Player Movements
Israel Folau
Even with the Top 14 Final looming, the French media rumour mill has gone into overdrive about Southern Hemisphere players heading north for the next season.
Waratahs superstar Israel Folau is the latest Wallaby linked to a move to cash-flush French club Toulon.
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal, who has never been scared to wield his substantial cheque book to lure big names to Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, has already made substantial acquisitions for the 2015 / 2016 season.
According to the French sporting newspaper Midi Olympique Boudjellal and his people are already speaking to Folau.
If the 2-time European champions convince the Wallaby fullback to head to France after the World Cup, in England in September and October, he will join a long list of high-profile recruits.
Already said to be heading to Toulon for the new season are Ma’a Nonu (from the Hurricanes), Jonathan Pélissié (from Montpellier), France Thibault (from Oyonnax), Salesi Ma’afu (from Northampton Saints), Samu Manoa (from Northampton Saints), Mohamed Boughanmi (from Béziers), Julien Caminati (from France Grenoble), Quade Cooper (or so they claim, from the Reds), James O’Connor (another unconfirmed arrival – from the Reds), Charles Ollivon (from Bayonne), Anthony Etrillard (from Bayonne) and Paul O’Connell (from Munster).
Tom Franklin
Alex Ainley
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is facing some serious selection posers in the wake of his team’s humiliation at the hands of Super Rugby’s runaway leaders, the Hurricanes.
As if shipping more than 50 points were not enough, he has lost 2 more locks and now have a serious 2nd row crisis.
Tom Franklin and Alex Ainley became the latest additions to the 2nd row injury list – which also includes Joe Wheeler (knee) and Mark Reddish (hand).
It means Joseph is down to some utility forwards, rather than specialist locks, ahead of the Final Round of league action – when they face the Blues in Auckland on Friday.
Joseph – who rested the star All Black trio of Ben and Aaron Smith, as well as Malakai Fekitoa – started the match against the Hurricanes with a host of players on the injury list.
Apart from the locks, Shane Christie (hamstring), Hayden Parker (shoulder), Kane Hames (knee), Nasi Manu (shoulder), Patrick Osborne (calf) and Josh Renton (hamstring) were unavailable.
Sam Cane
Sonny Bill Williams
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie will be forced to rest star loose forward Sam Cane when they take on the competition leaders, the Hurricanes, in the Final Round of Super Rugby league action.
However, he looks set to rush back star midfielder Sonny Bill Williams as they push for a home ground advantage in the preliminary play-offs.
Rennie confirmed they would not play Cane against the competition’s runaway leaders, the Hurricanes, in New Plymouth on Saturday.
“We’ll probably give Sam a rest this week and freshen him up prior to the quarterfinals, because he’s played a fair bit of footy,” Rennie told a post-match media briefing.
Damian de Allende
DHL Stormers and Springbok centre Damian de Allende will also play rugby in Japan later this year.
Good news for Stormers fans though is that the 23-year-old will return to play Super Rugby for the Cape franchise next year – as is the case with many South African Super Rugby players plying their trade in Japan.
It’s still unsure what team De Allende would be joining but the possibility exists that he could join Stormers coach Allister Coetzee at the Kobe Kobelco Steelers.
Duane Vermeulen
Duane Vermeulen’s reported move to France appears all the more likely after the Springbok and Stormers No 8 rejected a contract offer from the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
Vermeulen would have been the highest earning Springbok had he accepted SARU’s offer.
His decision to reject the offer from SARU adds fire to reports earlier this year that linked him with a move to French club Toulon.
Andries Bekker
Andries Bekker’s Springbok future appears to be in the hands of his Japanese club, the Kobelco Steelers.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on Tuesday had a 1-on-1 with the tall lock to gauge his interest in and suitability to returning to green-and-gold duty this year.
Bekker, 31, had made himself unavailable for Springbok selection when he moved to Japan in 2013.
Warren Whiteley
Loose forward Warren Whiteley says there’s plenty of excitement in the Springbok squad following the team’s training camp in Cape Town.
The national squad gathered here this week for their 2nd training camp of the year.
