Player Movements
New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter is hoping to bring an end to his sabbatical and make his Super Rugby return for the Crusaders in July.
The 32-year-old, the highest points scorer in test rugby, is hoping the six-month rest will help extend his international career through New Zealand’s defence of the World Cup in 2015.
The Cell C Sharks will lose one player but are expected to get back another one or even two for this Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Reds at Growthpoint KINGS PARK.
The DHL Stormers side has suffered some injuries whilst on tour, with Scarra Ntubeni and Patrick Cilliers sent back to South Africa.
As a result, the Stormers are looking for suitable replacements to join them on tour.
In addition they have tried to obtain the services of Griquas hooker on loan, Martin Bezuidenhot, which have apparently been unuccessful.
Jake White has indicated that any kind of honeymoon period is over for his Cell C Sharks team, with the next three weeks of Vodacom Super Rugby presenting a significant step up from what has gone before for his log-leading side.
The good news for Sharks fans is that their team will be going into the sequence of matches described by White as a massive challenge – against the Reds (home), Vodacom Bulls (away) and Waratahs (home) – with the significant presence of JP Pietersen back in the mix.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has revealed that his star fullback Leigh Halfpenny will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder in the 29-18 loss to England at Twickenham.
Former All Black Brad Thorn has a chance of returning to Super Rugby this weekend and playing for the Highlanders against the Western Force.
The thirty-nine-year-old damaged some cartilage playing for the Highlanders in their season opening match against the Blues.
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has made just one change to his starting lineup for Saturday’s showdown with the Brumbies, with skipper Dave Dennis returning to the side.
Dennis takes over from Stephen Hoiles on the side of the scrum after recovering from the knee injury that sidelined him from the win against the Reds two weeks ago.
Blues hooker Keven Mealamu has been forced to return home early from South Africa with a calf injury that is likely to cause Steve Hansen some concern as the All Blacks coach finalises his planning for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The veteran forward has battled calf injuries for the last three seasons and sustained another strain to his left leg ahead of the Super Rugby match against the Bulls in Pretoria last week.
Edinburgh rugby player, Izak van der Westhuizen, who also played for the Free State Cheetahs, will be joining the EP Kings in June.
EP Rugby CEO, Charl Crous said the 28-year-old lock out of Kimberly, had signed a three year deal with the Kings.
The Vodacom Bulls on Friday confirmed that prop Frik Kirsten has been ruled out of rugby for the remainder of the Vodacom Super Rugby season.
Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan was the one injury-enforced change to England’s starting line-up announced by coach Stuart Lancaster on Friday for their Six Nations international against Wales at Twickenham this weekend.
Morgan replaces Billy Vunipola, the man he came on for during England’s 13-10 win over Ireland at Twickenham last time out, after his fellow back-row forward was ruled out of the final two rounds of the Six Nations with an ankle injury.
France manager Philippe Saint-Andre has made seven changes to the team that put in a dismal display against Wales as Les Bleus seek to put their Six Nations challenge back on track when they face Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Saint-Andre has remained loyal to Jules Plisson at flyhalf for the fourth match in a row, pairing the Stade Français player with Maxime Machenaud and relegating Jean-Marc Doussain to the bench.
Italy will be without injured captain Sergio Parisse but will start with a new half-back pairing of Luciano Orquera and Tito Tebaldi for Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Ireland in Dublin.
Parisse, who along with Martin Castrogiovanni picked up a record 104th cap for Italy against Scotland in Rome, is suffering from a calf injury and is just one of several third row players missing from Jacques Brunel’s squad.
Two of South Africa’s recent members who toured with the Springboks to the Northern Hemisphere, Frik Kirsten (tighthead prop) of the Vodacom Bulls and Coenie Oosthuizen (tighthead & loosehead prop) of the Toyota Cheetahs both have serious neck injuries.
Frik Kirsten might have to undergo neck surgery but we await news of the second opinion sought to clarify the matter. It is most likely the case that he will be out of the remainder of the Super Rugby season.
Coenie Oosthuizen was sent back to South Africa from the Cheetahs tour down under and it is also likely that he will be out for a lenghty spell.
Rebels head coach Tony McGahan has made six changes to the team that beat the Cheetahs in their Super Rugby opener for this week’s clash against the Western Force at nib Stadium in Perth on Saturday.
Third-year Rebels second rower Cadeyrn Neville replaces Luke Jones and Max Lahiff is named for his first Melbourne Rebels start alongside Pat Leafa and Paul Alo-Emile in a new-look front row.
Toyota Cheetahs Coach, Naka Drotske , has announced a team that shows 3 changes to the starting line up.
The Blues have named their team to play the Bulls on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld and have strengthened their front row with veterans Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock.
The All Black duo have been named in the starting team for the first time this season. After playing 30 minutes off the bench last week, the Blues and All Blacks centurions have been promoted to the starting XV and will form an all-All Black front row alongside Charlie Faumuina.
Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder has made 7 changes to the team that lost to the Blues in Auckland for this week’s Super Rugby match against the Stormers in Christchurch.
