Daily Archives: 13 August 2015

Trevor Nyakane

Trevor Nyakane

Trevor Nyakane is firmly focused on making the most of a rare opportunity to start for the Springboks rather than the sideshows.

A tough week for the Springboks has been made even tougher by claims from COSATU that they had been approached by some black players who felt aggrieved that they were not getting sufficient opportunities under coach Heyneke Meyer.

However, Nyakane has dismissed the allegations and said that the key for him is to put the distractions aside so that he is able to put his best foot forward against Argentina in Buenos Aires this weekend in what is the last chance to impress before the Rugby World Cup.

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New ZealandThe All Blacks have restricted fallout from last week’s loss to Australia to just 3 changes for the return bout in Auckland, formulating their own version of a tandem attack at the breakdown.

Victor Vito will be in the No 6 jersey on Saturday, with Sam Whitelock restored at lock, while in the backline Ma’a Nonu returns for the injured Sonny Bill Williams.

Teaming the athletic Vito with Richie McCaw should bolster the All Blacks’ speed to the collision area where they were soundly beaten by Australia’s terriers David Pocock and Michael Hooper in The Rugby Championship decider.

Whitelock returns as the senior lock to give more drive over the ball as the All Blacks fight to retain the Bledisloe Cup, which Australia last held in 2002.

Apart from sharpening that area, coach Steve Hansen has backed the notion that the bulk of his side beaten 27 / 19 last weekend deserve a shot at redemption.

But he has made clear there needs to be a commanding performance in the All Blacks’ last home game before the Rugby World Cup and to celebrate Richie McCaw breaking the World record for the most Test matches, in his 142nd international.

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ArgentinaThe Pumas have made 7 changes to the team that humiliated the Springboks last weekend for a Test rematch in Buenos Aires Saturday.

Apart from the personnel alterations, coach Daniel Hourcade has made 2 positional switches as the Pumas seek to build on a stunning 37 / 25 win over the Springboks in Durban.

It was the 1st triumph for Argentina over South Africa after 19 failed attempts since the countries 1st met in 1993 in Buenos Aires.

And it was the 1st Rugby Championship away victory for the South Americans after 10 losses in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa over 4 seasons.

Out of the Durban starting backline go right wing Horacio Agulla, centres Marcelo Bosch, injured Jerónimo De la Fuente and scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli.

They are replaced by Santiago Cordero, Matias Moroni, Nicolas Sanchez and Martin Landajo for the match at the 50 000 capacity Estadio Jose Amalfitani in a western suburb of the Argentine capital.

Veteran Hernández, who was outstanding at flyhalf last weekend, retreats to inside centre to accommodate Sanchez in the pivotal role.

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Bad Boy Quade Cooper

Bad Boy Quade Cooper

The Wallabies have recalled Quade Cooper and rested David Pocock – ditching their successful twin openside flank weapon.

This is amongst 6 changes made to the side to face the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

After beating New Zealand last week in Sydney, to claim the Rugby Championship, the Wallabies are now aiming to win the Bledisloe Cup for the 1st time in 13 years and end a 39-year losing streak at Eden Park.

But with 1 eye on the bigger prize of the Rugby World Cup, starting in England next month, coach Michael Cheika has put last week’s 27 / 19 victory behind him and made wholesale changes to test the depth of his squad.

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James Hook

James Hook

Mike Phillips

Mike Phillips

Richard Hibbard

Richard Hibbard

Experienced trio James Hook, Mike Phillips and Richard Hibbard were among 8 players released from Wales’s World Cup training squad.

The announcement was made by Welsh coach Warren Gatland on Thursday.

Flyhalf Hook, capped 78 times, scrumhalf Phillips, who has made 94 international appearances, and 38-cap hooker Richard Hibbard failed to make the cut after Gatland trimmed his squad from 46 players to 38.

Jack Dixon, Rhys Patchell, Nicky Smith, Rory Thornton and Dan Baker are the other players who will return to their respective clubs and regions.

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Hilton Lobberts

Hilton Lobberts

Springbok lock Hilton Lobberts makes a welcome return for the ORC Griquas to face the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus on Friday.

The Blue Bulls are high on confidence after a convincing 57 / 19 win over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs last weekend.

Griquas have made a few changes to bolster the team for this week’s clash with the Blue Bulls. The most notable change is the return of Hilton Lobberts at blindside flank in place of Nardus van der Walt.

Stephan Kotze replaces Ewald van der Westhuizen at tighthead, while the latter takes his place on the bench.

Jonathan Adendorf has recovered from injury to replace Stephan Greeff in the 2nd row.

Jonathan Francke is another who returns from injury. He replaces Bok Sevens player Ruhan Nel at centre, with the later moving to right wing in place of Ederies Arendse.

Clinton Swart replaces Ngcobo Sandile on the bench.

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DHL WPDHL Western Province head coach John Dobson has named an unchanged starting line-up for Saturday’s ABSA Currie Cup clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at DHL Newlands.

