SA Rugby
NMMU (18) 34 / 13 (0) CUT (Final Score)
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan University (FNB NMMU) and Central University of Technology
(CUT) did battle in the Varsity Cup at Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth at 16:45 SA Time (12:45 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 ongoing poaching of South Africa’s Rugby players goes ahead unabated with the announcement by English club Coventry that they have signed South African born centre Mark Hodgkiss from Maties.
Coventry already have a number of SA born players on their books and even though they only play in the 3rd tier of English Rugby, this latest signing serves to illustrate the depth of the problem facing South African Rugby.
This media release from Coventry Rugby’s website:
The travel tables will be turned in Round 2 of the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International on Monday.
All 4 of the teams that played at home in the opening Round of action will be on the road, as FNB NMMU, FNB UP-Tuks, FNB UJ and FNB Maties get an opportunity to play in front of their home crowds.
The first game to be televised live on Supersport 1 will see the only 2 teams to lose last week square off when the NMMU Madibaz take aim at newcomers FNB CUT in Port Elizabeth, whilst the late match is shaping up to be a classic as 3-time champions Maties welcome FNB NWU-Pukke to the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
Both NMMU and Maties had an away victory snatched from their grasp last week, so they will be looking to make amends on home turf and notch their 1st wins of the season.
The odds certainly seemed stacked against the travelling teams as the Ixias will be playing just their 2nd Varsity Cup game whilst NWU-Pukke have lost 8 consecutive Varsity Cup games against Maties.
The other 2 games on Monday will be up on the Highveld as UJ look to extend their lead at the top of the standings against FNB UFS-Shimlas in Johannesburg and defending champions FNB UCT go in search of their first win against UP-Tuks since 2011 in Pretoria.
It has become a familiar refrain, a cliché. However, it will never be boring, as the Olympic dream is as much a driving force as overall victory in the Sevens World Series.
New Zealand, who recorded their first Cup win of the season by beating England in the Final in Wellington last week, gave notice yet again of their class and determination to be among the top four (automatic qualifiers) when the Olympic dream is realised in May.
Fiji However won the Las Vegas Sevens, with New Zealand ending 2nd, South Africa;s Blitzbokke 3rd and USA 4th.
Many had put a question mark on whether the All Blacks would be able to defend their title in Wellington, especially after the late withdrawal of former Sevens player of the year Tim Mikkelson, and the result even exceeded coach Gordon Tietjens’ expectations.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee is delighted withhis team’s successful start to the season with a 29 / 17 rout of the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Bulls (5) 17 / 29 (17) Stormers (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers did battle in Super Rugby 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 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (16) 29 / 35 (20) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban 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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Lions (8) 8 / 22 (11) Hurricanes (Final Score)
The Emirates Lions and Hurricanes did battle in Super Rugby at
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT, Saturday 06:10 NZ Time).
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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Rynhardt Elstadt
Stormers flank Rynhardt Elstadt has denied a report stating that he could join a top Japanese club.
This comes after a local Cape newspaper earlier this week reported that the Stormers hard-man is likely to join the exodus to Japan.
However, when asked about the possible move, Elstadt denied the report. His contract with Western Province expires at the end of October.
Morne du Plessis & Joost van der Westhuizen at the 2015 Sport Industry Awards
Former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen was honoured for his contribution to South African sport at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
Van der Westhuizen, who suffers from Motor Neuron Disease, received an award for his Outstanding Contribution to South African Sport at the 2015 Sport Industry Awards held at Sandton Convention Centre.
Van der Westhuizen received a standing ovation when he received his award from former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis. Several well-known sports personalities attended the event.
It is Round 1 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend, at last the season gets underway for us poor, suffering rugby degenerates in the Southern Hemisphere.
There are 3 games on Friday 13 February, 3 games on Saturday 14 February and 1 game on Sunday 15 February.
The Highlanders from New Zealand have an immediate BYE weekend.
Unlike in 2013 and 2014, all countries start Super Rugby in the same weekend, so we will not have skewed Logs to deal with. A team also does not pick up ANY POINTS during a BYE weekend, which is very refreshing for a change!
Super Rugby has no June break either in an attempt to make it finish early enough to fit in an abridged Rugby Championship before Rugby World Cup 2015 kicks off on 18 September 2015.
The season starts with a weekend of some great derbies and some great cross conference battles. The first up season game will be between the Crusaders and Melbourne Rebels, followed by the big Aussie derby between the Brumbies and Reds and a humdinger of running rugby between the Emirates Lions and the star-studded Hurricans side. On Saturday it’s the Blues vs Chiefs followed by 2 South African derbies, the first in Durban between the Cell C Sharks and the Toyota Cheetahs, followed by my choice of match of the weekend, the derby clash between the Vodacom Bulls and the DHL Stormers at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Sunday sees a lone match between the Waratahs and Western Force to finish off Round 1.
