Nic Groom
Nic Groom will take over the captaincy for DHL Western Province from injured No 8 Nizaam Carr – against the Cell C Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
DHL WP will be looking to dominate a ressurgent Sharks team in their own backyard.
There has also been a late change from the announced team, with Kurt Coleman dropping out due to a calf strain, replaced by Robert du Preez at flyhalf and with Demetri Catrakilis on the bench as flyhalf cover.
Sikhumbuzo Notshe returns from injury to start at No 8 in 1 of only 3 changes made to the starting line-up from last weekend’s confidence boosting 33 / 15 win over the ORC Griquas.
Carr has a hamstring injury and will not be fit to face the Sharks.
The other changes to the Province starting 15 sees Dillyn Leyds start on the right wing, in place of Kobus van Wyk – who drops down to the bench.
Exciting young talent Huw Jones will make his 1st start in the Currie Cup in place of Jaco Taute at inside centre.
The fit-again pairing of prop Oli Kebble and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak, come onto the bench this week – in the place of JP Smith and Godlen Masimla, respectively.
Cell C Sharks commemmorative jersey in celebration of 125 years.
The Cell C Sharks will play in a commemorative jersey when they tackle DHL Western Province in a Currie Cup clash at Growthpoint Kings Park on Saturday.
This year the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union celebrates its 125 year anniversary, and in celebration of this proud milestone, the Sharks have opted to alter their kit for the game against WP.
According to the Sharks, the design of the jersey will have a striking resemblance to the 1st ever Currie Cup jersey the old Natal played in.
Thomas du Toit will pack down at loosehead prop for the Sharks against WP after he recently declared that his preferred position is tighthead. Du Toit believes that his physique is better suited to anchoring the scrum, although he wasn’t out of place at loosehead prop. Du Toit has been playing tighthead since his school days, however his selection at loosehead this week means that he is still being used as a utility prop much like Springboks Coenie Oosthuizen and Trevor Nyakane.
MJ Mentz – Pumas head coach
Steval Pumas head coach, MJ Mentz, decided to make 8 changes to his Pumas team for this coming weekend’s ABSA Currie Cup match against the ORC Griquas in Kimberley.
After a narrow 26 / 27 loss to the Cell C Sharks in Durban, they will face a tough trip to Kimberley – where they will meet a very physical Griquas team.
Vincent Koch’s is the most notable absentee from the front row – De-Jay Terblanché comes in for the Springbok prop.
Koch is still nursing a knock to the knee that he picked up while he was a part of the Springbok training squad – as a precautionary measure he will be given the week off to recover.
In the backline Hoffmann Maritz replaces JW Bell at fullback.
Jerome Pretorius and Deon Helberg form a new look centre-pairing.
Justin van Staden also replaces JC Roos at flyhalf.
Francois du Toit will play at hooker with Jacques Momberg dropping out of the squad.
Giant Mtyanda makes a welcome return and he will partner Rudi Mathee at lock, with Marnus Schoeman back at openside flank – with last week’s 2 locks, Jaco Bouwer and Marius Coetzer, dropping to the bench.
Hawies Fourie
ORC Griquas coach Hawies Fourie has made 5 changes to his team as they seek a 1st win of the season against the Steval Pumas this weekend.
Fourie has decided to stick with the core of the team that managed to frustrate DHL Western Province for much of their encounter at Newlands last Saturday.
Fourie’s team are still winless after 5 Rounds this season, but have been more competitive in recent weeks.
Versatile Springbok Sevens player Ruhan Nel moves from the left to the right wing – in place of Sandile Ngcobo.
Jacquin Jansen will play on the left wing.
Jonathan Ardendorf started on the bench last week, but will be given a starting berth in place of RJ Liebenburg at flank.
Johan Wessels comes in for Hilton Lobberts at lock.
Hooker Martin Bezuidenhout will move down to the bench – he will be replaced by AJ Le Roux, in what appears to be a rotational change.
Brent Janse van Rensburg
EP Kings Kings coach, Brent Janse van Rensburg, has called back a host of his stalwarts for friday’s match against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
Experienced centre Tim Whitehead will lead the EP Kings as they chase their 1st ABSA Currie Cup win this season – at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth.
Regular captain Luke Watson remains sidelined with a leg injury, however, lock Steven Sykes is back from a rib problem to lead the pack.
Van Rensburg has made several changes to the team which went down to the Xerox Golden Lions in Johannesburg last weekend.
He said he believed they had the best combination to combat the Free State Cheetahs.
