Referees
Southern Hemisphere rugby bosses SANZAR have moved to block the establishment of a proposed Twenty20-style rugby tournament in South Africa from 2012.
Stephen Larkham, Justin Harrison and Marco Caputo will return to the Brumbies as part of the side’s coaching staff for the 2011 Super 15 .
Larkham will return to Canberra after completing his third season with Japanese club, the Ricoh Black Rams, to take up the position of the Brumbies Attack Coach while Harrison, who completed his 96-cap Super Rugby career with the Brumbies this year, will stay on as the club’s Forwards Coach.
Ruan Pienaar and Morné Steyn will finally play together again as the Springboks’ halfback pairing in what probably feels like an eternity to two very good friends. Continue reading
South Africa lost the first two tri-nations matches against NZ at the breakdowns, in my opinion. We were totally annihilated at the breakdowns – on attack and on defence. This intrigued me so I’ve been pondering about this issue since Saturday and it was the main topic of my conversations with Kiwi’s whenever we talked about the rugby. Thing that I wanted to figure is what exactly made the difference; what did the AB do at the breakdowns that made them so much better and efficient? Continue reading
Dear Mr Administrator and fellow readers
After reading (frequently) and commenting (rarely) on Rugby-talk, I felt tasked to submit an article again after the last thrashing we got from the AB’s and the reaction to it.
All I read this morning are excuses, blaming others and a good old SA whinge to excuse the Springboks diabolical performance for 2 straight weeks in a row.
My view is radically different… the All Blacks are a well oiled machine at the moment, they play situations and referees perfectly, they play cleverly and they use their heads, not for head butting and shannanigans but to outplay their opposition.
The Springboks and their coaching staff on the other hand come accross as hotheads who easily lose their cool with NO ABILITY to get the referee on their side… and they follow it up with sub-standard play and incompetance!
I saw a Springbok team that tried their heart out and fought back brilliantly up to the second low blow by the referee in the 43 th minute. From then on the coaching staff started replacing players. Taking Danie Roussouw off so early was not the best change but replacing January with Ruan was overdue.
Louis Oosthuizen wins The Open by 7 shots
Article from Sport 24
Boks look ‘sick and tired’
Two All Blacks legends wrote in New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday that the Springboks were “tired” and “looked a bit sick” after the defending Tri-Nations received a second drubbing in eight days from New Zealand and Bok Captain John Smit’s performance was again singled out.
For the next few months I am going to complete the series on the 1965 Springboks before starting with the 1976 tour to South Africa. The first two sessions on this tour has already been posted and can be found on 16 February and 16 March. The one posted on 16 February is called: The 1965 Springbok tour to New Zealand – the team and some preliminary thoughts and the one posted on 16 March is called: 65 Springboks in Australia.
I suggest people read those two sessions first before reading the rest of the series. Here is session 3 of this series:
Arrival in New Zealand and the first 3 tour matches
The Springboks arrived on June 27, 1965 from Brisbane via Auckland at Gisborne, where they were warmly welcomed by about 2000 people. There were a few protestors with posters against the tour, but the warmth and enthusiasm of the reception left the South African with a warm feeling around the heart. Dawie de Villiers and Nellie Smith, utterly sincere, smiled and said it was like coming home. Continue reading
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers lashed out at the standard of rugby Test referees Saturday and suggested cheating may be the only way to beat diverse law interpretations.
Rugby-Talk is 11 months old and I took the liberty of making an extract of the World Coverage we have received for this last week.
Every single red dot represents a reader or readers from a specific area.
Burglary charges against Wallaby and Reds star Quade Cooper have been dropped by a Gold Coast court.
Cooper had been charged with burglary and there were allegations that he stole two laptops which could have de-railed his career.
The Springbok team that takes to the field against the All Blacks in Saturday’s second Vodacom Tri-Nations Test in Wellington, is the most experienced ever.
Here are a few rugby news snippets:
There may be more than a touch of irony in the decision, but the Sharks have made another major signing when they snapped up the signature of Bulls fly-half Jacques-Louis Potgieter for the 2011 season.
