South Africa and Pakistan did battle in the 2nd 5-Day Test at Newlands, Cape Town which started at 10:30 SA Time on Thursday 14 February and which was supposed to run till Monday 18 February 2013.
This is the Live Game Article for the Match.
South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
Pakistan managed 338 All Out in the 1st innings and South Africa 12 runs less with their 326. In the 2nd Innings, Pakistan were all out for 169 on the 4th Day and South Africa were required to get 182 to win the Test.
South Africa reached 182 / 6 near the end of day 4, winning the Test and the Series, with 1 Test still to come (Friday 22 to Tuesday 26 February 2013 at Centurion Park).
As pointed out by Scrumdown, one of our knowledgeable contributors, yesterday Saracens played their first Premiership game at their new home ground, the Allianz Park, in Barnet Copthall. The match was played on an artificial surface and although it is the second game that has been played there it was the first one that they played in front of ten thousand people which is a capacity crowd for the stadium.
After my tribute to Jan Ellis I thought I just have to write something about the man who was a big part of Jan’s success as a Springbok rugby player, Piet Greyling.
Currie Cup-winning Transvaal captain in 1971 and 1972, former Springbok flanker Piet Greyling, was arguably one of the best, but certainly one of the toughest.
The picture below shows Piet Greyling with his Transvaal side who got a share of the Currie Cup for the first time in 19 years – having previously won it in 1952 – when they shared the cup with Northern Transvaal in an epic final and controversial 14-14 draw at Ellis Park in 1971. The next year Greyling led his Transvaal side to a 25-19 win over Eastern Transvaal at Pam Brink Stadium in Springs to win the cup with the help of Gerald Bosch who dropped the winning points in the final minutes. It was back in 1972, before the Currie Cup final against Eastern Transvaal in Springs that the former Bok captain uttered these famous words to his Transvaal team-mates: “Eighty minutes of agony for an eternity of pleasure.”
Brumbies (8) 24 / 6 (6) Reds (Final Score)
The ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds did battle in Super Rugby at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
*******************
With a pause in the international matches, the Pro12 takes centre stage again this weekend with games in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
First up on Friday night table toppers Ulster welcome Zebre to Ravenhill. The leaders will be keen to get back to their winning ways having suffered only their second defeat in this season’s campaign at the hands of Ospreys last week.
Rebels (10) 30 / 23 (11) Force (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels and Western Force kicked off Super Rugby 2013 at AAMI Park, Melbourne at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Melbourne Time, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
*******************
Hello friends,
Rugby-Talk, like every season, joins SuperBru via it’s own Super Pools and 2013 is no different.
If you are registered here at Rugby-Talk as a subscriber then you are welcome to join our pools, if not then quickly register and join us all in the fun and excitement.
Our Pools are fiercly competative and fun…. and we want YOU to be part of it.
The first 4 Rugby-Talk SuperBru Pools were registered today, now we just need to fill the Pools up with members!
ALL our SuperBru Pools have been upgraded to Super Pools, giving us added functionality like the SuperBru WIDGETS on the righthand sidebar.
Enjoy the Pools and most importantly, enjoy rugby with us.
The Lions’ next scheduled MTN Lions Challenge match against Namibia in Windhoek, has been cancelled.
GWK Griquas have beaten the Southern Kings 30 -27, in what was the Kings final warm up match. This result raises yet more questions as to the Kings preparedness for this years Super 15. Simon Westraadt scored a try five minutes from the final whistle to seal the Kings loss. Burton Francis converted, bringing his personal haul to 20 for the match. Burton Francis must have been left smiling, after he was left out of the Kings group earlier this year.
Match facts: February 14-18, 2013
Start time: 10:30 local (08:30 GMT)
“The more accolades there are, the more expectation there is on me. I woke up before the Wanderers Test at 4am dreaming I had got a pair.”
Cape Town – Schalk Burger may be a surprise starter against the Bulls if he comes through fitness tests this week.
Emerging Test referee Lourens van der Merwe will make history when he officiates in the first Vodacom Super Rugby match involving the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth next Saturday.
New scrum laws to make amateur rugby safer will come into effect at club and schools level as the season gets under way this month, following an initiative introduced by the South African Rugby Union (Saru). A new scrum engagement sequence has been devised for amateur rugby to minimise the risks of serious injury suffered in this facet of play.
The Crusaders have called up all their big guns, including captain Kieran Read, for their third and final pre-season game, against the Waratahs in Sydney on Thursday.
