Seasoned flank George Smith has been recalled to the Australian team for the deciding Test against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.
Having come out of their match against the Blues without any serious injuries, The Sharks were able to name an almost complete replica side for this Saturday’s clash with the Bulls.
Aside from Kyle Cooper making way for Bismarck du Plessis’ return to the starting line-up for the first time this year (and re-uniting an all-Bok front row), The Sharks side to take on the Bulls has remained unchanged for the penultimate pool match of Vodacom Super Rugby 2013.
Die Vodacom Bulls se mees ervare speler nog, Mornè Steyn, is terug in die beginspan wat Saterdag op Loftus Versfeld teen die Sharks in ‘n Vodacom Super Rugby-wedstryd speel.
Two of the Cheetahs’ key players face late fitness tests ahead of the team’s decisive Super Rugby encounter with the Blues in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Cheetahs, who have a bye in the final round of league action next week, must beat the Blues to guarantee themselves a first-ever appearance in the Super Rugby play-offs.
The Chiefs and the Crusaders have both named their sides to face each other in the vital New zealand derby clash between the 2 sides on Friday.
Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies will play two more matches for the Stormers, before returning to Johannesburg to help the Golden Lions in their bid to regain their Super Rugby status.
After watching a program on Kyknet (Kwela) I learned that one of Loftus Versveld’s biggest heroes will retire at the end of this season. I feel that this is the biggest loss the Bulls could ever imagine. Come on Bully boys do it for the Manager. I read this old article and decided to share it here.
Coach Allister Coetzee has made just one change to the DHL Stormers starting line-up for Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth (17h05).
Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones will captain the Lions in the final Test against Australia on Saturday after Brian O’Driscoll was dropped from the squad. Irishman O’Driscoll was favourite to replace injured skipper Sam Warburton.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials forRound 19 of Super Rugby 2013.
Jonathon White is in charge of Friday’s match between the Chiefs and Crusaders, and what an important clash that will be!
There are 5 matches this weekend, with the Australian sides still sitting out due to the British & Irish Lions series in Australia, but the good news is that at conclusion of this weekend, the Combined Log will no longer be skewed and will reflect the correct position between all 15 sides, finally!
Friday has 1 match and Saturday has 4 matches.
South Africa’s national football and rugby teams will play on the same day at the former World Cup showpiece stadium in Soweto to honour Nelson Mandela, bringing together the country’s two most popular sports that once portrayed its racial divisions.
Zac Guildford has re-signed with the Crusaders, for another year.
Jamie Mackintosh of the Highlanders will be walking over to the Chiefs, having signed a 2-year deal.
However the news is not so good for the Melbourne Rebels, with news that Cooper Vuna was granted an early release from his Super Rugby contract, to go after the lure of the Yen.
It seems not only South African players are heading to Japan and New Zealand certainly has their fair share of players swopping teams!
British and Irish Lions tour manager Andy Irvine says that he still has hope that three key injured players will be available for the deciding Test against the Wallabies.
While Irvine is positive about the Lions hopes he admits that the loss of captain Sam Warburton is a “serious blow” to the team.
The Sharks head into their clash with the Bulls in Pretoria with the rare positive that they have a clean bill of health after their last-ditch victory over the Blues.
Apart from the usual knocks that players receive during a match, the Sharks have every player available from the nail-bitting win at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Southern Kings have named an unchanged starting line-up for their derby clash with the Stormers in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Will Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke elevate young Handre Pollard to his match squad for Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby showdown with the Sharks?
That’s the big question this week as the Bulls prepare to rumble on against a dangerous Sharks team who still believes it can make the playoffs.
Richard Cockerill, the Leicester Tigers director of rugby, was suspended for nine matches when he appeared before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel in Coventry this (sic Monday) evening.
Sir Ian McGeechan believes the British and Irish Lions can’t afford to carry anybody during the third Test against Australia – and expects to see major changes for the series showdown in Sydney.
Australia captain James Horwill has been cleared to play in the final Test against the British and Irish Lions.
It is becoming more and more difficult for the Bulls faithful not to start comparing this year’s team to the Super Rugby winning sides of 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The International Rugby Board’s appeal of Australia captain James Horwill’s stamping case has been adjourned by judicial officer Graeme Mew of Canada, with Horwill’s place in the third and deciding test Saturday hanging in the balance.
Last week, the IRB appealed against the original decision that cleared Horwill of stamping on British and Irish Lions lock Alun-Wyn Jones in the first test on June 22 in Brisbane.
It’s been a dramatic weekend in Super Rugby with a number of players being cited, banned, injured and more.
Where does one start…
Ma’a Nonu of the Highlanders has been banned for 3 weeks for a Red Card tackle on Crusaders Tom Marshall, and is therefore out of the rest of Super Rugby in 2013. Jarrad Hoeata also of the Highlanders received a 1-week ban following 3 Yellow Cards.
Stormers and Springbok loose forward, Siya Koilisi is out injured for 6 weeks with torn ankle ligaments. Louis Fouché of the Bulls has injured knee ligaments requiring surgery and will be out for 6 months. The Blues have received a double hit with Chris Noakes and Piri Weepu out injured.
At the Cheetahs, Coenie Oosthuizen and Elgar Watts were casualties from the disasterous Cheetahs game against the Stormers and the Cheetahs will be sweating this week on their readyness to face the Blues on the coming weekend.
Meanwhile it is reported that the Stormers heavy guns who missed out on the past weekend’s game, Jean de Villiers, Rynhardt Elstadt and PatCilliers will be ready and available on the weekend for the Stormers.
This is going to be a very short article. Maybe it will be removed, but do we really talk RUGBY or are we just moaning, bitching, complaining about things that went wrong for OUR teams.
I want us to talk about the deeper things in the game we love. Laws, interpretations, bad coaching, player stupidity.
Let’s try and have a free for all on this article.
The 24-year-old Wales flanker has what the Lions have described as “a significant tear” in his left hamstring
The Vodacom Bulls secured first place in the South African Conference and booked their place in the Vodacom Super Rugby Finals Series with an emphatic win over the Southern Kings at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.
At the same time, The Sharks and the DHL Stormers kept alive their slim mathematical chances of reaching the playoffs when they beat the Blues and the Toyota Cheetahs respectively.
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 was held in Moscow, Russia between 28-30 June. It was the sixth RWC Sevens and the second comprising a men’s and women’s tournament, following the event in Dubai in 2009.
Before this tournament, the defending men’s champions were Wales. Australia were the inaugural women’s champions.
New Zealand’s MEN and WOMEN’s sides won this tournament, completing an impressive double.
New Zealand 33 / 0 England (men)
New Zealand 29 / 12 Canada (women)
Stormers (10) 28 / 3 (3) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:15 SA Time (17:15 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Bulls (31) 48 / 18 (13) Kings (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Southern Kings did battle in Super Rugby at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (17) 22 / 20 (5) Blues (Final Score)
The Sharks and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at Kings Park, Durban at 14:50 SA Time (12:50 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (9) 16 / 15 (12) Lions (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and British & Irish Lions did battle in the British & Irish Lions series of 2013 at
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne at 12:05 SA Time (20:05 AEST, 11:05 BST, 10:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Highlanders (7) 12 / 40 (13) Crusaders (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Crusaders did battle in Super Rugby at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Chiefs (17) 34 / 22 (15) Hurricanes (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Hurricanes did battle in Super Rugby at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they were announded for Round 18 of Super Rugby 2013.
New Zealand will be aiming to translate their world-beating form on the IRB World Series circuit into a title tilt at the World Cup Sevens in Moscow this weekend, with one eye on the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.