Monthly Archives: October 2015
All Blacks (16) 34 / 17 (3) Wallabies (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Australian Wallabies did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup FINAL at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 18:00 SA Time (16:00 UK Time, 16:00 GMT, Sunday 03:00 AEDT, Sunday 05:00 NZ Time).
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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Springboks (16) 24 / 13 (0) Los Pumas (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Argentinian Los Pumas did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup 3rd Place Play-off at
Olympic Stadium, London, England at 22:00 SA Time (20:00 UK Time & GMT, 17:00 ARG Time).
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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Marcos Ayerza
Argentina loosehead prop Marcos Ayerza, who was set to start for Los Pumas in the bronze final against the Springboks on Friday, has been ruled out of the game due to a hamstring injury sustained in training on Thursday, according to team doctor Guillermo Botto.
Team management have called up Santiago García Botta, a Belgrano Athletic prop with 5 Test caps under his belt, to take his place in the squad.
García Botta, 23, flew in from Buenos Aires on Thursday and will be on the replacements bench at the Olympic Stadium as Daniel Hourcade’s men take on South Africa for the right to finish 3rd at Rugby World Cup 2015.
World Rugby has announced the shortlist for the prestigious Player of the Year 2015 Award in association with MasterCard, which will be presented at the World Rugby Awards at Battersea Evolution in London on 1 November.
Following a stellar of year for international rugby, which will culminate with Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final, the shortlist features a world-class line-up of players who have excited and inspired fans around the world with their feats this year. Rugby World Cup 2015 finalists New Zealand and Australia both have 2 nominees and Wales and Scotland 1 each.
The 2015 nominees are: Dan Carter (New Zealand), Michael Hooper (Australia), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Greig Laidlaw (Scotland), David Pocock (Australia) and Julian Savea (New Zealand).
On 31 October, 9 of the iconic aircraft will treat fans in Twickenham Stadium, as well as the Richmond and Trafalgar Square fanzones, to a special flypast prior to the start of the final between New Zealand and Australia. They will flyover Trafalgar Square 7 minutes before kick-off, then over Twickenham Stadium and the Richmond Fanzone at 15:55 as the teams line up for the anthems.
Full House:
The finalists are set to battle it out for rugby’s greatest prize, the Webb Ellis Cup, in front of a sell-out crowd of 80 125. South Africa and Argentina will also go head to head in front of a full house in the Bronze final at The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – in front of 56 000 spectators.
Chiliboy Ralepelle
The Cell C Sharks have announced the signing of former Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle, who will join the franchise from the start of the new Super Rugby season.
The announcement was made on Friday on the Cell C Sharks website.
Commenting on his signing, Sharks Director of Rugby, Gary Gold said: “I am pleased to have acquired the services of a hooker with the pedigree of Chiliboy Ralepelle. He is a brilliant player with a strong work ethic and will be an asset to our squad.
Sam Burgess
England centre Sam Burgess will stay at Bath and continue in rugby union, according to his coach Mike Ford.
The 26-year-old has been given time off to consider his future and his representatives have been in talks with his former club South Sydney Rabbitohs about a return to rugby league.
Burgess was controversially picked for England’s dismal Rugby World Cup campaign.
“This is the time that he becomes a better rugby union player,” Ford said.
Ford said Burgess had come back to training after the Rugby World Cup but “didn’t feel quite right” and gave the player some time off.
But he expects Burgess to return to the Recreation Ground on 2 November.
Burgess switched codes last year and signed a 3-year contract with Bath, with the aim of playing in a home Rugby World Cup.
Eddie Jones
Once a “joke team” – in the words of departing coach Eddie Jones – Japan’s Rugby World Cup 2015 heroics put Rugby Union firmly on the map in a country dominated by baseball and football.
However, the ‘Brave Blossoms’ now face the arduous task of building on their 3 pool victories in England before Japan hosts the next tournament, in 2019.
