Daily Archives: 2 July 2015
Francois Steyn
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Two injured players in the Springbok training squad, Frans Steyn and Pieter-Steph du Toit, have been temporarily released from the squad to continue their rehabilitation in Durban for the next few weeks.
Neither of them are expected to be fit for the Springboks’ 1st 2 matches of the season, next Saturday against the World XV in Cape Town and a week later against Australia in Brisbane. Steyn has a pectoral muscle tear, while Du Toit is recovering from a knee injury.
According to Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer the decision to send Steyn and Du Toit home was taken with the best interests of the players in mind.
“We’ve discussed the way forward with the players, and all of us agreed that the best way forward at this stage is for them to get full-time rehabilitation at their home province, while our own medical team will keep very close tabs on their progress,” said Meyer.
“Both of them are still firmly in our plans going forward for the season and I really hope they can get back onto the field sooner rather than later. I’m confident the individual attention they will receive in Durban will be a massive benefit to them in the long run.
“We won’t be taking Frans or Pieter-Steph with us to Australia and will reassess their situation when we return from Brisbane.”
Super Rugby finalists’ NAME PLATES, which one will be engraved?
After 124 games spread across 18 Rounds and a fortnight of finals, we stand at the cusp of crowning a 1st-time Super Rugby champion.
We run the rule over both teams – examine their strengths, potntial weaknesses and try to decipher where the game will be won.
Chris Boyd has announced his side to battle the Highlanders for the Super Rugby title but is still sweating on Ardie Savea who is yet to prove his fitness.
Meanwhile, Saturday night’s finale will quietly take on an extra meaning for a few of the men in black and yellow.
For long-serving Hurricanes Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Jeremy Thrush, and fellow teammates Chris Smylie, Rey Lee-Lo and Ben Franks, it will be the last time they run onto Westpac Stadium as Hurricanes.
With 468 caps between them, the 6 players will leave a sizeable hole at the Hurricanes when they depart at the end of the season, but not before they do their best to help lift a Super Rugby trophy for their club.
Boyd has named a similar line-up to help those 6 guys do the job, with the only change coming at reserve hooker where Motu Matu’u returns from a knee injury.
Savea’s knee will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the week, with Callum Gibbins bracketed as cover should Savea not be deemed fit.
The Highlanders will line up with an unchanged side for the Super Rugby Final against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Head coach Jamie Joseph has chosen to stick with the same 15 that knocked off the defending champion Waratahs in Sydney a week ago.
On Saturday Elliot Dixon will make his 50th Super Rugby appearance for the Highlanders, while co-captains Ben Smith and Nasi Manu will once more lead the side.
The only change to the squad comes on the bench, where Marty Banks replaces Trent Renata, while Joseph has stuck with 6 forwards on the bench.
James O’Connor and Karmichael Hunt were among the big losers when Australian coach Michael Cheika named an extended 40-man squad.
The Wallaby squad will be reduced closer to the Rugby Championship opener against South Africa on 18 July.
Apart from the absence of O’Connor and Hunt, Nick Cummins, along with veteran props Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander also paid the price for poor form.
The big winners were the Toulon-based duo of Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell.
Mitchell and Giteau have been included in the squad under the new foreign policy rule, while Waratahs and Exeter lock Dean Mumm returns to the Wallabies for the first time since 2012.
Four uncapped players made the squad – Samu Kerevi, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Rory Arnold and Toby Smith.
New Zealand All Blacks coach Steve Hansen brought in some reinforcements as his team gears up for a brutal Test against Samoa in Apia next week Wednesday.
With a number of key All Blacks involved in the Super Rugby Final between the Hurricanes and Highlanders, Hansen wanted to add some depth to the squad training in Auckland this week.
17 Members of Hansen’s 41-player squad were ruled out because of their involvement in Saturday’s Super Rugby decider.
3 More players – uncapped Chiefs midfield backs Charlie Ngatai and Seta Tamanivalu, as well as Crusaders utility Tom Taylor – have been brought into the New Zealand camp in Auckland.
With injury issues surrounding some others, Hansen initially announced 2 stand-by players – scrumhalf Andy Ellis and uncapped prop Nepo Laulala.
He had already boosted numbers last week when 3 uncapped players joined a training camp in Auckland – midfield back George Moala, scrumhalf Brad Weber and prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
New Zealand Rugby have paid homage to the most iconic of All Blacks teams, The Originals, in the design of their World Cup jersey which includes the latest in sporting apparel technology.
