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Wales coach Warren Gatland has made five changes to the team that beat Fiji 66-0 with Rhys Priestland keeping Stephen Jones out of the squad entirely and James Hook on the bench.
Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood will start for in England in one of four changes to Martin Johnson’s side for the Rugby World Cup quarter final against France at Eden Park on Saturday.
JP Pietersen trained with the Springboks as they continued their build-up to the World Cup quarterfinal in Wellington on Thursday morning.
Samoa’s controversial midfielder Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu may be facing a life ban from the game, but he refuses to go quietly.
The Blue Bulls Copany have made a short statement regarding the outcome of the Diciplinary Hearing of Bees Roux.
It reads as follows:
Griquas named their team on Wednesday to square up against the Blue Bulls in a Currie Cup encounter in Kimberley on Saturday.
Saracens have been given permission to move their Heineken Cup match against Biarritz Olympique in Cape Town South Africa on Saturday January 14th, 2012.
Springboks Akona Ndungane, Deon Stegmann and Dean Greyling are back in the Vodacom Blue Bulls team to play Griquas in an Absa Currie Cup match in Kimberley on Saturday.
Allister Coetzee today named his team to take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday (17:05).
The Cheetahs will have to make do without dynamic front row star Coenie Oosthuizen for the rest of their 2011 Currie Cup campaign as he has had to undergo neck surgery and will not play for the rest of the year.
Springbok wing JP Pietersen faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s Rugby World Cup quarter final against Australia on Sunday.
New Zealand winger Zac Guildford has joined All Blacks injury list after he pulled a hamstring at training just as the team welcomed back captain Richie McCaw.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named an unchanged team to play Wales in a Rugby World Cup quarter final match with hooker Rory Best hvaing to undergo a late fitness test.
Italy’s Leonardo Ghiraldini has been given a 15 week ban from rugby after he was found guilty of ‘gouging’ the eyes of Ireland prop Cian Healy during the teams’ World Cup pool match last weekend.
France forward Imanol Harinordoquy has slammed his coach Marc Lievremont for criticising the French players in public after they were beaten last weekend by Tonga in the Rugby World Cup.
Western Province outside back Heinrich Steyl became the latest player to fall to the curse of the blue and white hooped jersey when it was confirmed that he will be out of action for nine months with a broken leg.
The Sharks have been dealt another blow in their quest to defend the Currie Cup title after scrumhalf Charl McLeod was ruled out of the competition with a fractured hip.
Samoa’s Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu has been banned from playing rugby at all levels after calling Welsh referee Nigel Owens “racist” in a Twitter message following the team’s Rugby World Cup exit.
The centre, who in an earlier post said tournament organisers were guilty of “slavery” for the way they treated teams like Samoa, failed to attend a disciplinary hearing in Auckland on Tuesday.
The Golden Lions booked their place in the top four of the Currie Cup when they fought back to clinch an unlikely draw against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday. By moving up to 45 log points, the Golden Lions ensured they will play in their first semi-final in the Premier Division for the first time since 2008.
Later on Saturday, Western Province moved back into the top four on the log with a well-deserved 15-10 victory over The Sharks in a scrappy match in Durban.
The Blue Bulls and Griquas have both kept their play-off aspirations alive with bonus point victories over the Pumas and Leopards respectively.
French utility back Fabrice Estebanez has been suspended for 3 weeks after admitting to a ‘dangerous tip tackle’ in the match against Tonga.
Georgia winger Lekso Gugava was on Monday suspended for five weeks after being found guilty of making a ‘dangerous tip tackle’ in his team’s final World Cup pool game against Argentina.
England winger Delon Armitage has been suspended for this weekend’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final with France but will be available for the Semi-final if England progress.
Armitage was cited for making a dangerous tackle in England’s 16-12 Pool B match against Scotland at Auckland’s Eden Park last Saturday.
Winger Digby Ioane looks set to make a dramatic comeback for the Wallabies in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against South Africa after fracturing his thumb last month.
South Africa have called Blue Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner into the Springboks Rugby World Cup squad as a replacement for the injured Frans Steyn.
Ireland (9) 36 / Italy (6) 6 (Final Score)
Ireland and Italy did battle in the final Pool Game of Rugby World Cup 2011, in Dunedin 09:30 SA Time (20:30 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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At Halftime it was still anybody’s game, Italy only 3 points adrift, but in the second half the Irish game flourished and the Italian game floundered. 3 Tries eventually for Ireland in the second stanza, taking Irealand out to a 30-point win.
The Quarter Finals now loom large, with some monsterous battles ahead, none more so than Ireland vs Wales and the Springboks vs the Wallabies!
Wales (31) 66 / Fiji (0) 0 (Final Score)
Wales and Fiji did battle in Hamiton at 07:00 SA Time (18:00 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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Wales romped to a 66 / 0 victory, 9 tries to nill. Fiji exits what was a very scrappy World Cup for them.
Sharks (7) 10 / WP (7) 15 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted DHL Western Province at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban 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.
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In a bore-fest, DHL Western Province held a desperate Sharks side back to win. The most exciting part of the game was the last 5 minutes.
Cheetahs (15) 25 / Lions (5) 25 (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs hosted the MTN Lions at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 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.
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A last-ditch fightback from the Lions resulted in 14 points by them, with 3 minutes left on the clock, to eventuate in a draw. Kiss-your-sisters, boys!
England (3) 16 / Scotland (9) 12 (Final Score)
England and Scotland did battle in Auckland at 09:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ 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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Scotland gave England a hell of a go, just running out of puff in the end and Chris Ashton was England’s tool to punish the brave Scotts, with a late try, securing a narrow win.
France (6) 14 / Tonga (13) 19 (Final Score)
France and Tonga did battle in Wellington at 07:00 SA Time (18:00 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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Tonga beat France by 19 / 14 but miss out on the quarter finals. For Tonga, this was an epic win though!
Wallabies (47) 68 / Russia (5) 22 (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Russia did battle in Nelson at 04:30 SA Time (15:30 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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After a very good first half it looked like the Wallabies were going to put over 100 points over the Russians, but the wheels came off a bit for the Wallabies in the second half and the brave Russians came back hard, almost outscoring the Wallabies in the second half.
The Wallabies also lost Drew Mitchell, with what looked like a bad hamstring injury, ahead of the looming quarter final.
Blue Bulls (28) 47 / Pumas (7) 12 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hosted the Ford Pumas at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 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.
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The Blue Bulls won with consumate ease, after scoring 3 tries in the first half and another 3 in the second half, against the 2 tries by the Pumas.
At one stage in the match the Pumas were reduced to 13 men, after 2 yellow cards, shortly after one another.
Springboks (13) 13 / Samoa (0) 5 (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Samoa did battle in Albany at 09:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ 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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The Springboks won a very hard match, with a lot of niggle in the match and a fiery Samoa not giving up.
The game was marred by the first Red Card of the tournament, to Paul Williams, for a punch to the face of Heinrich Brussow and also marred by a Yellow Card to John Smit.
Samoa exits the tournament and the Springboks end top of the “Pool of Death”, Pool D.
With three rounds to go before the Currie Cup play-offs, six teams in the Premier Division can still qualify for the semi-finals.
The Sharks have axed lock Alistair Hargreaves from the team for their Currie Cup clash against Western Province on Saturday.