Monthly Archives: September 2010
We preview the 4 Currie Cup Premier Division matches for this weekend.
3 Games are played tonight, 1 tomorrow.
The 4 matches to be played are:
- GWK Griquas vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – GWK Park, Kimberley, Friday 3 September 2010 at 17:00
- Platinum Leopards vs Barloworld Toyota Pumas – Friday 3 September 2010 at 19:00
- Xerox Lions vs Vodacom Western Province – Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg, Friday 3 September 2010 at 19:10
- Vodacom Blue Bulls vs The Sharks – Loftus, Pretoria, Saturday 4 September 2010 at 19:15
Just read an article by Marc Hinton (Nonu and Smith the best ever) in which he argues that Nonu and Smith is right up there as one the best centre combinations –if not the best ever. He then goes on and compare them with other All Black centre combinations as if New Zealand is the only country that can produce top class centers. Continue reading
The Springbok management aren’t concerned about the apparent slump in form of winger Bryan Habana during this year’s Vodacom Tri Nations tournament.
Last night I watched the semi finals of the IRB Womens Rugby World Cup between France and New Zealand, and England and Australia. New Zealand totally outplayed France and England beat Australia in a typical low scoring Northern hemisphere type of match. Watching these games last night I was terribly disappointed in the lack of eye candy on display. I mean, one would expect a world class event to at least show some semblance of quality, but really, these Rugby games were so error ridden and clumsy, I could not enjoy it. It was frustrating to say the least!
I do not get why women want to play Rugby in any event. Rugby is a collision sport and women are not genetically designed for this type of game. Well, unless you are a Mamma Nonu with breast implants, with nipples harder than nails pointing through your breast pads! Either that girl was on a testosterone high or she was very pleased to be playing the game! Either way, the sheer physical nature of the game is not fitting for women, not to even speak about the type of embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions which may occur. White is just not a fitting colour for a women’s rugby jersey!
The Wallaby coaching staff have replaced Saia Faingaa and Dean Mumm with the more experienced and hardened duo of Stephen Moore and Mark Chisholm. With some lineout wobbles in Pretoria and some less than perfect scrum work, a change here can’t be a bad thing.
Former Springbok flyhalf Louis Koen, who played 15 Tests for South Africa between 2000 and 2003 will return to rugby in the Currie Cup.
Super 15 franchise the Force, has released coach John Mitchell from the final year of his contract and the New Zealander will join the Golden Lions on a three-year contract. Continue reading
Will Genia, who has showed that he is ready to follow in the footsteps of George Gregan for the Wallabies, singled out the injured Springbok scrumhalf as his big hero and believes South Africa have lacked a dimension without him.
Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has opted for prop power on his substitutes bench and kicking options in the backline for Saturday’s Currie Cup match against the Sharks in Pretoria.
While WP have lost their last two Currie Cup games, Mitchell has enough reasons to be concerned ahead of Friday’s match at Coca-Cola Park. Province beat the Lions 32-0 at Newlands in their last meeting.
The Currie Cup, Premier Division Teams have been named for the weekend’s clashes.
Leading All Blacks may be rested during next year’s Super 15 rugby tournament in order to ensure that they will be fit for the World Cup in New Zealand later in the year.
The 19 contracted Springbok frontliners will be available for at least three Absa Currie Cup matches this year, in order to give them match practice before the end of the year tour.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) jointly announced a ground-breaking rights deal for Springbok players’ image rights with the Springbok Players’ Trust on Tuesday.
The All Blacks have included uncapped flyhalf Colin Slade as cover for Dan Carter in the 26-man squad to face Australia in the TriNations.
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers’ mouth has gotten him in trouble again after he claimed that the Springboks were “100 per cent” in support of accused murderer and Bulls rugby prop Bees Roux.
The Blue Bulls Company has decided to grant Bees Roux some leave until further notice and to exempt him from his rugby obligations for the time being.
A lot has been said about the way the Springboks seemed to have stagnated in their play. The most obvious direction to pass blame is towards PDV and his assistant coaches. They are the ones who must give direction to the team. They are also primarily responsible for selecting a group of players that can fit into a game plan that is required to win tests. Continue reading
The South African mentality is big on abrasive obstinacy as a dominant characteristic. We saw this in the determined manner in which the Springboks fought their way back into the Test at Pretoria after giving up 14 points in the opening minutes. And also in the way Victor Matfield played out the full 80 minutes of his 100th Test.