Whitehead is partnered by JP du Plessis in the centres and Ronnie Cooke is replaced at centre, due to a broken toe.
Sykes starts ahead of Cornell Hess, who is dropped to the bench.
Nollis Marais
The Vodacom Bulls’ search for a replacement for Super Rugby coach Frans Ludeke will start in earnest when the union advertise for the vacant position over the weekend.
Bulls chief executive Barend van Graan announced the latest development after Ludeke stepped down following the team’s final match of the competition in June.
“We will advertise for the Vodacom Bulls coach position for next year and it will be in the media over the weekend,” Van Graan said in Pretoria on Thursday.
“We will then have a process which takes time depending on the amount of applications we receive.”
Van Graan would not reveal whether the Bulls had done any headhunting prior to advertising the position.
Charles Piutau
All Blacks international Charles Piutau signed a 1-season contract with English Premiership club Wasps on Thursday after the being left out of his country’s squad for the Rugby World Cup.
Piutau will join Celtic League side Ulster next July, but they aren’t able to include him in their squad for this current campaign as their foreign allocation is full.
And when the 23-year-old missed out on a place in the All-Blacks’ final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup, which gets underway next week, Piutau opted to play for Wasps in 2015 – 2016.
Teboho Mohoje
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs will have a new captain when they tackle the winless Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje, who failed to make the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad, will lead the Free State Cheetahs out in this Round 6 encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Mohoje takes over form regular captain Francois Uys, who will play off the bench on Friday.
The Springbok loose forward (Mohoje) and Henco Venter will be switching places – with Mohoje included in the starting line-up, with Venter on the bench.
Other changes to the pack will see Reniel Hugo starting at lock ahead of Uys.
Jacques du Toit will start at hooker ahead of Elandre Hugget, who drops down to the replacement bench.
The only backline change will see Springbok Cornal Hendricks make his Currie Cup debut for the Free State Cheetahs, replacing fellow Springbok discard Raymond Rhule on left wing.
SARU President, Oregan Hoskins
SARU President, Oregan Hoskins has hit back against attacks and critisism from factions and political party game play against the racial make-up of the Springbok rugby squad who will represent South Africa at the Rugby World Cup, which runs from 18 September to 31 October in England.
This follows a High Court Application, later abandoned, by the ANA (Agenda for… wait what are they called again… Agents for New Agenda party) as well as fierce critisism by Cosatu and former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers regarding the amount of players of colour in theSpringbok setup.
A lot of critisism can and has been levelled over the years against Oregan Hoskins and his “Bunch of merry misfits” at SARU for the way South African rugby is run and administered.
Here’s what Hoskins syas in his letter:
Victor Matfield
Springbok lock Victor Matfield will join the Northampton Saints on a 1-year deal at the end of this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Matfield, who at the age of 38 captained the Springboks earlier this year against Australia and Argentina, will join up with the British club for a swansong to end his career after the Springboks conclude their Rugby World Cup commitments.
He has been released from his coaching contract by mutual agreement by the Blue Bulls Company, after requesting a release earlier this week.
South Africa’s most capped Springbok and Rugby World Cup squad member, Matfield, is widely seen as possibly the greatest lock ever to play the game, and has been capped 123 times for the Springboks as he heads into his 4th Rugby World Cup.
Salesi Ma’afu
Former Australian international prop Salesi Ma’afu could face jail after French prosecutors on Tuesday requested an 8-month prison sentence and a € 1 500.00 fine for an alleged assault.
The 32-year-old Toulon player, capped 14 times, is believed to have been involved in a heated argument over a parking place on 16 August and to have hit someone who attempted to intervene.
Ma’afu has not sparkled in pre-season friendlies since he joined the 3-time European champions from English side Northampton, and only came on for the last half hour of the opening day defeat to Racing-Metro.
Mourad Boudjellal
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has denied any wrongdoing on the part of the club or players with regard to allegations surrounding a criminal investigation.
Reports in French media have stated that pharmacists illegally distributed products to the French Top 14 club’s players.
Prosecutors in Marseille confirmed on Tuesday that they have launched an investigation into the practices of a number of pharmacies in Toulon following a notification from AFDL, France’s anti-doping authority.
However, Boudjellal has held a press conference to rubbish the reports.
Dr Craig Roberts
With the entire Springbok squad expected to be fit before the start of the Rugby World Cup, team doctor Craig Roberts says the next challenge is to get the players match-fit.
