Monthly Archives: January 2013
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotskè is facing a possible second row crisis, as both his preferred starting locks are unavailable to start the season. Martin Muller who missed most of 2012, has injured his groin, and will be out for at least 3 months. That effectively rules him out for the bulk of the tournament. Andries Ferreira is still recovering from his knee injury, and will miss the opening match versus the Sharks, as well as the initial overseas leg.
Injuries to several key players have forced Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu to make three changes to his squad for the forthcoming HSBC Sevens World Series tournaments in New Zealand and the USA.
It is being speculated that John Smit is being considered as possible cover at hooker for the start to the Stormers season.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 2nd ODI at De Beers Oval, Kimberley on Tuesday 22 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand won the game by 27 runs, bowling South Africa out with the first ball of the last over.
It is reported that Peter Grant may be available for the Stormers as early as 5 February.
I was reading some Tweets this morning when I came across this article from Mark Keohane and I have to say a very well written one at that, about John Plumtree.
Now here I want to give my point of view – as I feel we all will in one form or another acknowledge (although I do not wish to add to what is already said in the article) and I feel the man has paid his dues, he has done everything that should be expected of him and more.
Juan Smith has joined the Cheetahs and has taken part in the fitness sessions, but hasn’t taken any contact. Juan has been out since February 2011, so it is understandable that the coaches are taking a conservative approach. Apart from Smith, several of the Cheetahs frontline players will not feature in the warm-up match versus the Lions on Saturday.
Ireland have lost their South African born hooker Richardt Strauss for the entire Six Nations Championship due to an ankle ligament injury.
Following the conclusion of the Group stages in the Heineken Cup on Sunday the qualifiers and their rankings for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals have been confirmed.
All Black bad boy Zac Guildford has voluntarily stood down from the Crusaders following his involvement in a late-night incident at a residential home in Christchurch last weekend.
A new high performance ‘think-tank’ of top rugby coaches has been established by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to assist elite teams at all age levels of the game
Lions 51 (20) / (3) 13 Russia (Final Score)
The Lions and Russian Bears did battle in the first game of the MTN Lions Challenge at Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD4 & CSN on TV in SA.
The Lions proved to be too strong for a game Russia side who never stopped trying. The Lions ran in 5 tries, and were awarded a further 2 penalty tries on a cold and damp Highveld evening.. The Lions still have a way to go before any possible promotion / relegation games for Super Rugby 2014, but after a display like this to build on, coach Johan Ackermann will feel they have started on the right path.
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South African Under 20 coach, Dawie Theron, expressed his satisfaction on the performance of his national training squad in their friendly match against the University of the Western Cape in Stellenbosch on Friday.
The SA Under 20’s won the match 65-7 after a half-time lead of 31-0.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 1st ODI at Boland Park, Paarl which started at 10:00 SA Time on Saturday 19 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand won the match in the 46th over, when James Franklin scored the winning runs. New Zealand won by 1 wicket.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has confirmed that No 8, Jamie Heaslip, will continue to captain Ireland in the Six Nations despite the return of center Brian O’Driscoll.
Kidney named an extended squad of 39, including six new caps, on Thursday for the opening game against Wales on 2 February plus a game beforehand by the B team Wolfhounds.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has named five debutants in the starting line-up to face the Russian Bears at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Lock Franco Mostert, flank Warwick Tecklenburg, flyhalf Lionel Cronje and centres Harold Vorster and Stokkies Hanekom will all make their first appearance for the Johannesburg side in the first match of the Lions Challenge series.
Springbok and Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn says he has not received a formal offer from Top 14 club Stade Francais.
Racing Metro have admitted their chances of obtaining the services of either Dan Carter or Jonathan Sexton are slim to none.
The Melbourne Rebels have finalised their 2013 Super Rugby squad with the signing of promising front row forward Cruze Ah Nau into the Elite Playing Squad (EPS).
The Sharks have recruited former All Blacks flyhalf and Lions assistant coach Carlos Spencer as they prepare for the upcoming Super Rugby season.
Springbok utility back Gio Aplon believes the arrival of Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute will give the star-studded Stormers backline a newfound attacking zest in this year’s Super Rugby tournament.
Former Crusaders wing Sean Maitland has expressed his pride in his Scottish roots after being named in Scotland’s Six Nations squad.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s priority will always be to pick local players first, but the South African Rugby Union may have conceded the fight to keep top Springboks in South Africa in the near future.
New Cheetahs prop Caylib Oosthuizen says the prospect of being coached by his childhood hero, Os du Randt, played a big role in his move to Bloemfontein.
As reported earlier, the gravely sick former WP and Stormers prop, has died of cancer.
Harlequins, Clermont Auvergne, Ulster and Toulon have all qualified for the quarterfinals of the European Cup, but who will join them in the last eight?
Unbeaten English champions Harlequins are the only ones so far guaranteed home advantage in the quarterfinals, so with plenty to play for in Round Six here is the state of the Pools going into the final weekend of group games.
Scottish Rugby has today (Wednesday) secured a new three year sponsorship package with The Famous Grouse, Scotland’s favourite whisky. The six figure deal marks 23 years of the brand’s support for rugby in Scotland, and will see the whisky’s latest product, the Ginger Grouse, become the Official Spirit of Scottish Rugby.
Junior Springboks coach Dawie Theron on Thursday named a strong starting line-up for the South African Under 20 training squad’s match against the University of the Western Cape, to be played on Friday afternoon at the Markötter Sports Field in Stellenbosch.
SARU CEO Jurie Roux believes that club rugby is on the brink of a new era with the inaugural Community Cup set for kick-off next month.
Johan Goosen and Coenie Oosthuizen have given the Cheetahs a boost with news that the Springbok duo will be fit for the start of the Super Rugby season.
Schalk Burger has been confirmed by Stormers management as the Captain for 2013.
For eight standout 18-year-old rugby players a new chapter in their lives is about to begin. Every year the Sharks only contract between 8 and 12 players. These players are carefully picked based on two criteria, the players’ individual rugby ability and the future needs of the Union. Yes, the Sharks don’t necessarily go after the best players on the board, they actually try to work out where their future senior team positional needs will lie and plan succession on this basis.
On Tuesday the Lions announced a 35-man squad that will take part in the Lions Challenge series that kicks off against Russia this Saturday at Ellis Park.
Ten uncapped players have been named in interim head coach Scott Johnson’s first Scotland squad. The 35-strong squad will convene in Glasgow next Sunday for a three-day training camp ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.
It seems as if the Bulls and Springbok flyhalf has made a deal to leave South Africa after Super Rugby to continue his career in France.