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Chiefs’ flyhalf Aaron Cruden will miss six to eight weeks of Super Rugby after breaking his thumb in a dramatic draw with the Central Cheetahs, the club said on Monday.
In a major dent to the Chiefs’ hopes of securing three titles in a row, the 25-year-old had an X-ray following the 43-43 draw in Bloemfontein which confirmed his left thumb was fractured.
Stormers (8) 11 / 22 (10) Waratahs (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT, 02:10 AEST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Lions (0) 7 / 28 (6) Crusaders (Final Score)
The Lions and Crusaders did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 03:05 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Cheetahs (34) 43 / 43 (10) Chiefs (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT, 01:00 Sunday NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Reds (17) 29 / 32 (17) Force (Final Score)
The Reds and Western Force did battle in Super Rugby at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 17:40 AWST, 08:40 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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Hurricanes (16) 25 / 20 (13) Bulls (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at
McLean Park, Napier at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Friday named a reduced SA Under-20 training squad of 36 players for the remainder of the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship (JWC) training camp following two trial matches in Stellenbosch this week.
An large group of almost 50 players were selected for the camp as SA Under-20 coach Dawie Theron opted to cast his net wide in search of the best players to represent the country at the JWC in Auckland, New Zealand, from May 27 to June 20. This will be the first time the country hosts the tournament.
Clermont’s entire rugby union squad were drug tested on Thursday morning before the French Top 14 side meet English club Leicester in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
The mass testing was carried out before the morning training session with the club claiming that the tests were commissioned by the International Rugby Board (IRB).
Former Springbok scrumhalf Neil de Kock is set to play his 200th match for Saracens, the English club’s official website reports.
De Kock, 35, is on the bench for their Heineken Cup quarter-final away to Irish club Ulster on Saturday and will reach the milestone if he makes an appearance.
Kurt Baker of the Highlanders has been cited by SANZAR for alleged foul play during their Super Rugby match against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.
India and South Africa battled each other in the World T20 Cricket competition 2nd semi-final at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Friday 4 April 2014.
The 1st semi-final took place on Thursday 3 5 April 2014 between Sri Lanka and West Indies, with Sri Lanka winning and advancing to the final.
The match started at 15:00 SA Time.
South Africa won the Toss and chose to bat first.
The score cards were updated at regular intervals here on Rugby-Talk.
India win with 5 balls spare, and win by 6 wickets.
South Africa: 172 / 4 (20 Overs)
India: 176 / 4 (19.1 Overs)
Brumbies (13) 26 / 9 (6) Blues (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time, 08:40 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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Highlanders (20) 33 / 30 (13) Rebels (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT, 17:35 AEST).
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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It is Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 7 games in Round 8, with 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
The Cell C Sharks have their 2nd bye weekend.
In June / July 2014 the Antipodian teams will catch up in played games with the South African counterparts, when the South African sides sit out for 1 Round.
The Combined Log will therefore be skewed for the majority of the competition and one has to question why individual countries are allowed to start such a long competition ahead of it’s rivals. In 2013 the Australian sides started a week early, but at least they had the excuse that they needed an extra week in the middle of the year to prepare for the British & Irish Lions series, which they lost.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie clearly doesn’t believe in continuity.
After coming away with a 34-all draw – the result of a 19-point haul in the final 10 minutes against the Bulls last week – the Chiefs have made 10 changes to their matchday squad for the Round Eight Super Rugby showdown with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Springbok and Bath flank Francois Louw’s ankle injury does not require surgery, which means he will be able to play again this season.
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has named his 23-man team to take on the Crusaders at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.
Ackermann has made just one forced change in the forwards and two changes in the backline for the encounter.
The Waratahs have announced that Israel Folau will miss this weekend’s Super Rugby match against the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
Folau suffered a throat knock two weeks ago when he was playing against the Rebels and missed last week’s loss to the Sharks.
Rebels head coach Tony McGahan has made four changes to his starting line-up for Friday’s match against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Following the club’s 32-24 victory over the Brumbies, Colby Fainga’a has failed to recover from a hip injury and will be replaced in the back row by Sean McMahon, while Tom Kingston continues to follow concussion protocols and will not be considered for selection this week.
Japanese international Male Sau replaces Kingston on the right wing, with Jordy Reid and Alex Rokobaro injected into the match day squad as reserves for the first time in 2014.
The Brumbies have made just one change to their starting side with Siliva Siliva given an opportunity in the No 2 jumper for Friday night’s clash with the Blues.
