Yearly Archives: 2011
The MTN Lions have announced a 26 man touring squad for the four match tour of Australia and New Zealand starting on Saturday 14th May 2011 against the Brumbies in Canberra.
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs Friday evening at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg in their last home game before heading off on an Australasian tour.
In a match that the Lions players, management, staff and I’m sure all of their spectators both at the ground as well as watching on television would in all likelihood want to forget as soon as possible, they were handed a Rugby lesson by their once Super Rugby partners from Bloemfontein.
Waratahs (6) 20 / Force (9) 15 (Final Score)
The Waratahs hosted the Western Force at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a hard game with a massive attrition rate, the Waratahs win by 5.
Chiefs (6) 20 / Highlanders (7) 7 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Highlanders at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Chiefs gutsed out a win with a good 2nd Half.
MTN Lions (7) 19 / Cheetahs (36) 53 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
There was only one team on the filed, the Cheetahs…. there were 16 other individuals on the filed at the same time, a referee and 15 players in red.
Rebels (8) 18 / Reds (26) 33 (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels hosted the Reds at AAMI Stadium, Melbourne at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
The Reds bagged 4 tries for their bonus point win.
Hurricanes (3) 11 / Blues (9) 17 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes hosted the Blues at Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and CSN on TV in SA.
In a bland game where both sides scored a try each, the Blues continued their march towards title hopes.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 12 of Super Rugby 2011.
John Plumtree has named his team to face the ACT Brumbies on Saturday evening in Durban at the Stadium Mr Kingspark.
Leadership groups in sport is important, but when does a leadership group turn into a clique? Continue reading
In a landmark judgment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, a former school rugby player won his case against an opposing player who injured him so severely during a scrum that it left him with a broken neck.
The ruling could serve as a legal precedent for civil claims against players of any sport found to have deliberately injured a player during a game.
Decision-making and discipline will be crucial differences when the Stormers meet the Crusaders in a warmly-anticipated Investec Super Rugby clash in Cape Town on Saturday, 17:05. Match shown live on Supersports various channels.
Crusaders second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams will come up against a host of Springboks in the Stormers backline, in a match that could be last year’s newest All Black biggest test of his rugby career.
It’s Super Rugby’s game of the year – make no bones about that.
It’s fitting then that Richie McCaw returns to his familiar No 7 jersey for the first time this season for the Crusaders’ visit to the high-flying Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday . Game starts at 17:05.
Exactly what enables a team of no-hopers or perennial losers to turn things around? Continue reading
The MTN Lions will be playing the Toyota Cheetahs this Friday, 6 May 2011 at Coca-Cola Park. Kick off is at 7:10pm. The team was announced this afternoon and is:
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that his team are capable of playing even better than they did against the Sharks who they beat 32-12 at the weekend.
Rebels backs Danny Cipriani and Richard Kingi have been stood down for selection for their team’s match against the Reds this weekend due to disciplinary issues.
Western Force flanker David Pocock will become the youngest Super Rugby player to play 50 games for the club when the Force play the Waratahs this weekend.
Crusaders and All Blacks star fly half Dan Carter has been ruled out of this week’s Super Rugby clash against the Stormers.
The 1956 series between the All Blacks and the Springboks was without a doubt the most intense and brutal series ever played between these two nations. It left lasting impressions on New Zealand and South African rugby and societies. This series of articles- on the 1956 tour- will examine firstly why this series was so intense and influential and will discuss secondly the nature of those long-term effects.
SANZAR have admitted that they have ‘a little bit of a way to go yet’ before there is enough consistency in their Super Rugby judicial process.
This is a old article and many more contentious rulings followed this weekend. Is there more leniency or a softer approach before the World Cup. In tonights Superugby program Kobus Wiese said that the citing officer asked for video evidence in the Stormers vs Sharks game , but nothing came from it.
Ever since the demise of that “arranged marraige” that was the Cat’s, the two orphaned children that were born out of it, namely the Cheetahs and the Lions have competed non-stop, year after year to avoid the wooden spoon in Super Rugby, and 2011 appears to be no different.
