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DHL Western Province Under-21 coach John Dobson has announced his team for Saturday’s 2012 Absa Under-21 Final against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban (kick-off 14:00 SA Time).
England coach Stuart Lancaster recalled a couple of big guns for his team’s year-end Tests against the three Southern Hemisphere powerhouses.
Australia have named a 30-man sqaud for the end of year tour to Europe without Scott Higginbotham and captained by Nathan Sharpe.
Regular Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup starters Francois Venter and Arno Botha have been included in the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 squad to play DHL Western Province on Saturday.
Springbok utility back Jaco Taute says he would like to be considered at fullback when he plays for the Stormers in next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Two Vodacom Blue Bulls player will undergo medical procedures in the next week following a long and taxing 2012 rugby season.
Jaco Taute, Lions and Springbok centre and fullback has penned his deal with the Stormers on loan from the Golden Lions Rugby Union, for Super Rugby 2013.
With the first game done and dusted already in the Currie Cup Premier Division Promotion / Relegation series and the EP Kings needing a mighty 40 point win, including bonus point for tries, it is an uphill battle for the men from Eastern Province.
We see calls from EP’s Alan Solomons going out not to judge the EP Kings and Southern Kings on these two games, but seriously, what else are we supposed to do?
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs is hardly featuring a full Free State side, let alone a full Super Rugby side, due to the plethera of injuries they are currently experiencing, coupled to the fact that the Griquas portion of their Super Rugby Franchise is NOT included in these games at all.
What we DO KNOW is that the mainstay of these two Super Rugby Franchises will be players from the respective Currie Cup sides, so the current reflection is the nearest we can come to judging what might transpire next year in Super Rugby at the Southern Kings.
Well, enough of that, we have to concentrate on Friday’s Promotion / Relegation game first and foremost, and here’s the Team sheets for this encounter:
Die Blou Bulle Maatskappy (Edms) Bpk is verheug om te bevestig dat Pierre Spies sy kontrak met die BBM tot November 2015 verleng het.
The Free State Cheetahs started preparations for round two of their battle with the Eastern Province Kings facing a new injury crisis.
The Sharks will host DHL Western Province in this year’s Absa Currie Cup final after wildly contrasting victories over the Vodacom Blue Bulls and defending champions the MTN Golden Lions respectively in Saturday’s semi-finals.
Jaco Peyper will referee the Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The Western Force have signed former Rugby World Cup Wallabies lock/flanker Hugh McMeniman for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Wallabies forward Scott Higginbotham has been slapped with a two match ban for his attack on All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Wallabies (12) 18 / 18 (6) All Blacks (Final Score)
Wallabies and All Blacks did battle in a Bledisloe Cup match at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 12:00 SA Time (20:00 Brisbane 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 (24) 53 / 14 (0) Kings (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and EP Kings did battle in the first of two Promotion / Relegation games to determine entry for the Currie Cup, Premier Division for 2013 at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA 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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Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-final matches.
Springbok No 8 and Bulls captain Pierre Spies may further his career up north after French club Bayonne reportedly have made a massive offer for his services over the next three years.
Vrydag 2 November 2012 om 11:00 vir 11:30 het JY die geleenthied om te gaan na die Blou Bul Makietie.
Ek gaan daar wees, my tafel is bespreek, en ek is seker ander getroue Bloubul ondersteuners daar buite wil van die geleentheid gebruik maak om die dag saam met ons te geniet.
Hooker Keven Mealamu will become the third New Zealander to win 100 Test caps after being named in the All Blacks starting line up team for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup test against Australiain Brisbane.
The Wallabies injury problems have taken another blow as prop Ben Alexander has been ruled out of the final Bledisloe Cup test with a wrist injury.
All Black legend Brad Thorn will return to New Zealand next year. He has signed a one-year contract with the Highlanders for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
The Rebels have signed Auckland Blues prop forward Pauliasi Manu to a two-year Super Rugby deal as part of their Contracted Playing Squad.
The Wallabies playing stocks for their end of year tour have suffered yet another blow as utility back James O’Connor will miss the tour.
Bryce Lawrence has pulled the plug on his career after his 200th first-class match in charge.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union announced the MTN Golden Lions team to play DHL Western Province on Saturday, 20 October 2012 in the second semi-final match of the 2012 Absa Currie Cup competition.
The Wallabies named their 22-man team to take on the All Blacks on Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup clash in Brisbane… then changed it due to another injury.
Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll fancies a Super Rugby stint before he retires, with the Waratahs favourites to secure his signature.
All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu has revealed that he plans to leave the Blues and play for the Highlanders in the 2013 Super Rugby season.
It’s crunch-time in the Currie Cup, with only semi-finals and finals remaining but only one of the four semi-final sides, the Blue Bulls have a clean bill of health on their 22 squad players.
The Currie Cup Semi-finalists have been confirmed following the last game of the open rounds, the game between the MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg.
Although the watered down Currie Cup, without the Springbok players for most of the season, has clearly lost popularity judging from the low spectator numbers at all the Currie Cup games, the good thing to come from the competition was the levelling of the playing field between the 6 competing sides.
In addition, some bright new future prospects have really come to the fore during the competition, players like Raymond Rhule – speed merchant from the Free State Cheetahs, Scarra Ntubeni – young hooker from Western Province, Ruan Combrinck – winger of the Golden Lions and Marnus Schoeman – flanker from the Griquas.
ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division – Log
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
1 | The Sharks | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 292 | 233 | 59 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 35 |
2 | MTN Golden Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 285 | 279 | 6 | 26 | 28 | 4 | 28 |
3 | DHL Western Province | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 272 | 226 | 46 | 28 | 19 | 5 | 25 |
4 | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 280 | 291 | -11 | 24 | 31 | 3 | 23 |
5 | GWK Griquas | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 250 | 313 | -63 | 28 | 35 | 4 | 20 |
6 | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 268 | 305 | -37 | 26 | 33 | 6 | 18 |
Sharks (22) 42 / 3 (3) Griquas (Final Score)
The Sharks and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA 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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Australian rugby boss John O’Neill has announced that he will stand down as Australian Rugby Union chief executive at the end of this month.
Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.
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New Zealand Rugby have signed their first ever shirt sponsorship which will logo global insurance company American International Group (AIG) appearing on the front of the All Black shirt.