grootblousmile
Argentina have named their side to face the All Blacks in this weekend’s Rugby Championship fixture on Saturday in La Plata, retaining the same starting side that put Australia under pressure a fortnight ago.
There was a buzz at Loftus today as thousands gathered to watch the afternoon open practice session on Loftus main field. Fathers, mothers and heaps and heaps of children attended to watch Heyneke Meyer’s squad of 30 go through their paces. My son, BonzaiGBS, was our resident photographer and took hundreds of photographs.
There’s some good news and some bad news, I’m wondering which you want to hear first….
Blue Bulls (17) 34 / 30 (9) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
New Zealand’s All Blacks have named their team to travel to Argentina and South Africa for their last two Rugby Championship matches against the Pumas and Springboks.
Rassie Erasmus says Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is tweaking his game plan ahead of next weekend’s Rugby Championship clash with the Wallabies in Pretoria.
SANZAR has made known the full game schedule for Super Rugby in 2013. Take critical note of the fact that the Australian sides will feature a week earlier than the New Zealand and South African sides, as they feature alone in Round 1 – 15 & 16 February and in the middle of the year, Round 17 – June 7 & 9, the Australian sides will feature alone as well, whilst in Round 18 & Round 19 the New Zealand and South African sides will feature without the Australian sides.
This accomodation is done to assist Australia who hosts the British and Irish Lions touring party in the middle of 2013.
Accordingly the Super Rugby Combined Log will be skewed from the start, then become even more skewed after Round 17 (The Australian sides having played 2 games more by then) and that the Combined Log will only appear realistic and normal after the conclusion of Round 19.
Pumas coach Santiago Phelan has named a 27-man strong squad for Argentina’s home matches against the All Blacks and the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
The revival of club rugby in South Africa received a major boost on Thursday with the announcement that a new televised national tournament for non-university clubs would kick off in 2013.
Alan Solomons, the Southern Kings Super Rugby coach, has indicated that controvertial looseforward Luke Watson will be the captain when the team makes their Super Rugby debut in 2013.
Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.
Continue reading
The Wallabies have named uncapped Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan and Western Force winger Nick Cummins in their 28-man Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship away leg.
Lions stalwart Wikus van Heerden will retire after Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has named a Springbok Sevens squad of 16 players for the warm-up tournament in Middelburg, which gets underway on Friday. The event will be the only pre-season tournament where the Blitzbokke will be in action before they leave for Australia to kick-off the HSBC Sevens World Series at the Gold Coast Sevens.
Springbok utility back Patrick Lambie’s unavailability for Currie Cup duty this week has left Sharks coach John Plumtree a frustrated man.
Springbok Rugby coaches have released five players back to their Currie Cup squads from the squad that returned from New Zealand.
French clubs have revealed that they have no intention of leaving European Rugby tournaments the Heineken Cup and the Challenge Cup and playing with just English clubs in a new tournament.
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has been ruled out of the remainder of The Rugby Championship after scans revealed an articular cartilage chip to his right knee.
Western Province loose forwards Jebb Sinclair and Tyrone Holmes have almost completely escaped further punishment for the punches they threw at Kings Park on Saturday.
Here’s a review of the Judicial hearings and citings following a weekend of ill-diciplined rugby in South Africa.
As we all know by now, in a water logged match in the ABSA Currie Cup between The Sharks and DHL Western Province, four players were carded in Durban, Sharks losse forward Jean Deysel received a Yellow Card, Jebb Sinclair and Tyrone Holmes from Province both received Red Cards for punching, whilst Wilhelm van der Sluys from Province received a Yellow Card.
From about 5 minutes before the end of the match, Western Province was forced to play with only 12 players on the pitch, effectively resulting in an eventual Penalty Try to the Sharks just before the end of the game.
Springbok prop Dean Greyling has been suspended from all forms of Rugby for two weeks after he pleaded guilty for foul play.
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee is determined to snuff out the ill-discipline that saw his team reduced to 12 players against the Sharks.
Morne Steyn’s indifferent performance against the All Blacks has increased the pressure on Bok coach Heyneke Meyer to start Johan Goosen at flyhalf.
There is a caveat, and given Heyneke Meyer’s insistence that his team employed the right game-plan in Dunedin it is a significant one, but the Springboks have ended the away leg of their Castle Rugby Championship campaign with reason to be encouraged.
Sharks (16) 43 / 27 (12) WP (Final Score)
The Sharks and DHL Western Province 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 & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Cheetahs (16) 23 / 38 (20) Golden Lions (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and MTN Golden Lions did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Free State Stadium at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Griquas (29) 49 / 34 (14) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at GWK Park, Kimberley at 15:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Wallabies (3) 23 / 19 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Argentina Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship at Skilled Park, Gold Coast at 12:00 SA Time (20:00 Gold Coast Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
All Blacks (5) 21 / 11 (3) Springboks (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and South African Springboks did battle in The Rugby Championship at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
The Southern Kings are looking “far and wide” for players to make them competitive when they debut in Super Rugby next year.
The latest reported players to apparently have signed for 2013 includes centre Andries Strauss from the Cheetahs and lock Steven Sykes from the Sharks.
Like last week and probably the weeks to come a condensed version, team by team of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.
Continue reading
Nathan Sharpe has been named as the Wallabies fourth captain this year while fullback Kurtley Beale has been dropped for Australia’s clash with Argentina on Saturday.
Argentina have named their team to play the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship match at the Gold Coast on Saturday with Martin Landajo replacing Nicolas Vergallo at scrumhalf.
Sharks centre Paul Jordaan has been ruled out of this week’s Currie Cup match against Western Province in Durban. Jordaan suffered concussion when the Sharks were beaten by the Griquas at the weekend. He also has a facial injury.
The Wallabies injury woes have continued with the news that hooker Stephen Moore and utility back James O’Connor’s return to fitness has been postponed.
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee may have let Burton Francis go, but he will fight a little harder to keep the services of Demetri Catrakilis.