Injuries
The Currie Cup kicks off this weekend and there are some massive clashes in store in Round One of South Africa’s premier provincial competition.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske named a strong team filled with Super Rugby players for their opening Currie Cup clash against the Leopards in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The 2011 edition of the Coca-Cola Craven Week for high schools (Under 18) is currently taking place in Kimberley.
Check here daily for all the results.
In 1891, just before the departure of the British Isles Rugby team for South Africa, Sir Donald Currie, owner of the Union Castle Line presented the squad with a golden trophy.
With the trophy came a very clear instruction to present the trophy to the team that gave the most spirited opposition during a tour match.
After a hard fought match Griqualand West became the first ever holders of the trophy that would, over the next century or so become the Holy Grail that South African provincial Rugby Teams would work tirelessly to possess.
Compulsary rugby games will be played on Friday. Currie Cup teams must play a game against the “B” division teams. Sharks the current Currie Cup champions take on South Western Districts Eagles, Griquas will play against Border Bulldogs, Blue Bulls will play the Griffons and Free State Cheetahs take on the EP Kings. If more teams are released this post will be updated. If any of these matches will be broadcast Live is not known.
Bloemfontein – Springbok reject Sarel Pretorius will continue his Super Rugby career in Australia. Continue reading
Free State Cheetahs (22) 55 / Valke (5) 19 (Final Score)
The Free State Cheetahs hosted the Valke at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 16:45 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
Comfortable win for the Free State Cheetahs, with 8 tries scored by them against 3 tries.
Sharks (8) 24 / Cheetahs (3) 9 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Cheetahs at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 17:00 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.
Sanzar made an announcement today to say some forced changes had to be made to the Referee line-ups for some of the First Round games
The Cheetahs’ management team will have to wait a week longer before they get to see their Springbok acquisition in action.
Springbok centre Andries Strauss is struggling with a groin injury ahead of the Super Rugby tournament, and will not play in the Cheetahs’ warm-up games on Friday.
Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brüssow will miss the first few weeks of Super 15 Rugby and is only expected back in March this year.
The Cheetahs still have not registered an overseas victory in five seasons of Super rugby, but they will lay that ghost to rest in 2011.
The Cheetahs are spending this week training in Jeffreys Bay ahead of next year’s Super 15 and fans will be pleased to see Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow almost fighting fit following a long-term injury, while wing Jongi Nokwe’s prognosis is less positive.
Earl Rose’s chances of returning to Super Rugby next year suffered a major setback when he wasn’t included in the Cheetahs preliminary 42-man training squad.
The versatile players has joined Griquas following his fall from grace at the Lions, which makes him available for the Cheetahs in the Super 15.
The Cheetahs welcome backline star Philip Burger back into their squad ahead of for the new season, after the exciting utility back spent the past two years in France.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has a midfield headache to address following the decision by Meyer Bosman to further his career at the Sharks.
Continue reading
Folks, say welcome to the new addition to Authors here on Rugby-Talk. Rob Peters is the owner of NEWSPOD MEDIA who will also supply us with AUDIO CONTENT of after match interviews.
They act as Media Provider to a host of Radio Stations in SA and an exciting collaboration between Rob and Myself might see us lead into a new era of Pod Casting and possibly Live Streaming in future.
Welcome the man with open arms, here’s another outstanding rugby lover in our midst!
AUDIO REGARDING THE SEMI’s & THE UPCOMING FINAL:
[cincopa AUOAURahKLLj]
Western Province reached the Currie Cup final for the first time since 2001 following their awe-inspiring 31-7 win over the Free State Cheetahs in their Absa Currie Cup semi-final at a jam-packed Newlands Rugby Stadium on Saturday evening.
WP (13) 31 / Cheetahs (0) 7 (Final Score)
Vodacom WP hosted Vodacom Free State Cheetahs at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 on Saturday 16 October 2010. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SSHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
A bit of a shaky start from the kickers on both sides eventually saw Willem de Waal regaining confidence and WP becoming stronger and stronger as the game progressed.
At halftime WP was already 13 / 0 in the lead which prompted them to run more freely and the tries came. Eventually with WP 31 / 0 ahead, a simple WP mistake saw Philip Snyman score a consolation try to avoid a nasty Cheetahs whitewash.
To rights the Cheetahs tried hard but there was always only one winner.
Final score WP 31 / 7.
Saturday sees the 2 Currie Cup Premier Division semi-finals, one between the Sharks vs Blue Bulls in Durban, the other between WP and the Free state Cheetahs at Newlands in Cape Town.
Here are the team sheets for the 2 clashes:
A lot was said already and a lot more will be said in the psychological war of words this week. No one wants to be the favorite this week. It is quite funny how every team digs up stats to show that their opponent is the favorite.
The Free State Cheetahs will tackle Western Province in their Currie Cup semifinal on Saturday with a Springbok prop on the bench.
Top South African referees Marius Jonker and Mark Lawrence have been handed this weekend’s crucial Absa Currie Cup semifinals.
Here are the Teams as anoounced.
Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has resisted the temptation to rush both his returning Springboks back into the starting XV for their final Currie Cup league match of the season.
The Cheetahs, who can still finish second on the standings and secure home ground advantage in the play-offs, face the Leopards in Phokeng on Friday.
The Free State Cheetahs moved to third place on the Absa Currie Cup log when they scored six tries in beating the Xerox Lions 43-37 in Bloemfontein in Saturday.
Cheetahs 43 / Lions 37 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs host the Xerox Lions in Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & HD & M-Net in SA.
Springbok Sevens star Lionel Mapoe will stay in Durban and will appeal the court ruling handed down against him by the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday.
The loss of Springbok wing Jongi Nokwe has forced Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské to name four centres in his backline for Saturday’s Currie Cup crunch match against the Lions.
Free State Cheetahs wing Lionel Mapoe, was on Wednesday ordered by a Bloemfontein Court to report at the Cheetahs by Thursday 15:00.
The Blue Bulls Rugby Union believe the growing storm surrounding their signing of Springbok winger Bjorn Basson is an “internal matter” in the Cheetahs franchise and has nothing to do with them.
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu requested the use of rogue winger Lionel Mapoe for the upcoming Commonwealth Sevens tournament, but was refused by the Free State Rugby Union.
The ink has not yet dried on the Blue Bulls contract of Griquas and Springbok wing Bjorn Basson and already there have been major consequences for the Griqualand West Rugby Union (GWRU).
Six teams are still jostling for semi-final places in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup as the Premier Division competition enters its final three weeks of league fixtures.
Sharks (18) 30 / Cheetahs (9) 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Cheetahs at ABSA Stadium, Durban at 15:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, M-Net and SuperSport HD in SA.
The Sharks extended their lead on the Currie Cup Log with this bonus point win, whereas the Cheetahs were prevented from scoring any Log points.