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The All Blacks have named their squad for the TriNations which is made up of 15 forwards and 13 backs with the return of 2009 All Blacks John Afoa, Corey Flynn, Liam Messam and Ma’a Nonu the key feature of the 28 – strong squad.
Captain Felipe Contepomi scored 31 points as Argentina gave France a record 41-13 hiding for the Six Nations champions France in a one-off rugby test at Jose Alamfitani Stadium on Saturday.
South Africa comfortably beat Italy 55-11 at Buffalo City Stadium Saturday in South Africa’s last match of the June International series.
Springboks flyhalf Morné Steyn scored two of the Springboks’ 7 tries and with his kicking a total of 26 points to the winners’ total.
Shortly after the Springboks resounding victory over the Azuri, Oregan Hoskins announced coach Peter de Villiers’ chosen Tri-Nations squad.
Springboks (27) 55 / Azuri (6) 11 (Final Score)
The Springboks hosted the Italian Azuri for the 2nd Test at Buffalo City Stadium, East London. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
As expected, the Springboks had far too much ammunition for the Azuri side, scoring converted 7 tries to 1 try in the process.
The final score was Springboks 55 / 11.
Players on Springbok side who shone was Morné Steyn, Gurthro Steenkamp and Francois Louw.
Wallabies (16) 22 / Ireland (15) 15 (Final Score)
The Wallabies hosted Ireland at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 12:05 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
In a frustrating game to watch, the Wallabies ground out a win against an off-beat Irish side, winning 22 / 15.
All Blacks (13) 29 / Wales (3) 10 (Final Score)
The All Blacks hosted Wales at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The All Blacks victory was never in doubt but many penalties given away by Wales disturbed the running rhytm of the game and scores mostly came from penalties taken. In the end the All Blacks scored 2 converted tries to 1 converted try.
All Blacks won 29 / 10
The Springboks meet the Italian Azuri for the 2nd Test at Buffalo City Stadium, East London on Saturday at 15:00 SA Time.
Both teams have made plenty of changes and both teams do not field their strongest possible sides for this match.
The wobbling Wallabies are taking on Ireland at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 12:05 SA Time.
What will happen this week… will the Wobblies front row crumble again in front of different opponents? Will the Wobblies potent backline save them against a far more potent Irish backline than England could muster?
Saturday morning sees the All Blacks ready to deal Wales a 2nd humiliating defeat at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton. Both teams are showing quite a few changes from the teams who met last week.
The Springboks will once again show their support for the victims of serious and/or catastrophic rugby injuries when they take to the field in Saturday’s Test against Italy in East London wearing the logo of the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund on their shorts.
Italy coach Nick Mallett has made nine changes to the team to face South Africa in the second Test on Saturday.
Fabio Ongaro, Lorenzo Cittadini, Marco Bortolami, Carlo Del Fava, Paul Derbyshire and Manoa Vosawai come into the forward pack and Simone Picone, Michele Sepe and Gonzalo Canale are included in the backline.
All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter threw a scare into his camp on Thursday as he laboured with a calf strain ahead of Saturday’s second rugby Test against Wales.
Although Carter remained on the team sheet following a training session late in the day, the All Blacks selectors have taken the precaution of calling up Luke McAlister as cover if he does pull out.
Lock Danie Rossouw has withdrawn from the Springbok rugby team to face Italy at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Saturday.
Rossouw, who was selected on the bench for the match, suffered a hip flexor injury during training this week and has been withdrawn by the medical team.
At 31 years of age and with almost more injuries than goals scored during the first two weeks of the World Cup, André Pretorius says he still has the hunger for big rugby.
The Western Force have bolstered their squad with the addition of talented back Gene Fairbanks on a two year deal.
It is also reported that they are looking to secure the services of Sias Ebersohn of the Cheetahs to replace Andre Pretorius who never played a game for the Franchise before once again being injured.
Additionally it was announced that Ryan Cross has left the Western Force to join the Waratahs for next season’s Super 15 tournament.
Springbok Earl Rose looks set to continue in the rugby wilderness after the Free State Cheetahs have denied they are looking for him to join them.
This comes after Golden Lions CEO Manie Reyneke confirmed earlier in the week that he had been approached by the Cheetahs for Rose and had expressed an interest in another Springbok – Ashley Johnson as a possible player swop.
Francois Hougaard has recovered from hand surgery following the Super 14 Semi-Final and Super 14-Final and is ready to join the Springboks on their tour to New Zealand.
After a very good Super 14 on the wing for the Bulls, Francois had undergo a hand operation having broken a bone in his hand in the penutimate Super 14 game but notwithstanding the injury completed the Super 14 Final, also scoring a try in the process.
England finished their June tour of Australasia with a 35-28 loss against the New Zealand Maori in Napier on Wednesday.
Wing Hosea Gear scored three of the New Zealand Maori’s four tries. Gear touched down once in the first half, and then twice in the first five minutes of the second half giving the lead the the Maori’s which they never conceded.
