Daily Archives: 5 November 2014
Victor Matfield
Francois Hougaard
Handré Pollard
With the first game of the Springboks End Of Year Tour (Castle Lager Outgoing Tour as it is also known as) looming large this weekend against the Northern Hemisphere’s SIX Nations champions, Ireland, at 19:30 SA Time on Saturday, the war of words are now surfacing.
Victor Matfield describes Paul O’Connell as his toughest lock opponent out there and says O’Connell knows how Matfield runs the lineouts.
From the Irish side, Ireland’s scrumhalf, Conor Murray, believes the Springboks are better than in previous years and is weary of the threat Handré Pollard and Francois Hougaard presents on the weekend.
George North is set to start at centre when Wales face Australia in the first of their November internationals at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
The dynamic Northampton wing was named at outside centre by Wales coach Warren Gatland on Tuesday after injuries deprived him of regular midfield backs Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams.
Now North will partner fellow British and Irish Lion Jamie Roberts in midfield, with his usual left wing berth taken by Scarlets’ Liam Williams.
However, North does have experience of playing in midfield, having started there when Wales beat France during last season’s Six Nations and he has also started there for English champions Northampton.
At scrum-half, Kiwi boss Gatland has chosen Rhys Webb ahead of 87-times capped Mike Phillips.
Sam Cane
New Zealand’s build-up to their Test encounter with England on Saturday has not gone as smoothly as they would have hoped.
Flank Sam Cane has become the latest injury concern in a camp already scrambling to cover some setbacks.
Cane took a heavy knock in a body on body collision at training on Tuesday and received assistance on what looked to be his back or shoulder.
Cane started in last Saturday’s 74-6 win over the United States, but is unlikely to feature in the match against England this weekend.
Wyatt Crockett and Jerome Kaino, who are recovering from shin and foot injuries respectively, both came through training unscathed.
The latest setback comes after both wing Cory Jane and hooker Nathan Harris were ruled out of the tour after being injured against the US Eagles.
Hostility in France towards the number of foreign-born players lining up to play for Les Bleus is “deeply troubling”, French Federation President Pierre Camou said.
Bayonne’s 28-year-old South African-born fullback Scott Spedding became the latest foreigner to join up with the France squad ahead of their November international Tests, replacing the injured Brice Dulin.
Also in the 30-strong squad are already-capped flank Bernard Le Roux and scrumhalf Rory Kockott, both also born in South Africa, as well as New Zealand-born prop Uini Atonio.
Kockott’s inclusion in particular comes at the expense of veteran Morgan Parra and the promising Maxime Machenaud.
“I find it deeply troubling,” Camou said, with France due to play Fiji in Marseille on Saturday before going on to play Australia and Argentina.
Semesa Rokoduguni
Uncapped Semesa Rokoduguni is among 23 players retained by England coach Stuart Lancaster to prepare for Saturday’s Test against New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium.
The Fijian-born tank soldier is one of four Bath backs included after sparkling Premiership form, with Anthony Watson also being included in a matchday squad for the first time – alongside Kyle Eastmond and George Ford.
In the forwards, uncapped Saracens lock George Kruis is included for the first time after Joe Launchbury was ruled out of the 2014 Internationals with a neck injury.
Front row duo Joe Marler and David Wilson have trained fully this week after minor injuries and take their slots to face the All Blacks.
Meanwhile the injury-hit England squad were faced with the prospect of having to re-jig their side once more ahead of their clash with the World Cup champions, New Zealand, after lock Dave Attwood left their training camp to attend the birth of his first child.
However, England hope to have Attwood back in time for their opening November international.
England have the resources to ride out a raft of injuries to key players ahead of this month’s Tests against the might of the Southern Hemisphere, coach Stuart Lancaster said.
In the latest blow for Lancaster, lock Joe Launchbury has been ruled out of all four internationals at Twickenham, including Saturday’s opener against New Zealand, because of a neck problem.
His absence follows that of Geoff Parling, Alex Corbisiero, Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Ed Slater, Tom Croft and Manu Tuilagi, all also ruled out of the entire series.
Dave Attwood of Bath is set to start in Launchbury’s place – Lancaster described his form for Bath this season as “exceptional” – as England attempt to end a four-match losing sequence against the All Blacks.
The Springbok Sevens’ preparation plans for the next two rounds of the HSBC Sevens World Series have received a boost with the news that Springbok centre JJ Engelbrecht and Junior Springbok fullback Cheslin Kolbe will join the training group from Monday in Stellenbosch.
Successful talks between SARU and several provincial unions have paved the way for a number of Absa Currie Cup players to be released for Springbok Sevens training duty.
Engelbrecht, a contracted Springbok with 12 Test caps, played for the Vodacom Blue Bulls during the recently concluded Absa Currie Cup while Kolbe starred for the DHL Western Province during their successful campaign.
Three more Vodacom Blue Bulls players, Jesse Kriel, Warrick Gelant and Duncan Matthews (all utility backs), will join the training on Monday.
Lindsay Mould
The nominations for the presidency of the Free State Rugby Union as well as for the directors of the Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd. concluded on Tuesday.
No new nominations were received.
Lindsay Mould was therefore re-appointed as president for a term of another three years.
The fixtures for the 2015 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International have been released, with a replay of the epic 2014 final between FNB UCT and FNB NWU-Pukke on the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom lined up.
Ikeys snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on the same field in the final last season with a last gasp, injury time converted try that came after a drop kick charge down on the stroke of full time. The Ikeys counter attack and try that followed will long live on in Varsity Cup folklore as one of the tournament’s enduring moments – the comeback of all comebacks.
The two sides will face each other again in Round Five which will take place on Monday 9 March.
Jacques Botes carried off the field on the shoulders of his Barbarians team mates
Jacques Botes getting ready to take the conversion of his own try.. to end off his career
Jacques Botes marked his final game with a try and conversion as the Barbarians dazzled to beat Leicester Tigers 59-26 in a 13-try feast on Tuesday.
The attendance at Welford Road was 11,169 – all who witnessed Springbok discard Juan de Jongh showing great sportsmanship to gift Botes the final try of the match in what was the veteran’s last game of a splendid career.
Both sides played some attractive, free-flowing rugby and the crowd lapped it up.
Despite a late first-half comeback by the Tigers, to close the gap from 0-21 to 19-21 at the break, the BaaBaas put on a display of fine entertainment to outscore the home team by nine tries to four in a game that marked the famous invitation club’s 125-year celebrations.
But the Barbarians showed their class in the second period and ran riot with their Super Rugby-led backline leading the way with a mixture of pace and power.