Monthly Archives: August 2013
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is likely to keep his starting XV unchanged for their Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday (21:10 SA time kick-off).
The Boks annihilated the Pumas 73-13 at FNB Stadium last week and it is expected that Meyer will opt for continuity this week.
New Zealand suffered a triple blow ahead of their return match against Australia in Wellington on Saturday.
All Black pivot Aaron Cruden and his back-up Beauden Barrett have both been ruled out of the Rugby Championship Round Two clash.
Australia, still reeling from the humiliating 29-47 loss to New Zealand last week, have had injury added to the insult.
Wallaby back row forward Hugh McMeniman will miss the remainder of the Rugby Championship and also the year-end tour after being forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said rookie Trevor Nyakane must learn his lesson and come back a better player.
Nyakane was dropped from the South African squad, ahead of the trip to Mendoza and the return match against Argentina, for “repeated breaches of team protocol”.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) wants Jaque Fourie to again be available for Springbok selection.
DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Blue Bulls this weekend withstood extreme character tests in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division to leap to the top of the log standings and remain the only unbeaten teams in the series.
In a thrilling weekend of action, the Sharks produced a spirited performance against the MTN Golden Lions at GrowthPoint Kings Park for a 33-25 victory and the Vodacom Blue Bulls ground out a 15-9 win against GWK Griquas in a penalty-riddled clash at Loftus Versfeld.
The University of Stellenbosch is currently investigating a trail of major financial irregularities, which one insider said “could bring SA Rugby to its knees”.
Former Stellenbosch Rugby Football club chairperson, Chris de Beer, and a top rugby official are allegedly at the centre of the investigation, involving millions of Rands.
Trevor Nyakane has been dropped from the national squad for “repeated breaches of team protocol”.
It was announced on Sunday that Lourens Adriaanse and Piet van Zyl, who made his Test debut in June against Scotland in Nelspruit, have been added to the Springbok squad of 26 players that travelled to Argentina on Sunday.
South Africa have the potential to rival New Zealand as the top team in the world.
This is the candid assessment of World Cup-winning Springbok scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, after his telling contribution to his country’s record-breaking 73-13 victory over Argentina in Soweto at the weekend.
Du Preez, who played his first Test in nearly two years after being released by his Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath, scored one of the Boks’ nine tries.
New Zealand have called four players into their squad as cover for Saturday’s Rugby Championship return match against Australia after suffering a number of injuries in the Sydney opener at the weekend.
Argentina captain Felipe Contepomi is looking for a big response from his team when they face the Springboks on home soil this weekend.
The Pumas were blown away by the Boks in Soweto on Saturday, conceding nine tries to one in a resounding 73-13 defeat, so they will have everything to prove in the return fixture in Mendoza.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls will be without Jean Cook (broken thumb), Frik Kirsten (ankle) and most probably Callie Visagie for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match against the MTN Golden Lions.
Springbok Juan de Jongh looks set to make a timely return to the DHL Western Province midfield for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match against GWK Griquas in Kimberley.
De Jongh was left out of the Bok squad that flew to Argentina on Sunday as national coach Heyneke Meyer is permitted to only take 26 players on tour.
Marketing men rub their hands as Sevens format quickly gains ground around the world. “Get on the train and see where it takes you,” is how Mark McCafferty of the Aviva Premiership described this past weekend’s inaugural World Club Sevens.
Hello Friends,
Finally I have managed to get the time to set up SuperBru Pools for Rugby-Talk for the Currie Cup and The Rugby Championship!
Both Pools have been upgraded to Super Pools, giving us the added benefit and advantage to show a bit more than usual, like our SuperBru Widgets for these two competitions on the right hand sidebar.
To be eligible to join our Rugby-Talk SuperBru pools, the only requirement is that you are a REGISTERED RUGBY-TALK SUBSCRIBER.
To all our recently added Users / Subscribers, this counts for you lot muppits, moepels and mopkoppe as well, you can now join in the fun!
