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The Sharks have lost lock Alistair Hargreaves for three weeks as a result of the shoulder injury he sustained playing against the Stormers in Durban last weekend.
SANZAR have released the match officials for the eighth Round of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament and Nathan Pearce starts the action for this week on Friday.
This week the Blues, Chiefs and Rebels have a BYE so there is one match less than last week. Friday has one match and Saturday has five matches.
Jonathan Kaplan will finish the action on Saturday in Durban.
Fourie du Preez may be nowhere near his best, but even when playing at less than a third of his capacity he is still better than any other scrumhalf.
Lions (14) 25 / Reds (10) 30 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Reds at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 15:00 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 Lions took the early initiative and built up an early lead with the Reds being penalised relentlessly but gradually the Reds came more and more into the game and by Halftime had almost caught up. Then in the second half the Reds started dominating proceedings and eventually took the lead and then extended the lead gradually. Late in the game the Lions came back a bit with 2 penalties of their own, eventually going down to the Reds by a 5-point margin.
Force (15) 25 / Rebels (14) 26 (Final Score)
The Western Force hosted the Melbourne Rebels at NIB Stadium, Perth at 13:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Melbourne Rebels came from behind to win a close game, their first away game win.
Hurricanes (3) 14 / Bulls (15) 26 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes hosted the Bulls at McLean Park, Napier at 08:35 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 Bulls started well with the wind and the early penalties as well as 2 Morné Steyn drop goals set up a good early lead. After that the canes were always playing catch-up rugby and eventually the Bulls ground out a 12-point win, in New Zealand.
Blues (14) 29 / Cheetahs (3) 22 (Final Score)
The Blues hosted the Cheetahs at Okara Park, Whangarei at 06:30 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 Blues bagged 5 Log points, with the gutsy Cheetahs coming back hard at them with constructive attacking rugby after the Cheetahs played dumb helter-skelter rugby in the first half.
Waratahs (20) 23 / Chiefs (6) 16 (Final Score)
The Waratahs hosted the Chiefs at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 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.
The first half belonged to the Waratahs, with most of the ball and doing most of the attacking but the second half was exactly the opposite with the Chiefs attacking hard.
Highlanders (15) 26 / Brumbies (7) 20 (Final Score)
The Highlanders hosted the Brumbies at Rugby Park, Invercargill at 08:35 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 Brumbies had the majority of possession and field position but the Highlanders used their opportunities and ground out a win.
In an official Lions Media release, the Lions have announced that Lions Professional Rugby is now officially called the MTN Lions. This follows the recent signing of a three-year sponsorship deal by the Mobile operator.
… but that’s not all…
The Brumbies have made several changes to the team that lost to the Waratahs for their match against the Highlanders in Invercargill.
All Blacks wing Hosea Gear returns from injury in one of just two changes to the struggling Hurricanes for Saturday’s crunch Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Bulls at McLean Park in Napier.
South Africans will know on 2 May whether John Smit will again lead the Springboks at the World Cup.
Perhaps they see the MTN Lions as easy meat, but Red coach Ewen McKenzie has made five changes to his side to face their Johannesburg counterparts at Coca Cola Park on Saturday.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says he will speak to the Lions about acquiring the services of fullback Frans Steyn from French club Racing Metro before the end of the Super Rugby season.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 7 of Super Rugby 2011.
Schalk Burger makes a welcome return to the Stormers side and resumes the captaincy for their Super Rugby encounter the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
Lock Steven Sykes looks set to become the latest Sharks player to leave the franchise to further his career overseas at the end of the current Super Rugby season.
There were smiles all around with the news that the Vodacom Bulls talisman Francois Hougaard returns to the side for this weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes in Napier.
The Sharks are sweating on an injury to replacement fly half Jacques-Louis Potgieter who has been sent for scan on his calf.
The potential injury will be a big blow for the Sharks as they have already lost Patrick Lambie for about three weeks to a finger injury.
Four candidates have been identified by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers to assist the team in retaining their status as world champions in New Zealand later this year.
“I have a few people in mind and at this moment I can think of four,” De Villiers said on Wednesday.
The South African Rugby Union have named a 23 strong group of players that have been contracted to the Springboks for the 2011 season.
Eleven players have more than 50 Test caps and two of those whom have more than a century to their name.
The two Semi-finals of the Varsity Cup was played today, the 1st match at 17:00 and the 2nd match at 19:00. This was the combined match thread for discussion of the Games. The matches were broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
UCT (45) 57 / Shimlas (3) 20 (Final Score)
UJ (6) 11 / Tukkies (14) 25 (Final Score)
The Bulls ended their losing streak when they held on to beat the Lions 30 / 23 at Loftus Versfeld in a tightly contested match.
Springbok and Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brussow will miss the next month of Super Rugby after being injured against the Reds.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder warned his Super Rugby rivals his side can get even better after their 44-28 defeat of the Sharks at Twickenham on Sunday.
Dan Carter and league convert Sonny Bill Williams were the inspiration behind a devastating first half performance that put the New Zealanders 34-18 up at the break.
The unbeaten and table-topping Stormers will face the Sharks without one of their key players, flank Pieter Louw.
Coach Allister Coetzee confirmed on Sunday that Louw will miss the trip to Durban, after he sustained what appears to be a serious knee injury in the 51-16 win over the Western Force at the weekend.
Crusaders (34) 44 / Sharks (18) 28 (Final Score)
The Crusaders and the Sharks did battle in a game “Hosted” by the Crusaders at Twickenham, London, England at 17:00 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
What a game!
Scintilating rugby, game of all time in the History of Super Rugby!
5 Tries by the Crusaders, 4 tries by the Sharks.
Herewith the schedule and results for Day 2 of the Tournament in Hong Kong.
Bulls (10) 30 / Lions (6) 23 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 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.
The match started with a lot of errors both ways but gradually go better until late in the 2nd Half when the tries suddenly started raining in.
The Bulls deserved their win.
Brumbies (12) 22 / Waratahs (12) 29 (Final Score)
The Brumbies hosted the Waratahs at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
The match was punch and counter-punch for the first 60 odd minutes, when suddenly it came alive and with the Waratahs the hungrier side, finishing it off with a 7 point margin after still being deadlocked at 22 / 22 with time up on the clock. Waratahs winning by 29 / 22.
Chiefs (10) 13 / Blues (6) 16 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Blues at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 08:35 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.
In very wet condition, a low score was always going to be the result, with the Blues edging the Chiefs by 3 points.
Reds (29) 41 / Cheetahs (3) 8 (Final Score)
The Reds hosted the Cheetahs at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 06:30 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 Cheetahs played stupid rugby, letting the Reds run at them from all over and making a plethera of simple errors.
The Reds were enterprising and red-hot, blasting the Cheetahs away with consumate ease.
Rebels (20) 42 / Hurricanes (20) 25 (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels hosted the Hurricanes at AAMI Stadium, Melbourne at 10:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
After conceeding 3 early tries the Melbourne Rebels rallied and scored 6 tries after conceeding a consolation bonus point try to the Hurricanes, 2 minutes from full time.
The Melbourne Rebels won handsomely by 42 / 25.
Wynand Olivier renewed his contract with the Blue Bulls Company and will be available for the Vodacom Bulls and Blue Bulls till the end of 2013.