New Zealand will be at full strength when they face South Africa in the opening match of the Tri-Nations competition in Auckland next Saturday.
All Black coach Graham Henry on Friday removed any doubt over the availability of his big guns, including the first-choice centre pairing of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu.
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.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has inadvertently revealed that South Africa and New Zealand will will play their Tri-Nations rugby match next month at the Soccer City stadium in Soweto.
Reds and Wallaby scrumhalf Will Genia has won his first prestigious Pilecki Medal as “the players’ player” of the Reds’ 2010 season and was also voted the fans’ favourite.
The Western Force have revealed that current ARU Skills Coach Richard Graham will succeed John Mitchell as coach of the Force from 2012.
A big fat Springbok-sized reality check is coming for the All Blacks in just over a week’s time – and the challenge for Graham Henry’s men is to be a lot more ready for it than they were last year.
From the article – Swaggering Springboks up All Blacks’ ante
By MARC HINTON – Stuff
As we prepare for yet another punishing Tri-Nations series, there are a couple of added pressures on the Springboks this year.
A JJ Harmse article from News24
Gary Botha is back at the helm of the Blue Bulls and will lead the team onto the field when they take on the Eastern Province Elephants in a compulsory friendly in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The Lions will be without regular captain Cobus Grobbelaar for their Currie Cup campaign.
The All Blacks have been offered big cash bonuses if they can win the Rugby World Cup which is to be held in New Zealand next year.
The All Blacks have consistently been rated as one of the world’s top teams but have failed to win the World Cup since the inaugural event in New Zealand in 1987.
The South African duo of Nick Mallett and Alan Solomons will once again take charge of the Barbarian squad’s preparation for the fixture against South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday 4th December 2010.
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.
Vodacom WP coach Allister Coetzee today announced his team to take on the Griffons in a SARU compulsory friendly in Welkom on Friday 2 July 2010. Kick-off is at 6pm.
Vuvuzelas might be a major part of this year’s Soccer World Cup, but they will play no part in rugby’s showpiece event next year in New Zealand.
It’s virtually an all-new Eastern Province rugby team that will take on the Blue Bulls in a friendly match at the EPRFU Stadium on Saturday.
New coach Alan Solomons picked only a handful of the players that represented the Elephants in the Vodacom Cup.
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.
Wallaby wing Lachie Turner will join the Australian Sevens squad in camp on Sunday, as preparations get underway for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.
Coach Michael O’Connor has selected a 14-man training squad which will assemble at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from July 4 to 7 and has bolstered his side with the inclusion of the Wallaby wing, Turner, and also 2009 tourist Luke Morahan.
Johannesburg – The inclusion of scrumhalf Jano Vermaak who has been linked to the Natal Sharks and Springbok centre acquisition Waylon Murray are the most notable features in the Xerox Lions side to play the Boland Cavaliers in a compulsory friendly in Wellington on Saturday.
Vodacom WP coach Allister Coetzee has announced a squad of 35 players for the 2010 Absa Currie Cup season.
Vodacom WP will start their campaign this weekend, when they take on the Griffons in a SARU compulsory friendly in Welkom on Friday night. Continue reading
It seems the the Bookies, around the world have made the Springboks slight favourites to win the Tri-Nations over the All Blacks and the Wallabies trailing way behind in the backgroud.
Australian Rugby Boss John O’Neill will demand that the Wallabies become more ruthless when he meets Wallaby coach Robbie Deans.
The Wallabies have promised much under Deans but delivered little and Deans’ success with the Crusaders in Super Rugby has raised expectation.
All Blacks hooker Corey Flynn has been given the all-clear to assemble with the All Blacks after a medical check–up with medical staff in Christchurch.
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.
Springbok wing Jongi Nokwe is ready for action and will get the opportunity in Free State’s first warm-up game before the Currie Cup to stake his claim for national selection again.
Nokwe was included by Free State coach Naka Drotské in his strongest possible team for the friendly match against Border in East London.
Soccer
Paraguay 0-0 Japan, Paraguay won the shootout 5-3
Spain 1-0 Portugal
Cricket
South Africa won by 7 wickets231 & 161
West Indies
South Africa 346 & 49/3 (8.4 ov)
Two games in the Super 16’s are played today, 28th.
Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia
Brazil 3-0 Chile
Cricket (Stumps – Day 3)
West Indies 231 & 134/7 (57.0 ov)
South Africa 346
West Indies lead by 19 runs with 3 wickets remaining
The Winter Tours in the Southern Hemisphere is a thing of the past, with a clear advantage to the Southern Hemisphere in the results, except for an Australian hickup against England in the 2nd Test and 2 results for Scotland against Argentina. The rest of the results all went the way of the Southern Hemisphere.
I am still not fully happy though with the Springbok run-up to the Tri-Nations and think our National coach missed some opportunities in selecting or establishing the true pecking order in a few positions.
Wallabies and Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper has been fined and disqualified from driving after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while on a suspended license.
Springbok captain John Smit said the coming Tri-Nations tour will be taken serious and not used solely as a yardstick and building block for the World Cup in 15 months time.
“If we want to go there with the focus on next year we’ll miss the plot. We want to go there and focus on things we’ve built up over the last few tests.
The All Blacks have named their squad for the TriNations which is made up of 15 forwards and 13 backs with the return of 2009 All Blacks John Afoa, Corey Flynn, Liam Messam and Ma’a Nonu the key feature of the 28 – strong squad.
Captain Felipe Contepomi scored 31 points as Argentina gave France a record 41-13 hiding for the Six Nations champions France in a one-off rugby test at Jose Alamfitani Stadium on Saturday.
Cricket
West Indies vs South Africa
West Indies 231
South Africa 285/6 (104 ov)
End of day 2
More to follow
A humiliating 41-13 defeat by Argentina has left France’s players unable to explain how they could have fallen from Six Nations heros to touring zeros.
Lead-up to the test
Ivan the terrible’s revenge
From a New Zealand perspective, the fourth test of the 1970 tour will be remembered for an incident that occurred a week before the test in Potchefstroom. Continue reading
South Africa comfortably beat Italy 55-11 at Buffalo City Stadium Saturday in South Africa’s last match of the June International series.
Springboks flyhalf Morné Steyn scored two of the Springboks’ 7 tries and with his kicking a total of 26 points to the winners’ total.