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Sergio Parisse
Following injury Italian captain Sergio Parisse has returned to the Azzurri squad, ahead of their Rugby World Cup encounter with Ireland.
Parisse had a very welcome arrival at Italy’s hotel on Tuesday, when – after a wait of over 2 weeks – the team’s illustrious long-time captain finally joined up with Jacques Brunel’s squad.
While Italy played France and Canada, the 32-year-old No 8 was back home in Paris recuperating and then training under the auspices of his club side, Stade Francais, following surgery earlier in September.
On Monday he was finally given the all clear to join up with the Azzurri, and less than 24 hours later he jumped on Eurostar to whizz to London.
However, there was less good news for Leonardo Ghiraldini, the man who has led the team in Parisse’s absence, but who limped off midway through the 2nd half of Italy’s 23 / 18 win over Canada at Elland Road in Leeds last Saturday.
Waisake Naholo
All Blacks wing Waisake Naholo will make his eagerly-awaited World Cup debut against Georgia in Cardiff on Friday.
Naholo, who made his 1st Test appearance for the All Blacks against Argentina in the Rugby Championship in July, cracked his fibula in that match and team bosses feared he would have to miss the World Cup.
However, thanks to a traditional herbal remedy, the 24-year-old Fiji-born flyer has made a recovery that has astounded the specialists.
“We’re looking forward to seeing Waisake back on the track, he’s been jumping out of his skin at training and I’m sure he can’t wait for game day,” Hanson said.
Hansen has made 10 changes to the starting line-up that defeated Namibia on 24 September with Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino and Julian Savea making a 3rd start.
4 Players were not considered for selection due to injury – Ma’a Nonu (shoulder), Colin Slade (hamstring), Liam Messam (calf) and Beauden Barrett (whiplash).
The draw for the 2016 Super Rugby tournament, which will be an enlarged 18-team format, as well as the new trophy which goes with the format, has been released!
Here are some facts about it:
- Super Rugby to kick off on Friday 26 February with 3 of last season’s 4 semi-finalists meeting in an opening night extravaganza;
- The new Japanese team will play its historic 1st game against the Emirates Lions on Saturday afternoon 27 February in Tokyo;
- Fans won’t have to wait long for a re-match of last year’s epic Super Rugby Final with the Highlanders to host the Hurricanes in Round 2;
- Singapore National Stadium to host matches between the Japanese-based team and the Toyota Cheetahs (Round 3), Bulls (Round 5) and Stormers (Round 12);
- The South African Conference structure formally confirmed;
- Newly-designed chrome and gold plated Super Rugby trophy that captures the prestige, grandeur and resilience of 1 of the world’s toughest sporting titles and;
- Identity of the Argentinean and Japanese-based sides will be formally unveiled in the coming months.
Super Rugby is set for its most significant evolution yet with 4 new conferences, 3 new teams, 2 new countries and 1 new trophy.
Nick Jooste
The Brumbies have agreed to 2-year deals with 1 of Australia’s best young talents in flyhalf Nick Jooste and experienced campaigner Andrew Smith, who will return to the nation’s capital in 2016.
At the tender age of 18, Australian Schoolboy and Perth Spirit player, Jooste has already amassed quite the rugby CV, even though he is still a high school student. The Western Australian native has represented his state at Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20 levels and also represented the Western Force A side against Singapore.
He was recently selected in the Australian Schools Barbarians side that took on Samoa and New Zealand.
The young flyhalf has been a member of the Hale School’s last 3 Brother Redmond Cup winning seasons, as well as captaining the side in their most recent title. Over his 3 years in the Hale 1st 15 Jooste has tallied in excess of 450 points, scoring more than 25 tries.
In 2015 Jooste has joined the Perth Spirit in the National Rugby Championship and has turned heads with his kicking game, and vision around the field.
Jannie du Plessis
Damian de Allende
Jesse Kriel
Victor Matfield
Fourie du Preez
With the Rugby World Cup match against Samoa being called “brutal” by Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts, Jean de Villiers is heading home and out of the Rugby World Cup with a fractured jaw, while a long list of injuries will be assessed on Monday by the team doctor as the team start to prepare for their showdown with Scotland.