Pat Lambie
Cell C Sharks flyhalf Pat Lambie feels that SARU’s initiative to rest Springboks during the Super Rugby campaign will benefit both the national team and the bigger franchises.
SARU announced Monday that they would manage the game time of a number of key Springboks throughout the Super Rugby series following an agreement between the national board and the franchises.
It stated that players’ game time will be handled on an individual basis depending on their work load in the last year as well as injuries, in an effort to ensure the Springboks are managed as well as possible in the build-up to the World Cup in September and October.
Although not focusing on the World Cup directly, Lambie feels that enforced rest and subsequent squad rotation will benefit a bigger union such as the Sharks.
Johnny Kotze
Johnny Kotze, who was a stand-out player for last season’s Western Province Under 21 side, is the major surprise in the Stormers team to play the Bulls in the opening round of the 2015 Super Rugby competition at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, on Saturday evening.
The Johannesburg-born Kotze, who was schooled at Bishops in Cape Town, was given the nod after right wing Kobus van Wyk was omitted from Saturday’s match-day squad. Van Wyk, who had returned from a calf injury, enjoyed very little game time in the pre-season warm-up matches and it was felt that he needed more time to reach the desired level of match readiness.
“Kotze has all the core skills that is required of a wing,” said Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, at Thursday’s team announcement in Bellville. “He was one of the stars in last season’s (WP) Under 21 team. He’s been in our system and he brings characteristics that are very pleasing.
Grant Hattingh
Bulls lock Grant Hattingh is reportedly heading to Japan after the completion of this year’s Super Rugby competition.
Bulls High Performance Manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg, said that Hattingh has a “Japan clause” in his contract.
Should Hattingh leave for Japan, he would miss this year’s Currie Cup competition, but return in time for Super Rugby in 2016.
Springbok inside centre Damian de Allende will line up in the No 12 jersey for the DHL Stormers, as the men from the Cape open their 2015 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (19:10 SA Time).
De Allende is one of 3 Springboks in the DHL Stormers’ starting 15, whilst fit-again loose forward Nizaam Carr has been named on the bench to take the squad tally of Springboks to 4.
In all, there are 6 DHL Stormers debutants in the matchday squad, 3 in the starting 15 and 3 on the bench, with wings Johnny Kotze and Dillyn Leyds and tighthead prop Vincent Koch the new faces in the run-on side.
The new faces on the bench are hooker Bongi Mbonambi – who, of course, has Super Rugby experience with the Bulls – tighthead prop Wilco Louw and outside back Huw Jones.
Cell C Sharks Director Of Rugby, Gary Gold, has named the Sharks side for the season-opener at Growthpoint Kings Park on Saturday.
He said, “The Cheetahs for me are one of the most dangerous sides to play against and on their day they have the ability to beat any team.
“We are expecting a physical battle against a well-coached team, who have some exciting young players in their squad.
“Our guys have prepared well for the tournament and there is a fantastic spirit in the camp. We want to play an exciting brand of rugby that our fans expect and score tries. The only way to win matches is to score tries and to score tries you need to keep the ball in hand. Our players are determined and will give nothing less than 100% effort on the park.”
Victor Matfield
Eager fans will finally get to see whether the Bulls will make good on their promise of adopting an expansive game plan when they face the Stormers in their opening Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Stand-in captain Victor Matfield reiterated the point, saying they would be looking to win matches by crossing the whitewash rather than choking the life out of the opposition.
“We want to go out and score tries – if you don’t score tries you won’t win this competition. If you look at the stats each year, it is almost always the team that scores the most tries that wins it,” Matfield said in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Johnny Kotze
Coach Allister Coetzee has mentioned his name almost every time he has spoken about his wing options for Saturday’s opening Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Bulls at Loftus, but the likely inclusion of Johnny Kotze at No 14 will nonetheless be regarded as a surprise selection.
Although Kobus van Wyk, the regular Stormers right wing, has apparently fully recovered from his calf injury, the fact that he has played less than half an hour of rugby in the pre-season is likely to see him excluded from the starting team when it is announced at lunch time on Thursday.
EW Viljoen was seen as a possible replacement as he played for Western Province in the final Currie Cup league game of last year and did quite well, while Huw Jones, after turning in a solid performance at inside centre in his first start for the Stormers against the Cheetahs, was probably the favourite to slot into Van Wyk’s regular position.
However, it is understood that Kotze has been training on the wing this week, and is likely to “do a Van Wyk” by starting his first season of Super Rugby there in Pretoria.
