Daily Archives: 3 September 2014

TV replays

Match officials will make more decisions independently.

The Rugby Football Union have urged referees to take greater responsibility for decisions and avoid overusing television match officials.

Last season, officials were entitled to review footage of incidents of foul play and up to two phases before a try – but the knock-on effect of an increased number of stops in play quickly drew criticism.

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Beauden Barrett

RUNNING THE CUTTER: Beauden Barrett will make his first start in the All Blacks’ No 10 jersey against Argentina in Napier on Saturday.

Beauden Barrett’s All Blacks apprenticeship is finally over.

The Hurricanes first five-eighth will start in the No 10 jersey against Argentina in Napier on Saturday after a chest injury ruled out incumbent Aaron Cruden.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made three changes to the side that thrashed the Wallabies 51-20 at Eden Park on August 23, with Israel Dagg recalled at fullback and Ma’a Nonu restored to second five-eighth.

Barrett’s elevation marks a significant milestone for the talented Taranaki pivot after a long wait to finally take the controls of the test side.

The 23-year-old has started twice previously in his 21-test career, but both times at fullback, against Italy in 2012 and then against Japan last year.

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Bryan Habana

Bryan Habana to become Springbok Centurion No 4.

Bryan Habana will on Saturday become the fourth Springbok and 33rd player overall to play in 100 Tests when South Africa take on Australia in the third round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at Patersons Stadium in Perth (kickoff 12h05 SA time).

The 31-year-old Habana, who made his debut for South Africa against England at Twickenham on 20 November 2004, holds the record for the most Test tries in a Springbok jersey. His 56 Test tries places him fourth on the list of all-time international try scorers.

The three-time South African Rugby Player of the Year (2004, 2007 and 2012), who was also named the IRB Rugby Player of the Year in 2007, will lead the Springboks out on Saturday as he follows Percy Montgomery, John Smit and Victor Matfield in amassing 100 Tests in the green and gold.

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Marvin Orie

Marvin Orie

Blue Bulls Under 21 lock Marvin Orie has received a one-week suspension on Wednesday for a dangerous tackle in the team’s Absa Under 21 Competition match against Western Province.

Orie was cited on Sunday for tackling Western Province lock JD Schickerling around the neck in the third minute of the clash and pulling him backwards until both players fell to the ground.

Schickerling suffered a fractured cervical spine at the C5/C6 level during the match.

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Jimmy Stonehouse

Jimmy Stonehouse

Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has received a lot of praise for the way his team have impressed this season, but he does not put it down to anything revolutionary.

The Pumas, as a smaller union, were never expected to set the Currie Cup on fire, especially amongst teams with Super Rugby experience and national players waiting in the wings.

However, Stonehouse and his men now sit third on the log, a single point behind the Golden Lions (through four rounds) and many have touted the coach as the ‘next big thing.’

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Heyneke Meyer

“It’s always physical playing against Australia”, says Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer.

The last time Heyneke Meyer set foot on Australian soil he heaped praise at the feet of the Wallabies and promptly directed they be torn apart at Suncorp Stadium a few days later.

There was an ominous familiarity then in Meyer’s comments this week in Perth, where South Africa are angling for a ninth-straight Test win and fourth on the trot against a wounded Australia.

Wallabies, a bad team? They’re “brilliant”, but played “one bad game”. The Australian forwards, “powder puffs”? Never. The Wallabies’ back line is “big, quick and in form”, with a newly-acquired kicking game and two “world-class” players on the bench.

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Nick Phipps

In full flight: Wallaby Nick Phipps.

Waratahs halfback Nick Phipps says the Wallabies are out to earn back their “honour” in Perth this weekend.

Phipps said it was “relieving” to know he earned his first Test start since 2012 but said he wanted to make the appearance count with a comeback against South Africa after the lowlight of the loss at Eden Park two weeks ago.

“There has been a pretty big focus at the start of this week just to shrug it off, and get that energy back up,” he said.

“There have been a lot of blokes pumping up at training and having a laugh, and forgetting about [the second Bledisloe Test], that’s in the past.