Prop Jannie du Plessis (knee), midfielders Damian de Allende (knee) and Jesse Kriel (laceration to the eye), lock Victor Matfield and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez all are on the injury list.
Depending on how they heal overnight, they should all hopefully be declared fit for the Scottish game.
Jean de Villier in action against Samoa on Saturday 26 September 2015.
South Africa’s convincing win against Samoa on Saturday evening, to put their Rugby World Cup path back on track after the shock loss to Japan the week before has come at a considerable cost, with the news that Captain Jean de Villiers has broken the other side of his jaw and will therefore head home back to South Africa and out of the tournament.
As a result of the injury, Jean de Villiers has subsequently announced his retirement from Test rugby.
The silver lining for Jean is the fact that the last time he was injured against Samoa in the Rugby World Cup of 2007, South Africa went on to win the prized title.
Jean de Villiers’ tournament ending injury:
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rugby World Cup after suffering a fracture to his jaw.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer described this latest injury to De Villiers as a massive setback.
Jan Serfontein has been called up and will join the squad in Newcastle on Monday. An announcement on the captaincy for the match against Scotland will be made on Wednesday.
Ireland (18) 44 / 10 (3) Romania (Final Score)
Ireland and Romania did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Wembley Stadium, London, England at 17:45 SA Time (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT, 18:45 EEST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Scotland (6) 39 / 16 (13) USA Eagles (Final Score)
Scotland and the United States Eagles did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Elland Road, Leeds, England at 15:30 SA Time (14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT, 09:30 USA EDT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (31) 65 / 3 (3) Uruguay (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Uruguay did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Villa Park, Birmingham, England at 13:00 SA Time (12:00 BST, 11:00 GMT, 21:00 AEST, 08:00 Uruguay Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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England (16) 25 / 28 (9) Wales (Final Score)
England and Wales did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Springboks (17) 46 / 6 (6) Samoa (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Samoa did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Villa Park, Birmingham, England at 17:45 SA Time (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT, Sunday 05:45 Samoan Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Italy (13) 23 / 18 (10) Canada (Final Score)
Italy and Canada did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Elland Road, Leeds, England at 15:30 SA Time (15:30 Italy Time, 14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT, 07:30 Canada Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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FS Cheetahs (10) 31 / 73 (31) Golden Lions (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Xerox Golden Lions did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Free State Stadium at 13:15 SA Time (11:15 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (6) 13 / 17 (10) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Growthpoint Kings Park at 20:00 SA Time (18:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Los Pumas (14) 54 / 9 (9) Georgia (Final Score)
The Argentinian Pumas and Georgia did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester, England at 17:45 SA Time (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT, 19:45 Georgian Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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One of the world’s leading rugby training websites has been revamped as a mobile-friendly platform dedicated to free rugby drills and tutorials in which the world’s rugby community, including leading coaches and players provide expert content.
All of RugbyIQ’s video content is reviewed and vetted by the experienced Rugby IQ coaching staff as well as the online community who have the ability to rate every drill and tutorial they view or use. Through this community based rating system and expert reviews users can expect to only see relevant content that will support all the skills needed to play the demanding game of rugby.
RugbyIQ is the brainchild of Greg Commins a former representative player for Western Province and Border, who partnered with the Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby, Gary Gold, and former Springbok Strength Coach Steve McIntyre (Rugby World Cup winner 2007) to offer the online master classes and tutorials, suitable for everyone from beginners to professional players and coaches.
What has made RugbyIQ so appealing to international audiences, particularly in those countries where rugby’s popularity is growing exponentially, is the fact that absolutely no subscription fee is required – the content is completely free to view by any school, club or union anywhere in the world.
The RugbyIQ team prides itself on offering specialised guides that tackle every possible situation that may arise in a game, whether in the 15s or 7s format. Where paid sites detract from training and skills analysis by presenting random, often irrelevant content, RugbyIQ gets straight to the heart of the game by providing insights that assist in the conditioning of players and coaches both on and off the field.
