SA Rugby
Super Rugby trophy
Tenders from Japan and Singapore will vie for a licence to enter the Super Rugby competition in 2016, governing body SANZAR has confirmed.
A decision is slated to be reached in September / October.
“We are now able to confirm that two parties from Asia will compete for the opportunity to join an expanded Super Rugby competition in 2016,” SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said.
WPRU President, Thelo Wakefield and Director of Rugby, Gert Smal
Western Province Rugby Union president Thelo Wakefield says winning the 2014 Currie Cup is “non-negotiable” for the Capetonians.
Wakefield was left upset after the Stormers finished the Super Rugby season in a lowly 11th position – their worst effort since finishing 10th in 2009.
Charl McLeod believes that the Sharks are on the right track
Sharks scrumhalf Charl McLeod is stoic in his approach to their play-off game against the Highlanders, it is finals rugby and nothing else matters.
The Sharks started the 2014 campaign ruthlessly, dispatching teams in a clinical matter week in and week out. However, recently there has been notable downward-turn in the Sharks performace.
A loss to the Highlanders in Round 11 and two poor performances on the bounce against the Stormers and Cheetahs seem to take the teeth out of the Costal team.
Lion’s Super Rugby and Currie Cup coach, Johan Ackermann
The Lions will field a revamped backline when they start their Currie Cup campaign early next month.
The high-flying Lions, fresh from their best Super Rugby season ever, face the Blue Bulls at Ellis Park on August 9 in the first round of South Africa’s premier domestic competition.
However, they will lose a host of their backline stars from the Super Rugby squad.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann, speaking to rugby365 in the wake of a three-match winning streak at the end of the Super Rugby season, said his forward pack will stay virtually intact.
Rassie Erasmus at the 2014 Craven Week
Rassie Erasmus’ biggest role as high performance manager is to implement Heyneke Meyer’s plans across the board.
Erasmus, widely praised for his work in turning Western Province rugby around, was spotted at the Coca-Cola Craven Week in Middelburg. Having joined Saru as high performance manager in April 2012, Erasmus has been working tirelessly to implement a new structure in South African rugby, building a team of coaches, analysts and medical staff that can help develop the country’s best young talent into potential Springbok candidates. Craven Week plays an integral role in this development, something that Erasmus is well aware of.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph denies his side is lacking energy heading into the play-offs and says it is time to get excited about playing in the finals.
After a poor outing against the Crusaders in their last pool game the Highlanders know they will have to play much better if they are to be competitive in their long-awaited play-off match against the Sharks.
They never fired in Christchurch on Saturday, the 34-8 defeat from the Crusaders ensured they finished sixth in the competition and have to head to Durban to take on the Sharks.
Earlier this season, the Highlanders beat the Sharks 34-18 in Durban. The Sharks are not looking as impressive as they were at the start of the season, when they led the table for a long period of time.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union has named their CONTRACTED SQUAD for 2015. They also boast 4 Ex-Springboks amongst the Management and Coaching staff.
Kevin de Klerk, Rudolf Staeuli, Ashwin Willemse and Johan Ackerman, all Ex-Springboks are all in important positions at the Golden Lions Rugby Union, from President down to Head Coach.
Contracted Players:
The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) has announced its new contracted player list for the 2015 season.
While financial constraints remain a challenge for the Lions, retaining talent remains their main priority. This is not unheard of as all South African unions have suffered financial constraints and must content with increasing pressure from the lucrative European and Japanese markets.
With the GLRU not yet covered by a title sponsor, the union has secured the input of several valuable partners to assist in the procurement process. Through building stronger relationships with stakeholders, the Lions put on a record-breaking Super Rugby showing, after the franchise’s return to top flight competition in 2014.
They finished the Super Rugby season in 12th spot, but surprised many pundits with their seven victories, capped by a 60-25 thrashing of the Cheetahs last weekend.
An established buy-in value system from coaching staff, players and management has seen the Lions secure the services of both top-class experienced and up-and-coming players.
Pat Lambie receiving attention after tearing his bicep at Loftus
If reports coming out of the Shark’s press conference held today is to be believed, it would seem like the return of Pat Lambie is imminent. According to captain Bismarck Du Plessis, his return against the Highlanders will be a massive lift to their hopes of winning and progressing to the semi finals.
Lambie tore his bicep against the Bulls at Loftus on the 24th of March, and according to early diagnosis it was believed that he might be out for the rest of the Super Rugby season. Lambie has however recovered faster than expected and started traing with the Shark squad a few weeks ago already.