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JD Schickerling

JD Schickerling

Based on the video evidence below, Tank Lanning believes it impossible to argue against at least further investigation into Irne Herbst’s tackle on JD Schickerling in Saturday’s Under-21 game at Loftus Versfeld.

Schickerling was injured after catching a ball from a kick-off when Bulls lock Herbst’s shoulder collided with Schickerling’s head. Afterwards, the Bulls’ other lock, Marvin Orie, grabbed Schickerling in a headclamp, before hurling him to the ground.

Orie has been asked to attend an official SARU disciplinary committee, while Herbst was issued an off-field yellow card after the WPRU asked for the incident to be reviewed.

Watch the video below:

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Johan Goosen

Johan Goosen

Flyhalf Johan Goosen said he has come to France to adapt his game and hopes it will help him earn a Rugby World Cup spot with the Springboks next year.

Former Cheetah, Goosen, 22, has played five times for South Africa, but made the radical decision to up sticks and move to Racing-Metro to help improve his kicking game.

He went with the blessings of Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer after an injury-ravaged start to his career that has seen him spend more time on the treatment table – he has undergone three knee operations and one each on his shoulder and arm – than the pitch.

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Guinness PRO12With the new Guinness PRO12 season kicking off this weekend on Friday, we take a look at the prospects of each of the 12 clubs. The competition is between clubs from Ireland, Italy, Wales and Scotland. Ireland and Wales have four clubs / regions/provinces in the Guinness PRO12, while Italy and Scotland both provide two teams each to complete the twelve team line-up.

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Lourens Adriaanse

Lourens Adriaanse

Some introspection, mixed in with analysis and hard work is the theme of this week’s preparations for the Cell C Sharks’ Currie Cup return leg match against Griquas at Kings Park on Saturday (17:05 SA Time kick-off).

Sharks website editor Michael Marnewick reports that the Durbanites were not happy with the result of their match against the Pumas last week, acknowledging that there were aspects of their game they will need to improve on if they hope to do the double against tricky opponents who, like the Pumas this season, love nothing better than to get one over a traditionally “bigger” union.

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Ashley Johnson

The advertisement featuring Ashley Johnson in his Bok jersey.

The hosts of the 2015 Rugby World Cup say they didn’t forget to feature the All Blacks in an ad released yesterday encouraging people to buy tickets to the tournament.

In fact, current and former players were approached to do it, but declined the offer, an England Rugby 2015 official said.

Watch the video here

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Aaron Cruden

RULED OUT: All Blacks first-five Aaron Cruden has a chest injury and will not be available to face Argentina in Napier on Saturday, handing Beauden Barrett the No 10 jersey.

Beauden Barrett will start at first five eighth against Argentina in Napier on Saturday with Aaron Cruden ruled out of the Rugby Championship test with a chest injury.

The All Blacks team will be named tomorrow morning, but TVNZ reported tonight that Barrett would start for the third time in a test career that’s seen him come off the reserves bench in 19 of his 21 tests since his debut in 2012.

The 23-year-old’s only other test starts have been at fullback, against Italy in 2012, and Japan last year.

Cruden has been in exceptional form this season, but suffered a chest muscle injury during the All Blacks Bledisloe Cup win over the Wallabies at Eden Park two weeks ago.

Stuff – NZ

Andrew Hore

Andrew Hore

OK, a special for the Ex-Voldy bloggers… we will keep this Hore Thread ALIVE for a while.. so go ahead, get your records!!

 

Former All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore has answered an S.O.S. to come out of retirement and provide injury cover for Southland.

The loss of veteran hooker Jason Rutledge has left the Stags with problems in the middle of their front row.

That saw skipper Jamie Mackintosh put a call in to his mate Hore to twist his arm to help out in Invercargill.

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WalesWith Welsh Rugby getting ready for the competitive part of the 2014/15 season, which starts on Friday, we have a look at the big name moves, including the ins and outs at the four Welsh regions and a look at some of the player and coach movements outside the country.