“We wanted to put pride back into Japanese rugby and obviously the results of the World Cup have done that,” Jones told a news conference on Friday. “But for Japanese rugby to keep developing, it needs to happen by planning now.
Jean de Villiers
The Western Province Rugby Football Union indicated that they would like to wish former DHL Western Province and DHL Stormers captain Jean de Villiers well as he embarks on the next phase of his stellar rugby career at top English club, Leicester Tigers.
De Villiers 1st wore the Blue & White hoops of Western Province as an aspiring Under 13 Craven Week player, that after his father, Andre, represented Western Province with distinction in the 1970s.
Jean de Villiers played his final match for the DHL Stormers on 3 May 2014 (against the Highlanders at DHL Newlands), racking up a total of 105 caps since his debut against the Sharks in February 2005.
He also played 50 matches for DHL Western Province, his final appearance coming in the 2013 ABSA Currie Cup Final – having made his debut in the Vodacom Cup in February 2001.
De Villiers would certainly have played more games for WP Rugby had it not been for a catalogue of serious injuries – especially the knee injury he suffered on his Springbok debut in November 2002 – but he will go down as one of this union’s greatest players in the modern era after also amassing 109 Springbok caps (including 37 as captain).
First-choice prop Scott Sio returns to the Australian Wallabies side for the Rugby World Cup final against the New Zealand All Blacks on Saturday.
It is the only change to the side announced by coach Michael Cheika.
Sio has recovered from an elbow injury and James Slipper, who played in the semifinal win over Argentina, returns to the bench.
Australia, who have had a tough route to Twickenham – having to play England, Wales, Scotland and Argentina – will be in a record-breaking 4th Rugby World Cup Final.
However, it will be the 1st between the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
Matt Giteau, who left the semifinal with a groin injury but has been cleared for Saturday, is the only player who took part in their last Final – when they lost to England in Sydney in 2003.
New Zealand All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has named an unchanged side to face Australia’s Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.
The line-up is the same as the one that defeated South Africa 20 / 18 in the semifinals last weekend.
The last time the All Blacks named an unchanged starting line-up between successive Rugby World Cup matches was in 2011, when they made no changes to the team that defeated Australia in the semifinals then beat France in the final.
13 Players in the current All Blacks 31-man squad were part of the triumphant 2011 Rugby World Cup squad and Tony Woodcock, would have made that 14 if he had not left injured.
The players hoping to win the Webb Ellis Cup for a 2nd time are Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Ben Franks, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Victor Vito, Dan Carter, Colin Slade, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Sonny Bill Williams.
Conrad Smith, Nonu, Woodcock, Mealamu, Owen Franks, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw and Read all started in the 2011 Final and Williams came on as a replacement in that match.
Finn Russell in action for Scotland
Glasgow Warriors and Scottish Rugby have secured the talents of one of Scotland’s most exciting young players for the next 3 years.
Finn Russell has signed a new long-term contract with the Warriors, meaning the Scotland international will be staying at Scotstoun until at least May 2018.
The news follows the announcement earlier today that Scottish Power has agreed a 3-year, 6-figure sponsorship deal with the club, which will see their logo displayed on the back of the home and alternate playing shirts.
Glasgow-based utility, ScottishPower has today announced a 6-figure sponsorship deal with defending Guinness PRO12 champions Glasgow Warriors.
The 3-year partnership will see ScottishPower represented through prominent back of shirt branding above the number on the Warriors home and away playing kit. The company will also work with the Warriors to develop a community youth programme in the West of Scotland.
Victor Matfield
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer named his strongest possible team as a mark of the greatest respect to an outstanding Argentina team as both teams chase the end-of-season reward of a bronze medal at the Olympic Stadium in London on Friday evening.
Victor Matfield replaces Lood de Jager as 1 of only 2 changes to the starting line-up from Saturday’s semifinal against New Zealand. He takes over the over the captaincy from the injured Fourie du Preez, whose place in the No 9 jersey is taken by Ruan Pienaar, with Rudy Paige coming onto the bench.
