Yearly Archives: 2011
With the energy, frequency and sheer number of matches in a competition like the Super 15, you almost never get a moment to sit down and reflect on issues, but I had to make the time to do just that. Continue reading
The Crusaders have moved their remaining “home” Super Rugby matches to Napier, Wellington, Timaru and back to Nelson.
AMI Stadium has been ruled out for the rest of the year so the Crusaders had to move their matches to other grounds.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) made a small operating profit – as per forecast – in a year of depressed revenues, the Union announced on Wednesday.
Jacques-Louis Potgieter has replaced Patrick Lambie in the Sharks team to face the Crusaders at Twickenham on Sunday.
The World Cup is looming, competitions gone by teaches us, that experience wins World Cups, how that is applicable to 1995 is a mystery though, but that is beside the point. Pundits in South Africa and here on Rugby-Talk, says we can’t win without the old guard, being Fourie, Victor, John Smit, Bakkies, Pakslae and the like, all this while Tim Noakes says, the old guard is overplayed and under rested, and therefore unable to live up to their expected form come NZ 2011. This begs the question: “Can we win the World Cup without our Senior Boks?”
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 6 of Super Rugby 2011.
Steve Walsh has been confirmed as the referee for the Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Sharks at Twickenham on Sunday.
As a result of the change in the match venue from Christchurch to London, Walsh, who refereed last weekend’s Six Nations clash between Scotland and Italy in Edinburgh, will replace Garratt Williamson.
The Waratahs have named a 24-man squad ahead of Saturday’s round six clash with the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium which includes captain Phil Waugh.
Waugh (biceps) and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (knee) are both on the comeback from injury and have been named in the squad for the Tahs’ third all-Australian match of the season.
The Hurricanes have named their team for their first ever clash against the Rebels with an unchanged starting line to the one that lost to the Blues.
The Vodacom Bulls were dealt a major setback when it emerged that Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp has fractured a bone in his arm and will be out of action for between 6-12 weeks.
South Africa may be maintaining that they don’t care about the identity of their quarter-final opponent at the Cricket World Cup, but New Zealand are delighted that they are crossing swords with the Proteas.
Continue reading
Sharks coach John Plumtree confirmed that his star flyhalf, Patrick Lambie, will be out of action for three weeks with a finger injury he picked up in their last match on tour against the Chiefs. Continue reading 
Vodacom Bulls lock Bakkies Botha has been cleared on a charge of dangerous play after appearing before a SANZAR Judicial hearing at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Like the legendary song by Don McLean, I believe we all lost something last night and whether or not you want to openly admit it, deep down we all know it. Continue reading
Lions coach John Mitchell has sharpened his axe and will be making some changes in personnel ahead of Saturday’s Super Rugby match against the Bulls in Pretoria.
“There will be some changes to the 22,” said Mitchell.
The young player who made the biggest impression for the Stormers in their 23-13 win over the Bulls last Saturday may be forced to sit out the next match against the Western Force at Newlands.
Lock Rynhardt Elstadt has swelling on his ankle and although he is undergoing treatment, coach Allister Coetzee has listed him as doubtful for the Force match.
The All Blacks are considering doing away with their iconic silver fern at the World Cup and replacing it with a red fern in a symbolic gesture to quake-hit Christchurch.
South African allrounder Faf du Plessis struck a confident note when he said the Proteas should have too much depth in every department for World Cup quarterfinal opponents New Zealand to counter, providing his team maintains its form.
Alarming signs for the Wallabies at provincial level, Kieran Read proves his no Thorne in New Zealand’s side and will the South African selectors make the big call to prevent the Bulls’ slide from affecting the Springboks? Paul Cully puts the weekend’s Super Rugby action into a World Cup context.
STUNG after being booed off the field, the Waratahs players yesterday held a lengthy ”truth session” at which they vowed not to let their supporters, or themselves, down again this season.
