Yearly Archives: 2011
Scrum-half Will Genia will captain an Australian side showing six changes from the one that lost to Ireland in Friday’s Pool C World Cup match against the United States.
Scrumhalf Ross Cronje and hooker Kyle Cooper have been included in the Sharks team for Friday’s Currie Cup clash against Griquas in Durban.
Lions coach John Mitchell has made two changes and two positional changes as he named his side to face the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday.
Regular Vodacom Bulls Super Rugby wing Gerhard van den Heever has been included in the Vodacom Blue Bulls team to play the Lions at Coca Cola Park in a Currie Cup match on Saturday.
Van den Heever will replace the injured Akona Ndungane in the only change to the side that beat Western Province last weekend.
Tonga (18) 31 / Japan (13) 18 (Final Score)
Tonga and Japan did battle in Whangarei at 09:30 SA Time (19:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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What a good action-packed match!
The sides went hammer and tongs from the word go, no standing back!
It was thrust and parry, defend and run… brutal but honest rugby.
A Maori leader has backed Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’ comments on the haka being overused, saying it has been “hijacked by rugby people” for commercial purposes.
PETER LOVE: “The haka in our culture is something which is regarded as special and should not be bastardised by sport.”
De Villiers’ comments attracted over 270 responses on Stuff.co.nz yesterday, with opinion split on whether the haka was overused.
Coach Naka Drotske has announced a team showing two changes from the team that so comprehensively beat the Sharks. Continue reading
All Blacks were taken by surprise when told Springbok coach Peter de Villiers feels their famous pre-match haka, an indigenous Maori war dance, is over-used.
France coach Marc Lievremont has named his team to face New Zealand’s All Blacks in the crucial Pool A match at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
I know it is RWC time and I have written before (read here) about the fairy tale Curry Cup win of Griqualand West against the mighty Blue Bulls in 1970. This week I received this wonderfully written account by Michael Kokkinn about that historic match. Micheal’s father was not only one of the selectors of the Griquas team but also a sort of mentor to coach Ian Kirkpatrick. Michael actually attended the match in 1970 and here is his first hand personal recollection of the match.
My personal thanks to Michael for this personal first hand and historical recollection of that match. You can feel the passion for the game as you read his story. This is heartland South African rugby and it is people like him that make South African rugby what it is.
1970 Griquas Team - Currie Cup winners
Wallaby winger James O’Connor has been ruled out of Australia’s Rugby World Cup match against the USA with a strained hamstring.
Fiji backrower Dominiko Waqaniburotu will almost certainly miss the rest of the Rugby World Cup after being suspended for three weeks.
Italy (38) 53 / Russia (7) 17 (Final Score)
Italy and Russia did battle in Nelson at 09:30 SA Time (19:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Italy scored 9 tries to 3 by Russia.
It was good rugby though, nice running and full-on dominance by Italy in the scrums.
The Springboks on Tuesday made five changes to the starting line-up for their Rugby World Cup Pool D match against southern African neighbours Namibia at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, on Thursday.
South Africa v Namibia, 22 September 2011, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
In an official press release the Blue Bulls Company Pty (Ltd), have announced the signing from DHL Western Province of promising youngster and flyhalf, Lionel Cronje.
Western Province No 8 Duane Vermeulen has confirmed he won’t be available for selection for the remainder of the 2011 season.
South Africa are focusing on their upcoming Rugby World Cup match against Namibia even though they are now on track to face Australia in the quarter finals.
All Black Captain Richie McCaw and key players Dan Carter, Mils Muliaina and Israel Dagg all look set top play in New Zealand’s crunch Rugby World Cup pool A match against France in Auckland on Saturday.
The match is set to decide the runner up of the pool and therefore who will face the winner of Pool B which includes England, Argentina and Scotland.
A simulated rugby field at Loftus Versfeld was filled to capacity with bags of clothing and bedding collected by Clothing4Children from Pretoria Schools. Vodacom Blue Bulls, DHL Western Province and Sharks players in the under 19, under 21 and senior teams, fans, sponsors and suite owners in the Pretoria region also collected for the Clothing4Children Campaign. Prior to Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup clash between the Vodacom Blue Bulls and DHL Western Province, all the players walked on to the field with their bags to show their support for the inspiring campaign, started by Burger brothers Schalk and Wim.
