Australia have named a 30-man sqaud for the end of year tour to Europe without Scott Higginbotham and captained by Nathan Sharpe.
Regular Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup starters Francois Venter and Arno Botha have been included in the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 squad to play DHL Western Province on Saturday.
Springbok utility back Jaco Taute says he would like to be considered at fullback when he plays for the Stormers in next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Two Vodacom Blue Bulls player will undergo medical procedures in the next week following a long and taxing 2012 rugby season.
Head coach Andy Robinson has today named seven uncapped players in his 34-strong Scotland squad for training at St Andrews next week in preparation for the first EMC Test against New Zealand at Murrayfield next month.
A 31-man Ireland squad, including four uncapped players, has been named by Ireland head coach Declan Kidney for the upcoming GUINNESS Series games against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina. Centre Luke Marshall and forward Iain Henderson named in the panel and who were involved in the Ireland training camp in September are included in the squad as are prop David Kilcoyne and hooker Richardt Strauss, who is now eligible to play for Ireland based on his residency for the past three years.
Jaco Taute, Lions and Springbok centre and fullback has penned his deal with the Stormers on loan from the Golden Lions Rugby Union, for Super Rugby 2013.
With the first game done and dusted already in the Currie Cup Premier Division Promotion / Relegation series and the EP Kings needing a mighty 40 point win, including bonus point for tries, it is an uphill battle for the men from Eastern Province.
We see calls from EP’s Alan Solomons going out not to judge the EP Kings and Southern Kings on these two games, but seriously, what else are we supposed to do?
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs is hardly featuring a full Free State side, let alone a full Super Rugby side, due to the plethera of injuries they are currently experiencing, coupled to the fact that the Griquas portion of their Super Rugby Franchise is NOT included in these games at all.
What we DO KNOW is that the mainstay of these two Super Rugby Franchises will be players from the respective Currie Cup sides, so the current reflection is the nearest we can come to judging what might transpire next year in Super Rugby at the Southern Kings.
Well, enough of that, we have to concentrate on Friday’s Promotion / Relegation game first and foremost, and here’s the Team sheets for this encounter:
It may be a Neanderthal thought, but perhaps the answer is to bring back good old-fashioned rucking. The question, of course, is what to do about players who are persistently offside.
We read all kinds of articles in the build up to a final and one can point out one hundred reasons why a team could win and why the opponents can win, but for me the mental preparation is really one of the most important parts in the buildup.
It matters not what we as supporters believe or say in the press or on blogs or on whatever other forum, what matters is pretty simple!!!
Glasgow Warriors and Scottish Rugby have today pulled off another major signing coup, landing Crusaders back-three star Sean Maitland. The 24-year-old Canterbury man, equally adept on the wing or at full-back, is one of the most highly rated outside backs in Super Rugby, and qualifies to play for Scotland courtesy of both his paternal Grandparents who were born in Glasgow.
Vodacom Blue Bulls player Mornè Steyn has been suspended for one week of rugby after being found guilty by a SARU Judicial Officer on Tuesday.
Die Blou Bulle Maatskappy (Edms) Bpk is verheug om te bevestig dat Pierre Spies sy kontrak met die BBM tot November 2015 verleng het.
The Free State Cheetahs started preparations for round two of their battle with the Eastern Province Kings facing a new injury crisis.
Word out of Durban so far is that all is going according to plan, even with an adjustment either way to the team dynamics, depending on coach John Plumtree’s planning.
Would there be changes to the team? my prediction is one or two at most, but much depends of returning injured players as well as weather conditions. One would ask the question, but why make a change to a winning team? the answer simply being that much depends on how the coach sees the opposition and how they will play and how the make up of his team can counter any threats they pose.
The Sharks will host DHL Western Province in this year’s Absa Currie Cup final after wildly contrasting victories over the Vodacom Blue Bulls and defending champions the MTN Golden Lions respectively in Saturday’s semi-finals.
Jaco Peyper will referee the Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
Rob Howley has named a 35-man Wales squad to contest the 2012 Dove Men Series at the Millennium Stadium this Autumn (Northern Hemisphere) which includes just one uncapped player and the returning Jamie Roberts.
Flanker Steffon Armitage’s form justifies a place in head coach Stuart Lancaster’s England squad, according to Toulon team-mate Jonny Wilkinson.
The Western Force have signed former Rugby World Cup Wallabies lock/flanker Hugh McMeniman for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Wallabies forward Scott Higginbotham has been slapped with a two match ban for his attack on All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Alan Dymock looks at a drookit night when Glasgow Warriors traded errors with Ulster. The problem he finds is that Glasgow’s mistakes were closer to their sticks and Ulster were bossing breakdowns and lineout drives.
In the face of a determined Munster Edinburgh simply whimpered, pulled a pout and took a battering, with three tries coming in the last ten minutes.
Richie Gray is an injury doubt for Scotland’s opening autumn Test against New Zealand on 11 November. The 23-year-old Sale lock has damaged ankle ligaments and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.
Lions (3) 16 / 21 (6) WP (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and DHL Western Province did battle in the 2nd Currie Cup, Premier Division Semi-final at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
Man of the Match: Eben Etzebeth
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Sharks (9) 20 / 3 (0) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Sharks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the 1st Currie Cup, Premier Division Semi-final at Mr Price Kings Park at 16:30 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
Man of the Match – Patrick Lambie
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Wallabies (12) 18 / 18 (6) All Blacks (Final Score)
Wallabies and All Blacks did battle in a Bledisloe Cup match at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 12:00 SA Time (20:00 Brisbane Time).
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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Cheetahs (24) 53 / 14 (0) Kings (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and EP Kings did battle in the first of two Promotion / Relegation games to determine entry for the Currie Cup, Premier Division for 2013 at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time.
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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Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-final matches.
Saracens will be playing at “home” in Brussels against Racing-Metro in an intriguing second round of European Cup action this weekend.
Springbok No 8 and Bulls captain Pierre Spies may further his career up north after French club Bayonne reportedly have made a massive offer for his services over the next three years.
Vrydag 2 November 2012 om 11:00 vir 11:30 het JY die geleenthied om te gaan na die Blou Bul Makietie.
Ek gaan daar wees, my tafel is bespreek, en ek is seker ander getroue Bloubul ondersteuners daar buite wil van die geleentheid gebruik maak om die dag saam met ons te geniet.
Hooker Keven Mealamu will become the third New Zealander to win 100 Test caps after being named in the All Blacks starting line up team for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup test against Australiain Brisbane.
The Wallabies injury problems have taken another blow as prop Ben Alexander has been ruled out of the final Bledisloe Cup test with a wrist injury.
All Black legend Brad Thorn will return to New Zealand next year. He has signed a one-year contract with the Highlanders for the 2013 Super Rugby season.