Wales interim head coach Rob Howley has taken a bold move by naming his team to face Italy in Rome next Saturday a week early but rewarding the players that beat France 6-16 last week.
British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland says that he is wary of selecting too many English players for the Lions tour to Australia in June.
All Black and Chiefs midfielder has announced he will leave New Zealand rugby to play rugby in Japan after the current Super Rugby season.
Much needed good news for Cheetahs fans came from the Cheetahs camp, following the shock retirement of star bok flanker Juan Smith. Coenie Osthuizen, who has been recovering from back and neck injuries, was cleared for scrummaging sessions and came through unscathed. Furthermore, flyhalf sensation Johan Goosen has also been cleared to start after receiving treatment for a troublesome heel. Word is that he could have played against the Bulls but the coaches opted to rather rest him.
Edinburgh Rugby are beginning the search today for a new coaching team to steer the club from the 2013/14 season.
Defence coach Billy McGinty today resigned from his post, while the club confirmed that head coach Michael Bradley will not have his contract renewed at the end of this season.
World Cup-winning Springbok midfielder Frans Steyn will take over the captaincy of the Sharks.
Sharks coach John Plumtree confirmed that the 25-year-old will fill the void left by the absence of regular skipper Keegan Daniel through injury.
Super Rugby Fantasy League
Record-breaking South African test referee Jonathan Kaplan will retire from professional refereeing at the end of the 2013 South African season.
All Blacks and Hurricanes winger Cory Jane says that he is resigned to missing the entires 2013 Super Rugby season and he could also miss New Zealand’s end-of-year tour due to a ligament injury.
The Southern Kings have named all five of their foreign players in their final 35-man Super Rugby squad despite SARU’s ruling that they are only allowed two.
With an ace up their sleeve, the Sharks and Stormers will have their greatest chance yet to end their Super Rugby trophy drought this year.
New Zealand’s referees will be stepping out in pink in this year’s Super Rugby tournament thanks to a three-year sponsorship deal with Pink® Batts®.
South African-born flanker Antonie Claassen on Monday was called up by coach Philippe Saint-Andre for the 23-strong French squad to prepare for the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham on February 23.
Claassen, 28, was one of five changes to the squad that went down 16-6 to Wales at the Stade de France on Saturday leaving France winless after two games and bottom of the Six Nations standings.
Hy het die afgelope twee jaar ondanks vier operasies moedig vir sy ondersteuners probeer terugveg.
Maar die Springbok-flank Juan Smith het Maandag weens ’n hakseningbesering geen ander keuse gehad as om finaal die gordyn oor sy suksesvolle rugbyloopbaan te laat sak nie.
NMMU (8) 24 / 16 (16) Wits (Final Score)
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) did battle in the Varsity Cup, at NMMU Stadium, Port Elizabeth at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
*******************
GWK Griquas have named a strong and experienced team to play against the Southern Kings in their final warm-up match on Wednesday 12 February, 19h00 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. This will surely be another stern examination of the Southern Kings preparedness for the ardous Super Rugby series which lies ahead.
Some of the Griquas players will want to show the Cheetahs’ coaches that they are able replacements, should injuries occur.
new viral Bulls campaign, “Stand by Me”
Tuks (8) 24 / 16 (0) UCT (Final Score)
The University of Pretoria (Tuks) and University of Cape Town (UCT) did battle in the Varsity Cup at Tuks Rugby Stadium at 16:45 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
So the long awaited “non-grudge” game between South Africa’s newest Super Rugby franchise and the team they displaced has come and gone, with the Lions winning the game on the score board.
But who were the real winners on the day and why?
Here’s my personal take on it all:
South Africa’s Blitzbokke did their nation proud!
Going into the semi-final, they faced Samoa, who took them all the way to extra time before the golden goal by the Blitzbokke put South Africa in the final against New Zealand who was also taken into extra time by Fiji in their semi-final.
The final was a total demolition job by the Blitzbokke on New Zealand, with the Blitzbokke romping to 28 / 0 (4 converted tries) by halftime.
They kept their composure, scoring again after halftime, leading 35 / 0, before New Zealand scored 3 times in a gutsy effort to pull the score back to respectable levels against 1 final score by South Africa.
South Africa won in fine style, by 40 / 21.
DHL Stormers lock Eben Etzebeth will miss the start of his team’s 2013 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign, after being ruled out of action for six to eight weeks.