Roberts gave an update on the injury situation in the Springbok camp with a bout of ‘flu keeping captain Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana sidelined.
“At this stage everyone will be available for that 1st game and it is our plan to have 31 fit players and up to the coach to select the 23 for that 1st game,” Roberts said in Johannesburg on Monday.
“It’s more illness at this stage than injury, but I am happy with our progress and we are still 2 weeks away from that 1st game and we are getting the guys into full-on training so I am happy.”
Eben Etzebeth had a light calf strain, but the towering lock is expected to be fit for selection for the Springboks’ opening Rugby World Cup match against Japan in Brighton on 19 September.
Long-term injury layoffs Duane Vermeulen, Fourie du Preez and Francois Louw all took part in sessions on Monday.
Hansie Graaff
Eastern Province Kings fullback Hansie Graaff was suspended for 1 match, after being found guilty of striking an opponent in their Currie Cup Premier Division clash against the Xerox Golden Lions in Johannesburg last Saturday.
As a result of the sanction he will miss the EP King’s next match against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Port Elizabeth on Friday evening.
Sergio Parisse
Italy captain Sergio Parisse is in a race against time to be fit for the Rugby World Cup after undergoing surgery to drain a hematoma.
The charismatic No 8 returned to the National side last weekend in a warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff but sustained a knock to his left leg in the 19 / 23 defeat.
The surgery took place in Paris where the 31-year-old Argentine-born flank had a swelling of clotted blood drained.
Further details on his expected absence would be revealed following tests “in the coming days”.
South Africa moved up to 3rd place in the World Rankings without even kicking a ball.
It means the Springboks have climbed 2 places in the World Rankings since their last match – a win over Argentina in Buenos Aires, last month.
Their rise, despite the team’s inactivity, is the result of Ireland’s dramatic slump – the men from the Emerald Isle having lost to Wales (10 / 16) and England (13 / 21) in the past fortnight.
As a result, Rugby Championship heavyweights New Zealand, Australia and South Africa will go into the Rugby World Cup as the Top 3 nations in the rankings.
Ireland’s rating fell by 0.79 points and resulted in a 3-place drop to 6 for the Six Nations Champions, placing them below the Springboks.
England gained the same amount of points to leapfrog their Pool A opponents Wales into 4th.
Long-time leaders New Zealand remain untouchable – for a fortnight at least – on 92.89 points, with Australia 6.22 points behind in 2nd and South Africa a further 1.52 points back in 3rd.
Australia were unable to make up any ground on their arch rivals, despite being the only one of the 3 in action over the weekend.
Their 47 / 10 win over the USA Eagles in Chicago did not come with any ratings points, given the double-figure difference in rankings positions and rating points between the nations.
Serious injuries to star fullback Leigh Halfpenny and scrumhalf Rhys Webb, made it a day to forget for Wales, who scraped home 23 / 19 against Italy at the Millennium Stadium.
Daniel du Plessis
Hooker Daniel du Plessis suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday afternoon whilst playing for the DHL Western Province Under 21 team at DHL Newlands. However, on Monday Du Plessis began to show a steady improvement which is a very positive sign for a full recovery.
Daniel Mills du Plessis – who turned 20 on 24 February 2015 – collapsed on the field during Saturday’s ABSA Provincial Under 21 encounter between DHL WP and the Leopards and he stopped breathing. He was immediately attended to by the DHL Western Province Under 21 medical team and, together with paramedics from ER24, he was resuscitated on the field and further stabilised in the stadium medical room by the stadium specialists.
Once stable, Daniel was immediately transferred by ambulance to the ICU at Vincent Pallotti Hospital. He was put in an induced coma and ventilated on Saturday night. After a steady improvement and excellent specialist care, he has come off the ventilator and is now sitting up and talking.
He still has a recovery period ahead, and the cause of his heart arrest remains unknown, but his steady improvement is a very positive sign for a full recovery.
Julian Redelinghuys
Warren Whiteley
Warren Whiteley (calf) will not be available for selection for the game against the Blue Bulls on Saturday.
Julian Redelinghuys has a chest injury and will miss training on Monday and Tuesday. He will have to pass a late fitness test on Thursday to play at the weekend.
Martin Muller (ankle) may be available for selection if he passes a fitness test scheduled for Thursday.
Stokkies Hanekom (jaw) should be available for selection but no contact Monday and Tuesday.
Anthony Volmink is out with concussion.
Jaco van der Walt (chest) should be available for selection but no contact Monday and Tuesday.