Wyatt Crockett will start at No 1 this week and Tim Perry moves to the bench. Luke Romano takes one of the starting lock positions alongside Sam Whitelock.
The Brumbies have named Leon Power at lock in the team to face the Hurricanes on Friday, as part of a forwards re-shuffle to account for the injury to David Pocock.
Power moves into the position Scott Fardy vacated – he moves from lock to blindside flank.
Wallabies flanker David Pocock will miss the rest of the Super Rugby after undergoing left knee surgery on Wednesday for the second time in a year.
Akona Ndungane will become the ninth Vodacom Bulls player to play 100 Vodacom Super Rugby matches for the franchise when they take on the Blues at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. The stalwart winger made his Super Rugby debut way back in 2005 against the Cats and earned his 50th cap for the Bulls in 2009, playing against the Reds in Pretoria.
Ndungane, who scored against the Blues in last year’s win in Auckland, will start in an unchanged backline, as all three changes to the starting line-up made by Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, are in the forward pack.
Coach Allister Coetzee has made four changes to his starting line-up for the DHL Stormers’ first match of their 2014 Vodacom Super Rugby tour.
The DHL Stormers will take on the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday (kick-off 08:35 SA Time, 19:35 NZ Time) without injured forwards, lock Rynhardt Elstadt and flanker Siya Kolisi, with the fit-again De Kock Steenkamp and Schalk Burger replacing them up front.
Siviwe “Shakes” Soyizwapi and Scott van Breda will start against the Tusker Simba XV in Cape Town on Saturday in the Eastern Province Kings first Vodacom Cup match of the season.
Vodacom Cup head coach, Mzwandile Stick, said both Soyizwapi and Van Breda, who had been on loan to the Stormers, had returned to the Kings this week, as they had not been selected as part of the Stormers touring squad.
Reds head coach Richard Graham has named his team to face the Cheetahs this Friday, with five changes to the side that lost to the Waratahs.
The match will see four players earn their first start of 2014 Super Rugby season.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann and his fellow selectors will have a few tough decisions to make this week.
Top of their list will be what to do with Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies, now that the pivot has been “medically cleared” to resume playing.
The Toyota Cheetahs are sweating over the availability of prop Coenie Oosthuizen ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday.
The Springbok is struggling with a neck injury and will go for a scan in Brisbane on Tuesday.
The Waratahs bye came at exactly the right time for Israel Folau who rolled his ankle this past weekend, but will be available for the clash with the Brumbies next Saturday.
The prolific fullback who has scored five tries in the Waratahs’ two games so far this season is to be rested this week in training to give him the best possible chance to fully recover for their Australian conference match-up in Canberra on Saturday week.
Edinburgh Rugby confirmed on Tuesday that scrum-half and captain Greig Laidlaw will leave the club to join English Premiership side Gloucester at the end of the season.
The Vodacom Bulls released two Media Releases today, the first dealing with their weekly fitness update and the second announcing some interesting loose forward signings to counter the two long term injuries of Pierre Spies (6 months) and Arno Botha (5 months to go).
Deon Stegmann is fit again and training with the team this week.
Wimpie van der Walt, who played for the Southern Kings in Super Rugby in 2013 and who now plies his trade in Japan, will join the Bulls for 2 months with options for him to stay on longer and negotiations with Dewald Potgieter who also plies his trade in Japan is in advanced stages.
Simon Hickey is the latest star to emerge from New Zealand’s flyhalf factory and he will be unleashed on the Bulls and Lions in the next fortnight.
Hickey, who made his Super Rugby debut in the Blues’ 35-24 win over the Crusaders at the weekend, has been added to their 27-man squad for the two-match tour of South Africa.
DHL Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee has announced a 27-man squad for his team’s four-match Super Rugby tour of Australasia.
Centre Jean de Villiers will lead the squad abroad, a group that includes new Samoan star Sailosi Tagicakibau and the Japan-based Peter Grant, but excludes Argentinean lock Manuel Carizza.
Richie McCaw faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines after breaking his thumb in the Crusaders’ defeat to the Blues at Eden Park on Friday.
Glasgow Warriors have pulled off a major coup by landing USA international sevens star Carlin Isles until at least May 2015, subject to a visa and medical.
24-year-old Isles has been dubbed the fastest rugby player in the world after swapping athletics for rugby in 2012.
The Waratahs and Reds have been forced to make late changes to their respective squads with Dave Dennis and Mike Harris both failing to overcome injury niggles.
Dennis is ailing from a knee complaint following his side’s win over the Force on Sunday while Harris was ruled out with an ankle injury.
The Vodacom Bulls, who have been struggling in the first two Rounds of Super Rugby in 2014 are reportedly hunting the services of Dewald Potgieter, who is currently playing his rugby in the Japanese league and also the services of Juan Smith, who is playing his rugby at Toulon in France.
In the meantime, Frans Ludeke is still adament that backing Louis Fouché is the right thing to do, despite Louis Fouché being dropped from this weekend’s match-day 23.