Nicolás Sánchez
Nicolas Sanchez, the highest points scorer at the Rugby World Cup, will captain Argentina for the 1st time in Friday’s 3rd-place play-off against South Africa.
Sanchez, who has 89 points, mainly from the boot, will take over the armband from the injured Agustin Creevy.
Coach Daniel Hourcade has made 9 changes to the team that started the 15 / 29 semifinal loss against Australia last Sunday.
Many were forced by injury as key players Creevy, outstanding wing Juan Imhoff and veteran centre Juan Martin Hernández all had to be replaced on Sunday.
Springboks at training this week
South Africa will be going all out to ensure they end their Rugby World Cup campaign on a high note when they face Argentina in their 3rd-place play-off on Friday.
That was the message from Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard who scored 15 points from 5 penalties in his team’s 18 / 20 semifinal loss to New Zealand last Saturday.
“We still got 1 more game to go and it is another opportunity to represent the Springboks – it is still an amazing honour,” said Pollard.
“We can still go away with the 3rd place but it is not what we came here for.
“Its still not bad so we going to go out on Friday and just give everything we have. It’s the last Test match and we just have to get result.
Flank Willem Alberts, who struggled with injury this year, echoed Pollard’s sentiments.
Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan will open on 20 September in Tokyo and end with the final in Yokohama on 2 November, World Rugby announced on Tuesday along with the unveiling of the logo for the next tournament.
The logo bears 2 of Japan’s most recognisable symbols, the rising sun and Mt Fuji, and is the 1st Rugby World Cup emblem since the International Rugby Board rebranded itself last year as World Rugby.
Rugby World Cup 2015 will end with Saturday’s final between holders New Zealand and Australia, which will also mark the competition’s 1st steps into Asia.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with how England 2015 has succeeded. We believe it has succeeded at every level,” said Brett Gosper, the managing director of Rugby World Cup Limited.
“Possibly the greatest story of 2015 has been the success of the Japanese team. The Japan-South Africa game, I’m sure they’ll make Hollywood films of that one day as they did with Miracle on Ice. This has been the most competitive World Cup ever and I think the performance of the Japanese inspired all the other tier 2 teams so we had the smallest winning margins in World Cup history.
Agustín Pichot
Agustín Pichot, Council Member for Argentina, has been elected onto World Rugby’s Executive Committee.
Pichot was elected by the World Rugby Council in accordance with the Bye-Laws, replacing Ireland’s Peter Boyle, who stepped down following elections within his union.
President of Rugby Americas, former captain of Argentina’s 15s and Sevens teams and bronze final winner at Rugby World Cup 2007, Pichot has been a driving force behind Argentina’s development on and off the field, including The Rugby Championship inclusion and the introduction of an Argentinian team in Super Rugby.
Pichot joins the Executive Committee at a time when the sport is experiencing unprecedented global growth and popularity with a record-breaking, compelling and competitive Rugby World Cup, reaching and inspiring new audiences globally.
Julian Savea’s barnstorming try against France
The contenders for the International Rugby Players’ Association (IRPA) Try of the Year 2015 have been revealed by World Rugby, with the winner to be announced at the World Rugby Awards on 1 November.
New Zealand winger Julian Savea has 2 tries on the shortlist with the other try-scorers being French prop Vincent Debaty, Welsh flanker Justin Tipuric, Tonga winger Fetu’u Vainikolo and Japan fullback Ayumu Goromaru.
The 6 tries were selected by the IRPA Try of Year panel of former players in Ireland’s Shane Horgan, All Black Christian Cullen, Serge Betsen of France and South Africa’s Stefan Terblanche.
The winner, though, will be determined by guests at the World Rugby Awards at Battersea Evolution in London on 1 November, who will be able to view the shortlisted tries and register their votes during dinner with the accolade presented later in the evening.
