Yearly Archives: 2011
South Africa 3 / North-Auckland 0
The second match against North Auckland played in extreme weather conditions in Whangarei didn’t help the Springboks’ cause; the Springboks were desperate to not only win but also to play well but the wet underfoot conditions made it impossible to play proper rugby.
There was so much disappointment at the team’s exit from the current Super Rugby competition that it wasn’t noted at the time, but Jean de Villiers after the Newlands semi-final did have some encouraging words that should lighten the gloom for Stormers fans.
Standing in for regular captain Schalk Burger, who was unable to come back onto the field after halftime because of injury, the Springbok centre repeated what has been said often – perhaps too often for the liking of Cape supporters – this season: “We need to learn from this, absorb the lesson and apply the lesson”.
South African rugby has this reputation of having a powerful scrum. In fact the perception is that South African rugby is totally dependent or at least of being over dependent on its scrum to the extend that if you can counter the South African scrum the Springboks are easy to beat.
The absence of information will always lead to speculation, and whether it is fair or not, you would think that the Lions Rugby Union would have realised this after years of accusations of financial and administrative mismanagement.
Heinrich Brüssow, a ball fetcher par excellence, should be named along with team-mate Ashley Johnson when the Springbok team for the Tri-Nations is announced on Saturday.
Brüssow will undergo medical tests when the preliminary World Cup group assembles in Cape Town on Wednesday. He is expected to be fit to face the Wallabies and All Blacks on 23 and 30 July in Sydney and Wellington respectively.
Continue reading
Sometimes they say it is beneficial to go backwards in order to go forward … sadly for the Stormers, it tends to be a principle of dubious value in crunch rugby matches.
It did them no favours in an embarrassingly one-sided Vodacom Super Rugby semi-final exit, when a white flag was effectively raised at only the second set scrum of the evening.
THE Queensland Reds are one game away from becoming one of Australian sport’s great redemption stories after securing a home Super Rugby grand final with victory against the Auckland Blues.
It all came together on the night for Ewen McKenzie’s men as they outclassed the Blues at Suncorp Stadium, setting up the franchise’s first appearance in a Super Rugby decider next Saturday that will top off a mammoth week of football in the Queensland capital.
Stormers (10) 10 / Crusaders (23) 29 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Crusaders at Newlands, Cape Town. Stormers was forced to change their team. Dewald Duvenhage out, Louis Schreuder in. That disruption did not cost them the game, they also lost their inspirational captain at half time. Schalk Burger did not return from the changeroom, he broke a finger. The forwards of the Crusaders dominated the Stormers. At scrumtime the Stormers were not up to it. More to follow…..
Reds (15) 30 / Blues (7) 13 (Final Score)
The Reds hosted the Blues at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia. This action packed match was brilliantly won by the Reds, scoring 4 tries to one in return by the Blues. The Reds will host the final at the same venue against the winner of the second semi final between the Stormers and the Crusaders in Cape Town. Quade Cooper kicked poorly but his ball in hand game was brilliant.
THREE of the teams playing in this weekend’s Super Rugby semi-finals – the Stormers, the Crusaders and, especially, the Blues – have gone through the usual ritual this week of trying to justify their underdog status. I have never understood this rationalisation. Too often teams talk themselves out of a victory. So it is good that the Reds are talking up their prospects over the Blues tonight at Suncorp Stadium.
Coach Ewen McKenzie insists the home-ground advantage will inspire his side to victory. “We want people to turn up and be excited,” he has told reporters. The Reds supporters are the most vocal, partisan and inspiring for their team of all the Australian franchises.
Bloemfontein – Springbok reject Sarel Pretorius will continue his Super Rugby career in Australia. Continue reading
The Aviva Premiership Rugby fixtures for the 2011/12 season have been announced with reigning Aviva Premiership Rugby champions Saracens kicking off their season by playing London Wasps in the London Double Header at Twickenham.
SANZAR have unveiled the new Super Rugby Rugby trophy that will be presented to the inaugural Super Rugby champions on 9 July 2011.
A lot has been made in recent days on the inclusion of Saracens hooker, Schalk Brits, in the Stormers team for their semi-final clash against the Crusaders this weekend at Newlands.
Herewith the Super Rugby team sheets for the 4 teams competing in the semi finals of Super Rugby 2011.