Adam Jones became the biggest Welsh rugby headline-stealer with his shock signing for Cardiff Blues after being an Osprey since 2003.

But the British and Irish Lions prop’s switch after season-long speculation was not the only move to make fans sit up and take notice.

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WhistleThe Match Officials for this week’s action have been confirmed, with George Clancy refereeing the Wallabies vs Springboks showdown.

The Rugby Championship:

Australia vs South Africa
  • Venue: Patersons Stadium, Perth
  • Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
  • Assistant Referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
  • TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
  • Assessor: Andrew Cole

 

New Zealand vs Argentina
  • Venue: Mclean Park, Napier
  • Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
  • Assistant Referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Rohan Hoffmann (Australia)
  • TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)
  • Assessor: Lyndon Bray

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DHL WPDHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has made four changes to his starting team for Friday night’s ABSA Currie Cup clash with the EP Kings at Newlands.

Only one of those changes is enforced, with wing Seabelo Senatla ruled out because of the ankle injury sustained against the Vodacom Blue Bulls last weekend. Coetzee said earlier in the week that Senatla would be out for a minimum of two weeks, but it seems likely now that he will be out for three or four. Continue reading

AlanTait

Alan Tait – appointed to assist coaching at BT Sport Academies by Scottish Rugby.

Scottish Rugby announced yesterday that it is appointing a vastly experienced Scottish coach with hands-on knowledge of the very top of the international game as part of its Academy initiative.

Alan Tait, 50, the former Scotland and British Lions back and rugby league internationalist, who was defence coach with the Scotland team and head coach with Newcastle Falcons, is joining as a specialist skills coach and will play a key role within the four BT Sport Academies that Scottish Rugby is establishing this season around the country.

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Jacques Potgieter

Jacques Potgieter was rarely complimentary about South Africans’ views on Aussies.

SOUTH Africans enter a game believing they can bash and bully Australians into submission.

The theory has long been surmised but after gaining valuable insight into the South African rugby psyche playing alongside Jacques Potgieter at the Waratahs, Bernard Foley now knows it’s not theory, it’s fact.

“He said he always enjoyed playing against Australians because he thought there was an opportunity to get one over them,” Foley said.

While polite in his public statements, Potgieter’s on-field brutality was more than matched by the candour with which he spoke to NSW teammates about how Aussies were viewed in the hard world of South African rugby.

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James Simpson-Daniel

James Simpson-Daniel

Gloucester and England back James Simpson-Daniel has confirmed his retirement after failing to recover from an ankle injury.

The 32-year-old winger has been sidelined since last November when he suffered an horrific ankle injury in an LV= Cup fixture against Newcastle Falcons at Kingsholm.

Sinbad, as he is affectionately known by all connected with Gloucester, has battled bravely in an attempt to regain full fitness but has reluctantly been forced to admit defeat.

Despite the desperately disappointing news, Simpson-Daniel preferred to dwell on the positives when he spoke to the club website.

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Martin Landajo

Pumas spark: Martin Landajo

Martin Landajo admits the rain forecast for Saturday in Napier will not help Argentina’s new attacking philosophy.

The Pumas have been the surprise package of the competition so far, pushing South Africa all the way in both matches between the two.

However with heavy rain forecast for the clash with the All Blacks, the Pumas scrum-half believes Argentina’s attacking game will have to be tweaked.

“We are not accustomed to rain, and we prefer the dry weather,” said Landajo, who started both Tests against the Springboks.

“We know it rains a lot in New Zealand so we must adapt.

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S'bura Sithole

S’bura Sithole

Centre S’bura Sithole believes the Sharks must start improving on their basics if they want to bounce back from their first Currie Cup loss of the season over the weekend.

The defending champions suffered a shock 32-22 loss against the Pumas in Nelspruit to drop behind the Mpumalanga side from second to fourth on the Premier Division table after four rounds of the competition.

“I think it’s just our basics and fundamentals that are letting us down,” Sithole said on Tuesday.

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