Mariano Galarza
Rugby World Cup disciplinary chiefs on Wednesday banned Argentina’s Mariano Galarza for 9 weeks, excluding him from the rest of the tournament, after an incident with New Zealand’s Brodie Retallick.
Galarza was found guilty of making “contact with the eye or eye area” of Retallick during the Pumas 26 / 16 defeat by the world champion All Blacks at Wembley on Sunday.
The giant Argentine, 28, denied the charge. He did not get the maximum sentence because of his good disciplinary record up to now.
ORC Griquas coach Hawies Fourie has made a number of changes to his team that will face the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Fourie has looked to freshen up his team, who’s last victory came against the EP Kings in Kimberely, in a bid to put one over the inconsistent Kings.
He will be happy to see that Michael van der Spuy has recovered from injury – he will replace Jonathan Franke at outside centre.
Gouws Prinsloo comes in at fullback in the place of Riaan Viljoen.
Last week’s star performer Ruan Nel has been called up to the Springbok Sevens academy team and he will be replaced by Danie Dames on the right wing.
Ntabeni Dukisa will once again take his place on the left wing after Jacquin Jansen had a rather quiet match last week against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
Jonathan Adendorf will move from No 7, back to his more familiar lock position – incumbent No 7 Jonathan Janse van Rensburg makes his way back, at the expence of lock Jaco Nepgen.
Ewald van der Westerhuizen comes into the team in place of Stephan Kotze who moves down to the bench.
At hooker, Martin Bezuidenhout will replace Abraham le Roux.
Sias Ebersohn will make his 1st start for the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at the pivotal role of flyhalf since his return home from down-under.
Ebersohn, who played at the Western Force in Perth from 2013 to 2015, takes over the reins from in-form flyhalf Fred Zeilinga among many other changes coach Franco Smith has made for the Currie Cup clash with the Xerox Golden Lions in Bloemfontein.
In the backline Tertius Kruger replaces Rayno Benjamin at inside centre while Zee Mkhabela starts at scrumhalf and Shaun Venter drops to the bench.
In the forwards Gerhard Olivier moves to No 8 and Niell Jordaan switches to the side of the scrum. Vincent Jobo completes the looseforward trio at openside flank.
In the engine room Freddy Ngoza replaces Armandt Koster who is sidelined due to a knee injury while Willem Serfontein and De Wet Kruger are new on the bench.
Springbok prop Vincent Koch will make his 50th Steval Pumas appearance when they face an in-form DHL Western Province at Newlands on Saturday.
The powerful Koch just missed out on a place in the South African Rugby World Cup squad – but his return to the Pumas has already given them a huge boost in the Currie Cup.
They still have a chance to qualify for the semifinals of the competition if a few results go their way.
Koch will be hoping to celebrate this milestone with a victory over the defending champions.
Faf de Klerk will take over as captain since incumbent Stefan Watermeyer has not been declared fit to play.
Wilmaure Louw will move to inside centre for the injured Watermeyer and Jerome Pretorius moving from wing to take his place at outside centre.
Bernardo Botha comes back into the team at right wing.
Springbok No 8 Warren Whiteley will wear the Xerox Golden Lions No 8 jumper against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday but Jaco Kriel will still lead the team on the field.
Steph de Wit will be the 3rd member of the loose-trio with Kwagga Smith moving to the bench.
The 3rd change to the starting line-up is the inclusion of Jacques van Rooyen in the front row.
Lourens Erasmus retains his place at lock after a sterling performance last weekend.
DHL Western Province head coach John Dobson has made 6 changes to his starting team for Saturday’s ABSA Currie Cup clash against the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands.
As expected, Dillyn Leyds will start at fullback – in place of the injured Cheslin Kolbe – with Kobus van Wyk moving up from the bench to start in the No 14 jersey.