Prince Harry, honorary President of England Rugby 2015
Prince Harry, Honorary President of England Rugby 2015, will join World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset and RFU President Jason Leonard to present the Webb Ellis Cup to the winner of Rugby World Cup 2015 at the final on Saturday 31 October, at Twickenham Stadium.
Robbie Kempson
Insisting that all Springboks play domestically is the best way to “restore pride” in the national jersey, says former Springbok prop and pundit Robbie Kempson.
Speaking on SuperSport’s “RWC Master Plan” programme which has run during the current Rugby World Cup in the United Kingdom, the 1998 Tri-Nations title-winning front-ranker said he backed the decision by Argentinean rugby bosses to make it compulsory for all players wishing to represent the Pumas next season to play for the new Buenos Aires-based franchise in remodelled Super Rugby.
“It will help galvanise a side that will produce for them, going forward.”
But the 37 Test-cap Kempson added that he felt South Africa had “missed a trick” through their policy for the latest Rugby World Cup, which allowed for squad inclusion of 7 players who are exclusively contracted to overseas franchises – Fourie du Preez, Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits.
Massive experience and exciting new talents are the order of the day for all New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises as they reveal their 2016 squads.
The Highlanders have made minimal changes to their 2015 championship winning squad, with just 9 new additions to their 38-man squad. The side they beat in the 2015 final, the Hurricanes, have taken a similar approach, opting for continuity in retaining 30 players of the greater 39-man squad.
The Chiefs will boast 12 former and current All Blacks in their squad and a further 14 fresh faces. 4 Players have been promoted from the Crusaders’ wider training group with a further 11 players joining the franchise for the 1st time.
The Blues are the only side who have gone against the grain as head coach Tana Umaga has built his 2016 squad around 6 core players, as he looks to resurrect the franchise to his former glory.
We look at all New Zealand’s Super Rugby squads:
Jean de Villiers
Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will continue his playing career in the English Premiership after signing with the Leicester Tigers.
De Villiers was part of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winning squad in 2007 and captain of the 2015 campaign but announced his international retirement after suffering a fractured jaw in the 2nd Round of the tournament. With 109 Test caps he is among the most experienced players in the world game.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Jean brings invaluable experience to the squad. He is among the leading centres in the modern game and has played at the very highest level for a significant period of time.
Heyneke Meyer emotional and animated during a Test match
We take a look at different views on whether the South African Springboks coach, Heyneke Meyer, should stay on as Springbok coach till the next edition of Rugby World Cup or whether he should be replaced as coach.
Rugby365’s JAN DE KONING and Sport24’s GARRIN LAMBEY are of the opinion that Heyneke Meyer should stay on as coach, whereas Sport24’s Herman Mostert believes Heyneke Meyer should be replaced.
My own opinion is that South Africa lacks quality coaches, who could take the Springboks up a notch or 2 and I do not believe the South African rugby culture, SARU’s stoid stance on rugby and the political environment is at all condusive to appointing a foreign coach, to take the Springboks further and upwards. I therefore believe that Heyneke Meyer should stay on, but I also believe there are a number of things which needs to change, to make the Springboks serious contenders for the World No 1 spot.
Let’s take a look at the different views:
Fourie du Preez
South Africa captain Fourie du Preez says Saturday’s semifinal defeat by New Zealand is likely to be his last game for his country after he picked up a facial injury.
Du Preez finished the match with a swollen eye and cheekbone and is doubtful for the bronze final on Friday.
Asked about his future, a dejected du Preez said: “I don’t know if that was my last game, I’ll see how the injury goes. That was probably my last game. I have got a broken tooth and I will be getting a check on my cheekbone tomorrow, but they don’t think it’s broken.
Scans taken after the match cleared the No 9 of a fractured cheekbone, but he does have a damaged tooth.
He will also have to wait and see if the swelling goes down before a decision is made if he will play against Argentina at the Olympic Stadium in London this coming Friday.
However, medical opinion is that he should be available.
