Bullscot
It’s that time of the year again – RBS Rugby Force weekend is here. This is an initiative by the Scottish Rugby Union to get folk involved with their local rugby clubs.
Former Scotland scrum-half and captain Rory Lawson is to retire from all rugby with immediate effect. Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), the 32-year-old son of former Scotland scrum-half and immediate SRU past president Alan Lawson, has been advised to retire on account of a chronic wrist injury.
Tyrone Holmes is set to make his debut on Thursday for Glasgow Warriors at Rubislaw in Aberdeen. The Warriors are on a two day trip to the city as part of their preseason preparations which include a practice session which will be open to the public to attend as well as a match against local team, Aberdeen Grammar.
Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Niko Matawalu will miss the start of the season after the Fiji international broke a bone in his foot. The 24-year-old has damaged the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during training and has undergone surgery.
The anticipation was building among the purists ahead of the eagerly awaited 2013 Ashes which started on Wednesday. The first Test of five in the Investec Ashes series between England and Australia was played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Full Scorecard here.
Ashton Agar’s story was already a remarkable one – 19 years old, called up for his Test debut as a spinner having been playing, just a few weeks ago, for Henley Cricket Club in the Home Counties Premier Cricket League (Division One). On Thursday afternoon at Trent Bridge, the fairytale became something even more fantastical.
Bulls lock Wilhelm Steenkamp has been suspended for two weeks after he was found guilty of foul play.
The Sanzar judicial officer Jannie Lubbe has accepted a guilty plea from Butch James of the Sharks for a dangerous tackle on Bulls’ Jurgen Visser, after he was cited during Saturday’s Super Rugby against the two teams.
There was a wonderful symmetry to the Lions tour of Australasia as they ended the way they started, with a big victory. That first game of the Lions tour way back in the beginning of June against the Barbarians in Hong Kong ended with a resounding victory and today was followed up with an even more impressive dismantling of Australia in Sydney.
A combined total of only three points has separated the Lions and Australia over the first two Tests. Now it’s onto the iconic ANZ Stadium in Sydney for a titanic decider that promises to be just as tight.
Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones will captain the Lions in the final Test against Australia on Saturday after Brian O’Driscoll was dropped from the squad. Irishman O’Driscoll was favourite to replace injured skipper Sam Warburton.
Richard Cockerill, the Leicester Tigers director of rugby, was suspended for nine matches when he appeared before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel in Coventry this (sic Monday) evening.
Sir Ian McGeechan believes the British and Irish Lions can’t afford to carry anybody during the third Test against Australia – and expects to see major changes for the series showdown in Sydney.
Australia captain James Horwill has been cleared to play in the final Test against the British and Irish Lions.
British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland rung the changes for Saturday’s crucial second Test against the Wallabies, beefing up his pack for a “do or die” battle against the Australians.
Welsh Rugby Union chief Roger Lewis says the home nations need to look at how the money made from the British and Irish Lions tours is divided up.
Scotland have made three changes in their starting team for their 11th and final international of the season against Italy in Pretoria on Saturday. There are six Glasgow Warriors in the starting XV and five on the bench for the final game of the tour.
Australia have named three debutants for Saturday’s first Test against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane.
Rob Harley has been called into the Scotland squad as injury cover after fellow forward Jim Hamilton returned home to be with his expectant wife.
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson questioned Jim Hamilton’s sin-binning in the defeat by South Africa. The Springboks moved into a second-half lead shortly after Hamilton had been yellow-carded for a push into the face of Eben Etzebeth.
The South Africa President’s XV side has made three changes from the team that defeated Emerging Ireland in round two for Sunday’s decisive clash with Georgia at the Avchala Stadium. Victory for the South Africans will see them claim the inaugural IRB Tbilisi Cup, while Georgia and even Emerging Ireland, who play Uruguay, still have outside claims on the title.
By the time of the final whistle, the numbers on the scoreboard didn’t favour the home side but there were plenty of reasons to smile on a historic night for Canadian rugby.
Former Wales wing Shane Williams has been drafted into the British and Irish Lions team for Tuesday’s final warm-up game against the Brumbies in Canberra.
West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo says the pressure will be on “chokers” South Africa in their decisive Champions Trophy game. The winners of the Group B match in Cardiff on Friday will secure a place in the semi-finals alongside India.
Marlan Yarde will win his first England cap as Stuart Lancaster aim to secure a clean sweep against Argentina on Saturday. The 21 year-old London Irish flyer comes into the side on the left wing replacing David Strettle while Bath’s Kyle Eastmond will make his first Test start in the No.12 shirt vacated by Lions-bound Billy Twelvetrees.
Cardiff Blues flanker Josh Navidi will make his Wales debut in a side showing four changes for Saturday’s second Test against Japan in Tokyo. Navidi starts at open-side in place of James King, who replaces Andrew Coombs at blind-side flanker, while Andries Pretorius comes in for Rob McCusker at number eight.
South African-born flanker Bernard Le Roux has been named to make debut, at number eight, as one of four changes to the France line up that will play the All Blacks in Christchurch on Saturday.
After fielding six debutants in last weekend’s Test against Samoa, Scotland have named three more new caps in their team to play South Africa at Nelspruit on Saturday.
Ireland wing Simon Zebo will make his British and Irish Lions debut against New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday. Zebo joined the squad as cover on Tuesday and goes straight into a strong side containing up to a dozen likely Test contenders.
With Scotland due to play against the Springboks in the second round of matches in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday it seemed like a good time to bring a view from within the Scotland camp. This is part two of Scotland lock Allistair Kellock’s tour blog written as his contribution as RBS Ambassador.
England centre Billy Twelvetrees is joining the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia as cover for the tourists’ injury-affected backline. Twelvetrees, 24, has been on England duty in Argentina, scoring a try in the 32-3 win over the Pumas at the weekend.
The announcement of the Scotland squad to face the Springboks in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday has been delayed due to a spate of injuries picked up by Scotland players in last Saturday’s bruising encounter against Samoa in Durban.
Scotland prop Ryan Grant has been called into the British and Irish Lions squad ahead of the clash with Queensland Reds. The Glasgow loose-head had been in South Africa with Scotland for a quadrangular tournament.
The draw for the pools for the group stage of the 2013/14 Heineken Cup took place on Wednesday. Reigning champions Toulon will be in Pool Two along with RaboDirect Pro12 semifinalists Glasgow Warriors, as well as Cardiff Blues and Exeter.
English champions Leicester are in Pool Five with Ulster and Montpellier.
Scotland will field three new caps in their team for Saturday’s international against Samoa in Durban, the first of their three games in the Castle Lager Incoming Series. The debutants are 24-year-old Edinburgh Rugby full-back Greig Tonks and the Glasgow Warriors duo, centre Alex Dunbar, 23 and hooker Pat MacArthur, 26.