In the final change to the DHL WP backline this week, Springbok scrumhalf Jano Vermaak will make his 1st start in Blue & White Hoops, having come off the bench last week to score a valuable try for his new team.
Up front, meanwhile, loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff has not recovered from his chest niggle, handing Oli Kebble a start in the No 1 jersey.
In the 2nd row, Jan de Klerk will make a 1st start at this level, with Jean Kleyn getting a deserved rest on the bench, and skipper Nizaam Carr returns to assume the team captaincy and the No 8 jersey.
Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who started at No 8 last week, will pack down on the side of the scrum – at No 7 – with Jurie van Vuuren, a last-minute starter last weekend, reverting to the bench. The hard-hitting Rynhardt Elstadt is still unavailable with a thigh injury.
The new faces on the bench this week are fit-again hooker Michael Willemse (in for the injured Scarra Ntubeni), prop Ali Vermaak and utility back Jaco Taute.
Namibia (6) 14 / 58 (34) All Blacks (Final Score)
Namibia and the New Zealand All Blacks did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Olympic Park, London, England at 21:00 SA Time (21:00 NAM Time, 20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, Friday 06:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Steven Sykes
Born in Middelburg (Eastern Cape) on 5 August 1984, 31-year-old Steven Robert Sykes will play his 100th Currie Cup game when the EP Kings take on ORC Griquas at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 26 September.
Sykes attended Cradock Primary School and Marlow Agricultural, and represented EP at various age-group levels, including the EP Under 13 team in 1997 and the Under 18 EP Craven Week team in 2002.
In 2003, Sykes linked up with the Sharks Academy in Durban and that year he also represented South Africa at the World Under 19 Championship.
Philip van der Walt
Philip van der Walt, a man who’s actions speak louder than words has been entrusted with the captaincy for the Cell C Sharks Currie Cup clash with the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
The leadership change comes after head coach Gary Gold has made a rotational switch in the locks, Australian David McDuling coming in for Marco Wentzel who gets a much-needed break after starting every match this season.
Flank Christiaan de Bruin gets his 1st start in a Sharks jersey after making his debut off the bench against DHL Western Province. He replaces Jean-Luc du Preez in the only other change to the starting line-up.
Springbok and injury-prone Jean Deysel returns to action on the bench after injuring himself in the Round 2 victory over the EP Kings.
Lappies Labuschagne
Lappies Labuschagne will on Friday play in his 50th ABSA Currie Cup match when he leads the Vodacom Blue Bulls on the field in Durban for their clash against the Cell C Sharks.
The flanker reverts back to the side of the scrum due to the wrist injury to Roelof Smit (see below), with Arno Botha, who started on the bench against DHL WP last week, back in the No 8 jersey.
This is the only change to the pack made by Vodacom Blue Bulls coach, Nollis Marais, with 2 rotational switches in the backline made for the Durban clash.
Tian Schoeman and Jan Serfontein will start at flyhalf and centre respectively, switching places with Louis Fouché and Dries Swanepoel, who both move to the bench for this clash.
Ruan Steenkamp is on the bench for Botha, in what could be a Vodacom Blue Bulls and ABSA Currie Cup debut, should the former Junior Springboks captain take to the field.
Mike Stofile
SARU says that it was with great sadness that they learnt on 21 September of the passing of Mike Stofile, a former deputy president of the South African Rugby Union (SARU). Mr Oregan Hoskins said he contacted him recently to tell him he was Hoskin’ brother and that he was in his heart.
Mike was a proud man who had clear views on rugby and sport and he unflinchingly stood for what he believed in his time at SARU. He was vice-president for 2 years and deputy president for a further 2 until 2008 after holding the presidency of the Border Rugby Union.
He publicly fought with his own president of the time – Brian van Rooyen – when he believed the game was being led astray but there were good times as well and he is remembered celebrating winning the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks in Paris in 2007.
Alwyn Hollenbach
Xerox Golden Lions centre Alwyn Hollenbach has been forced to retire from rugby with immediate effect, due to an recurring shoulder injury.