While there were plenty of familiar faces running through the drills, head coach Heyneke Meyer called up several new players, who have shown great form during Super Rugby this season.
Whiteley, who made his Test debut for South Africa last year, enjoyed the experience.
“It’s always a massive honour and great experience being part of the national squad,” Whiteley said.
“One gets to catch up with the guys after months of Super Rugby, and start the preparations for what will be an exciting year ahead, including The Rugby Championship and World Cup.
“The World Cup is a massive occasion, which every player wants to be part of. So you can imagine the excitement among the players, especially guys like Cheslin Kolbe and Faf de Klerk, who have shown great form this season and I’m glad they’ve received reward for their hard work.
Niel Marais
New Yoyota Cheetahs head coach, Franco Smith, has named his team to tackle the Waratahs in a Super Rugby clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday (15:00 SA Time).
It will be Smith’s 1st game in charge following the departure of Naka Drotske.
Smith has made several changes to the team that lost 42 / 12 to the DHL Stormers at Newlands last weekend.
In the backline, Niel Marais replaces Joe Pietersen at flyhalf. Marais was a star player for Shimlas in this year’s Varsity Cup, which they won under the coaching tutelage of Smith.
Sarel Pretorius is also back at scrumhalf, while Cornal Hendricks will start on the left wing, replacing Raymond Rhule who has a knee injury.
Rayno Benjamin also moves up from the bench, replacing Michael van der Spuy to start at inside centre this week, while Coenie van Wyk replaces Clayton Blommetjies at fullback.
Up front, BG Uys starts at loosehead prop, with Danie Mienie moving to the bench, while Tienie Burger and Boom Prinsloo swap places in the loose trio.
Francois Hougaard
Both Francois Hougaard and Willie Le Roux have concluded deals with the same Japanes team, the Canon Eagles.
The club announced on Wednesday the pair had been signed for the coming season at the Japanese club, but both are set to return to play in Vodacom Super Rugby next season.
While Hougaard is still negotiating a return to Loftus – he has 3 offers from Europe, including English clubs Leceister Tigers and Exeter Chiefs – he will be a massive signing for the Japanese club with his versatility to play either at scrumhalf or wing.
The duo will be able to continue their Springbok partnership although the 2 foreigner rule in Japanese rugby may see both playing a lot less than they would in South Africa.
The Eagles have just said goodbye to their 2 foreign players – flanker Adam Thomson and Callum Bruce – and have signed the duo to replace them.
Hougaard told the club in typically public-relations friendly quotes he was happy to be joining their ranks.
Willie le Roux
Cornal Hendricks
With the player transfer window in South Africa looming large from 1 July, there is a lot of movement already in player signings.
Willie le Roux has opted not to renew with the Cheetahs and will in stead go to Japan for the remainder of the year after Super Rugby and International committments, whereafter he will return to South Africa but join the Cell C Sharks for the 2016 Super Rugby season.
Cornal Hendricks has also asked for permission to start negotiating with other interested parties, although the transfer window for negotiations will only be open from 1 July.
But the Cheetahs are not the only Franchise hit hard, at the Bulls, Francois Hougaard has signed in Japan for the Canon Eagles, the same Club which Willie le Roux has signed for and has not re-committed to the Bulls for Super Rugby in 2016.
Also at the Bulls, William Small-Smith has requested permission to also start early negotiations with 3rd parties, earlier than the 1 July Transfer Window’s opening.
Laurie Weeks
Melbourne Rebels prop Laurie Weeks has been suspended for 3 weeks after he was found guilty for punching Cell C Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis in their Round 16 encounter.
The sanction means that Weeks will play no further part in this year’s competion as his team only has 2 games left.
Weeks was found guilty under Law 10.4 (a): Punching or striking, after he was sent off during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
The incident occurred in the 29th minute of the match with footage showing Weekes throwing a flurry of punches to Du Plessis’ head.
Weeks has been suspended from all forms of the game for 3 weeks up to and including 20 June 2015.
Laurie Weeks
Melbourne Rebel prop Laurie Weeks is facing a lengthy ban in the wake of his brain explosion against the Cell C Sharks at the weekend.