The Queensland Reds, aiming for their first professional Super Rugby title, are not perturbed they lack players accustomed to finals football or waving impressive trophies above their heads. As they prepare for Saturday night’s semi-final against the Auckland Blues in Brisbane, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said it was not a big disadvantage that his players were foreign to finals football.
The last time the Reds appeared in a Super final was in 2001, when they were beaten by the Brumbies in the semi-final.
Rynhardt Elstadt needs to “out-work” Brad Thorn and not be intimidated by him in Saturday’s Super Rugby semi-final between the Stormers and Crusaders at Newlands.
That was the call from Stormers forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot on Tuesday. The vastly experienced Thorn was injured and did not feature for the Crusaders in their recent 20-14 victory over the Stormers at Newlands, with Luke Romano and Chris Jack guarding the second row.
Female rugby supporters can now hang up their over-sized rugby jerseys and slip into a sexy Rugby Dress and show their support in style.
The Blue Bulls Company Pty (Ltd) is pleased to announce several new additions to its current coaching staff, as well as the long term appointment of Heyneke Meyer as Executive: Rugby.
Coach, Allister Coetzee, has announced the Stormers team to play the Crusaders in Saturday afternoon’s semi final.
As a Lions supporter the Rugby fare during the playoff stages of competitions can become a bit dreary unless you fancy watching the teams you’ve booed all season.
After all, it’s been a while since the team from Johannesburg had a sucessful play off game.
Personally, I don’t normally watch a great deal of Rugby when the Lions are having a weekend off, but this week I made an exception, and what a treat it was.
The Stormers are sweating on the fitness of Jaque Fourie and Dewaldt Duvenage who are in danger of missing the Super Rugby Semi-final against the Crusaders.
Canterbury has officially launched their revolutionary new jersey that will be worn by the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year.
(Take note, the picture on the left and the picture on the right are just cartoons and DO NOT APPEAR on the jersey!)
Refereeing is and will always be a thankless task. Rugby is the one sport that allows our primal instincts to run havoc with our emotions. The brutal tackles, runs and physicality dictates that rugby provides us with an alternative to modern warfare where at the end of a match there may be some serious injuries, but there is no intent to kill or maim.
Coach Pat Lam of the Blues has announced his team to take on the Reds on Saturday for the first Super Rugby semi final. This semi final takes place at 11:40 SA Time on Saturday.
We had an article about the brave Crusaders – I want to salute another team – The Reds.
From “cellar dwellars” to topping the Super Rugby Log in 2011. They won the most games of all competing sides this year, 13 out of 16.
The Queensland Reds’ amazing rise is set to see them surpass the Brisbane Broncos as South-East Queensland’s biggest football club drawcards.
Breaking News!! We have just received a Media Release from the MTN Lions… here it is:
June 28 – The Golden Lions Rugby Union today wishes to confirm that negotiations around the completion of the shareholders agreement with GUMA TAC has been terminated by GUMA TAC.
For rugby in South Africa to remain strong, SA Rugby needs to take a tough stance against its own unions before it looks to improve its standing within SANZAR.
Dr Ross Tucker, a well known Sports Scientist placed good articles about Rugby fatique before. I found this Article about the subject and want to share a few of his thoughts. The second part of his Article about home ground advantage is interesting, Here are a few extracts from the Article.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says his team will “look to right the mistakes” they made in their league defeat to the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby semifinal at a sold-out Newlands (5.05pm kick-off).
Even though the Stormers went down 20-14 to an injury-ravaged Crusaders in May, the biggest problem on that Saturday night was taking their opportunities on attack, of which there were plenty.
The Saracens hooker, Schalk Brits, has answered an SOS and is available to play for the Stormers as a loose forward this weekend.
The Crusaders may have to play all of their home games away from AMI Stadium in Christchurch in 2012 and the All Blacks could already have played their last game there.
New Zealand were crowned IRB Junior World Championship 2011 winners after a thrilling final with Beauden Barrett’s late try sealing a 33-22 victory at the Stadio Plebiscito in Padova, Italy, on Sunday.
The 2012 Currie Cup Rugby tournament’s Premier Division will be contested by six teams instead of the usual eight Currie Cup teams.
Sharks coach John Plumtree says his side suffered because of the referee, but in the end, they just weren’t good enough.
In the sober light of Sunday morning, there is a very good reason that the Sharks were never going to win this one.