Developed with the input of All Blacks management and senior players, the jersey features a special design across the shoulders and chest – inspired by the famous leather yoke which adorned The Originals jersey.
The subtle design change pays respect to the legendary Originals team which toured the United Kingdom, France and the USA in 1905 – 1906 – losing just 1 match on their famous 35-match tour.
Samoa have named a 27-man squad heavy with overseas-based players for next week’s historic 1-off Test against the All Blacks from New Zealand.
The 8 July fixture will be the 1st time the All Blacks will play a Test match in the Pacific Islands, after previous trips to play Fiji were not given that status.
Prime minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegao, who is also chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, announced the squad on Tuesday in the Samoan capital Apia, where the match will be played,.
Space in the All Blacks’ pre-World Cup schedule was found for the match after he and the Prime Minister of New Zealand joined calls for the game to be set up. It is expected to be the biggest sporting event in Samoa’s history.
The starting line-up has yet to be confirmed but London Irish flanker Ofisa Treviranus was named earlier this week as captain.
The ORC Griquas will be looking to capitalise on the inactivity of the Leopards this weekend and will be hopefull to extend their slender lead at the Top of the ABSA Currie Cup Qualifier log when they clash with the Down Touch Griffons on Saturday in Kimberley.
The encounter at GWK Park will kick-off at 15:15 SA Time and will be televised live on SuperSport 1.
Griquas, sitting on 11 points from 3 matches, have just 1 point more than 2nd-placed Leopards on Top of the standings in the race for that crucial qualifying spot to the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division. Griquas defeated the high-flying Leopards last week in a high-scoring affair to topple them from Top spot on the Log and they should run out as favourites against the Down Touch Griffons.
Round 4 action gets underway on Friday evening in George and East London respectively.
Nollis Marais
New Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais is yet to decide who will captain the team in this year’s ABSA Currie Cup.
Marais earlier this week named his squad for the tournament, but he’s still considering who will lead the team.
“He (the captain) needs to impress me. If I name a captain now, then it’s over and out. There are a few candidates I have in mind, but I want to be certain of my decision,” Marais said.
Experienced players like flank Deon Stegmann and lock Flip van der Merwe are possible candidates.
Stegmann led the Bulls in last season’s ABSA Currie Cup, while Flip van der Merwe captained the Vodacom Bulls in a few Super Rugby games in 2014.
Matthew Proudfoot
DHL Stormers forwards coach Matt Proudfoot has opted not to renew his contract with Western Province Rugby, but he might not be lost to the union on a permanent basis.
Proudfoot will be linking up with outgoing DHL Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee at Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers in Japan, but Director of Rugby Gert Smal remains hopeful of retaining his services on a consultancy basis, which would see him contribute to the ‘Tight Five Factory’; an innovative project which is aimed at identifying and developing tight 5 players from youth level and up within WP Rugby.
Proudfoot, 42, has served as forwards coach of both the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province for the past 7 seasons, which has seen the Cape team’s pack become 1 of the most feared units at Super Rugby and Currie Cup level.
In that time, the likes of unheralded juniors Steven Kitshoff, Scarra Ntubeni, Frans Malherbe, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Nizaam Carr have progressed into the Springbok ranks (either as Test players or squad members), with the DHL Stormers’ scrummaging power a huge boon in their recently-completed 2015 Super Rugby campaign.
Ex-Springbok flyhalf Peter Grant is set to join the Western Force ahead of next year’s Super Rugby season.
Grant, who was released with a season to run on his contract at French club La Rochelle, looks a likely replacement for South African compatriot Sias Ebersohn, who has already been released.
According to The West Australian, Grant’s potential return to Super Rugby was opened due Wilhelm Steenkamp’s imminent signing for French club Brive for next season.
Steenkamp had limited game time last season and failed to impress the Force’s coaching staff at his time with the team.
The Force are allowed 3 overseas Test players and Grant would join former All Black scrumhalf Alby Mathewson and Tongan forward Steve Mafi.
Willem Alberts
Stade Français have confirmed the signing of Springbok back row Willem Alberts who will join the club after the Rugby World Cup.
The Top 14 champions have not brought in many players this off-season, generally prioritising quality over quantity, as Alberts joins Will Genia in the French capital.