Weeks was handed a Red Card in his team’s 21 / 25 loss to the Sharks in Durban on Friday.
The Rebels prop launched a flurry of punches on Sharks rival Jannie du Plessis, after the latter had slapped him with an open hand against the back of the head.
Du Plessis was Yellow-Carded for his part in the ensuing fracas, which happened just short of the half-hour mark, while Weeks was shown a Red Card for landing about 10 punches on various parts of Du Plessis’ head.
Weeks will be have to appear before a judicial officer and will be charged with having contravened Law 10.4 (a): Punching or striking.
Sam Carter
The Brumbies’ Sam Carter’s Super Rugby season is over and his Rugby World Cup dream is in doubt after suffering a grade 3 medial injury in Friday night’s clash against the Vodacom Bulls.
“It’s a significant tear in the medial ligament and he’s got a fracture where the bones banged together on impact, so up to 3 months with that one,” Brumbies’ head coach Stephen Larkham said.
“We knew it was bad, the fact he couldn’t play on was pretty telling and then you look at the replay and you can see it was a significant injury.
“We were hoping for good and the good news we were hoping for was 6 weeks anyway.
Victor Matfield
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named Jurgen Visser at fullback in his team to play the Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Friday. Visser will replace Jesse Kriel who has been named on the bench for this match, the 1st of 2 on Australian soil for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
Visser joined the squad on Monday in place of injured Jan Serfontein and with Kriel recovering from a knee contusion, Ludeke opted for the 30 times capped fullback to start. This will be a 1st start at fullback for Visser since the opening week in February against the DHL Stormers.
Serfontein has been replaced by Burger Odendaal in the midfield.
In the pack, there is a return for Adriaan Strauss, who was rested last weekend, with Callie Visagie moving to the bench, as well as a 1st start on tour for Grant Hattingh, who replaces Victor Matfield at lock. Matfield is rested according to the SARU agreement.
Dean Greyling rotates with Trevor Nyakane at loosehead prop and Arno Botha swops places with Jacques du Plessis at the side of the scrum in the other change to the pack.
Eben Etzebeth
Big-spending French giants Toulon are finding the going tough in luring Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth to France after this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Reports late last year indicated that Etzebeth could join Toulon as a replacement for compatriot Bakkies Botha, who is set to leave the reigning European champions.
The problem though for Toulon is that Etzebeth is still contracted to Western Province until the end of the 2016 season – and the union is reluctant to let him go.
Toulon boss Mourad Boudjellal has confirmed their interest in Etzebeth, but admitted that they are finding the going tough to attain Etzebeth’s services, with Western Province believed to be upset over the matter.
Schalk Burger
Experienced DHL Stormers and Springbok flank Schalk Burger will be rested from this weekend’s Super Rugby match against the Toyota Cheetahs.
Burger has been a star performer for the Stormers since returning from Japan in early March.
However, he will have this week off as part of the franchises agreement with the South African Rugby Union – to keep key Springboks ‘fresh’ for the World Cup.
The Stormers will host the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday, having lost by 17 / 25 in Bloemfontein the last time these 2 sides met on 2 May.
Burger’s intended replacement, Michael Rhodes, is not yet fit to be considered for selection.
Sefanaia Naivalu
has recovered from a concussion and is available for selection as the Melbourne Rebels head to Durban to tackle the Sharks in Round 16.
Toby Smith (back) has also recovered from his injury to be available for selection this week.
Tighthead prop Tim Metcher has injured his knee in the Connect Dewar Shield and is undergoing further tests, while Tamati Ellison is suffering from a groin niggle.
Metcher and Ellison will know after further assessment of their injuries if they are available to play.
Lood de Jager
The Toyota Cheetahs could be boosted by the return of several key players for their Super Rugby clash against the DHL Stormers on Saturday.
Lock Lood de Jager (elbow), scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius (shoulder), flyhalf Joe Pietersen (shoulder) and flank Tienie Burger (concussion) could all return to action in the clash at Newlands (17:05 SA Time).
No 8 Willie Britz, who injured his elbow in last weekend’s 40 / 17 defeat to the Lions, could also be ready to face the Stormers.