Stephen Moore will miss his first Brumbies game through injury since 2011 after the champion hooker was given a week to recover from a niggling knee concern.
Ben McCalman will return to the starting line-up when the Force takes on the Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
McCalman, who returns from a two-week suspension incurred from his side’s 31-29 win over the Highlanders, has been named at the back of the Force scrum, while Angus Cottrell reverts back to the blindside flank in the only changes to the Force line-up.
Livewire Jamie-Jerry Taulagi will make his Super Rugby debut this weekend after being named on the wing for the Reds’ match against the Force.
Taulagi’s addition is one of two changes to the starting side that defeated the Stormers last weekend, with injuries to Dom Shipperley (hip flexor) and Lachie Turner (ankle) forcing a shuffle in the back three.
Taulagi will play on the wing, while Ben Lucas will earn his first start of the season at fullback.
Victor Vito and Brad Shields will pull on the Hurricanes jersey for the first time this season, as their team gears up to face the Bulls at Napier’s McLean Park on Saturday.
Both loose forwards have been out since the beginning of the season with knee injuries, and this weekend’s match will be their first of the 2014 Super Rugby season.
Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder has made six changes to the starting line-up that will take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
The Cheetahs will soon be able to call on the services of Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow.
According to reports, Brüssow joined up with his team-mates in Bloemfontein on Monday after returning from his duties in Japan.
SANZAR has released the names of the Match Officials for Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014.
Chris Pollock starts the action this weekend in Dunedin when the Highlanders host the Melbourne Rebels.
This weekend sees 7 games, with 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Cell C Sharks have a BYE weekend again, their 2nd one.
Trevor Nyakane will start his first game of Super Rugby this weekend as the Cheetahs take on the Chiefs in Bloemfontein.
The Springbok prop, who can play either tighthead or loosehead, has warmed the bench for the Cheetahs in the competition so far but has been selected to start over other front rowers who have been struggling with injury niggles.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke included fit-again lock and regular captain, Flip van der Merwe, for his side’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes in Napier on Saturday.
The 67 cap lock takes over the captaincy and number five jersey from Victor Matfield in one of two changes to the starting pack that played against the Chiefs. In the other, Jacques Engelbrecht comes in at number 8, with Dewald Potgieter moving to the side of the scrum in place of Jacques du Plessis, who moves to the bench.
Jerome Kaino will captain a Blues side featuring two changes to the one that defeated the Highlanders last week for Friday night’s clash with the Brumbies in Canberra.
In the absence of Luke Braid who moves to the bench after shouldering a heavy workload this season, 30 year-old Kaino will take over the reigns and Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan said he was the best man for the job.
Jamie Joseph has named his Highlanders side to take on the Rebels this Friday night at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Shaun Treeby comes in at the expense of Phil Burleigh who sits out the match due to injury.
SuperSport have lodged a complaint with SANZAR regarding an altercation between one of their camera operators and Waratahs coach, Michael Cheika.
According to reports that Cheika had been verbally aggressive with the camera operator during the ‘Tahs 32-10 loss to the Sharksat Kings Park on Saturday.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has defended its decision to allow controversial French referee, Romain Poite, to take charge of a Springbok Test later this year.
The Springboks start their season with a match against a World XV on 7 June (venue to be confirmed but believed to be in Cape Town).
No, this is no April Fools joke, it is true… the IRB has released the names of the Match Official Appointments for the June International Test window!
Romain Poite (FFR), hated by most South Africans, will referee the match between South Africa and Wales on 14 June 2014 at Growthpoint Kings Park and will be assisted by Steve Walsh (ARU), Francisco Pastrana (UAR) and Vinnie Munro (NZR).
One could be forgiven to believe, despite our assurances, that this MUST SURELY be an April Fools joke, because apart from the run-in with Romain Poite, South Africans have had run-in’s by Steve Walsh too and just recently Francisco Pastrana was taken off the Super Rugby officiating lists till further notice for his abhorrent and totally inept refereeing performance against yet another South African side.
Let’s cut to the chase and just place the Official Appointments list here for you…
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has received a massive boost ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Crusaders at Ellis Park as a host of players are available again for selection.
The week off has really worked in the Lions’ favour as Ackermann now needs to decide who of the returning players to use before he chooses his team.
However, one injury is still causing headaches, and Coenie van Wyk’s knee problems will determine just how the Lions team will look for the weekend.
Jerome Kaino is likely to take over the captaincy of the Blues when they travel to Canberra to face the Brumbies on Friday.
The 49-cap All Black is the most likely candidate to lead the team out in the absence of Luke Braid, who is struggling with a shoulder injury.