Alberts arrives from the Cell C Sharks on a 3-year deal and will join a back row which already features Sergio Parisse, Raphaël Lakafia and Antoine Burban, while promising youngster Sekou Macalou also arrived over the off-season from Massy.
The 31-year-old made his Springbok debut back in 2010 and has scored 7 tries in 32 tests.
Armand “Akker” van der Merwe
The Emirates Lions have lost another key player ahead of their Currie Cup campaign.
Hooker Armand “Akker”van der Merwe or “The Angry Warthog” as he is sometimes referred to, has signed a deal with Racing Metro, which will see him play in France for the remainder of the 2015 season.
Lions Rugby (Pty) Ltd revealed that they agreed to release 4 players to clubs abroad for the duration of the Currie Cup tournament.
As was previously reported Elton Jantjies (Shining Arcs), Lionel Mapoe (Spears) and Warwick Tecklenburg (Kamaishi) have all signed agreements in Japan until February 2016.
Along with Van der Merwe, all the players will return ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby tournament and will represent the Lions in next year’s competition. The players have all committed to Lions Rugby until the end of 2016.
Warwick Tecklenburg
Bjorn Basson
Renaldo Bothma
Lionel Mapoe
Lionel Mapoe, Renaldo Bothma, Bjorn Basson and Warwick Tecklenburg have added their names to growing list of Super Rugby players heading to The Land of the Rising Sun.
Emirates Lions centre, Mapoe will join Vodacom Bulls lock Grant Hattingh at the Spears while his Lions team mate, flank Warwick Tecklenburg heads to the Kamaishi Seawaves.
Cell C Sharks and Namibia International loose forward, Renaldo Bothma will join Verblitz after the World Cup while Vodacom Bulls and Ex-Springbok wing Bjorn Basson will join Lomano Lemeki and Digby Ioane at the Heat.
Another high profile player who will be heading East is Wallaby fullback Israel Folau who will link up with Springboks Handré Pollard and Eben Etzebeth at the Docomo Red Hurricanes. Folau just put pen to paper on a new flexible contract with the Australian Rugby Union.
Vincent Koch
Tighthead prop Vincent Koch has confirmed that he will return to the DHL Stormers for next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Koch, 25, was loaned from the Pumas for this year’s Super Rugby competition and was one of the Cape franchise’s standout performers.
His performances also earned him a call-up to Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok squad named at the weekend.
There was confusion regarding Koch’s availability for the Stormers because his province – the Steval Pumas – form part of the Emirates Lions franchise and the men from Johannesburg could have requested the player to feature for them.
Allister Coetzee
Outgoing DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has given the franchise advice on where they can look to strengthen their squad for next season.
The 52-year-old is set to leave for Japan as he embarks on a new phase in his coaching career with Japanese club, Kobe Kobelco Steelers.
The Stormers won this year’s South African conference in Super Rugby, but were knocked out in the qualifiers against the Brumbies at Newlands.
Coetzee said they need add a few new recruits in order to be successful in 2016.
Bernard Lapasset
No Shit Sherlock, finally we have a replacement for Brainy Smurf!!
Apologies, I could not help that, it just blurted out and it was as if my fingers were typing in automatic mode….
Well, the opinion by World Rugby’s president, Bernard Lappasset when commenting on Rugby Sevens’ growing popularity and competitaveness ahead of its return to the Olympic programme next year, which has led to a rethinking of 15’s role in the game leads him to the conclusion that Rugby 15’s need some reform!
The 67-year-old Frenchman, speaking on Tuesday ahead of a lucrative sponsorship announcement of both the men’s and for the 1st time the women’s sevens series, said there was a need for a new system for the 15’s version of the sport.
“We need to open up a new system for the 15 discipline,” he said.
“To bring the northern and southern hemisphere programmes closer together.
Israel Folau
Waratahs Rugby and the Australian Rugby Union have confirmed the re-signing of fullback Israel Folau on a 3-year flexible contract which will keep him in Australian rugby until at least 2018.
The 26 year-old joined the Waratahs for the 2013 season, making an immediate impact to the side with his impressive speed and agility.
In just his 2nd year in the code, he was named 2014 Australian Super Rugby Player of the Year after an outstanding season in which he scored 12 tries in 14 matches and was an integral member of the title-winning team.
A key member of the team’s leadership group, Folau was named as vice-captain for the 1st time in 2015, and held the role for 5 matches.
2016 Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson said he was pleased that Folau had committed to stay in Australian rugby.