Armand du Preez
The Stormers have roped in the services of very tall EP Kings lock, Armand du Preez.
Du Preez is the son of former Eastern Province Junior Springbok lock, Armand du Preez.
Du Preez jnr trained with the Stormers at the High Performance Centre in Bellville on Wednesday.
Du Preez snr was regarded as arguably one of the toughest locks of his generation. He played 85 games for EP.
At 2.05m, Armand du Preez jnr is probably the tallest lock in the Cape at the moment.
Kobus van Wyk
DHL Stormers are still waiting on the fitness of wing Kobus van Wyk ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby derby against the Bulls at Loftus and the result of his fitness test on Thursday could have a big impact on the Cape team’s chances of success.
Van Wyk, who has struggled with a calf strain for nearly 2 weeks and is according to backline coach Robbie Fleck only training under supervision, meanly separate from the rest of the team, is key to the Stormers’ back 3 balance.
The former South African Under 20 centre was a revelation when switched to the wing by the Stormers and WP last season, and he made a big difference to the Stormers’ ability to compete in the aerial battle in 2014. That has long been a Cape team weakness, with too many players short of beef lining up together in the back 3 since the departure of Sireli Naqelevuki a few seasons ago.
Van Wyk made some great takes off cross kicks last year and also knocked on a few in the Currie Cup that had great scoring potential written all over them, and this added a new weapon to the Stormers / WP attacking arsenal.
Handré Pollard
After a stellar 2014 season, Springbok and Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard knows he will be a marked man this year.
Pollard, 20, was at the weekend named SA Rugby Young Player of the Year after moving from the Baby Boks into the senior national team with aplomb.
He expects opposition teams to analyse him a little more thoroughly in 2015.
“I believe that will be the case,” he said. “We all analyse our opponents to try and disrupt them. That is my main challenge this year – to follow last season up with another good year. It will take a lot of hard work.”
Adriaan Strauss
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named Adriaan Strauss at hooker when he announced his team to play the DHL Stormers in the opening round of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Strauss, who made his Super Rugby debut for the Vodacom Bulls in 2006 (8 matches), is back in the Pretoria side after a long stint with the Toyota Cheetahs (for whom he played 97 times) and was put straight into the starting team by Ludeke.
The coach also included Vodacom Bulls debutants Lappies Labuschagne and Trevor Nyakane, but neither are strangers to the competition. Labuschagne played for Toyota Cheetahs in 27 matches (debut 2012) and Nyakane represented the same franchise 42 times (debut 2012).
The rest of the team consists of tried and tested players, with the most experienced captain in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby, Victor Matfield, leading the team onto the field for the 83rd time.
Regular captain Pierre Spies, who made his last appearance in Super Rugby in Round 1 last year against the Sharks in Durban, will play off the bench as he is eased back into action following his long lay-off.
Juan de Jongh
Stormers vice-captain Juan de Jongh insists they are fully focused on themselves and not the Bulls ahead of their opening Super Rugby game at Loftus on Saturday.
Both sides will be looking to get their 2015 Super Rugby campaign off to a good start with the Bulls being tipped as the favourites at fortress Loftus Versfeld where the partisan crowd, and altitude, is sure to swing the psychological advantage in the hosts’ favour.
“It is going to be a very important game this weekend to get our campaign on the road. We are focused on ourselves and making sure we get our things right.
Joe Pietersen
The Toyota Cheetahs have named former Stormers fullback Joe Pietersen at flyhalf for their Super Rugby Round 1 clash with the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Pietersen is an unknown entity at flyhalf having spent most of his time running from the back for the Stormers and for French club Biarritz, where he made 17 appearances.
In the front row, Springbok Coenie Oosthuizen packs down at tighthead alongside Currie Cup captain and Namibian international Torsten van Jaarsveld.
Former Sharks prop Danie Minnie solidifies the front line of the scrum.
At lock there is room for another Springbok in Lodewyk de Jager who pairs up with new captain Francois Uys.
Willem Alberts
It is still unsure as to when Springbok Willem Alberts will return from injury as the Sharks prepare to face the Cheetahs in Round One of Super Rugby this weekend.
Alberts, who damaged a hamstring while on duty with the Springboks, has been out of action since before the Rugby Championship in August last year.
The flank went down with the injury right before the Boks first game against Argentina at a soggy Loftus Versfeld, this allowed Warren Whitely to make his debut.
Alberts also missed the next game against in Salta.
Steven Sykes
Former Sharks lock Steven Sykes has joined the Cheetahs squad as they prepare for the Super Rugby competition.
According to reports, it remains unsure if Sykes has signed a contract with the Cheetahs or just training in Bloemfontein on a trial period.