The Springboks have been given 2 days off, before they will fit in a couple of training sessions – a full session on Wednesday and the captain’s run on Thursday – ahead of Friday’s meaningless encounter.
Team doctor Craig Roberts’s post match medical report had some other good news as well.
Flank Francois Louw, who received 16 stitches to his forehead for a deep cut, is available for selection.
“That won’t keep him out of play, it has healed up and it is fine,” Roberts told a media gathering.
Argentina have dismissed Springbok suggestions that Friday’s bronze final does not mean anything and are determined to celebrate their attacking style at the tournament by beating their Rugby Championship rivals.
After his side narrowly lost to New Zealand 20 / 18 in Saturday’s 1st semifinal, South African coach Heyneke Meyer said it would be tough mentally to prepare for the clash at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. “It does not mean anything to me. It is like kissing your sister,” he said.
But, despite the disappointment of failing to get past Australia in their semifinal, Argentina captain Agustin Creevy and his squad were excited about trying to secure the 3rd place.
Asked about Meyer’s comments, Creevy said: “I don’t know why he said that. I would rather be 3rd than 4th. We want to be in the Top 3. We need to get over the defeat and start again. The 3rd-place playoff means a lot.”
Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez, who scored all of Argentina’s points in the 29 / 15 defeat by the Wallabies, said: “We came here to play the final, but I think we gave it our all. The biggest challenge now is to finish on a high note and get the 3rd place.
“We’ve got a mentally very tough game ahead. This week probably won’t be as pleasant as this past one, but we’ll make a great effort to get the bronze medal.”
The Southern Hemisphere nations consolidated their positions as the Top 4 in world rugby after a weekend of battle that resulted in the Top 2, New Zealand and Australia, moving through to this Saturday’s final of Rugby World Cup 2015.
South Africa, who lost 20 / 18 to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup semifinal on Saturday, retain their position as world No 3 ahead of Argentina, who were defeated 29 / 15 by Australia in Sunday’s semifinal.
The Springboks and Pumas will contest the Rugby World Cup bronze final on Friday and the winner is likely to be the world No 3, with the sides separated in the rankings by less than 1 point.
Under the points exchange system used to calculate rankings, sides take points off each other based on the match result; whatever 1 side gains, the other loses. Such points exchanges are doubled during the Rugby World Cup to recognise the unique importance of the event.
Nigel Owens
Nigel Owens has been appointed to referee the final of Rugby World Cup 2015. The 44-year-old from Wales is a veteran of 67 Tests but on Saturday at 17:00 SA Time (16:00 UK Time) he will take charge of the biggest match of his career to date.
Owens will become just the 7th referee to do the job, following in the footsteps of Kerry Fitzgerald (1987), Derek Bevan (1991), Ed Morrison (1995), Andre Watson (1999 and 2003), Alain Rolland (2007) and Craig Joubert (2011).
His experience and his consistency over many years, as well as his excellent form during the build-up to and during Rugby World Cup 2015, has won him selection to the pinnacle match in the sport at the end of a tournament in which the high quality of officiating has been a feature.
Michael Cheika
Michael Cheika’s father was his harshest critic as a rugby player but his courage in leaving Lebanon for a new life in Australia has been an example in hauling the Wallabies to the Rugby World Cup final.
The Australia coach said that he hopes he has given this “no fear factor” to his players going into the fiery atmosphere of Saturday’s encounter with arch-rivals New Zealand.
Cheika’s father Joseph left Lebanon for Australia in 1950 and his mother followed 10 years later.
“I think everyone is inspired by their parents,” said 48-year-old Cheika.
“There you have someone who left his country with nothing and then rocked up in another country – and it was 7 days on an aeroplane way back then – and then said ‘right okay I’ve got to start from nothing,’ after being dropped off in Redfern Park in Sydney.
“Well that sort of no fear factor is something I have really taken from my Dad and I like that quality and hope I’ve succeeded in passing that on to the lads.”
