Injuries
Veteran Springbok World Cup winner Juan Smith, who has decided to take the entire year off, will decide in November if he will return to the playing field or retire permanently.
The Brumbies have suffered a major blow as Matt Toomua has been ruled out for the rest of the Super Rugby season after he re-injured his knee playing against the Sharks.
Both of the Cheetahs starting props against the Crusaders are injured.
All Blacks and Highlanders fly half Colin Slade will miss the remainder of the 2012 Super Rugby season as he has been ruled out of all rugby for the year.
The Blues could be dealt a double blow this week as they have already lost flanker Luke Braid and might lose captain Keven Mealamu to injury.
The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
Chris Smylie - Out
Reg Goodes - 6 weeks
The Hurricanes have suffered a double blow with the news that half back Chris Smylie has been ruled out for the season and loosehead prop Reg Goodes for six weeks at least.
Johann Sadie - 3 Weeks
Wynand Olivier - Fit
Lionel Cronjé - Crocked
We all know rugby is not a sport for sissies, and so it was on Friday for Johan Sadie too, when he sustained an AC Jojnt injury after barely 11 minutes in the Super Rugby game against the Sharks, which will keep him out injured for about 3 weeks. The good news though is that Wynand Olivier is ready again to step into the fold again.
Lionel Cronjé, another of the signings from down South, is not so lucky though, he sustained a pectoral muscle tear which will have to be operated on, in the friendly game between the Vodacom Blue Bulls against the Sharks XV side.
Other Bulls still recovering include Arno Botha, Morné Mellett, Dewald Potgieter & Rossouw de Klerk.
Juan de Jongh - Fit again
Schalk Burger - Crocked
Some good news, tempered with some bad news…
Juan de Jongh returns to the fold this week in preparation for the Stormers game against the Sharks, but the initial assessment of Schalk Burger’s injury was further compounded by news now that Schalk Burger, their mercurial captain and one-man wrecking machine, will be out for at least 6 weeks if not more, with damaged medial knee ligaments.
Andries Bekker and Jean de Villiers have some injury niggles, Rynhardt Elstadt is on his way back… and Peter Grant joins the Stormers this week from Japan.
Stormers captain Schalk Burger’s knee injury would appear to be less serious than was initially feared when he left the field in the first half of his team’s match against the Hurricanes at Newlands on Saturday.
New Chiefs coach Dave Rennie had a harsh introduction into Super Rugby in Round 1 as he lost his first match at home and four of his players to injury.
Vodacom Bulls midfielder Wynand Olivier is in a race against time to be fit for his side’s Vodacom Super Rugby tournament’s season opener against the Sharks on February 24th.
Lions first-choice hooker Bandise Maku will be sidelined for some time after having surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, leaving Martin Bezuidenhout and Callie Visagie to wrestle over the No.2 jersey.
Wales have suffered a further injury blow with the news that hooker Matthew Rees will miss the Six Nations opener away to Ireland and next week’s home match against Scotland.
Blues veteran prop Tony Woodcock looks set to make a delayed start to the 2012 Super Rugby season due to injuries which are taking longer to heal.
The Cheetahs’ Springbok flank Juan Smith has not been included in their pre-season training camp to Jeffreys Bay after experiencing further discomfort in training.
Lions fly half Elton Jantjies will miss his team’s Super Rugby warm up matches due to a broken hand but should be fit by the start of the Super Rugby season.
The Stormers duo of Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen are in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Super Rugby season which starts next month.
Injured Springbok flank Juan Smith should be ready for the start of the Cheetahs’ Super Rugby campaign and could also feature in a warm-up match.
The Sharks might be without two of their most bruising forwards, back row stars Willem Alberts and Jean Deysel, when their Super Rugby season gets underway next month.
Vodacom Bulls vice-captain Wynand Olivier suffered a slight setback in his comeback from injury when he broke a small bone in his wrist at the weekend.
A medical study claims protective skull caps like those worn by Rugby World Cup winner Victor Vito do nothing to protect against concussion.
Vodacom Bulls vice-captain for the 2012 season Wynand Olivier is encouraging his troops from the side lines at the moment.
All Blacks and Crusaders captain Richie McCaw has undergone surgery on the injured foot that hampered him during the Rugby World Cup and has begun a rehabilitation which takes him out of the start of next season’s Super 15 Rugby tournament.
Springbok and Sharks backrow forward Willem Alberts has undergone shoulder surgery while rugby takes a break in South Africa but he should be ready for the Super Rugby season.
Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow will start training with the Cheetahs next week ahead of the Super Rugby tournament, on his way to recovery from injury.
Vodacom Bulls stalwart Jaco Pretorius has retired from rugby. The 32 year old outside centre has been battling a back injury all season and acting on medical advice, decided to call it a day.
Wallabies and Reds playmaker Quade Cooper will be sidelined for at least six months due to knee surgery after he collapsed playing in the Rugby World Cup’s third place play off.
The Cheetahs will have to make do without dynamic front row star Coenie Oosthuizen for the rest of their 2011 Currie Cup campaign as he has had to undergo neck surgery and will not play for the rest of the year.
Coach Naka Drotske has announced a team showing two changes from the team that so comprehensively beat the Sharks. Continue reading
Toyota Free State Cheetahs
The Cheetahs have received a double blow with the news that prop WP Nel and eightman Ashley Johnson will be out injured this weekend.
Blue Bulls (6) 33 / Cheetahs (17) 30 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hosted the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Blue Bulls won a very tough encounter… by only 3.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs coach announced his side to take on the Blue Bulls at Loftus on Saturday