The 30-year-old Hollenbach joined the Lions rugby family in 2009 and has since represented the union 37 times in the Currie Cup, 24 times in Super Rugby and 19 times in the Vodacom Cup.
The centre has been struggling with the same shoulder injury for quite some time and in 2014 it worsened during Super Rugby against the Brumbies. It is the same shoulder that he injured this year in the Currie Cup against the Pumas.
Eddie Jones
Decorated international rugby coach, Eddie Jones, will take over the role as head coach of the DHL Stormers at the start of the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
The former Wallabies head coach and 2007 World Cup-winning Springbok technical advisor will assume the DHL Stormers coaching reins from Allister Coetzee, who moved to Japan after the DHL Stormers’ SA Conference-winning 2015 Super Rugby campaign.
“Our Director of Rugby, Mr Gert Smal, always promised that he would deliver the best and in Eddie Jones I am more than satisfied that we have appointed the best coach to take over the reins of the DHL Stormers,” said WPRFU President, Mr Thelo Wakefield.
“Eddie is no stranger to South African Rugby and we look forward to making him feel welcome and ensuring that he brings more silverware to DHL Newlands.”
Having guided the Brumbies to Super Rugby success back in 2001, Jones coached the Wallabies between 2001 and 2005 – delivering Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup success, as well as taking them to the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final on home soil.
Wynand Olivier
English Premiership side Worcester Warriors have captured the signing of Springbok Wynand Olivier as their latest import.
The powerful centre joins up with his new teammates immediately ahead of Warriors’ clash with Wasps this Saturday 26 September.
Olivier has represented South Africa 38 times with his last appearance coming in June 2014 in a win over Wales.
France (17) 38 / 11 (6) Romania (Final Score)
France and Romania did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Olympic Park, London, England at 21:00 SA Time (21:00 French Time, 22:00 Rom Time, 20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Scotland (12) 45 / 10 (7) Japan (Final Score)
Scotland and Japan did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester, England at 15:30 SA Time (14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT, 22:30 Japan Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Richie McCaw
All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw pleaded guilty to a “dumb” moment which saw him sin-binned as his side struggled to beat Argentina in their Rugby World Cup opener.
McCaw, the most capped player in Test rugby, got a Yellow Card for tripping Argentina’s Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe half an hour into the game.
The Pumas took advantage of his 10 minutes of exile and later of the Yellow Card of Conrad Smith to stamp their authority on the Pool C game.
“It was dumb,” McCaw said of the incident.
“It was a reflex thing. It wasn’t the right thing to do and we suffered because of it and put the team under pressure, which you can’t afford to do,” the much respected captain said after.
The sentiment was shared by New Zealand coach Steve Hansen who said: “The 2 Yellow Cards today were pretty dumb.
Agustine Creevy
Good but not good enough was how Argentina captain Agustin Creevy rated his side’s performance in holding the All Blacks until the end of their Rugby World Cup match Sunday.
Argentina led 16 / 12, and an upset was on the cards, until an Aaron Smith try sparked the All Blacks into action and they came from behind to win the Pool C match 26 / 16.
“It was very hard,” Creevy said of the loss in front of 81 000 people at Wembley.
“The 1st-half was excellent, but the 2nd-half the pace was very fast, we made some mistakes and we were not able to recover from them.
“The All Blacks are the best in the world and they know how to score points.”
Creevy could not fault his side’s attitude and said they recognised they were closing on the world’s best teams.
David Pocock
Michael Hooper
World class loose forwards David Pocock and Michael Hooper have both been named in the Australian Wallabies run-on side to face Fiji in Cardiff on Wednesday.
The star quality of the Wallabies’ openside flankers Hooper and Pocock is undeniable and has forced coach Michael Cheika’s hand in starting them both against Fiji.
Australia will roll out the brilliant backrow, including blindside flank Scott Fardy, with Pocock filling the No 8 jersey.
It is just the 2nd time the pair will have started a match together, following a successful outing in a 27 / 19 win over the All Blacks in Sydney in August, but Cheika admits the combination cannot be held back any longer.