However, confirmation about the players’ availability will only be known later in the week.
Quade Cooper
With Quade Cooper almost certain to honour his agreement with Toulon, Reds coach Richard Graham has revealed the Australian team may seek a new flyhalf from abroad.
Toulon, showing a picture of the Wallaby flyhalf wearing a Toulon jersey and shaking the hand of club president Mourad Boudjellal, only for the Australian and Queensland Rugby Unions to insist they were still in negotiations with the player and nothing was set in stone.
But according to weekend reports, Cooper will indeed be joining the French club after this year’s World Cup, with the deal to be formalised in public within the next fortnight.
On Monday, Graham was sticking to the official line that Cooper’s future in Brisbane was still uncertain but admitted that the club were exploring options for his replacement, including the possibility of bringing in a foreigner.
Sam Whitelock
Kieran Read
The Crusaders’ fast-fading hope of reaching the Super Rugby play-offs were dealt another cruel blow.
It was revealed that 5 of the team’s All Blacks have been ruled out of the encounter with the tournament’s runaway leaders, the Hurricanes, in Nelson on Friday.
Top of that list is lock Sam Whitelock, who has the recipient of a brutal double spear tackle by 2 Waratahs players – lock Will Skelton and hooker Silatolu Latu.
The duo were handed 2 and 4-week bans on Monday, following their combined actions.
Whitelock has been ruled out of the trip to Nelson due to concussion.
Captain Kieran Read has already been ruled out of the match with the same affliction.
The Crusaders will also be without fullback Israel Dagg (calf), flyhalf Colin Slade (quadricep) and prop Joe Moody (foot).
Mike Fitzgerald
The Chiefs will have at least 1 of their specialist locks back from injury to take on the Highlanders in Invercargill on Saturday but that might be all.
Lock Mike FitzGerald is good to go after missing the last match against the Bulls and most of the previous 1 against the Hurricanes with a particularly bad haematoma on his thigh, but there are still doubts over both star All Blacks 2nd rowers Brodie Retallick and concussed Englishman Matt Symons.
Retallick has now missed 3 matches with the shoulder injury he picked up in the Chiefs’ win over the Force in Hamilton, having missed 5 weeks of the competition earlier in the season when he hurt his other shoulder.
He took part in training yesterday morning, but head coach Dave Rennie said there was still a question mark over him this week as he works on regaining strength in his shoulder.
Stephan Lewies & Willem Alberts
The Cell C Sharks have paid a dear price for snapping a 6-match losing streak with a hard-fought a 21 / 14 over the Reds last Friday.
Stephan Lewies, Willem Alberts, Francois Steyn, Stefan Ungerer and Dale Chadwick were the latest additions to an injury list that already includes names like Cobus Reinach (fractured hand), Pieter-Steph du Toit (knee) and Pat Lambie (neck vertebrae).
The Sharks started training in Durban on Monday – after a tour that saw them lose to the Highlanders, Hurricanes and Waratahs, before beating the Reds.
With games against the Melbourne Rebels (this coming Friday 29 May) and the Stormers on 13 June to come, with a BYE sandwiched in between, the last thing they needed was more injuries.
Lewies, who missed the 1st half of the season through injury, looks set to miss the remaining matches after he dislocated his knee cap in Brisbane at the weekend.
Robbie Coetzee
Robbie Coetzee of the Lions has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Coetzee is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, in an incident which occurred in the 49th minute of the Super Rugby match between the Cheetahs and Lions at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on 23 May 2015.
The referee for the match, Jaco van Heerden, issued a yellow card for the incident. Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.
The citing is to be considered in the first instance by SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Nigel Hampton QC.
Fourie du Preez
Springbok scrumhalf Fourie du Preez will be available and will be considered for the Springbok squad in 2 months’ time.
There have been whispers about whether Du Preez will play for the Springboks, and what his obligations are to his Japanese club. However the team manager of the Springboks Ian Schwartz cleared up any uncertainty over the situation.
Du Preez played no role in the Springbok’s 1st training camp, and is currently not playing any rugby, although, he has been in the country since March.