Cheika, the only coach to have won the Northern and Southern Hemisphere continental club trophies with Irish province Leinster and the Waratahs respectively, said there is a touch of Lebanon in the cultures in the Australia squad.
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
Argentina star Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe believes the creation of a new Super Rugby franchise in Buenos Aires can inspire the Pumas to greater heights even if it means the end of his Test career.
The South Americans, not long ago regarded as a ‘second-tier’ nation, confirmed their status as a major rugby force with a run to the Rugby World Cup semifinals that saw them lose 15 / 29 to Australia at Twickenham on Sunday.
Argentina, however, still have a chance to equal their 3rd-place finish at the 2007 World Cup when they face South Africa in the bronze medal play-off at London’s Olympic Stadium on Friday.
The past year has seen Argentina beat both Australia and South Africa in the Southern Hemisphere’s The Rugby Championship.
Nehe Milner-Skudder
World Rugby has announced the shortlist for the inaugural Breakthrough Player of the Year 2015 award, with the winner set to be revealed at the World Rugby Awards dinner at Battersea Evolution, London, on 1 November.
With some of the world’s exciting young players leaving their mark on Rugby World Cup 2015, the 3 nominees for this prestigious award are Scotland centre Mark Bennett, Georgia scrumhalf Vasil Lobzhanidze and New Zealand winger Nehe Milner-Skudder.
“They are all worthy candidates for this award but unfortunately there can only be 1 winner. I’m sure all 3 players have a bright future not only for their teams and the countries they play for but for world rugby in general. I really look forward to watching their careers.”
In order to be eligible for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award, players must have played less than 1 year of senior international rugby.
The nominees were selected by an independent panel, comprising former Wallaby scrumhalf Gregan, former Argentina captain Felipe Contepomi and journalists Stephen Jones, Sarah Mockford and Jim Kayes.
Wallabies (19) 29 / 15 (9) Los Pumas (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Argentinian Los Pumas did battle in a Semifinal at the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 18:00 SA Time (17:00 BST, 16:00 GMT, 13:00 Arg Time, Monday 03:00 AEDT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Springboks (12) 18 / 20 (7) All Blacks (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in a Semifinal at the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 17:00 SA Time (16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT, Sunday 04:00 NZ Time).
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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Golden Lions (22) 32 / 24 (10) WP (Final Score)
The Xerox Golden Lions and DHL Western Province did battle in the FINAL of the 2015 ABSA Currie Cup at
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg at 13:45 SA Time (11:45 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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Old age is not for sissies, they say.
At Twickenham Stadium on Saturday youth will not be for sissies, as those men will fling themselves body and soul into the Rugby World Cup semifinal between New Zealand’s All Blacks and the South African Springboks, still the game’s greatest rivalry.
Those 46 men, in peak fitness, will risk everything in a sport that is as near as it can be to battle.
They will risk sinew, muscle, bone, heart and mind – everything short of life itself and, who knows, if it were asked of them would life be too big a sacrifice?
And then 80 minutes later they will shake hands and even hug the men they battled against – despite the fury of their effort and despite even the disappointment of defeat.
The match will not be a hate-filled war.
The 2 sides have met 3 times before in Rugby World Cups.
South Africa just won the Final in 1995 and then won the 3rd place play-off in 1999. New Zealand walloped South Africa in the quarterfinal of 2003.
The people of both countries will know about this match and experience their own level of tension in the hopes and fears of the day.
It is a part of the culture of those countries.
In days when matches between the 2 countries were few and far between, as travel dictated (and there were racial hamstrings in 3 New Zealand sides to South Africa till 1970), South Africa led New Zealand in the winning tally.
Those days ended when the world was an easier place for travel.
Then New Zealand pulled ahead and are now 17 matches ahead, with the Springboks still closer in the rivaly than all other sides against New Zealand, which also means that they are more likely to beat the All Blacks than other teams would be.