Sharks wunderkind Pat Lambie may play in the historic match against the Crusaders at Twickenham on Sunday with a protective support on his fractured finger.
As we sit here in March 2011, the Cricket World Cup has hit the end of the group stages, & barring the heroic victory by Ireland over the very oldest of enemies, England, the minnows have by and large been crushed by the established Cricket playing nations.
Later this year the greater sporting love of most Rugby-Talk bloggers, Rugby Union will hold it’s version of the World Cup in New Zealand. Can we expect the same sort of pattern with the smaller nations or can we expect an upset or two?
Once again 4 games are played today in the Varsity Cup, only 2 are televised live. We will therefore focus on the 2 televised games.
Tuks (7) 17 / UCT (6) 19 (Final Score)
Maties (7) 19 / UJ (15) 39 (Final Score)
Today’s total fixture list is as follows:
Wow, what a weekend, first the Cheetahs murder the Waratahs in their own back yard (only the 3rd SAFFA team EVER to accomplish this), then we witness the Proteas demolishing Bangladesh at the World Cup, and last but definitely not least, some sweet and sour depending on your perspective, the Stormers burying their Loftus bogey once and for all. I have been severely criticized for my stance on the Bulls over the past week or two, but let’s revisit…
JJ Harmse, I like your honest article, but do not for one moment think they will see you suddenly as a unbiased rugby writer. To the Bulls, I agree with JJ, go back to your quiet mode and do the talking on the field.
Here we go again!
14 Sept 1976 – Griqualand West 3 / All Blacks 26
Referee Professor Tinkie Heyns was the unlikely –and unwilling, one might add- hero of the fixture in Kimberley. Continue reading
Too boo or not to boo. When I read this article and thought of changing all these names with Bulls names, it might be a fitting report of how the Bulls fans feel after this weekend.
Botha was cited for a dangerous tackle on Stormers scrumhalf Dewald Duwenhage in the first half which left the scrumhalf dazed for a while and unable to continue.
On a cool, damp Saturday evening, the Lions hosted the Western Force in what was a “must win” game for both sides.
After what was an error ridden and somewhat depressing game of Super Rugby, the majority of the 13 535 paying spectators must have wished they’d stayed at home and watched in warmth and comfort.
Bulls (10) 13 / Stormers (12) 23 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the DHL Stormers at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers were deserved winners, not so much for their attack but for keeping better dicipline and dogged defence.
Lions (9) 15 / Western Force (14) 27 (Final Score)
Scorers:
Lions : 4 Penalties & 1 Drop Goal Elton Jantjes
Western Force : 5 Penalties James O’Connor, 1 Conversion Cameron Shepherd, 1 Try Nick Cummins, 1 Try Alfie Mafi
Waratahs (3) 3 / Cheetahs (6) 23 (Final Score)
A first win for the Cheetahs out of Africa. This was a game where the Waratahs was outplayed on the ground. Heinrich Brussow is back with a bang. He ruled the rucks.
Blues (20) 41 / Hurricanes (14) 17 (Final Score)
The Blues hosted the Hurricanes at Eden Park, Auckland at 08:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
Although the score seems to indicate an easy win by the Blues, it really only ballooned away from the Hurricanes in the last 20 minutes.
South Africa 284/8 (50 ov.)
Bangladesh 78 (28 ov.)
Bangladesh were not favourites to win their virtual pre-quarterfinal against the might of South Africa, especially after the visitors breezed away to 284, but it was the meek manner of their abject batting surrender that would have jarred even their most faithful fan.
Highlanders (6) 13 / Crusaders (13) 44 (Final Score)
THe Highlanders hosted the Crusaders at Carisbrook, Duneden at 06:30 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
The Crusaders ran rampant towards the end of the game, totally blowing the Highlanders out of the game. At halftime the scores were still close but woeful kicking to goal by Tony Brown gave the Crusaders the necessary buffer to open the taps properly in the second half.