Schwartz explained that this is due to an agreement with his Japanese club Suntory, that keeps him away from national practices. Only however, until the international season begins in July when he will be free to be selected for the Springboks 1st match against the World XV on 11 July.
Du Preez is in regular contact with Springbok fitness coach Basil Carzis and, according to Schwartz, is “working very hard” to get into top shape.
Jan Serfontein
Vodacom Bulls midfielder Jan Serfontein has been ruled out of the remainder of their tour due to grade 1 medial knee ligament injury. Serfontein has already made his way back to South Africa and will be replaced by Jurgen Visser for the Australian leg of the trip.
Jesse Kriel, who limped off on Friday against the Chiefs, has a contusion on his knee, but trained on Monday, Vodacom Bulls team doctor Org Strauss confirmed. Trevor Nyakane, who had a bruised hip, also trained.
Lappies Labuschagne though, will only train tomorrow, due to a trachea contusion.
Tolu Latu
Will Skelton
2 Waratahs players were cited and suspended after the niggly Waratahs display on the weekend in their match against the Crusaders. Will Skelton was suspended for 2 weeks and Tolu Latu for 4 weeks.
It appears that the Waratahs will appeal the findings of both Hearings.
Will Skelton:
A SANZAR Judicial Hearing has found Will Skelton of the Waratahs guilty of contravening Law 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, after he was cited following a Super Rugby match at the weekend. Skelton has been suspended for 2 weeks up to and including Saturday 6 June 2015.
The incident occurred in the 17th minute of the Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and Crusaders at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on 23 May 2015.
The SANZAR Judicial Hearing was held by Robert Stelzner SC via video conference at 15:30 AEST (17:30 NZ Time, 07:30 SA Time) on 25 May 2015. Mike Mika was the former professional player who attended as a Judicial Technical Adviser.
Heinrich Brüssow
Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow has explained his decision to not extend his contract with the Cheetahs.
Brussow, 28, last week indicated that he won’t be extending his contract with the Cheetahs after this year’s Super Rugby competition.
He will only be available for his Japanese club, the Docomo Red Hurricanes, in 2016 and 2017, and not return to play Super Rugby as he has done in recent years.
“I feel I’m at a stage of my career where I have to look after my own body,” Brüssow said. “That’s why I have signed a 2-year contract in Japan. My new challenge is to take that club to a higher level and I’m going to focus all of my attention on that.”
George Smith
Australian legend George Smith will get a taste of Champions Cup next season after agreeing a switch from Lyon to Wasps.
The 34-year-old flank, part of the Wallabies side that beat the British & Irish Lions in 2001 and reached the 2003 World Cup final, retired from international rugby with 111 caps after 1 final appearance against the Lions in 2013.
He played for the Brumbies for 11 years before switching to Europe and then Japan. He played for Toulon in the old Heineken Cup in 2010 / 2011, helping them reach the quarterfinals, and the following season played for Stade Francais Paris in the Challenge Cup, reaching the semifinals.
He made 24 appearances for Lyon last season, but couldn’t stop them from losing their Top 14 status. He will join a Wasps team that retained its Champions Cup place and will get his 1st taste of Premiership rugby, battling for a place with James Haskell, Ashley Johnson, Nathan Hughes, Guy Thompson, Sam Jones and Thomas Young.
James Hanson
Reds hooker James Hanson will leave the club at the conclusion of the 2015 Super Rugby season, after signing with the Melbourne Rebels.
Hanson made his Reds debut in 2010 and has played 80 games for the Brisbane based side. He has also played 9 Tests for the Wallabies since making his debut for Australia in 2012.
A product of Brisbane’s St. Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace and Premier Grade club University of Queensland, Hanson progressed through the Queensland pathway after 1st representing the state at Schoolboys level in 2005. He joined the Reds in 2008 as a member of their academy squad and made his Super Rugby debut 2 years later.
Reds head coach Richard Graham said: “James and Saia Fainga’a have jostled for the starting role over the last couple of seasons. ”
Charles Piutau
Charles Piutau has been told by the New Zealand Rugby Union that he cannot play for the Blues next year.