Dobson has rightly kept faith with the starting line-up that did duty against ORC Griquas last weekend, but lock Jan de Klerk and back Kobus van Wyk come onto the bench against the Cheetahs.

De Klerk replaces Chris van Zyl in a rotational switch, whilst Van Wyk comes in for Johnny Kotze, who took a bang to his head at training on Monday.

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Zane Kirchner

Zane Kirchner

Victor Matfield will captain the Springboks against Los Pumas on Saturday, with Zane Kirchner, Lwazi Mvovo, Pat Lambie, Willem Alberts, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss and Trevor Nyakane all getting their 1st starts of the season.

Jan Serfontein and Schalk Brits have also been included in the match-23 for the 1st time this season.

A total of 28 players will travel to South America on Wednesday to play the Pumas at the Vélez Sarsfield on Saturday evening (SA Time). The match-23 shows numerous changes from the side that lost to Argentina last weekend, many of them injury-enforced.

Kirchner takes over at fullback from the injured Willie le Roux, Jesse Kriel moves from wing to centre for Jean de Villiers, with Lwazi Mvovo getting his 3rd run of the season, in the No 14-jersey. Willem Alberts replaces the injured Marcell Coetzee in what will be his 1st Test in more than a year.

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World XVThe World XV have named 5 Rugby World Cup winners in their starting line-up, alongside several more pushing hard for inclusion in this year’s tournament.

Andy Ellis, Andrew Hore, Ali Williams and Adam Thomson lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy for New Zealand in 2011, while captain Bakkies Botha was victorious with South Africa in 2007.

No 8 Pierre Spies is the other former Springbok to feature in the side to tackle Japan at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday.

The above-mentioned players are joined by an Australian contingent who will be out to impress coach Michael Cheika as he finalises his squad ahead of next month’s global contest in England.

The likes of James O’Connor, Christian Lealiifano, Nick Cummins, Sean McMahon and uncapped wing Taqele Naiyaravoro are all involved against a Japan team ranked No 15 in the world under the guidance of Eddie Jones.

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Jean Deysel

Jean Deysel

Paul Jordaan

Paul Jordaan

The Cell C Sharks will welcome the return of centre Paul Jordaan to their matchday-22 for Saturday’s clash with the Eastern Province Kings.

Jordaan, who is on the bench for the Currie Cup Round 2 encounter, has been plagued by injuries since his arrival at the Sharks but has shown glimpses of brilliance when he has strung some games together.

Jean Deysel is also back in the starting line-up after being sidelined with injury – replacing Jean-Luc Du Preez who copped a blow against the Pumas last week.

Elsewhere in the forwards, Juan Schoeman, having impressed off the bench last week, is handed a starting berth for the injured Lourens Adriaanse.

Brother of Jean-Luc, Daniel du Preez, replaces Khaya Majola at flank who is also out injured.

In the backline, Sibusiso Sithole is suffering from injury and is replaced on the wing by the experienced Odwa Ndungane who is himself back from a training ground knock.

Andre Esterhuizen shifts from right wing to left wing while the midfield partnership of Wandile Mjekevu and Heimar Williams remains the same.

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Francois Hougaard

Francois Hougaard

Vodacom Blue Bulls halfback Francois Hougaard is fighting back the only way he knows how – with his game.

The tattooed utility back, whose inspired run at wing during the Vodacom Super Rugby season was the reason he lost his place in the Springbok side, bounced back with a vengeance in Bloemfontein last weekend to grab the man of the match award after an inspired performance at halfback.

It is true Hougaard could have left for Japan earlier like former skipper Pierre Spies, but he decided to stay, with one hope of winning the domestic trophy and another of making amends for his perceived wrongs during the Super Rugby season.

The debate has raged ever since he burst onto the scene, and showed he can be equally dangerous at wing or behind the scrum, but a period of instability, where his basic instincts let him down more often than not, served him badly during the last year and has all but ripped his World Cup dream away from him.

Hougaard is a fighter, that is true, and despite his detractors, knows all too well what he needs to do to catch the national selectors’ eyes again. Simply keep knocking on the door.

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HighlandersToulon RFCEuropean champions Toulon of France and Super Rugby winners the Highlanders of New Zealand are hoping to face-off in Hong Kong on 6 February.

The 1-off fixture brings together triple European champions Toulon with the Highlanders, who landed their 1st Super Rugby title this month.

“Toulon and the Highlanders have sent off a request for agreement from their respective federations,” Philippe Spanghero, a spokesman for the organisers, told AFP.

“When that’s obtained we’ll put together a proposal to World Rugby to get all the required authorisation,” he added.

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Tony Ehrenreich

Tony Ehrenreich

AfriForum has accused Tony Ehrenreich, Secretary of Cosatu in the Western Cape, of being an opportunist, using South African rugby on the eve of the Rugby World Cup as political playball in an attempt to promote his own race-obsessed agenda.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, is of the view that Ehrenreich – if he is serious about the development of rugby’s player base among all communities – should rather find the fault in the failure of the governing alliance – of which he is part – in promoting sport in dysfunctional schools.

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