Euphoric newspaper headlines praising the Springboks as world champions were at the order in the Sunday and Monday newspapers after the series victory.
In the All Black side there was no singing and partying after the test. Only a few of the team showed up at the post match reception.
Most players just sat round the lounge, morose and reflective. Vodanovich is almost heart-broken. “We’ll have to start looking for backs,” he mutters. Continue reading
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers on Monday criticised the role of television producers in the citing and subsequent suspension of Bakkies Botha.
Here’s the dreaded video material:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-DQ29ycLkU[/youtube]
Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis will miss the second Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.
Du Plessis suffered a Grade 2 strain to his calf muscle in the first encounter at Eden Park in Auckland last weekend and has been ruled out by the medical team.
The first part of this article deals with the All Blacks joy and satisfaction. The second part asks the question did we really take this serious.
So, this is what the best part of a year seething, brooding and plotting can do. Inspire the All Blacks to a performance that lights a fuse under not just their Tri-Nations, but World Cup ambitions.
Wellington – South Africa lock Bakkies Botha will miss the rest of the Tri-Nations after being suspended for nine weeks for headbutting All Black scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan.
Since seeing the AB team a few days ago I have been breaking my head trying to figure Graeme Henry: what is Graeme Henry’s game plan? Here are the teams for Saturday’s match at Eden Park. Continue reading
Legendary retired Springbok Percy Montgomery took a leap of faith ahead of Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks, by jumping off Auckland’s SkyTower on Wednesday.
As a South African living in New Zealand with a great appreciation of the Springbok history against New Zealand it has always irked me that the younger generation Kiwi’s don’t understand or remember the Springbok/All Black rivalry. Continue reading
The All Blacks and Springboks played each other for the first time in 1921. In the second test of that series the two teams met –for what was the first ever test on Eden Park- on what has now become a fortress for New Zealand rugby. The All Blacks have won 20 straight test matches at the ground, with their last non-victory being an 18-18 draw with Francois Pienaar’s Springboks in 1994 (thanks to six Shane Howarth penalty goals). Continue reading
This weekend the Springboks play the All Blacks on Eden park which was where that infamous flour bomb test took place in 1981.
Sorry folks, just a quick insert from GBS… I do not want to spoil McLook’s Article but I thought it wise to insert some video footage here, before McLook’s actual Article… as an appetiser.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZMIySG75c[/youtube]
Springbok rugby coach Peter de Villiers says that he has had enough of the football world cup which is taking place in his country and wants to get on with the TriNations.
De Villiers’ Springboks wants his South African team to to focus on the defense of the Tri-Nations title they won last year and he says the world cup is a distraction.
Against all odds Uruguay has reached the last four, with Forlan looking ominous, can Tabarez take his team to the top? Only the Netherlands stand in their way.
Tuesday’s Semi-Final
Netherlands vs Uruguay
Read on how to win a case off beer
“I’m certain all rugby fans would send Brendan Cannon their support and best wishes at such a difficult time. An terrible accident, exactly the same as that which Phil Kearns experienced five years ago” – Old Griqua
Bok coach Peter de Villiers got thrown a few curve balls this week – on the selection of Ricky and Chiliboy as well as management of players leading up to RWC 2011.
The Western Force have revealed that current ARU Skills Coach Richard Graham will succeed John Mitchell as coach of the Force from 2012.
A new employment agreement signed by the New Zealand Rugby Union and the association representing its professional players has cleared the way for overseas players to join New Zealand Super Rugby teams for the first time.
Extracts from articles on News24 and Rugby Heaven.
Wing Bryan Habana equalled former scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen’s all-time Springbok try scoring record in the Test against Italy in East London.
Less than a month ago the Springboks lost out in the Butch James club-versus-country battle. Now, on the eve of South Africa’s Tri-Nations tour to Australasia the roles are reversed.
This time the Boks, on the back of a clause in James’ contract with his club, can hold onto the 2007 World Cup winner and Bath has to find a replacement for the star flyhalf.