As we head into the Super Rugby Finals Series, here is an overview of what happens should the scores be level at full time in any of our remaining matches.
(a) Extra Time – the procedure will be:
After a five minute rest period, the extra time is played in two 10-minute periods with a two minute half time;
Before extra time begins, the referee will do a coin toss with the two captains one minute before the new kick-off. The winner of the coin toss decides if his team wants to kick-off or if his team wants to choose the side of the pitch it wants to play on for the first 10 minute period;
For the second 10 minute period, the teams change sides and the team that did not kick off in the first period does so;
Coaches are not permitted on the field during the rest period or half time.
Teams and match officials must remain on the field during the rest period and at half time.
Injury time is added to the two 10 minute periods.
Schalk Burger
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
The amiable Burger that we saw after the game was a stark contrast to the angry and frustrated player we saw on the field during the game. The match was brutal at times, and Burger was at the heart of the tempestuous physical exchanges. It was also evident that he allowed the referee Jaco Peyper to get under his skin for what the Stormers may have seen as his inability to stop dubious Sharks tactics at the breakdown.
Schalk Burger still has unfinished business with the Stormers and Boks
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
Springbok hard man, Bakkies Botha, showing his romantic side
Springbok and Toulon lock Bakkies Botha has spoken about life in France, the final 18 months of his career and what he has planned after rugby.
After his successful run with the Springboks in June against the World XV and Wales, the My Players website caught up with the 35-year-old during his off time in the South African bush.
Ex- Stormers & Biarritz utility back, Joe Pietersen
The Cheetahs have found a replacement for flyhalf Johan Goosen who will leave them to further his career in France.
According to reports, former Stormers back Joe Pietersen will play for the Cheetahs in next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Steve Walsh
Sanzar has announced that South Africa’s Craig Joubert and Steve Walsh from Australia will referee the two Vodacom Super Rugby Qualifiers this weekend.
Joubert will be the man in the middle in Canberra, where the Brumbies host the Chiefs, while Walsh will be in action in Durban in the second Qualifier between the Cell C Sharks and the Highlanders.
Has Allister Coetzee reached the end of the road with the Stormers?
The Stormers’ Super Rugby regression will continue unabated in the years ahead if not for decisive intervention.
Four short years ago they were losing finalists. Just two years ago they topped the log and lost in the semi-final to the Sharks. In 2014 they finished 11th, having lost nine out of 16 matches and, more tellingly, lost any aura of being a formidable opponent.
Inspirational Lions captain, Warren Whiteley
The Lions exceeded expectations in their comeback season, while the Bulls, Cheetahs and Stormers all regressed, writes JON CARDINELLI. Take a bow, Johan Ackermann. The Lions came into this year’s competition with a public ambition to be competitive and a private ambition to avoid the wooden spoon. They exceeded expectations on every front, finishing the league stage with seven wins and in 12th place. That win total alone will ensure that the class of 2014 goes down in history. Their 34-10 hammering of the Stormers shouldn’t be forgotten, nor their two victories against the Cheetahs, nor that resounding win against the Bulls.
Francois Steyn
The final log positions in the South African Super Rugby conference this year show just how crucial physical dominance is to success.
By Michael de Vries
The two derbies to end the regular season summed things up quite well – with the Lions running the Cheetahs ragged to secure their best-ever finish of 12th overall with seven wins, whilst the Sharks ground the Stormers down in a brutal clash at Newlands to finish a full 12 points clear of their nearest local challengers the Bulls.
The Durban side will carry South African hopes alone in the play-offs, and they will do it playing the physically and territorially suffocating style of rugby that has characterised successful teams from this country in recent years.
Jamie Joseph, coach of the Highlanders
The Highlanders will attempt what no team has had a chance to do before – beat the Sharks in Durban, twice in one season.
They will meet in a preliminary knock-out match at Kings Park on Saturday, after the Sharks finished third on the Super Rugby standings and the men from Dunedin sixth.
The Highlanders beat the Sharks 34-18 in South Africa back in April, during a successful tour of the Republic.
Now they return to the venue where they have recorded only two other victories – 43-7 in 2005 and 23-19 in 2003.
Cell C Sharks coach Jake White
Sharks boss Jake White would like his side to use their performance against the Stormers at Newlands as a template for how to approach the play-offs.
Michael de Vries
Although his side may have fallen one try and 11 points short of their ultimate target on Saturday, White was understandably pleased with the ‘finals rugby’ his side played against a Stormers team that has recently found their best form of the season.
After a deflating defeat to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week, White called on his best team to get them some momentum before the play-offs and they did just that in a game that had his stamp all over it.