It’s been debated before, but I thought it about time, as a Lions supporter to ask the question again. “Can South Africa sustain a competetive 5th Super Rugby franchise?”
Peter de Villiers has confirmed that John Smit will captain the Springboks at the World Cup. Rassie Erasmus was appointed as technical adviser.
At a press conference on Monday, Peter de Villiers confirmed the appointments of his captain and management staff. Smit will continue as captain with Victor Matfield named as vice-captain. Erasmus has been brought in as a technical adviser and conditioning coach Derik Coetzee is the other new appointment.
On Friday the first two quarter finals were played, the first between Pampas XV and the Free State Cheetahs at Olën Park in Potchefstroom and the second between Griquas and the Pumas at GWK Park in Kimberley. On Saturday the last two matches were between the Golden Lions and the Blue Bulls at Wits University and the last one between Western Province vs the Sharks at Newlands.
The details of the results are listed below.
The Semi Finals are on 7 May 2011, they are as follows:
- Griquas vs Blue Bulls
- Pampas XV vs Sharks XV
This article was written before this weekends matches by Liam del Carme.
With the gap between form players and his likely World Cup picks widening by the week, Bok coach Peter de Villiers, perhaps understandably, has resorted to cliche. A few of the players mentioned here already started their return to form. Funny how one week later you can see such a big difference.
Stormers (22) 32 /Sharks (9) 12 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Sharks at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers comprehensively outplayed the Sharks, for a full bag of 5 Log points…. the Stormers are on fire!
Bulls (13) 43 / Chiefs (20) 27 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the Chiefs at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
After a shocker of a first half, the Bulls came out of the blocks in the second half to score 3 converted tries in 9 minutes, resulting in the fact that they built up a good lead and causing the Chiefs to play catch-up from thereon in.
They solidified their lead with great goal kicking by Morné Steyn and denied the Chiefs a single Log point.
Mission accomplished fot this week, now every week needs to be like this, a 5-pointer!
Force (19) 30 / Crusaders (22) 42 (Final Score)
The Western Force hosted the Crusaders at NIB Stadium, Perth at 14:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Force put up a brave fight but the Crusaders were just too powerful at the end.
Waratahs (10) 28 / Rebels (6) 9 (Final Score)
The Waratahs hosted the Melbourne Rebels at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Waratahs made hard work of winning this one but eventually went some distance with the score.
Hurricanes (22) 28 / Reds (5) 26 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes hosted the Reds at Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Hurricanes had a great first half, racking up their 4 tries and then it was time for the Reds to claw their way back and with 4 minutes to go the Reds held a slender 1-point lead. The Hurricanes got a penalty opportunity on full time and Aaron Cruden calmly slotted it, for a 2-point win by the Hurricanes.
When we raised the referee issue again here on the blog during the Highlanders vs Blues game, I knew we were onto something. But like this article says there will always be opposing views. My question was, will we ever get consistency? At the end of this article read another article about the fears the Waratahs have for Jonathan Kaplan later today.
Cheetahs (32) 47 / Brumbies (26) 36 (Final Score)
The Cheetahs hosted the Brumbies at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Cheetahs raced out of the blocks and within 27 minutes had already secured their bonus point for tries, but then let in a number of Brumbies tries with suspect defence once again their downfall. After halftime it was a more conservative approach and the Cheetahs finally saw the game home with an 11-point win.
‘There is no fate but what we make.’ Cheesy I know, but this famous movie line might just be the best description of what the future holds for young Lionel Cronje.
Highlanders (0) 10 / Blues (9) 15 (Final Score)
The Highlanders hosted the Blues at Carisbrook, Dunedin at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
This was not rugby, it was full-out combat… it was hard and relentless! It was brilliant.
It was parry and counter-parry and it was brutal, with the Blues eventually closing out the game with no less than 26 phases by their forwards, to win by 5.