All Blacks wing Zac Guildford admitted he had an alcohol problem on Monday and publicly apologised for breaking an agreement with management by drinking “excessively” after a game last month.
The Free State Cheetahs sent out a strong warning that even though they are lingering in fourth position on the Currie Cup log, they have what it takes to run with the front runners.And the Blue Bulls showed that they are not to be written off, yet.
South African brothers Marius and Neels Botha have been having a blast touring New Zealand with their idol and namesake Bakkies Botha.
But Springboks fans need not fear the star back row has defected from camp – the Botha brothers are carrying a cardboard cut-out of their hero as they trek across the nation and take in their team’s Rugby World Cup 2011 pool matches.
Bok coach, Peter de Villiers will have a selection headache at loosehead prop on his hands as the RWC reaches the business-end of the tournament.
So, we are halfway through the Pool stages and already the tournament has been turned on its head. There are still a few important and path-changing matches left.
Fiji flanker Dominiko Waqaniburotu has been cited for making a dangerous tip tackle during the World Cup Pool D match against South Africa on Saturday, organisers said today.
Ireland’s upset over the Wallabies really has put the cat among the pigeons at this World Cup..in more ways than one.
You don’t have to draw too long a bow from the best match of the tournament so far to realise the result, potentially, has serious implications for the All Blacks.
I’m really interested now – and concerned in the same breath – to see how the French react to this result.
The haka is in danger of losing respect because it is performed too often, Springboks coach Peter de Villiers says.
What a big difference a week in rugby makes! But like last week when the Boks played badly I find myself in a strange but familiar position this week where I call on fans to calm down a bit following the Boks walloping of the Fijians on Saturday. Continue reading
Well this was much better. The Springboks were innovative and clearly made some adjustments to how they play the game. Probably because of the change in game plan, most of the players played well. A few played exceptionally well like Frans Steyn, Danie Rossouw, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brussow, Gurthro Steenkamp and Bismarck du Plessis, when he came on.
Danie ‘Pakslae’ Rossouw was outstanding in everything he did and maintained a high work rate on defence and on attack. Out wide he showed some deft touches, good decision making and a surprising turn of speed.
The most pleasing aspect of the whole match was the fact that they kept the ball in hand.
France (19) 46 / Canada (10) 19 (Final Score)
France and Canada did battle in Napier at 10:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Brave Canada gave France a torrent time till the 70th minute, then the French machine clicked into gear with a few quick tries, earning France the bonus point for tries after full time.
England (17) 41 / Georgia (10) 10 (Final Score)
England and Georgia did battle in Dunedin at 08:00 SA Time (18:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Despite a 31-point winning margin and 6 tries, England will not feel at all happy about this match and you can bet your bottom dollar that Martin Johnson must be secretly fuming at the ill-dicipline and overall incompetance of the England side.
If Georgia had a kicker who could slot the penalties, the score would have been very different.
That said, it’s 5 Log points in the bag for England.
Wales (6) 17 / Samoa (10) 10 (Final Score)
Wales and Samoa did battle in Hamilton at 05:30 SA Time (15:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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It was a brutal match, Samoa not relenting and Wales had to fight hard and right to the end to ensure their win.
One loss to Wales in Pool D, one loss to Samoa…. now the Springboks do not want to lose against Samoa, because it would mean one loss to them then as well, leaving the Pool wide open, and somebody will go Home!
Rampant Pierre Spies
When it comes to results in pool matches during the rugby world cup, I for one rather look at how and what teams have done and what has been effective.
Blue Bulls (20) 28 / WP (3) 20 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hosted DHL Western Province at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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The Vodacom Blue Bulls won the match against DHL Western Province but failed to get a 4-try bonus point, which ultimately almost certainly means the end of their Currie Cup aspirations for 2011.
Cheetahs (23) 53 / Sharks (18) 32 (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs hosted The Sharks at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 15:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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This was a 9-try festival of running rugby, won by the Toyota Free State Cheetahs with 5 tries to 4.
In the process the Toyota Free State Cheetahs bag 5 Log points and The Sharks only 1.