The Stormers had the majority of possession but couldn’t make it count in the face of a committed defensive effort from the Sharks who pounced on some late counter-attacking opportunities to run away with the game in the end.
The 2014 Shark side
Would Mercedes Benz survive if they just produced S-Class models? Aren’t their well being and fortunes necessitated by producing and selling C and E class models? If South African rugby were Mercedes Benz, the Cell C Sharks would be the S-Class model, but after that there is not much to talk or get excited about if you are a South African rugby supporter.
Out of the 15 teams South Africa has the dubious honor of the Toyota Cheetahs in 14th spot, the Lions in 12th, DHL Stormers at 11th and Vodacom Bulls at 9th position on the Combined Log.
Stormers (10) 10 / 34 (19) Sharks (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks did battle in Super Rugby at
Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Lions (27) 60 / 25 (13) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Lions and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Picture the scene, Bismarck Du Plessis climbing a sheer cliff, and on reaching the summit watches a helicopter hover overhead. A man leans out and fires a rocket to his right. Inside in a pair of sunglasses, and upon putting them on, a message displays. ” Good morning Mr. Du Plessis, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go to Newlands and beat the Stormers by 35 points and score a minimum of four tries”
Yes I know it’s cheesy, but that’s pretty much the gist of the challenge facing the Sharks this evening. After leading the Combined Log for the majority of the Super Rugby season, they have let their lead slip by having a couple of below average results, first losing at home to the Stormers, and then going down to the Cheetahs last weekend.
Gio Aplon in action for the DHL Stormers
“A good big player is better than a good small player” is something we have heard before on the rugby landscape in South Africa. Unfortunately, these type of utterances has been heard coming from the National coach, Heyneke Meyer, as well.
Is rugby not supposed to be the one game that people of every shape and size can partake and excell in? Remember when we were young kids, standing around with bare feet all excited about our very first rugby practice? Dividing the players into positions seemed like such a simple task…the fat kids were props, the tall kids were locks, the fast kids were wings. There seemed to be a position suited to every size and shape.
Professional rugby as we know it now has put paid to that philosophy, 15 supreme athletes seem to be the target for coaches. Centers weigh in at the 100kg mark or more, which is bigger and heavier than some of legendary Bok forwards of previous eras. Just this week the Under 18 Academy week was played in Worcester. One of the stand out players for the victorious Western Province Academy team was prop Carlu Sadie who weighs in at 122kg. The fact is, he is not judged on his size or weight, but on his playing ability and it would seem like this youngster has a bright rugby future ahead of him. Obviously when it comes to the position of front row, size is a huge asset, but what about the other positions?
Bulls (12) 40 / 7 (7) Rebels (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Loftus Versveld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (03:10 Saturday AEST, 17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Mitchell Carstens slips past two KwaZulu-Natal defenders
Rugby, or particularly junior rugby, is alive and well in the Western Cape. It is no surprise that they rule the roost in the under age groups, it’s a phenomena that we have come to expect and sometimes take for granted.
The challenge for the men in the board rooms of WP Rugby Union is how to hang onto all the talent. They are lambasted on an annual basis for those that they “let slip away” and credit for those they managed to secure is few and far between. Are we, as supporters, always fair in our criticism of our respective unions? How can anybody be 100% sure that a player will make the step up.
Tim Swiel is a good case in point, when news broke that he signed at the Sharks social network went into overdrive with unhappy Western Province supporters taking shots at Allister Coetzee, Rob Wagner and Thelo Wakefield. This was a kid who showed immense talent while playing for Bishops and then went on to help Western Province win the Under 21 Currie Cup.
Yet, hardly 6 months later he is being lambasted on rugby sites by Shark supporters who blame him for their loss against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein a week ago. Jake White, after losing Pat Lambie to injury in March, placed his faith in young Swiel, but that seems to also now be misplaced. Swiel has been dropped from the match 23 a week after he was the starting fly half.
It is Round 19 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend, the last Round of the ‘Open Rounds’ of 2014! We have 7 games in Round 19, with 3 game on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
This is the final crunch to sort the men from the boys, to sort the teams going forward and those who have run their course.
Ten teams remain in the race for play-off spots.
It has already been established that the Waratahs will stay at the sought after No 1 spot on the Combined Log, but the other positions are largely up for grabs.
The Hurricanes have a Bye weekend and will have to rely on other results to see them finish in the Top 6.
This is the weekend where some results become critical and where certain sides can open up doors for themselves, whilst burrying some of those teams around and in close proximity to them on the Logs.
Let the games continue….