Deon Stegmann
Dean Greyling
Springboks Deon Stegmann and Dean Greyling are fit again and will be considered for the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ ABSA Currie Cup match against the Xerox Golden Lions on Saturday.
Stegmann (cheek) missed the last 3 and Greyling (knee) the last match of the team’s campaign.
Utility back and former Springbok Sevens player, Ryan Nell, has also been cleared following a knee operation and will be considered.
Another player returning from injury is Duncan Matthews. The winger had a knee operation earlier in the season and will do selective training this week.
4 Players involved in Saturday’s win over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Marvin Orie (chest), Travis Ismail (ribs) and RG Snyman (contusion) will train Tuesday, while Tian Snyman (calf) will only be back on the field Thursday, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed.
Sikhumbuzo Notshe
Oli Kebble
DHL Western Province have been boosted by the availability of prop Oli Kebble and flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe as they prepare to face the Cell C Sharks in a Currie Cup clash in Durban on Saturday.
Kebble (hamstring) was sidelined for WP’s last 2 matches, while Notshe (AC joint) missed last weekend’s 33 / 15 win over ORC Griquas at Newlands.
Both players were back at training on Monday will be available for selection this week.
Scrumhalf Jano Vermaak, who had been sidelined in recent weeks by a finger injury, is also back at training and may be considered.
Following their 37 / 21 Currie Cup defeat to the Xerox Golden Lions in Johannesburg at the weekend, the EP Kings have reported new injury concerns.
- Lock Cameron Lindsay suffered a knee injury in the defeat and will see a specialist on Wednesday.
- Centre Ronnie Cooke picked up a toe injury and was sent for X-rays on Monday.
- JP du Plessis who replaced Cook, also suffered an injury. Du Plessis has a soft tissue knee injury and will be monitored during the week.
- Lock Steven Stykes – who missed last week’s clash due to a rib injury – will also be monitored during the week.
Players on the long-term injury list include flyhalf / centre Shane Gates (foot), flank Jacques Engelbrecht (hip), lock David Bulbring (shoulder), flyhalf Gary van Aswegen (knee), flank Aidon Davis (knee) and flyhalf / fullback George Whitehead (knee).
Left: Warren Gatland, Wales coach
Top Right: Rhys Webb injured
Bottom Right: Leigh Halfpenny stretchered off
Following Saturday’s narrow win over Italy, Wales have now been hit by the news and reality that Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb are out of the Rugby Wolrd Cup, their injuries serious enough to keep them out of the tournament in total.
Leigh Halfpenny:
Leigh Halfpenny suffered torn right knee ligaments in a warm-up match against Italy at the weekend.
ABSA Currie Cup pacesetters the Xerox Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls continued with their unbeaten run over the weekend, while 2014 winners DHL Western Province returned to winning ways after suffering 2 losses in a row.
The Xerox Golden Lions are top of the Premier Division Log standings thanks to a 37 / 21 win over the embattled Eastern Province Kings.
Despite racing into a 19 / 0 lead very early on, the EP Kings rallied back with a spirited performance and the Golden Lions could only seal their success with a late surge on Saturday evening in Johannesburg.
Thanks to their bonus-point win at home, the Golden Lions now Top the log with 25 Log points, 1 more than the Vodacom Blue Bulls, who triumphed 24 / 17 over a resilient Toyota Free State Cheetahs on a cold and wet Friday evening in Pretoria.
Western Province turned on the style in the 2nd half to score a much needed bonus-point 33 / 15 victory over the ORC Griquas at DHL Newlands on Saturday after suffering 2 consecutive defeats. The Cape side have 15 points and remains in 3rd spot.
At Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban, the Cell C Sharks held off a tremendous effort from the Steval Pumas to make it 2 wins in a row thanks to their close-fought 27 / 26 win over the visitors. The Sharks are 4th on the Log and just 2 points behind DHL WP.
Nizaam Carr
DHL Western Province look set to lose their 2nd captain this Currie Cup season.
Juan de Jongh is still a long term concern after the knee injury he picked up mid-August against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, and now Nizaam Carr faces a spell on the sidelines too.
The WP No 8 left the field towards the end of the 1st half in his side’s eventual 33 / 15 win over ORC Griquas at Newlands on Saturday, and coach John Dobson confirmed after the match that his skipper was doubt for next weekend’s trip to the Cell C Sharks.
“Very much so,” was his response when asked if Carr was now in doubt for the Sharks game.
