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At the weekend they were fierce rivals, but very soon they will team up to don the Green and Gold of South Africa.
This is the verdict on two of the most talented young second row forwards in the world, who were in opposing camps when the Sharks became Currie Cup champions with a 33-19 win over Western Province at Newlands.
Western Province forward Michael Rhodes has been cited for a dangerous tackle in the Currie Cup Final against the Sharks at Newlands.
Springbok scrumhalf Jano Vermaak was the hero for Toulouse as he scored a crucial try in Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash against Toulon in the Top 14.
With the clubs level at the summit of the standings at kick-off, the match was the highlight of the French rugby weekend as Toulouse came back from 12-0 down at half time to win 13-12.
Western Province and the Stormer are looking to add depth to their scrumhalf, lock and wing positions with the eye on next year’s Super Rugby competition.
James O’Connor is expected to make a decision on his future in the “next 24 or 48 hours”, according to London Irish coach Brian Smith.
O’Connor has been linked with a move to the English Premiership side after the Australian Rugby Union terminated his contract following a string of embarrassing off-field incidents earlier this month, culminating with the talented 23-year-old being escorted from Perth airport for drunken behaviour.
This weekend saw the conclusion of the ABSA Currie Cup, with The Sharks upsetting overwhelming favourites, before the game, DHL Western Province, by playing the better tactical game and winning by a handsome 33 / 19. This leaves us with the International window opening again and all Southern Hemisphere sides getting ready to travel north, for the End Of Year Tours.
It would however not be fitting to move our attention over to the Internationals, without paying tribute to those domestic stars, who performed out of their skins for their respective Unions in the Currie Cup. For this purpose and although the Springboks took part in the latter rounds of the Currie Cup, we decided to compose 2 Player-by-player sides of the best candidates in their positions, but purposely excluding the players of the Springbok group from the equasion.
Chief writers, Rudi Geldenhuys and Timothy Bornman takes a look at these players… and it appears that in most positions the same logic applies, however there are certain positions where we differ on exactly who performed best. We chose not to pick players out of position but rather to choose players in the positions they regularly played during the Competition.
Scrumhalf Charl McLeod scored a brace of tries as The Sharks maintained the recent trend of underdogs winning Absa Currie Cup finals as they out-thought and out-played Western Province on their way to a 33-19 win in the domestic season showpiece in front of a packed Newlands.
The Sharks, who led 19-13 at halftime, were never headed in the game and on the day thoroughly deserved the win that secures the Durban union its seventh Currie Cup trophy. In terms of the achievement, with The Sharks having changed their coach only a few months ago and having to travel to win the final, this was one of their most famous wins.
The End Of Year Tours (Autumn Internationals) starts this coming weekend and this week we should see a lot of news in preparation of these Tours. The New Zealand NPC is over, the South African Currie Cup has a new Champion, now the International stage lights up again!
The New Zealand All Blacks believe Dan Carter will be ready to face Japan and has also sent an S.O.S. call to prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen as cover for Joe Moody who was injured in the NPC Final.
Welsh international scrumhalf Mike Phillips has been sacked by French club Bayonne after being accused of turning up drunk at a training session, a source at the club said.
WP (13) 19 / 33 (19) Sharks (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and The Sharks did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 17:30 SA Time (15:30 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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Blue Bulls Under 19 – (21) 35 / 23 (9) – Golden Lions Under 19 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 and MTN Golden Lions Under 19 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 19 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 12:30 SA Time (10:30 GMT).
Western Province Under 21 – (16) 30 / 23 (13) – Blue Bulls Under 21 (Final Score)
DHL Western Province Under 21 and Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 21 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 14:30 SA Time (12:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The matches were broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
Wellington (10) 13 / 29 (7) Canterbury (Final Score)
The Wellington Lions and Canterbury did battle in the NPC Premier Final at
Westpac stadium at 08:35 SA Time (19:30 NZ Time, 06:35 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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Pumas (16) 33 / 15 (12) Griquas (Final Score)
Steval Pumas and GWK Griquas did battle in the 2nd Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation game at
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 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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The ‘house full’ signs are up at Newlands ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup Final between Western Province and the Sharks.
The Sharks have named what must be close on their strongest line-up possible with the inclusion of Jannie du Plessis and Willem Alberts for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Final against Western Province.