Invitations have been sent to our regular Pool members, but in case I missed you, register for these Pools too… this of course counts for our new and recently registered Users / Subscribers too.
Here are the Pool details:
Bok flank Juan Smith quietly left South Africa via Oliver Tambo Airport yesterday with his agent Stephan Weyers, to attend medical and fitness assessments with French side Toulon.
This was supposed to be the Bledisloe that sparked the Wallaby revival. Instead, after an emphatic All Black victory, all it’s done is heap more pressure on Australian rugby.
The Wallabies had such a huge buildup and high expectations around how they were going to turn things round.
DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Blue Bulls are scheduled to face each other today at Twickenham on day two of the World Club 7s tournament. Both teams will be looking forward to improve on what was a disappointing first day for them at the inaugural tournament. Western Province lost all three of their games while the Blue Bulls lost two and drew one game.
WP (10) 15 / 14 (14) FS Cheetahs (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and the Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:15 SA Time (17:15 GMT).
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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Springboks (26) 73 / 13 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Argentinian Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship at
Soccer City (FNB Stadium), Soweto at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT, 12:00 Arg Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SS4, SLSA, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (19) 29 / 47 (25) All Blacks (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and New zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at
ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 12:05 SA Time (20:05 AEST, 22:05 NZ Time, 10:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Blue Bulls (6) 15 / 9 (6) Griquas (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
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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Sharks (20) 33 / 25 (17) Lions (Final Score)
The Sharks and MTN Golden Lions did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
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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The Sharks have secured the services of Griquas prop Lourens Adriaanse from next season.
They may be out of next year’s Super Rugby competition, but the Kings could be given a free ride into the Currie Cup Premier Division.
Engineers will undertake checks at Wellington Regional Stadium ahead of next week’s Rugby Championship clash between the All Blacks and Australia following a 6.5 magnitude earthquake south of New Zealand’s capital city on Friday.
Edinburgh Rugby players will turn out in black and red hoops for the first time in club’s history with this season’s playing kit, branded ‘old town, new look’.
Edinburgh Rugby back-row Stuart McInally has set his sights on the career path travelled by fellow club player, Scotland and British & Irish Lions internationalist Ross Ford – to make the positional switch from back-row to hooker.
Flyhalf Matt Toomua will make his debut for Australia, while Quade Cooper was named on the bench for Saturday’s opening Rugby Championship match against New Zealand in Sydney.
Toomua was given the starting No.10 assignment ahead of Cooper by new Wallaby coach Ewen McKenzie, for the match doubling up as a Bledisloe Cup encounter.
Blindside flank Liam Messam on Thursday withdrew from the All Black team to face Australia this weekend due to a hamstring strain, forcing coach Steve Hansen to draft in inexperienced Steven Luatua.
Messam pulled up sore at training, preventing him from featuring in the Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.
The Springbok side for Saturday’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener against Argentina at Soccer City in Soweto shows four changes from the team which beat Samoa in June.
Two of the changes are in the starting XV, both of them in the forwards, and two on the bench for this Test, which forms part of the Nelson Mandela Sport & Culture Day activities.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls had a late change to their team playing Griquas in an Absa Currie Cup match in Pretoria on Friday.
Prop Frik Kirsten has an ankle strain and will be rested for the clash at Loftus Versfeld. His place will be taken by Werner Kruger.
Edinburgh Rugby have been very busy on the recruitment front in the closed season following a very disappointing 2012 / 13 season. Numerous players of varying experience have been brought in, with Australasia proving a particularly attractive source region to the club.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has put his faith in the fitness and mental toughness of Richie McCaw by naming him to lead the world champions in their opening Rugby Championship clash against Australia on Saturday.
The 32-year-old has only recently returned to rugby after a six-month sabbatical from the game, playing 80 minutes of a lower level club match and making cameo appearances off the bench for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby playoffs.
Willie du Plessis, the University of Pretoria flyhalf, could make his Currie Cup debut for the Free State Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday.
The inclusion the Varsity Cup star on the bench is the only change to the team that will face defending champions Western Province in a Round Two match on Saturday.