Daily Archives: 10 July 2015
Springboks (22) 46 / 10 (10) World XV (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and World XV did battle in an International match at
DHL Newlands, Cape Town at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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The Leopards return to action this weekend against Down Touch Griffons in the ABSA Currie Cup Qualifier race with a mission to close the gap on current Log leaders, ORC Griquas, with a solid performance in Welkom.
The Leopards, who enjoyed a BYE last weekend, find themselves 6 points behind the Griquas, who smashed the Griffons 47 / 20 last Saturday in Kimberley. the Down Touch Griffons find themselves 2nd from bottom, however, they would have been encouraged by their competitive 1st half performance against Griquas.
With bonus points now paramount for them, the Leopards have very little choice but to chase a bonus try victory if they want to narrow the gap on the frontrunners. They might find this challenging, especially if the Griffons can apply the same determination they showed during a tightly contested 1st half agaist the Griquas in Kimberley.
Elsewhere on Saturday mid-table Boland Cavaliers are home to Hino Valke (5th placed) in Wellington. The home team will no doubt draw a lot of positives from their fine comeback last weekend to force a thrilling 28 / 28 draw against bottom-placed SWD Eagles. the Valke, meanwhile, scraped a surprise 1 point win over the in-form Border Bulldogs and they will fancy their chances against a Boland side who could win only 2 out of 4 so far.
The 2 teams have 8 points each but the Hino Valke have played 1 game less. This match will be televised live on SuperSport 1 and kick-off is at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT).
In the only the Friday night fixture the SWD Eagles are home to 3rd-placed Border Bulldogs in George (kick-off 19:00 SA Time). The Bulldogs are still smarting from their surprise loss against the Valke in East London last weekend, a result which severely dented their slender hopes of challenging for 1st place.
The Eagles have leaked 120 points so far in the campaign, the same amount as Boland, and they will have to improve their defence if they want to stop the much-improved Border side.
Current Log leaders, the ORC Griquas, have a BYE this weekend.
Jean-Pierre “JP” Smith
Brumbies prop Jean-Pierre ‘JP’ Smith will return to Cape Town from Australia and will form part of Western Province’s Currie Cup squad.
Smith is capable of playing at both loosehead and tighthead prop and he will bolster the Western Province prop resources during their ABSA Currie Cup title defence in the absence of Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, who are with the Springbok squad at present, and Vincent Koch, who is on loan to the DHL Stormers for Super Rugby only.
25-Year-old Smith is a former Paarl Gym scholar, who has represented Western Province at Under 19 and Under 21 level, as well as playing 5 senior matches for the Vodacom Cup team in 2010.
Western Province Director of Rugby Gert Smal commented: “JP’s ability to play on either side of the scrum is a big boost for us, as Currie Cup matchday squads are made up of just 22 (with just 1 prop on the bench).
New Zealand Barbarians logo
The New Zealand Barbarians have named a strong squad to face the Maori All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday 18 July.
The clash will be the 1st between the 2 teams since the 2010 Maori Centenary Series, when the Maori All Blacks defeated the Barbarians 37 / 31 in an entertaining affair in Whangarei.
The Barbarians side contains George Moala and Tom Taylor, who were both in Samoa with the All Blacks, while All Blacks squad member Cory Jane makes his long-awaited comeback from injury.
Other features of the squad are the selection of 7 players who were involved in last week’s Super Rugby final, along with former All Blacks James Parsons, Luke Whitelock and Dominic Bird and 2 out of the World Rugby Under 20 championship New Zealand team – Auckland loose forward Blake Gibson and Taranaki halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.
Injury to Hurricanes flank Ardie Savea prevented his selection. The Barbarians will be coached by Highlanders assistant coach Scott McLeod, along with Hawke’s Bay’s Craig Philpott and Auckland’s Paul Feeney.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) have revealed a packed 10-match programme for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour, including 3 Tests between the Lions and All Blacks.
In addition to the internationals, the Lions will play all 5 of New Zealand’s Super Rugby teams, the Maori All Blacks and a composite Provincial XV.
NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew said the tour was set to generate more demand than the Lions’ last trip in 2005, when 20 000 travelling fans created a boisterous atmosphere and injected an estimated NZ$ 135 million (US$ 90 million) into the economy.
“The series in New Zealand will be a huge occasion, featuring the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and providing almost 6 weeks of incredible rugby,” he said.
The Lions tour every 4 years, with the event rotated between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, where last time out they overcame the Wallabies 2 / 1 in 2013.
They lost 0 / 3 when last in New Zealand in 2005, with the defining moment a spear tackle on Brian O’Driscoll early in the 1st Test that forced the Irishman out of the tour.
Overall, New Zealand have won 27 Tests and the Lions 6 since the tours began in 1888, with the visitors achieving their only series win in 1971.
NZRU also revealed it will host Wales in June next year for a 3-Test series against the All Blacks.
Robbie Deans
Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was linked with the Stormers coaching job in 2007, and it happened again when the search for Allister Coetzee’s replacement commenced this year.
But Deans, who is in charge of Saturday’s World XV side that will take on the Springboks at Newlands, confirmed on Thursday that there had not been an official offer from the Cape Town-based franchise or any other South African franchises.
“Not South African ones, no,” said Deans.
“I had a brief conversation with Gert (Smal, Stormers Director of Rugby). I actually do a bit of work with some of the guys from down here like (current Western Province defence coach) Paul Treu. I take an interest in the game.
Veteran Argentina back rowers Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Juan Manuel Leguizamon were named in a 28-man squad for next week’s Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand.
2 Other survivors from the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, wing Horacio Agulla and prop Marcos Ayerza, were also selected on Thursday for their 17 July tournament opener in Christchurch.
The squad will fly from Sydney on Saturday, where a pre-tournament squad of 36 were training with this year’s World Cup in England also in mind, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said.
The squad is dominated by players, including captain Agustin Creevy, contracted to the UAR for the Argentine franchise that will compete in Super Rugby next year.
7, Including former captain Fernandez Lobbe of Toulon, are part of the dwindling contingent of European-based players included.
Michael Cheika – Wallabies coach
Wallaby coach Michael Cheika started to show his World Cup hand when he reduced his squad to just 31 players on Friday.
Cheika cut 9 players from the extended squad ahead of the opening Round of The Rugby Championship – when Australia play South Africa in Brisbane on 18 July.
Christian Lealiifano and Wycliff Palu were 2 of the high-profile casualties of the Wallaby cull.
The other 7 players left out from the initial 40-man train-on squad are Dave Dennis, James Hanson, Tetera Faulkner, Samu Kerevi, Toby Smith, Henry Speight and Nic White.
Following a gruelling 5-day camp at Sunshine Coast Stadium, the squad will assemble in Brisbane this Sunday 12 July.
The 31-man squad, captained by hooker Stephen Moore, boasts 2 non-capped players – with Rory Arnold and Taqele Naiyaravoro both closing in on their 1st Wallaby appearance.
Stuart Lancaster
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has culled 5 players from his original wider squad for their next training camp in Denver.
The unlucky soles are Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje, Stephen Myler, Nick Easter and Ed Slater.
Daly, Slater, Itoje and Myler will return to their clubs to be on standby, while Easter is suffering from a back injury and will return to Harlequins for treatment, before rejoining the squad on 2 August following their post-Denver break.
Bad boy Danny Cipriani is still in the mix as Lancaster is waiting on the outcome of the drink-driving case before he makes a decision on the flyhalf.
Flip van der Merwe
Flip van der Merwe is 1 South African who might have a point to prove when he takes to the field in a World XV jersey against the Springboks at Newlands on Saturday.
The towering lock is not in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s preliminary Rugby World Cup squad, and the coach went on record in May announcing that Van der Merwe was unavailable for international rugby.
After that it was reported that a ‘contract dispute’ may be the reason behind the drama, but Van der Merwe revealed in Cape Town on Thursday that there had been communication issues surrounding his availability.
“I’m not selected, it’s as easy as that,” Van der Merwe, who has been named on the World XV bench for Saturday, said.