South Africa’s Mahlatse ‘Chiliboy’ Ralepelle has been handed a 2-year ban for a doping offence, World Rugby, the sport’s global governing body, said on Sunday.
He will be free to play again on 10 April 2016, with his ban starting from the time of his provisional suspension last year.
Ralepelle, who won the last of his 22 Springbok caps in 2013, initially challenged his provisional suspension but gave up his right to appeal on Thursday.
When the 28-year-old hooker underwent an out-of-competition doping control on 19 March 2014, while recovering from surgery following a knee injury sustained playing for Toulouse against French rivals Biarritz in France in February of that year, the analysis of the sample returned a positive test for a metabolite of a banned anabolic steroid, drostanolone.
There were some very interesting results on the weekend in the last Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, befor the world showpiece starts on 18 September in England.
- England beat Ireland at Twickenham, by 21 / 13.
- Wales barely beat Italy by 23 / 19 but at the same time suffered 2 huge injury blows, one to Rhys Webb and the other to Leigh Halfpenny.
- France edged a spirited Scotland side at Stade de Framce, by 19 / 16.
- The Australian Wallabies romped past the USA Eagles by 47 / 10 at Soldier Field.
- Fiji put Canada to the sword by 47 / 18.
- Tonga beat Romania by 21 / 16.
- Japan beat Georgia 13 / 10.
- Samoa beat Wasps 25 / 19.
- Argentina beat Leicester 55 / 34.
It is the major results we will focus on however…
A DHL Western Province Under 21 player collapsed on the field of play after suffering a cardiac arrest during his team’s ABSA Provincial Under 21 match against the Leopards at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
Rapid response emergency procedures were immediately activated. This resulted in a successful resuscitation on field and the player was subsequently transferred to ICU for further investigations and medical care.
WP Rugby would like to thank the specialist medical team, as well as the ER24 on-duty crew, for their swift actions.
At this stage, the player cannot be named until his family has been informed in full about the incident. We further request that the media respect the player and his family’s privacy during these tough times.
France (6) 19 / 16 (9) Scotland (Final Score)
France and Scotland did battle in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match at
Stade de France, Paris at 21:00 SA Time (21:00 French Time, 20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 on TV in SA.
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Golden Lions (27) 37 / 21 (14) EP Kings (Final Score)
The Xerox Golden Lions and Eastern Province Kings did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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WP (13) 33 / 15 (9) Griquas (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and ORC Griquas did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
DHL Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (10) 27 / 26 (13) Pumas (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Steval Pumas did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Blue Bulls (11) 24 / 17 (7) FS Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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The ABSA Currie Cup competition this week will be lit up by a host of Springboks who missed the Rugby World Cup cut.
They are sure to grab a substantial portion of the spotlight, as the Currie Cup race begins to heat up.
However, there is also the ongoing financial circus in Port Elizabeth that is threatening to turn the Eastern Province Kings into a circus act.
Among the Springbok discards who will feature in South Africa’s premier domestic competition this week are Marcel van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje (Toyota Free State Cheetahs), Vincent Koch (Steval Pumas) and Cobus Reinach (Cell C Sharks).
Then there are Bok training squad members Scarra Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff, who will both start in the front row for DHL Western Province.
Vincent Koch
Steval Pumas coach MJ Mentz wasted no time in drafting back his Springbok prop, Vincent Koch.
Koch, who will play at tighthead, is 1 of 3 changes to the starting 15 that will tackle the Cell C Sharks in Durban on Saturday in a Currie Cup Round 5 match.
Koch, who missed the Rugby World Cup cut will start in place of Khwezi Mona, who drops down to the replacement bench.
Jaco Bouwer and Marnus Schoeman are changing places, with Bouwer starting at flank and Schoeman on the bench.
The final change to the starting 15 sees Hoffmann Maritz getting his 1st start, at centre, after playing 2 matches off the bench. Jerome Pretorius drops down to the bench.
Sergio Parisse
Italian general Sergio Parisse has returned to lead his troops into battle against Wales at Cardiff on Saturday.
Parisse, who was sidelined with flu for the past 3 matches, is back at the helm of the Azzurri and at the base of the scrum in the No 8 jersey.
Parisse is 1 of 7 changes to coach Jacques Brunel’s starting line-up with Edoardo Gori back from suspension to provide some experience at scrumhalf.
Other changes are Andrea Masi, Leonardo Sarto and Gonzalo Garcia who are all added to the backline.
Up front, Michele Rizzo starts at loosehead prop, while Quintin Geldenhuys comes in for Marco Fuser at lock.