The IRB World Rankings saw a dramatic change as 20 countries dropped places and 19 improved their positions as a result of the matches this weekend.
At the top, whilst New Zealand and South Africa recorded victories over Wales and Italy respectively to maintain the top two positions, Australia dropped from third to fourth after suffering a 21-20 defeat to England at the ANZ Stadium.
The All Blacks have made seven changes to their starting line-up for the second Test against Wales in Hamilton on Saturday and star flyhalf Dan Carter remains in doubt.
Ronan O’Gara has been dropped ot the bench for what could be his 100th Test cap in Ireland’s final game of the season against Australia.
Chris Henry will win his first cap for Ireland when he lines out at No.8 in the team to play Australia in Brisbane this Saturday.
Ex Shark and South African Ex-pat, Brad Barrit has been selected for England against the New Zealand Maori team.
Chris Ashton is the only player from the England starting team that beat Australia to be named to face the New Zealand Maori rugby team at Napier.
In general I was not impressed with the Springbok performance in Mordor (Witbank) on Saturday and felt it necessary to bring out my own Rating of the individual Bokke.
Victor Matfield and a few key Bokke are set to be rested for the 2nd Test against the Azuri from Italy in East London.
Eary indications are that John Smit will lead the side in the Test and recalls of Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie, Danie Rossouw and Wynand Olivier as well as the omission of Flip van der Merwe, Alistair Hargreaves and Bandise Maku (who did not travel with the team to East London) indicate that we’ll see a considerably revamped Bokke Team this Saturday.
Western Province and Stormers Senior Professional coach Rassie Erasmus and his lawyer friend Frikkie Erasmus are planning a new tournament of “instant” rugby that will revolutionise the game.
According to a report in the Afrikaans weekly Rapport the tournament, based on the highly success Indian Premier League (20-overs) cricket series, will attract 200 of the world’s leading players.
Nick Mallett, Ex Springbok and Ex Springbok coach and also now the coach of the Azuri made a promise to his Azuri charges that he’d shave his head if the Azuri loses with less than 20 points this past Saturday, so we can expect to see a “New Mallett” for this coming weekend’s clash.
After the 29-13 win by the Springboks against Italy in Witbank on Saturday, Nick said he would stick to his promise to shave off his hair if Italy lost by less than 20 points.
Saturday’s 16 points difference beat the 19 (score 40-21) in 1995 and last year’s 22 (score 32-10).
Mallett indicated that he’s probably sport a beanie on the head when next we see him.
After the high intensity performance against France the previous week and the come-from-behind effort in Cardiff the week before that, the Springboks were probably due the step backwards they took against Italy in Witbank.
Following the Wallabies loss to an average England side and generally 2 poor weeks of Test rugby for them, the Wallabies are looking decidedly frail, a situation which is not helped by the fact that the Wallabie injury list is now fast becomming longer than my arm.
Three key All Blacks were injured in the All Blacks vs Wales game this past Saturday. They are Dan Carter, who had his best Test in a very long time, as well as Israel Dagg and Anthony Boric, who are all likely to miss the second Wales Test.
Considering the result of the 1st Test and considering where SA stands in preparation for the Tri-Nations (and next year’s World Cup), what would constitute a “CLEVER” or “ASTUTE” Run-on Springbok Team for the 2nd Azuri Test.
To make this decision, one needs to look at a few things, namely:
Springboks (22) 29 / Azuri (3) 13 (Final Score)
The Springboks hosted the Italian Azuri team at Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa at 15:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The Springboks won convincingly but rhytm lacked in the 2nd half, specially when too many subs came on.
The most pleasing part of the game was that the Springboks dominated the scrums where Gurthro Steenkamp clearly mastered Martin Castrogiovanni and his replaceent after he went off injured.
Players who enhanced their Springbok futures were Gurthro Steenkamp, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Francois Louw, Dewald Potgieter, Morné Steyn and Zane Kirchner.
Players who did not enhance their Springbok futures were Butch James (who was also awarded a yellow card), Ricky Januarie & Alistair Hargreaves.
The Springboks ran in 4 tries to 1 and the final score was Springboks 29 / 13.
Wallabies (13) 20 / England (15) 21 (Final Score)
Australian Wallabies hosted England at 12:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
England won by 21 / 20 as Matt Giteau costs Australia the game with no less than 4 misses in going for posts, the last of which was a sitter right in front of the posts.
The 2 Test Series between the Wallabies and England end in a 1-all draw.
All Blacks (15) 42 / Wales (9) 9 (Final Score)
The All Blacks hosted Wales in Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The All Blacks were slow out of the blocks in the 1st half and only led by 15 / 9 at halftime, but they turned on the pressure and the scores in the 2nd half to win comfortably in the last game at The House of Pain, before it is demolished to make place for a new stadium with a roof over it.
The All Blacks won by 42 / 9.
Rugby World Cup matches will be broadcast on US network television for the first time after the International Rugby Board announced that NBC Sports and Universal Sports have been awarded the exclusive rights to the 2011 tournament in New Zealand and the 2015 tournament in England.