vs Wales game this past Saturday. They are Dan Carter, who had his best Test in a very long time, as well as Israel Dagg and Anthony Boric, who are all likely to miss the second Wales Test.
Considering the result of the 1st Test and considering where SA stands in preparation for the Tri-Nations (and next year’s World Cup), what would constitute a “CLEVER” or “ASTUTE” Run-on Springbok Team for the 2nd Azuri Test.
To make this decision, one needs to look at a few things, namely:
Springboks (22) 29 / Azuri (3) 13 (Final Score)
The Springboks hosted the Italian Azuri team at Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa at 15:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The Springboks won convincingly but rhytm lacked in the 2nd half, specially when too many subs came on.
The most pleasing part of the game was that the Springboks dominated the scrums where Gurthro Steenkamp clearly mastered Martin Castrogiovanni and his replaceent after he went off injured.
Players who enhanced their Springbok futures were Gurthro Steenkamp, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Francois Louw, Dewald Potgieter, Morné Steyn and Zane Kirchner.
Players who did not enhance their Springbok futures were Butch James (who was also awarded a yellow card), Ricky Januarie & Alistair Hargreaves.
The Springboks ran in 4 tries to 1 and the final score was Springboks 29 / 13.
Wallabies (13) 20 / England (15) 21 (Final Score)
Australian Wallabies hosted England at 12:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
England won by 21 / 20 as Matt Giteau costs Australia the game with no less than 4 misses in going for posts, the last of which was a sitter right in front of the posts.
The 2 Test Series between the Wallabies and England end in a 1-all draw.
All Blacks (15) 42 / Wales (9) 9 (Final Score)
The All Blacks hosted Wales in Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The All Blacks were slow out of the blocks in the 1st half and only led by 15 / 9 at halftime, but they turned on the pressure and the scores in the 2nd half to win comfortably in the last game at The House of Pain, before it is demolished to make place for a new stadium with a roof over it.
The All Blacks won by 42 / 9.
Hardly a media conference goes by that there isn’t some reference to next year’s World Cup in New Zealand by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers or even the players who are interviewed separately afterwards
Wellington – The Nude Blacks are to meet the Welsh Leeks in a nude rugby international match organised by Otago University students to be held in the New Zealand city of Dunedin on Saturday.
GBS if they dont behave, delete this. Hahahaha. Can not believe it is a curtain raiser before the All Black Test.
Rugby World Cup matches will be broadcast on US network television for the first time after the International Rugby Board announced that NBC Sports and Universal Sports have been awarded the exclusive rights to the 2011 tournament in New Zealand and the 2015 tournament in England.
On Saturday we see the 1st of 2 Tests this year by the Springboks against the Azuri from Italy.
Due to Soccer World Cup repercussions the 1st Test is hosted at Witbank and the 2nd Test in East London.
It will be a Springbok mix-and match side against the hard-scrumming Azuri but who offers very little in the backline.
I suppose it had to happen. It was just a matter of time. Unfortunately for South Africa – and Bafana Bafana – it took only two games of their participation in soccer’s world showpiece to show what the “beautiful” game is all about. Continue reading
Veteran flank Schalk Burger has been withdrawn from the Springbok team to face Italy at the Puma Stadium in Witbank on Saturday.
Nick Mallett has named his Italy Team to face the Springboks in Witbank in the 1st of 2 Tests between the Azuri and the Springboks and has his inspirational captain, Sergio Parisse back in the team.
The Azzurri take on the Springboks for only the ninth time in their history, having never beaten the Springboks.
SA Under-20 coach Eric Sauls on Wednesday made two changes to his starting lineup that suffered a 35-42 defeat against Australia to the team that will play New Zealand in the second semi-final of the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in Rosario on Thursday.
The changes are both made in the backline where Springbok Sevens back Branco du Preez replace the injured Francois Venter at centre. Venter sustained an ankle injury during Sunday’s Pool C clash in Sante Fe. In the other change, Vodacom Free State utility back Nico Scheepers comes into the side in place of Sampie Mastriet.
England have named their team to face Australia in the second test with two changes from the team that lost last weekend in Perth.
Leicester Tigers scrum-half Ben Youngs and Northampton Saints lock Courtney Lawes will make their first starts for England in the match in Sydney.