The 23-year-old, has accepted a deal with Pro12 club Ulster midway through the 2016 year, and he wanted to play for the Blues before he left.
If Piutau was allowed to continue playing in Auckland next year he would be available for more than 10 of the Blues Super Rugby games in the 2016 season before his obligations at Ulster began.
However NZRU has denied the opportunity for the 23-year-old to continue playing for the Blues next year, applying its regulation that Super Rugby players must available for All Blacks Test duty.
Willem Alberts
The Cell C Sharks appear resigned to the fact that loose forward Willem Alberts will be leaving them after the 2015 Rugby World Cup to play in France, judging by comments coach Gary Gold made when quizzed about their latest signing, Waratahs loose forward Jacques Potgieter.
Potgieter, a similarly abrasive forward to Alberts, will join the Sharks in early 2016 ahead of next year’s expanded Super Rugby tournament.
“We think 1 or 2 of our players are going to move after the World Cup and Jacques is a big character, a strong ball carrier and hard-hitting defender. We hope he has the same impact for us as he has had for the Waratahs. His aspiration is to play more for the Springboks and he’s not going to achieve that if he’s not based in South Africa,” Gold said.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
The Cell C Sharks appear to be winning the battle to retain the services of Cape bred Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has told Durban media that he is committed to the union that he says gave him his big break in rugby.
It has been an open secret for a while now that the Springbok lock, currently out injured, was in negotiations with the DHL Stormers. Until quite recently the Western Province union appeared to be winning the battle, with informed sources confirming that Du Toit, who is from Swartland farming stock, was nearly certain to make the move down the coast next season.
However, it is understood that the Sharks then fought quite hard with counter-offers and promises that a concerted effort will be made to get the structures in Durban rugby right, and in an interview with the Natal Mercury on Monday the lock said that while he couldn’t say what would happen in the longer term, he was committed to the Sharks for now.
Du Toit has been out injured for most of the past 2 seasons and appears to feel beholden to the patience and resources that the Sharks have committed to his medical rehabilitation.
Patrick Tuipulotu
Steven Luatua
It is an unlucky 13 for the Blues, with 13 players on the injury list, including 4 players who are unlikely to play again in the final 4 weeks of the Super Rugby regular season.
Joining captain Jerome Kaino and Luke Braid on the long term injured list are All Blacks Steven Luatua and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Luatua, the stand-in captain for Kaino, dislocated his shoulder in the win over the Bulls on Friday and with the associated nerve damage, will not return for the Blues final 3 games. Tuipulotu has a long-term hip injury that has worsened and he, too, is unlikely to make it back in the next 4 weeks.
Both players require further tests prior to any decisions about their prognosis and management.
Joining them on the unavailable list this week is Tony Woodcock with a shoulder injury sustained in a collapsed scrum in the match against the Bulls and Charlie Faumuina who is on All Blacks leave.
Others not considered for this week’s match include Pita Ahki (hamstring), Dan Bowden (groin) and Bryn Hall (foot).
Brad Weber
Johan Bardoul
Michael Allardice
The Chiefs have announced the re-signing of scrumhalf Brad Weber, loose forward Johan Bardoul and lock Michael Allardice all committing for at least the next 2 Super Rugby seasons.
Head coach Dave Rennie said, “They’re all good men with an excellent work ethic who have made big shifts in their game. We’re rapt these men have committed long term.”
Jannie du Plessis
Bismarck du Plessis
The Du Plessis brothers, Bismarck and Jannie, are set to sign a deal with French club Montpellier, a report in French media indicates.
Reports surfaced earlier this year that the Springbok brothers would join Montpellier on a 2-year deal after the conclusion of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but Montpellier denied it at the time.
However, according to RMC Sport, the double signing of the Sharks duo is expected to be announced in the coming days.
The Du Plessis brothers are believed to have respected their earlier commitment despite having some contact with Toulon.
Montpellier are coached by former Springbok coach Jake White, who was quoted as saying after their weekend defeat at Stade Francais: “Big names will be announced in the coming days. To win the Top 14, you need the best players in the world.”