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The Springboks were dealt a big blow when burly lock Flip van der Merwe was banned for one week and will miss the Rugby Championship decider at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A SANZAR judicial hearing found Flip van der Merwe guilty of contravening Law 10.4(e): Dangerous Tackling, which also constituted a breach of Law 10.4 (a): Striking.
The Bok lock was cited after South Africa’s 28-8 demolition of Australia in Cape Town at the weekend.
The All Blacks headed to South Africa on Monday banking on the return of talismanic captain Richie McCaw to put the seal on another successful season.
Although New Zealand require just a single bonus point to retain their Rugby Championship title, they are determined to seal it by beating arch rivals South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.
And the All Blacks are confident they will have McCaw in their arsenal.
The Jake White saga continues as the most recent indications are that Brendan Venter will be leaving his temporary position as Sharks Director of Rugby at the end of the 2013 Currie Cup, making way for the appointment of Jake White in the same position.
Last week it was rumoured that White could become the new Director of Rugby at the Sharks, but Brendan Venter was already in the position and uncertainty surrounded whether Venter would stay on.
It was the penultimate Round of rugby in The Rugby Championship of 2013, with the South African Springboks playing the Australian Wallabies at Newlands, Cape Town and the Argentinian Pumas playing the New Zealand All Blacks in Argentina.
The Springboks comfortably beat the Wallabies by 28 / 8, however a 4th bonus point try just barely eveded them, whilst the All Blacks won away from home against the Pumas by 33 / 15, barely getting their 4th try in the dying seconds of the match.
The All Blacks are now 5 points clear on the Combined Log (23 points), the Springboks 2nd (18 points), followed at quite some distance by the Wallabies (4 points) and the Pumas (2 points).
The competion is now poised for two games next weekend, where the Springboks and All Blacks will contest for the Championship title, whilst the loser between the Pumas and Wallabies will receive the wooden spoon for 2013.
Here are 2 highlites videos of the matches played:
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend cemented their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semifinal spots and set themselves in good stead for home semifinals, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls reignited their semifinal chances.
In a weekend of away wins, the Sharks fought their way to a 31-25 victory against the MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg, DHL Western Province pipped the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 29-27 in Bloemfontein and the Vodacom Blue Bulls thumped GWK Griquas 52-10 in Kimberley.
Both Springboks coach and captain, Heyneke Meyer and Jean de Villiers were very pleased following their convincing 28-8 win over the Wallabies at DHL Newlands on Saturday night.
The Springboks scored three tries, but neither the coach nor captain dwelled on a fourth try that would have resulted in a bonus point win.
The vital Springbok win temporarily placed them on equal terms with the New Zealand All Blacks on The Rugby Championship Log, till the All Blacks beat the Pumas from Argentina later in the night, by 33-15 and in the process scoring a 4th try on the final hooter. This now leaves the All Blacks (23 Log Points) 5 Log Points clear of the Springboks (18 Log Points) prior to the finale at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 5 October. The Springboks would have to achieve a full haul of 5 Log Points whilst also beating the All Blacks by more than 7 points and at the same time not conceeding 4 tries in the last match to clinch The Rugby Championship. In anybody’s language THAT is a tall order against the No 1 team in the world, but at least the Springboks are in with a fighting chance.
Flip van der Merwe of South Africa has been cited for alleged foul play during a Rugby Championship match at the weekend.
Van der Merwe is alleged to have contravened Law 10.4 (a) Punching or Striking when he made contact with Australian winger Joe Tomane. The incident occurred in the 39th minute of the match between South Africa and Australia at DHL Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 28 September.
Pumas (9) 15 / 33 (11) All Blacks (Final Score)
The Argentinian Pumas and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at Estadio Ciuda
de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina at 00:40 Sunday SA Time (19:40 ARG Time, 22:40 GMT, 11:40 Sunday NZ Time).
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 (23) 28 / 8 (3) Wallabies (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Australian Wallabies did battle in The Rugby Championship at
Newlands, Cape Town at 17:00 SA Time (15:0 GMT, 01:00 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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Griquas (10) 10 / 52 (15) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
GWK Park, Kimberley at 14:00 SA Time (12:00 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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Stephen Larkham has been named in a caretaker coaching duo for the Brumbies with fellow assistant Laurie Fisher in the wake of Jake White’s sudden resignation, but the former Australia flyhalf would like to take on the head role fulltime.
Larkham, who formed one of rugby’s most successful halves partnerships with fellow Brumbies’ player George Gregan, has been the team’s attack coach for the past three seasons, helping the Canberra-based side to the final of this year’s Super Rugby competition.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has named his team to face the Wallabies at Newlands on Saturday.
Fourie du Preez makes a welcome return to the starting lineup at scrumhalf and Adriaan Strauss gets the nod at hooker, with Bismarck du Plessis set on the bench.
All Black coach Steve Hansen has made 2 changes to the New Zealand team to play the Pumas from Argentina at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, Argentina, in the Rugby Championship Test this Saturday (Sunday morning very early SA Time).
A fit again Aaron Cruden comes in at flyhalf as an injury enforced change, replacing the injured Dan Carter.
At hooker Andrew Hore replaces Dan Coles (who falls out of the match 23), for his 80th Test.
Ewen McKenzie, Wallabies coach, has announced his team to play South Africa’s Springboks at Newlands in Cape Town this weekend, with James Horwill returning to the starting line up and captaining the side.
Nic White and Quade Cooper retains the halfback berths, with scrumhalf Will Genia and replacement flyhalf Matt Toomua on the bench.
Adam Ashley-Cooper moves to the wing in place of suspended James O’Connor and Tevita Kuridrani is brought in at outside centre, for his starting debut.
Alain Rolland, one of the top referees in the world, has announced his retirement at the end of the current season.
