Player Movements
There seems to be a lot happening at the Sharks, in front of and behind the scenes, prior to this weekend’s Super Rugby clash between the Sharks and the Blues.
Apparently John Smit said no to Jake White and Clive Woodward (Both World Cup winning coaches) but chose Brendan Venter in stead, read more below.
More news involving John Smit and outgoing coach John Plumtree suggests that the 2 are to meet to see if they can sort out diferences, the package John Plumtree is demanding and the immediate way forward, read more below too.
With Super Rugby back on the weekend, the speculation is also rife about who will play at flyhalf and in midfield, with a host of centres injured but with Butch James back. Will the flyhalf spot go to Butch or Patrick Lambie and will the other beselected at inside centre?
The Springbok Sevens team were given a temporary setback as Junior Boks Seabelo Senatla and Cheslin Kolbe were unable to train with them in Moscow on Tuesday.
The duo, who joined the Blitzbokke on Monday night at their team hotel in the centre of Moscow, have been struggling after three weeks of hard rugby at the Junior World Championship in France and need some time to make the switch back to Sevens.
Vodacom Bulls players Pierre Spies, Jano Vermaak and Francois Hougaard are all injured and in danger of not playing in Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Southern Kings at Loftus Versfeld.
The Wallabies suffered a triple blow ahead of the crucial second Test against the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne on Saturday.
Inside centre Pat McCabe and wing Digby Ioane have been ruled out of any further participation in the Test series.
Fullback Berrick Barnes is out of the second Test, but may still feature in the third and final international.
Veteran lock Paul O’Connell has been ruled out of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia with a broken arm.
England centre Manu Tuilagi has recovered from a shoulder injury and will start for the British and Irish Lions against the Rebels on Tuesday.
The injury-hit Wallabies called up veteran flank George Smith among three reinforcements for the squad for next weekend’s make-or-break Test with the British and Irish Lions.
Smith, his Brumbies teammate Jesse Mogg, and Reds centre Ben Tapuai, have been added to the Wallabies group for the Melbourne match – following their 21-23 loss in the opening Test in Brisbane this past Saturday.
Resting All Black captain Richie McCaw has returned to the side for the first Rugby Championship Test against Australia in August, but not necessarily as openside flank.
Rising star Pieter-Steph du Toit has become a massive signing target for provincial unions this season with no less than three Super Rugby franchises vying for his signature.
The Blue Bulls Company on Thursday confirmed the departure of scrumhalf Jano Vermaak and flanker Dewald Potgieter.
Potgieter decided not to renew his contract which expires at the end of the current Vodacom Super Rugby competition and instead will join the Yamaha Rugby Club in Japan, whilst Vermaak has asked to be released from his contract to join Toulouse in France.
A fit-again Kyle Brown will lead the Springbok Sevens team into battle at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium next weekend when the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament takes place from 28-30 June.
Brown is one of three survivors of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 tournament that was held in Dubai, UAE. The others are Ryno Benjamin and Philip Snyman.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made wholesale changes to his team for Saturday’s third-place play-off against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has replaced more than half the side that caved in against the All Blacks (0-30) last week, in a desperate attempt to avoid a series whitewash in the final Test in New Plymouth on Saturday.
All Black wing Rene Ranger confirmed he was quitting his international career and would head to France at the end of the year on a lucrative contract with Montpellier.
The Western Force scored a major coup the the unveiling of Bulls lock Wilhelm Steenkamp as their latest signing.
Springbok and Toyota Cheetahs flank Heinrich Brüssow has joined the growing exodus of players out of South Africa after signing a contract to further his career in Japan.
Day to day we hear people say “Don’t give Springbok jerseys away” and others say “Give the youngsters a chance to show their mettle”
So, which one of the 2 do you want, make up your flippin minds!
New Zealand have recalled fit-again flyhalf Daniel Carter and scrumhalf Piri Weepu for the third and final test against France in New Plymouth on Saturday.
MTN Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to front The Sharks at Ellis Park on Friday evening.
Butch James will play his first game for The Sharks after battling a knee injury, having been named at flyhalf for Friday evening’s SA Franchise Challenge match against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park.
Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan has named a 26-man squad that will travel to South Africa for matches against the Sharks and Cheetahs.
The Blues squad will leave for South Africa this Friday in the afternoon as they play the Sharks in Durban on June the 29th before heading to Bloemfontein to face the Cheetahs on July the 6th.
Israel Folau’s stunning rise in his third code is complete, with the Waratahs fullback set to be named on the right wing against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
Folau will be one of three Wallabies debutants, with Christian Lealiifano and Brumbies team-mate Ben Mowen also getting the nod when the side is officially unveiled on Thursday.
European champions Toulon have Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis firmly in their sights, a French media report indicates.
Reds and Wallabies winger Digby Ioane says that he is fit to play in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday even though he had surgery four weeks ago.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is in doubt for Saturday’s final match of the Incoming Series against Samoa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
De Villiers injured his right sterno-clavicular joint and second rib early in last weekend’s victory over Scotland in Nelspruit.
Ace All Black flyhalf Dan Carter has been cleared to play in next week’s third Test against France, while Les Bleus have lost two key players.
Springbok loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after rupturing ligaments in his knee during the Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.
The Waratahs have named four Wallabies in their team that will play the British and Irish Lions on Saturday in Sydney including regular captain Dave Dennis.
Springboks and Sharks back Meyer Bosman has agreed to leave the Durban based Super Rugby franchise and join Stade Francais in the Top14.
The Waratahs and Brumbies have been given a boost for their clashes against the British and Irish Lions as four player from the Wallabies squad have been released back to their Super Rugby teams.
The Springbok team to face Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday shows five changes, three of them on the bench, from the match-23 which beat Italy in the opening round of the Castle Lager Incoming Series last weekend.
The two new players in the starting line-up are scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, who comes in for the injured Jano Vermaak, and loose forward Marcell Coetzee, who replaces Francois Louw.
Stade Francais prop Sakaria Taulafo is the only change to the Samoa starting line-up to face Italy in Saturday’s test in Nelspruit, Samoa Rugby Union said on Wednesday.
England centre Billy Twelvetrees is joining the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia as cover for the tourists’ injury-affected backline. Twelvetrees, 24, has been on England duty in Argentina, scoring a try in the 32-3 win over the Pumas at the weekend.
World Cup winning captain Richie McCaw will return to rugby in early-to-mid July by playing for his local club in Christchurch, though was unsure as to whether he would play Super Rugby for the Canterbury Crusaders.
Yes, I’ve deliberately inverted the WP Logo, for disrespecting the Lions
WP coach John Dobson has named his team to take on the Lions in a friendly at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday. Kick-off is at 19:00.
One of 2 things must happen as a result of the Western Cape deciding not so send their Super Rugby side, but rather a WP “No-Namers Side” consisting of a mix of Vodacom Cup and Under 21 players, to face the Golden Lions. Either the Golden Lions must go on and man-shame WP for daring to disrespect the Lions so much and at the same time proving that the Lions are indeed still a team with Super Rugby quality. Alternatively, if the Lions do not manage to win against this mottley crew, they must lose and lose well, so that it is clear for all and sundry to see that the final demise of the Lions is imminent.