Daily Archives: 3 March 2015
Johannes ‘Boom’ Prinsloo
The Cheetahs have made 1 change to the team that beat the Blues last weekend with Springbok Sevens star Johannes Prinsloo starting on the flank against the Bulls.
Prinsloo, who has made a big impact coming off the bench in the Cheetahs’ 2 games against the Sharks and Blues thus far, gets his shot due to an injury to No 8 Willie Britz.
Coach Naka Drotske has moved Jean Cook into the vancant No 8 position and put Prinsloo onto the side of the scrum.
The only other change comes on the bench where former Sharks and Southern Kings lock Steven Sykes enters the matchday-23.
Willem Alberts
JP Pietersen
Francois Steyn
The Cell C Sharks have been boosted by the return of Springboks Frans Steyn and JP Pietersen from Japan, as well as flank Willem Alberts from a hamstring injury.
Both Japanese-based backs were spotted training with the Sharks on Monday after their respective teams were eliminated from the league in Japan.
Meanwhile, barn-storming loose forward Alberts has been training with the squad for sometime now and is finally in contention for selection as the Sharks prepare to travel to Cape Town to take on the undefeated Stormers.
Martin Castrogiovanni
Prop Martin Castrogiovanni, ruled out of Italy’s win over Scotland at the weekend because of a dog bite, has been dropped for the Six Nations matches against France and Wales.
Castrogiovanni, who needed 14 stitches after being bitten on the nose by a friend’s dog, was not in the 30-man squad named by coach Jacques Brunel on Tuesday and did not figure among the players who were listed as excluded through injury.
Versatile back Andrea Masi, who missed the Scotland game, and lock Quintin Geldenhuys, still to make his first appearance in the championship because of a knee injury, were recalled.
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced the following 27-man touring squad for his side’s Super Rugby tour to Australasia.
The Lions will play 4 matches against the Blues, Crusaders, Melbourne Rebels and the Reds on tour.
The team departed for New Zealand on Sunday evening.
Arno Botha
Vodacom Bulls loose forward Arno Botha will return to training next week after recovering well from a pectoral muscle tear, but flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter could be on the side-lines for another week.
According to Vodacom Bulls team doctor Org Strauss, Botha will train next Monday and Potgieter, who picked up a hamstring injury last week, will be assessed then. Potgieter was a late withdrawal from the Bulls team that won against the Cell C Sharks on the weekend and could be out of action for 2 weeks.
No one picked up any injuries in that win, although Francois Hougaard, Deon Stegmann and Lappies Labuschagne only trained on Tuesday, due to light niggles.
Rene Ranger
Explosive attacking back Rene Ranger is to return to the Blues next season and will be available to play for North Harbour in the ITM Cup this year.
The 28-year-old has gained an early release from his contract with French club Montpellier after 2 seasons.
Ranger scored 25 tries in his 65 Super Rugby caps for the Blues, enjoying 6 caps for the All Blacks. He has become a fan favourite with Jake White’s Montpellier side, scoring 6 tries in his first 15 games and helping the team enjoy a strong season in the European Club Championships this year.
He said his return to New Zealand is primarily for family reasons.
“Family comes first and that is the big motivator to return. I want to be able to help my mom more,” Ranger said.
Robbie Fruean
Robbie Fruean’s Super Rugby campaign is almost certainly over folliwing surgery on Monday to have a steel plate inserted in his fractured arm after injuring it in his side’s loss to the Chiefs last weekend.
The timeframe for recovery from this type of injury is usually around 4 – 5 months, which would mean an early July return in a best-case scenario.
Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder said the entire team was feeling for Robbie and sending him their best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The Toyota Cheetahs, Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers were victorious in 3 terrific Vodacom Super Rugby matches, as the competition really took off in the 3rd Round.
On Friday evening, the Toyota Cheetahs sneaked home against the Blues in Bloemfontein, winning their 2nd match of the season by 25 / 24 to remain 1 of only 4 unbeaten teams in 2015.
Saturday saw 2 local derbies of the highest calibre, with Test-like intensity. Mirrroing the encounter in Bloemfontein, the results of both these matches were in the balance right until the end.
The Vodacom Bulls prodcued their maiden win of the season when they beat the Cell C Sharks by 43 / 35 in a superb match in Pretoria. Then the DHL Stormers clocked their 3rd win from 3 matches when they beat the Emirates Lions by 22 / 19 in Johannesburg.
A 21 / 16 victory over FNB Maties in Bloemfontein saw FNB UFS-Shimlas move to the Top of the FNB Varsity Cup standings on Monday.
The Free State side is the only team in the tournament still unbeaten after 4 Rounds of action, while 3-time champions Maties is still looking for their 1st win.
