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Jake White has never been one of those coaches who makes excuses, and he refused to use injuries as an excuse for his Cell C Sharks team’s defeat to the Vodacom Bulls as an excuse, but if he was honest he would probably agree that the disruption has come in the area he can least afford it as his team heads into a critical stage of the Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.
Before the season kicked off, White could well have pinpointed flyhalf and No 5 lock as the areas where depth was a concern. He needed Patrick Lambie to be fit for as many games as possible, and Pieter-Steph du Toit was so far ahead of the rest when it came to leading the lineout and posing a threat to opposition ball that he was near to indispensable.
Vodacom Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe’s hamstring strain will keep him out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.
The South African-based three-time past champions against defending title holders from New Zealand who are on the hunt for a hat-trick in 2014.
That is the appealing clash awaiting the Loftus faithful next Saturday (15:00), when the thoroughly resurgent Bulls – three from three at their home ground this season – entertain the Chiefs.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann was left speechless after his side came from behind to beat the Reds 23-20 at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Lions scored right at the death to secure victory against a Reds team reduced to 13 players after two yellow cards from referee Stuart Berry.
“What makes this one (victory) special is the fight and the comeback, the composure the guys showed,” Ackermann said after the match.
Reds flank Liam Gill and fullback Aidan Toua were injured in the loss to the Lions in Johannesburg.
Both players had to be replaced during the match, with Toua injuring his chest after being tackled just short of the line early in the first half and Gill injuring his hamstring in a ruck in the second half.
SANZAR wishes to advise two referee appointment changes for the forthcoming round of Super Rugby.
Nick Briant will officiate Crusaders v Hurricanes on Friday night while Steve Walsh will oversee the Blues v Highlanders clash in Auckland on Saturday night.
The Springbok Sevens lost 33-26 to Fiji in a thrilling, epic Tokyo Sevens Cup Final after the Pacific Islanders managed to score a brilliant and trademark long range winning try with just second remaining on the clock.
However, despite the disappointment of losing their tournament title in what must surely rank as one of the all-time great HSBC Sevens World Series Cup Finals, the South Africans did manage to regain the lead on the overall standings.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said that a few key ajustments made by Victor Matfield have been central to their recent success.
The Bulls beat the Sharks in their return match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, handing the visitors their first defeat of the season.
Saracens beat the world record attendance of a club match in their 39-17 Aviva Premiership clash at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
A clinical first-half display from Saracens saw them go in at half time 27-10 up, through tries from Chris Ashton, George Kruis and Owen Farrell, with Karl Dickson’s try and Nick Evans’s penalty keeping Quins within touching distance.
The second half was a more low-key affair, with Sam Smith’s converted try putting Harlequins within 10, but Jacques Burger and Marcelo Bosch sealed the victory for Saracens.
The game had a staggered start as David Strettle was on the receiving end of a swinging arm from Maurie Fa’asavalu, leaving the winger unconscious for a lengthy period of time, forcing him to be carried off on a stretcher.
Soon after, Nick Easter tried to make the most of a poor pass, but could only palm it into the path of Ashton who, after fending off Ugo Monye, dived over to score a 70-metre try, with Farrell converting.
Israel Folau is doubtful for the Waratahs’ South African tour after taking a knock to the throat in their victory over the Rebels.
The star fullback stayed behind in Australia to see a specialist, and although coach Michael Cheika had initially been confident that he would recover in time, there are now fears that he will not make it.
Reds coach Richard Graham admitted that he felt ‘aggrieved’ at the manner of his team’s 23-20 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A late try saw the hosts snatch a dramatic victory from the Reds who finished the match with only 13 players on the field as referee Stuart Berry issued two yellow cards.
The Cheetahs are demanding an explanation from referees boss Lyndon Bray after two controversial decisions in their 40-30 Super 15 loss to the Blues on Saturday.
The Cheetahs’ outrage comes after Bray, the SANZAR referees co-ordinator warned officials they had to be accountable and faced being dropped for making blunders.
Western Force coach Michael Foley said that it is key that his side capitalise on the momentum created by their three consecutive victories.
The Perth side saw off the challenge of defending champions the Chiefs on Saturday, keeping the Hamilton outfit tryless on Australian soil for the first time since 2011.
SANZAR duty judicial officer Adam Casselden has accepted a guilty plea from Alby Mathewson of the Force for contravening Law 10.4 (b) Stamping or trampling, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Mathewson has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including 30 March 2014.
