grootblousmile
Reds prop James Slipper has been ruled out of the Reds Super Rugby Semi-final on the 2nd of July but could make the final if the Reds progress.
Super Rugby matches in the three-week playoffs which start this weekend will be decided by penalty shootouts if the teams remain deadlocked after extra time.
Crusaders (6) 16 / Hurricanes (6) 9 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Hurricanes at Westpac tadium, Wellington at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Crusaders finish top of the New Zealand Conference.
Chiefs (6) 11 / Reds (10) 19 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Reds at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 07:30 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Reds held on to win, but apart from a very good first 20 minutes did not impres, apart from keeping their defences up well. The Chiefs tried well but finishing let them down.
Rebels (6) 24 / Force (9) 27 (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels hosted the Western Force at AAMI Stadium, Melbourne at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
In a dour match which only really came alight deep in the second half, the Western Force held on to win by 3 points.
Blues (17) 33 / Highlanders (11) 16 (Final Score)
The Blues hosted the Highlanders at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
The Blues were clearly the better side, doing the necessary to claim a play-off spot.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 18 of Super Rugby 2011.
All Black and Blues midfield back Luke McAlister has confirmed that he has signed a three-year deal with French rugby club, Toulouse.
Lions flyhalf Butch James been suspended for four weeks after being found guilty of dangerous play.
The Stormers could suffer a massive blow ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Cheetahs as Dewaldt Duvenhage is now in doubt for the match.
The Rebels have announced that Rod Macqueen has agreed to extend his role with the club until the end of 2013 but he will be replaced as Head coach, by Damien Hill.
SANZAR has resolved travel challenges that have threatened to disrupt fixtures in the final Round of the Super Rugby regular season this weekend .
Judgment has been reserved in the Butch James judicial hearing.
Bulls lock Bakkies Botha will play in his 100th Super Rugby match for his team when they take on the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Stormers have named their team to play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein with Peter Grant named in the starting line up.
The Bulls have confirmed that scrum half and winger Francois Hougaard will not be leaving the Bulls before October 2012.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has said that his selectors face a tough job as they must ensure that New Zealand’s entire squad must get game time ahead of the world cup and still win Test matches.
The Western Force has withdrawn from talks with James O’Connor’s management after further intensive negotiations failed to find common ground on contract length and remuneration.
The Force will consider taking a train to Melbourne for Friday’s Super Rugby clash with the Rebels if their flight to the Victorian capital is cancelled.
Fiji Rugby Union Chief Executive Keni Dakuidreketi has resigned as without offering any explanation for his decisionafter 10 years in administrative roles.
SANZAR have released the match officials for the 18th Round of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament with Jonathan Kaplan getting the big Bulls vs Sharks clash in SA.
The Springboks Rugby World Cup training camp had to be cancelled on Monday as the Springbok team management forgot to account for the busniess end of the Super Rugby competition.
The Sharks will be sweating over the fitness of several key players, as they start their build-up to the Super Rugby crunch match against the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
An ankle injury will bring to an end Nathan Sharpe’s run of 53 consecutive games for the Western Force after club medical staff ruled him out for two weeks.
The Vodacom Bulls are set to bring back two of their big guns – Springboks Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez – to face the Sharks in their final Vodacom Super Rugby league match at Loftus on Saturday.
SA Under-20 coach Dawie Theron has made nine changes to his team to take on Ireland in their second Pool C match at the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Treviso on Tuesday at 20:10 .
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has said that Peter Grant will definitely play for the Stormers against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein this week.
Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen will stand down after the club’s final Super Rugby match against the Western Force at AAMI Park this weekend.
The Lions’ Springbok flyhalf Butch James is to face a SANZAR judicial hearings after being cited for alleged foul play during his team’s 30-all draw with the Sharks at the weekend.
Have a good look, Butch’s feet are totally off the ground in a flying leap, an arm around Keegan Daniel’s neck… and the result
on the ground was that Daniel was arched on his back, with Butch trying to stretch Keegan Daniel’s neck to new lenghts.
Stormers (3) 16 / Bulls (6) 19 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Vodacom Bulls at Newlands, Cape Town at 18:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This game cannot be described as rugby, it was rather trench warfare… and the Bulls won the brutal war, revenging the Stormers win of earlier in the season at Loftus.
The Bulls were just simply better in the set pieces, the rest was all equal.
Lions (20) 30 / Sharks (9) 30 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 16:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a humdinger of a match the MTN Lions and the Sharks drew 30 / 30 but it took a momentous effort for the Sharks to pull back a 21-point deficit and they managed to pull 14 of those points back whilst Butch james was off in the sin bin, yellow carded for a head high flying tackle on Keegan Daniel.
Western Force (16) 21 / Reds (14) 24 (Final Score)
Waratahs (19) 33 / Highlanders (7) 7 (Final Score)
Crusaders (13) 23 / Blues (11) 16 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Blues at Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Crusaders prevailed with a 7-point win, going top of the New Zealand Conference, with one week to go.
Baby Bokkies (21) 33 / Scotties (0) 0 (Final Score)
South Africa took on Scotland in their first clash of 2011 in the Junior World Championships at the Stadio del Plebiscito, Padova, Italy at 20:00 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
There was always only going to be one winner, but errors hampered the Baby Bokkies and many chances went a-begging. They still scored their 4 tries though and kept the sheet against them blemish free.