In the pre isolation years South Africa has played 174 tests winning 112 tests, drawing 15 tests and losing 47 tests. With an overall win rate of 64% [Read More]
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I have just recieved the following, celebrating the 40-year aniversary of a memorable occasion: On 18/09/2010 we are holding a commemoration of the match that took place on 18 Sept 1970, when Griquas beat the mighty Northern Transvaal 11-9 at Kimberley to win the Currie Cup. We are expecting the likes of Mannetjies Roux, Piet Visagie and Piet Van Deventer to name but a few to come visit us here at Ammosal clubhouse. This was the last time Griquas won the Currie Cup, and we have been bragging for years about the fact that nearly the whole team consisted of Ammosal players. Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile is “furious” about the comment by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers that the Springboks support Blue Bulls prop and murder suspect Bees Roux. “Goodness man! Get yourself a spokesperson!” was the advice offered by Stofile to the Bok coach. This season could be the most important in the history of rugby union. We are entering a 12-month period that will define the game’s future, change the view we had of it looking back, and put down the foundations for global domination that will see rugby challenge the biggest spectator sports. Former Springbok coach Jake White believes the warning lights are flickering for Bok rugby. [Read More] New Zealand Women have been crowned RWC Champions for the fourth time in succession. [Read More] Reaction on the 2nd test After a telefilm of the test, the Springboks, or the thinking ones, this evening were agreed on one thing –if the All Blacks had been really on the ball, they would have won by 20, even 25, to nil. The case in point just before halftime when Laidlaw ran the blindside from a loose movement with Murdoch, Moreton and Birtwistle lined up outside him. Ahead stood only Gainsford and Brynard. With any sort of accuracy in passing and any sort of speed in movement, it must have been a try at the other end. But did this try come off? Not a ghost of a chance. Murdoch kicked. “I tell you,” said Gainsford not without a touch of scorn, “those All Black backs will never run against us. They never will. They will always kick.” This remains to be seen and proved; but it was a devastating display of defensiveness of New Zealand rugby at the highest level. [Read More] We have read a lot and discussed a lot that our players are overplayed. The Tim Noakes’ and the Neels Liebel’s and other scientists all have their opinions and we have recently learned that the ideal is for a player to play no more than 1400 to 1600 minutes of Rugby per year. I am of the view that these minutes are dependant on whether you are a backline, looseforward or tight forward player and also on your age and your proneness to injury. Guys like Bismarck get injured often, and its probably a challenge to even get him up to the 1600 minute mark! [Read More] The last time the Wallabies won on the Highveld was in 1963 when they won two of the four tests to square the series. They lost the first test (14-3) at Loftus Versveld, won the second (9-5) at Newlands and the third one (11-9) at Ellis Park before losing the last one (22-6) Boet Erasmus in Port Elizabeth. [Read More] Just read an article by Marc Hinton (Nonu and Smith the best ever) in which he argues that Nonu and Smith is right up there as one the best centre combinations –if not the best ever. He then goes on and compare them with other All Black centre combinations as if New Zealand is the only country that can produce top class centers. [Read More] Last night I watched the semi finals of the IRB Womens Rugby World Cup between France and New Zealand, and England and Australia. New Zealand totally outplayed France and England beat Australia in a typical low scoring Northern hemisphere type of match. Watching these games last night I was terribly disappointed in the lack of eye candy on display. I mean, one would expect a world class event to at least show some semblance of quality, but really, these Rugby games were so error ridden and clumsy, I could not enjoy it. It was frustrating to say the least! I do not get why women want to play Rugby in any event. Rugby is a collision sport and women are not genetically designed for this type of game. Well, unless you are a Mamma Nonu with breast implants, with nipples harder than nails pointing through your breast pads! Either that girl was on a testosterone high or she was very pleased to be playing the game! Either way, the sheer physical nature of the game is not fitting for women, not to even speak about the type of embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions which may occur. White is just not a fitting colour for a women’s rugby jersey! In the first article in the series we looked at the Stormers and their trials and tribulations during the last 10 years of Super rugby. Today we look at the Bulls and the remarkable improvement they have shown over the decade. [Read More] South Africa and Australia came close to producing a new version of rugby this morning in Pretoria. It was essentially rugby sevens played with 15 men a side – an interesting hybrid model which, alas, I don’t think has a future. Leading up to the test McLean and the rest of the New Zealand rugby journalists once again had much to say about the Springbok’s preparation in the week before the test. McLean writes as follows on this matter: Training – the importance and fostering of. That could be the theme of the day. In the morning, the Springboks did a good deal of it. Someone threw the ball in incessantly. Goosen, newly and most deservedly capped, rose up at No3, du Preez at No5, Nel at No7. In turn all made the catch. Everyone else stepped to the right positions; and that was that. Meanwhile, the backs, under care of Nelie Smith, chased around the place and did a good deal of criss-cross scissors passing. It was all very proper and not terribly enthusiastic and re-awakened the feelings of early in the tour that these men weren’t working hard enough. There was certainly not much humour about anything; nor earnestness, either, for that matter. Just everyone going through a routine. [Read More] Apart from Test Rugby, Springboks vs Wallabies, there is some other rugby on TV today as well. |
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