Sykes will compete for a spot in the Cheetahs’ Super Rugby team with the likes of Lood de Jager, Francois Uys, Carl Wegner and Armandt Koster.
Emirates Lions Head Coach Johan Ackermann has announced his 23-man side to take on the Hurricanes in the Southern African season opener at Emirates Park on Friday evening.
Ackermann has combined both a boost of youth and experience in his side.
The match will get under way at 19:10 SA Time on Friday 13 February at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg.
Sharks Director of Rugby, Gary Gold has released the names of his 40-man squad for Vodacom Super Rugby 2015.
The following players were not considered for selection at this stage due to injury: JC Astle, Paul Jordaan, Stephan Lewies, Tonderai Chavhanga, Willem Alberts.
The Cell C Sharks commence their Vodacom Super Rugby campaign this Saturday, 14 February 2015 against the Toyota Cheetahs at Growthpoint Kings Park.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 17:05 SA Time.
There were 2 thrilling draws in an intense opening round of FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International action on Monday.
Cape rivals FNB UCT and FNB Maties ended deadlocked on 32 / 32 at a sold out Green Mile, whilst in Bloemfontein 2-time champions FNB UP-Tuks and FNB UFS-Shimlas played out a 29 / 29 draw.
That means that FNB UJ top the standings after Round 1 following their 46 / 10 demolition of newcomers FNB CUT Ixias, and they are followed by FNB NWU-Pukke who scored 2 late tries to secure a 36 / 26 victory over FNB NMMU.
Duane Vermeulen
Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen was the star of the annual South African Rugby Union Player of the Year Awards when he walked off with 3 awards, including the main award of the season.
Vermeulen was named SARU Rugby Player of the Year after an extensive voting process, which included the country’s rugby media and the public through SARU’s online and social media platforms.
The 28-year-old Vermeulen, who will captain the DHL Stormers this year, also won the coveted SARPA Players’ Player of the Year and Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year Awards for 2014.
“Duane has been outstanding in 2014 and these awards are just reward for the excellent form he showed last year, as one of the Springboks’ key performers and for the DHL Stormers,” said SARU President, Mr Oregan Hoskins.
Hot on Vermeulen’s heels, with two awards, was young Springbok flyhalf and Junior Springbok captain Handré Pollard.
The game time of a number of key Springboks will be managed throughout the Vodacom Super Rugby series in the coming months, following an agreement between the South African Rugby Union and the franchises.
These players’ game time will be handled on an individual basis depending on their work load in the last year as well as injuries, in an effort to ensure the Springboks are managed as well as possible in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in September and October.
“We are extremely grateful to the Vodacom Super Rugby franchises for agreeing to assist in ensuring our key players’ game time is managed in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.
“It’s wonderful to know we have the support and cooperation of the franchises as the Springboks prepare for the Rugby World Cup and we’d like to wish them all the best for the forthcoming months of Vodacom Super Rugby.
UCT (8) 32 / 32 (8) Maties (Final Score)
FNB UCT and FNB Maties did battle in Round 1 of the Varsity Cup at
UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 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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Pukke (15) 36 / 26 (5) NMMU (Final Score)
FNB NWU-Pukke and FNB NMMU did battle in Round 1 of the Varsity Cup at
Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom at 16:45 SA Time (14:45 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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Steven Kitshoff
Stormers and Western Province prop Steven Kitshoff has signed a contract with French Top 14 club, Bordeaux-Begles.
Kitshoff’s agent, Hilton Houghton, confirmed that his client has signed 2-year deal with the French club.
The 22-year-old is still contracted to Western Province until the end of October and will leave for France after the conclusion of this year’s Currie Cup competition.
Kitshoff, a former Baby Bok who boasts 45 Super Rugby caps, last played a first class match on 3 May last year before a knee injury ended his 2014 season.
Dean Greyling
Marcel van der Merwe
The Vodacom Bulls will be without Springbok props Dean Greyling and Marcel van der Merwe and World Cup winning winger Akona Ndungane for the opening weekend of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition. The Vodacom Bulls play DHL Stormers on Saturday night, but Ndungane (calf, 1 week), Greyling (foot, 2 weeks) and Van der Merwe (hamstring, 3 weeks) will not be part of the action.
To complicate matters a bit more for Vodacom Bulls coach, Frans Ludeke, winger Travis Ismaiel has been ruled out for selection due to a hamstring strain and prop Hencus van Wyk (foot) will only return to training at the end of the month.
All of Basil Short (pectoral), Jason Jenkins (quad), Trevor Nyakane (contusion), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (hamstring), Deon Stegmann (hip) and Jesse Kriel (neck) completed a full training session today.