superBul
Despite the closeness of the scoreline and the fact that the All Blacks scored 12 points in the last five minutes of play, the home side was really thrashed all over the field. The Springboks scrum was under pressure most of the game, even though it won a penalty when Smit went up early. The famed lineout dominance has gone with penalties conceded for crooked throws and taking too long to throw in. The All Blacks missed five chances of scoring tries and scored three while the Springboks took their only chance which came from a couple of barging runs near the try line following a tap kick.
Two Greg Growden articles to start the next two weeks battle for the Tri Nations wooden spoon. Aussies feel they got all the answers to beat us, but lets see how the next two weeks unfold.
This was the All Blacks’ finest victory of the year
Does it get any better? The Springbok sweep is completed, but more to the point the All Blacks have shown in Soweto overnight that they are on course to go down as one of the great sides of this generation.
Mark Hinton – Stuff Continue reading
Springbok fullback Frans Steyn’s saga with SA Rugby is finally over, and he will join the team on Sunday night in preparation for next weekend’s match against Australia at Loftus Versfeld.
Springbok captain John Smit looked a downtrodden figure as he contemplated missing the tackle that gave the All Blacks a 29-22 victory at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday night.
Article written by Brenden Nel, Supersport
Fitness levels played an integral part in the All Blacks comeback to score a lat 29-22 victory and disappoint 94000 people at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
From Supersport
Sharks 27 / WP 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks host Vodacom Western Province at ABSA Stadium, Durban at 19:15 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
Richie McCaw says the All Blacks will have to quickly take the crowd out of the game in the clash against the Springboks in Soweto today.
In light of the abuse Peter de Villiers and SARU got on the Frans Steyn debacle and the fact that Frans Steyn played last night for his Club Racing Metro in the French Top 14 Competition, I looked at the IRB regulations on the availability of players. The problem for me, with no legal background, is to identify ALL the legal loopholes.
The Blue Bulls came from behind to edge Griquas 39-38 in an Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus courtesy of a missed conversion from the visitors’ captain Nass Olivier.
The Lions withstood a determined onslaught from the Pumas to run out 33-30 (halftime 13-10) victors in their Currie Cup Premier Division match played at the Puma Stadium in Witbank on Friday.
Match Report from Supersport
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs crushed the Platinum Leopards 57-0 (half-time 24-0) in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Info Courtesy of Supersport
Pumas 30 / Lions 33 (Final Score)
The Pumas host the Lions at Witbank at 19:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game is broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
SA 3 / NZ 55 (Final Score)
South Africa takes on New Zealand in the Womans Rugby World Cup at 17:15 SA Time at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game is broadcast live on SS1 on DSTV in SA.
After reading the article “NZ expecting Bok yellow cards” i must reiterate We should have forced a media liaison manager or whatever you call the man on Peter de Villiers back in his first year. We need a well trained media man to feed the press with the right information and propaganda.
Forgive me McLook i saw this on your blog and in due time you might have placed it here. I jumped the gun and did it for you. I really liked the article.
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers has handed first Test starts to scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and lock Flip van der Merwe for the Tri-Nations match against New Zealand in Soweto on Saturday.
A New Zealand view of the SARU spat with SANZAR
Once again South African rugby officials are spouting off and causing further cracks in an already strained relationship with the Australian and New Zealand Unions.
Springbok captain John Smit is as fit as he has ever been and he is not overweight. Those are the views of conditioning coach Neels Liebel, ahead of Saturday’s Test against the All Blacks.
Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test at FNB Stadium will be the biggest rugby production in SuperSport history.
A New24 article
Springbok squad of 24 players has gathered in Johannesburg to prepare for the Vodacom Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Peter de Villiers will announce his team on Tuesday. In the meantime lets see who can get it closest. Pick your team and state in the post that that is YOUR FINAL team. I will sort the respective teams and see who understands Peter de Villiers’s thinking the most.
With his 100thTest looming on Saturday for John Smit i found this article by Mike Greenaway. What a place to reach this milestone. In front of the biggest Rugby crowd this century in South Africa. FNB Stadium will witness the Worlds most capped captain reaching his century.
For those who want Heynecke Meyer as Springbok coach , here is a article by Simnikiwe Xabanisa where Meyer reveals some of his rugby knowledge and thoughts.
No this question is not for Frans Steyn. It is for teams like the Crusaders and it might even apply to others right here in South Africa.
Has the New Zealand Rugby Union opened a can of worms with its Super 15 selection policy, and are the Crusaders getting greedy?
Wallabies great Nick Farr-Jones believes the current All Blacks side is one of the best he’s ever seen.
Article from the Sunday Times Live by SIMNIKIWE XABANISA
Despite four crushing wins over the world’s second and third-best sides in the Tri-Nations, New Zealand will hold off tinkering with their squad until after their trip to South Africa, coach Graham Henry has said.
Match Report from News24
After suffering a 47-point loss to Western Province a week ago, Griquas got their campaign back on track.
For the best part of Victor Matfield’s playing career, opponents have attempted to find some way of stopping him – and for the most part they’ve failed, according Wallabies forward Dean Mumm.
By RUPERT GUINNESS – Sydney Morning Herald
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers acknowledged that his team owed South Africa “a big one” after their poor performances in Australia and New Zealand of late.
Article by Brenden Nel – SuperSport
A nice old Blue Bull story. Hero Lourens turns 86.
With the Springbok Tri-Nations hopes over, how should they approach their remaining three home fixtures?
Survey Results now added
Referees have been much under scrutiny lately, only rarely under amiable scrutiny. Many, many people have definite feelings about referees, both individually and collectively, and are happy to shout their opinions mostly to say what referees they do not want.
At this moment Peter is in the battle of his life. This can possibly end his coaching career. Read some of the encouragement he gets from elsewhere at the bottom of this Article.