Bulls (6) 23 / 19 (13) Sharks (Final Score)
THe Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks did battle in Super Rugby 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 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Lions (6) 23 / 20 (20) Reds (Final Score)
The Lions and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 01:05 Sunday 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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South Africa and Sri Lanka battle each other in the World T20 Cricket competition at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong (neutral venue) on Saturday 22 March.
This is a Group 1 game.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.
The score cards were updated at regular intervals here on Rugby-Talk.
Sri lanka win by 6 runs.
Sri Lanka: 165 / 7 (20 Overs)
South Africa: 160 / 8 (20 Overs)
Force (8) 18 / 15 (9) Chiefs (Final Score)
The Western Force and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at
nib Stadium, Perth at 13:00 SA Time (19:00 Perth Time, 11:00 GMT, 00:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Brumbies (13) 25 / 15 (10) Stormers (Final Score)
The Brumbies and DHL Stormers do battle in Super Rugby at
Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time 08:40 GMT).
This is the live match discussion Article.
The match is broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Blues (30) 40 / 30 (16) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Blues and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Eden Park, Auckland 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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Waratahs (11) 32 / 8 (8) Rebels (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 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 (9) 35 / 31 (9) Hurricanes (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Hurricanes did battle in Super Rugby at
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin 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 & CSN on TV in SA.
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It is Round 6 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 7 games in Round 5, with 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
The Crusaders have a 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.
Vodacom Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe has been ruled out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Cell C Sharks due to a hamstring strain.
His place in the team will be taken by Paul Willemse, who will move from the bench into the number four jersey. The captaincy will be taken over by Victor Matfield.
JP Pietersen will join a select group of Vodacom Super Rugby centurions when he runs out at Loftus for the Cell C Sharks’ fixture against the Bulls, playing in his 100th game for the franchise.
Since making his debut in 2006, he has become a vital member of the team. He has scored 33 tries in Super Rugby and 17 in 42 Currie Cup games and boasts a Rugby World Cup winners medal from 2007 (and has been capped 51 times at Test level).
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has named his 23-man team to front the Queensland Reds at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.
Ackermann has opted for consistency, making just one change to his starting 15 for the encounter.
We have two incidents from Super Rugby in the last two weeks which are worth looking at, both incidents which caused debate and argument and even acrimony.
We are dealing with decisions by top referees in top matches when speed is an essential ingredient, including the speed match officials need to process the information, even when they have help from the replays provided by the TMO.
There is never a rest from debate and argument when it comes to rugby football, certainly not in the application of the most complex set of laws of any sport – a contact sport played by 30 vigorous young men in physical contact in a confined space.
New Zealand rugby chiefs on Thursday admitted two prominent All Blacks abused prescription sleeping pills during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but denied the practice was commonplace among professional players.
New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew said Cory Jane and Israel Dagg “let themselves down” when they took pills on a night out in Auckland just before the All Blacks’ quarter-final against Argentina.
The Chiefs have announced their team to play the Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
It will be the the first match of their overseas Super Rugby tour, with game against the Bulls and Cheetahs to follow.
The Springboks’ second match in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Argentina has been moved to Salta in the north of the country.
The final venues and kick-off times for this four-team Southern Hemisphere competition were confirmed by SANZAR on Thursday.
Cape Town-raised Jean-Pierre Smith will get his first start in Super Rugby when he claims the No 1 jersey for the Brumbies against the Stormers.
Smith makes his way into the starting team via the Brumbies bench where he has featured alongside twin brother, Ruan, since Round 2.
Ben Tapuai is the only change to the Reds starting line-up for their Round Six Super Rugby clash against the Lions on Saturday.
The seven-cap Wallaby Tapuai slots into the starting team at outside centre replacing Chris Feauai-Sautia, who suffered a hamstring injury during training.
Rebels’ coach Tony McGahan has made two changes to the starting line-up that will face the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday.
Blues coach John Kirwan has dropped flyhalf Chris Noakes and brought back the impressive Simon Hickey for Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday.
Hickey is one of two changes to the Blues for the game, the other being Charles Piutau moving from left wing to fullback, meaning league convert Benji Marshall will drop to the bench.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has dropped a selection bomb by axing star loose forward Pieter Labuschagne ahead of the Super Rugby Round 6 encounter with the Blues on Saturday.
Drotské made a number of changes to the team – all surprising selection – as the men from Bloemfontein look to end their losing streak on tour.