He is 47 years of age.
Brumbies coach Jake White has quit his job as head coach of Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies for personal reasons.
According to reports White has quit the Brumbies and is rumoured to have been upset that he was overlooked for the Wallabies job which was given to Ewen McKenzie.
The Golden Lions, fresh off their second round win over the Blue Bulls to complete the double over their local rivals, await The Sharks at Ellis Park this Friday evening in a massive Absa Currie Cup clash.
The Lions are in third place, four points adrift of The Sharks and Western Province who occupy top and second spot respectively on the log, both on 24 points, and defeating The Sharks would greatly improve their chances of hosting a semi-final.
MTN Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to take on The Sharks at Ellis Park this Friday evening.
Ackermann has made just two changes to his starting side for the ABSA Currie Cup round eight clash.
The recall of a fit-again Handré Pollard, first starts to William Small-Smith and David Bullbring and returns for Sampie Mastriet and Marcel van der Merwe highlights the Vodacom Blue Bulls team announcement ahead of their Absa Currie Cup clash against GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
In all, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made six changes to his starting line-up, with Jurgen Visser also returning at fullback and Clayton Blommetjies dropping to the bench.
The Springboks are once again likely to field a match-day squad on Saturday liberally sprinkled with overseas-based players … but SARU has reiterated its green light for coach Heyneke Meyer’s approach to the matter.
South Africa tackle Australia in The Rugby Championship at Newlands (17:00) and the Springbok match 23, to be revealed later on Wednesday, is likely to feature at least seven players already based with foreign clubs and another, Zane Kirchner, who very shortly dons a Leinster jersey.
Springbok tourist Raymond Rhule is one of four players who felt the wrath of Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské axe.
The Cheetahs host defending champions Western Province in a crucial Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Springbok Johan Goosen’s hopes of a comeback for the year-end tour has been dashed.
The 21-year-old has undergone surgery to remove an inflamed appendix.
Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis is set to play his 50th Test which will see him and brother Bismarck achieve a special milestone.
Jannie du Plessis and flyhalf Morné Steyn will play their 50th Tests for the Springboks when they tackle Australia’s Wallabies at Newlands on Saturday.
Ali Williams says he enjoyed being on the same side as South African Bakkies Botha for a change, having locked horns with the giant former Springbok on numerous occasions for club and country.
Springboks and former national team captains were united in predicting that the new Springbok Experience rugby museum would be a major success after it opened its doors to the public at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for the first time on Tuesday.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers was the first official visitor to the new attraction closely followed by the rest of the Springbok squad and former national team captains, all of whom were ‘wowed’ by the world-class new installation – before the doors were thrown open to the public at the sounding of the noon gun.
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend strengthened their chances of home semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas continued their struggle to make their presence felt.
With only three pool rounds remaining the Sharks and Western Province need only two more log points to cement their semifinal places, while the Blue Bulls and Griquas face a daunting task to sneak into the semifinals after each side managed to secure only a bonus point this weekend.
Probably the most biased rugby writer in world rugby, Spiro Zavos (writes for the Sydney Morning Herald), has described Springbok Rugby as “Thugby”.
Come on Spiros, I have a special toffee that I would like to show you in person… this is a family website, after all.
Anybody who takes Spiros’ ramblings with more than a pinch of salt, lowers him or herself to the lowest COMMON (pun intended) denominator. The man is a legend… in his own mind only!
Come on Spiros, surely you are better than that…
Australia will arrive in South Africa on Monday for the start of what has been described as the road-trip from hell.
Not only will they play back-to-back Rugby Championships – against the Springboks at Newlands this coming Saturday (September 28) and the Pumas in Rosario a week later – but the Wallabies then head to New Zealand for the third and final Bledisloe Cup encounter of the year.
English and French clubs on Sunday announced the formation of a new competition called the Rugby Champions Cup for the 2014 / 15 season.
Anglo-French clubs have threatened to pull out of the European Cup if organisers ERC failed to find a solution to their concerns over the current competition’s format.
DHL Western Province have probably lost Juan de Jongh for their next two matches after the centre was called up by the Springboks on Sunday, but they should be significantly boosted for Friday’s crucial Absa Currie Cup clash with the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
WP were set back before their match against the GWK Griquas at Newlands at the start of the weekend by the late withdrawal of big blindside flanker Rynhardt Elstadt.
The Sharks revelled in their ‘best performance of the season’ after thrashing the Free State Cheetahs to climb top of the Currie Cup table in Durban on Saturday.
Both forwards coach Brad Macleod-Henderson and captain Keegan Daniel hailed the seven-try, 50-26 bonus-point win as the Durban side’s best performance to date.
Golden Lions (13) 35 / 26 (7) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 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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Cheetahs lock Lood de Jager has recovered from a concussion to take his place in the team to face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The young De Jager, who made a big impression in Super Rugby this year, replaces Teboho Mohoje in the only change to the side that beat the Golden Lions last week.
Two more Southern Kings players have decided to make their futures elsewhere, bringing the tally to 10 so far. Cornell du Preez will join Solly (Alan Solomons) in Edinburgh, and Nicolas Vergallo will join French club, Lyon.
The players who have now already left the Southern Kings are: Nicolas Vergallo, Cornell du Preez, Daniel Adongo, Waylon Murray, Bandise Maku, Jacques Engelbrecht, David Bulbring, SP Marais, Wesley Dunlop and Dimetri Catrakilis. Alan Solomons of course has also jumped ship to Edinburgh.
Bismarck du Plessis is not likely to start when the Springboks name their side to face the Wallabies in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match at Newlands on September 28.
Du Plessis, who has faced a torrid week after being incorrectly red-carded by French referee Romain Poite in Auckland last weekend, is set to be on the bench when the Boks resume their chase for the title next week.