Unfortunately, Jean Deysel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s semi-final victory over Free State and will not play, which means Alberts comes into the starting line-up at flank.
Although the Currie Cup dates back more than a hundred years, the first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province. The Sharks, a.k.a. Natal, are back in the Final for the third year in a row and will be playing the Western Province for the fifth time in a Currie Cup Final.
The Highlanders have announced that former All Black and current Otago ITM Coach Tony Brown has joined the Super Rugby franchise as an assistant coach.
Brown has played for the Sharks and Stormers in Super Rugby but is best known for his 90 caps starting back in 1996 with the Hlghlanders.
Chris Robshaw has retained the England captaincy for the November internationals, coach Stuart Lancaster announced on Wednesday.
Western Province skipper Deon Fourie has been passed fit and will lead an unchanged side in the Currie Cup Final at Newlands on Saturday.
Fourie has been battling with a neck injury this week and did not train on Wednesday, but was named to lead the defending champions against the Sharks this weekend.
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse made six changes to his team for the Currie Cup promotion-relegation Round Two match against Griquas on Friday.
Griquas take a narrow two-point advantage into the return match in Nelspruit, after their 21-19 victory over the Pumas in Kimberley last Friday.
Argentina named Daniel Hourcade as coach on Tuesday for the Pumas’ tour of Europe and with a view to keeping him on until the 2015 rugby World Cup in England.
Australia’s top rugby players have accepted a 23 percent cut in their test match fee from A$13 100 ($12 700) per game to A$10 000 over the next four years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Wednesday.
The ARU, whose coffers were only partially replenished by this year’s British and Irish Lions tour, have engaged in a raft of cost-cutting measures since new chief executive Bill Pulver took over earlier this year.
The Western Force say their negotiations with James O’Connor have ended after the troubled Wallaby decided to play in Europe.
In a media release,the RRW (Regional Rugby Wales), the 4 Welsh Regions have put their weight behind the break away by the Anglo-French Clubs from the current format of the ERC (European Rugby Cahampionship). The ERC currently run the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup tournaments.
This now adds added impetus to the newly proposed Rugby Champions Cup competition, initiated by English and French Clubs after unhappiness with the format for qualification of the ERC competitions and the distribution of income in the competitions. The Celtic League, Irish, Scotish and Welsh clubs qualify easier than the English and French Clubs at present.
Martiens Louw and Robbie Barnard, hooker and prop, who played together for Transvaal and South Africa, have died just over a week apart.
Louw died in Pretoria on 12 October 2013 and Barnard on 20 October 2013. Louw was 75, Barnard 71.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has named controversial scrumhalf Mike Phillips in a 35-man squad for next month’s Tests against South Africa, Argentina, Tonga and Australia.
Phillips faced a meeting with Bayonne directors on Tuesday after he allegedly attended a players’ video analysis session at the French club earlier this month while under the influence of alcohol.
Scotland coach Scott Johnson has included five uncapped players in a 41-man training squad announced on Tuesday to prepare for next month’s Tests at home to Japan, South Africa and Australia.
Five players at English Premiership clubs have tested positive for recreational drug use during the 2012 / 13 season, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced on Tuesday.
All the fixtures have been announced for the 2014 Varsity Rugby season, with a repeat of last year’s semifinal matches getting next year’s FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International tournament underway on February 3, 2014.
The side will be captained by Wellington and Hurricanes back Tim Bateman and features six former All Blacks and 11 players who played for the Maori All Blacks last year.
The squad departs for North America on Monday 28 October.
Griquas coach Pote Human has shuffled his loose trio for the crucial promotion/relegation play-off with the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
Carel Greeff comes into the side at No.8, with Burger Schoeman moving to blindside flank and RJ Liebenberg shifting across to the openside, with Marnus Schoeman dropping down to the bench.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the Blues have confirmed that All Blacks midfielder Ma’a Nonu has signed with NZR and the Blues for 2014 and 2015.
South African scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann has signed two-year contract with the Brumbies.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has announced his resignation with immediate effect, leaving the Pumas looking for a coach for their upcoming European tour.
The Waratahs have revealed that they will play their first Super Rugby warm up match for the 2014 season against the Melbourne Rebels.
Waratahs new recruits Kurtley Beale and Nick Phipps, along with defensive coach Nathan Grey, will take on their old club the Melbourne Rebels in their first trial match for 2014.