The match was deadlocked at 16 / 16 at halftime, and UFS-Shimlas replacement Daniel Maartens scored the only try of the 2nd half to secure a tough win for the home team and pile more misery on Maties who find themselves in unfamiliar territory in 6th place.
FNB UP-Tuks suffered their 1st defeat of the season against FNB NWU-Pukke in Potchefstroom, but secured 2 bonus points which sees them hold on to 2nd place ahead of FNB UJ who notched an impressive 42 / 13 win against FNB NMMU in Port Elizabeth.
The dramatic 42 / 37 win over UP-Tuks saw NWU-Pukke claim 4th place, just 1 Log point ahead of FNB UCT who scored 12 tries on their way to a 90 / 8 victory over newcomers FNB UCT.
Both teams scored 5 tries in a pulsating game in Potchefstroom, which went right down to the wire before being clinched in the dying stages with a try from NWU-Pukke flank Marno Redelinghuys, who had claimed a clever cross-kick from flyhalf Jonny Welthagen.
In Port Elizabeth UJ ran away with it in the 2nd half, eventually outscoring the Madibaz by 6 tries to 2, while it was one-way traffic from start to finish on the Green Mile where defending champions UCT were merciless in their demolition of the CUT Ixias.
Michael Rhodes
The injury list for the DHL Stormers is growing following the addition of 3 more players after the hard won victory over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Locks Jurie Van Vuuren, Ruan Botha and Flank Michael Rhodes all picked up injuries and will be assessed in the coming days.
Wiaan Liebenberg
Montpellier coach Jake White has his sights set on luring young Blue Bulls loose forward Wiaan Liebenberg to France.
The 22-year-old former Baby Bok captain is currently not in the Bulls’ Super Rugby plans – which makes a move to France very likely.
Loose forwards like Lappies Labuschagne, Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Deon Stegmann and his brother Hanro are ahead of Liebenberg in the pecking order at the Bulls.
Os du Randt
Japanese club Toyota Verblitz is believed to be after the services Cheetahs forwards coach Os du Randt.
According to reports, there’s already been informal talks between the club and Du Randt but no contract has been discussed.
New Zealander Filo Tiatia coached Toyota Verblitz this past season, while Springbok and Sharks flank Jean Deysel also plays for them.
A total of 12 venues will host matches across Japan at Rugby World Cup 2019.
- A total of 12 venues will host matches
- Geographical spread across the length and breadth of the country
- Tournament legacy plans designed to grow the game in Japan and throughout Asia
- Excitement building ahead of first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia
Brent Janse van Rensburg
The EP Kings have lured Brent Janse van Rensburg from the Golden Lions to replace Omar Mouneimne, as defense coach in Port Elizabeth.
Janse van Rensburg, a former NMMU Madibaz head coach, was released from his current contract by the GLRU following personal reasons.
“Brent approached us and asked us if he could be released from his contract for personal reasons, and he wished to return to Nelson Mandela Bay,” said CEO of the Golden Lions, Rudolf Straeuli.
Straeuli said he wished Janse van Rensburg all the best for his future.
Tom Taylor
Canterbury and Crusaders back, Tom Taylor, has announced he will move to France to play for the Bayonne Club at the end of this year.
Taylor says it’s been a tough decision to leave, but it is a great opportunity for him and he is looking forward to the next chapter of his career.
“I have absolutely loved my time here at Canterbury and the Crusaders, especially being a Christchurch boy.
Morgan Parra
France have been hit by an injury crisis with scrumhalf Morgan Parra and backs Wesley Fofana and Remi Lamerat ruled out Monday for the rest of the Six Nations campaign.
Parra will miss the rest of the Six Nations after being ruled out for at least 10 weeks with a knee injury.
Parra, who plays for Clermont in the Top 14, suffered a tear to the posterior ligament in his right knee during France’s 13 / 20 defeat to Wales at the Stade de France on Saturday.
The 26-year-old’s knee will be immobilised for 4 weeks and according to a Clermont statement: “his return to competition won’t be possible before 10 weeks”.
Ireland’s victory over England in the Six Nations means they are once again the leading northern hemisphere nation in the latest World Rankings.
Ireland reclaimed the mantle after a 19 / 9 victory, in the battle of the unbeaten sides in Dublin on Sunday.
The victory turns what was a 0.17 rating point deficit into a 1.27 cushion for Ireland over the 2015 World Cup hosts. Joe Schmidt’s side are now less than 2 rating points behind South Africa in 2nd spot.
Wales have increased their margin over France to almost 4 points after a 20 / 13 victory over Les Bleus at the Stade de France on Saturday, although the margin was not enough to improve their position of 6th.