Super Rugby’s reputation as perhaps the toughest rugby tournament has in turn led to a number of historic factors that can enhance title success.
The Waratahs, by sheer percentage, will be 66.6 percent to win the title, based on 12 of the 18 Super Rugby winners coming from the illustrious group that has finished a regular season of tough combat top of table.
This has always led to the hosting of a Final, and now a week off – both significant advantages in a tournament such as this.
However while New South Wales looks impressive, do they tick all the boxes that history has noted when a franchise wins Super Rugby?
Like every fine season of Super Rugby, all is not revealed until the final weekend of the regular season, and the 2014 campaign, and 19th tournament overall of the Southern Hemisphere’s premier provincial competition, will be no different.
However congratulations must be offered to the Waratahs, who offered one piece of clarity over the weekend with their 44-16 win over the Highlanders.
With that, the Waratahs has for the first time qualified as the top-ranked team after the regular season, and become the ninth franchise in history to finish as ‘minor premiers’.
For coach Michael Cheika and his troops, this will be a significant fact even though he was quick to remind all who would listen that the Super Rugby Finals Series would be another step up for a team that looks the goods.
However, as Cheika correctly pointed out, there will be teams with more experience at this stage of the season and this is a crucial factor for potential champions.
O joy… another maul
Winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup was a momentous occasion for Springboks but it has done little for the development of the way rugby is played in South Africa.
I believe that the so-called ‘Jake White template’ has been detrimental to South African rugby on a number of levels.
Let me start by saying that I can’t fault White’s tactics in 2007. Given the weapons at his disposal, the approach he adopted was spot on. The efficacy of this approach (when correctly executed) is not in question. My aim here is rather point to the consequences of the mindset that in has become enrooted in SA rugby because of it’s (limited) success.
Ross Hastie
What concerns me is that the territory-based and defence-orientated approach employed back then has been widely adopted in the Republic and in many quarters is still held up as a blueprint for future success.
From a coaching perspective, it’s not difficult to see why this methodology is popular. Giant men imposing themselves with hard, straight running and big hits have always been the hallmarks of the South African style.
Franco van der Merwe
Elton Jantjies
The Lions have announced their side to take on the Toyota Cheetahs in their final Round 19 Super Rugby match.
Elton Jantjies is selected at flyhalf and Franco van der Merwe gets given a fitting farewell as he runs out for the last time for the Lions before heading overseas.
Frans Ludeke
As the well-worn idiom goes: ‘The tallest trees catch the most wind.’ In the case of Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, that has come in the form of harsh criticism.
While there was some critique over his ‘management’ of veteran Victor Matfield and numerous barbs over his backline choices, it was the selection of his loose forwards that attracted the most fiendish and frightful comments.
The Bulls were particularly vulnerable at the breakdowns, where the absence of a specialist openside flank – in the wake of injuries to Deon Stegmann and Dewald Potgieter – cost them dearly.
Ludeke persisted with Jono Ross, who by his own admission is more suitable on the blindside or at No 8.
Willie Britz
The Toyota Cheetahs continued to replenish their player cabinet as it has emerged that they are close to completing the signing of Lions ‘wildman’, Willie Britz for the coming season.
This comes after the Bloemfontein side confirmed the signings of three other Lions players – prop Bees Roux, flyhalf Willie du Plessis and utility back Coenie van Wyk for the coming season.
The Cheetahs have also signed Montpellier midfielder JP du Plessis and have an agreement for SA Under 20 winger Sergeal Peterson to represent them at Super Rugby level this year.
JP du Plessis
The Toyota Cheetahs have made another signing, luring former Melbourne Rebels and Stormers midfielder JP du Plessis back to South Africa from Montpellier.
Du Plessis, one of the most promising midfielders to emerge from Paul Roos, had a stint in rugby league with the Sydney Roosters after school before returning to Rugby Union with the Melbourne Rebels.
He made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut against the Hurricanes in the same year but returned to South Africa in 2012 and signed with the DHL Stormers.
Luther Obi
The Vodacom Bulls have already lost their chance to bring Jacques Potgieter back, and now it seems they’re likely to lose another tussle with the Lions for the services of promising winger Luther Obi.
Obi has been seen as the long-term replacement at the Pretoria union for veteran winger Akona Ndungane, whose contract runs out at the end of the season.
But the Bulls were negotiating with Obi anyway, until they were told to stop by the Leopards Rugby Union as he still has a year to run on his contract.
The Leopards have made it clear that they will entertain a move for Obi for Vodacom Super Rugby if the Bulls want him, but that this will be subject to a transfer fee negotiation.