Internationals
The South Africa Under-20 team to face the United States in their first match of the IRB Junior World Championship 2013 has been named.
Vodacom Blue Bulls forward Ruan Steenkamp will captain the side from the back of the scrum in the number eight jersey.
Some very good rugby right througout the week this week… clear your schedules!
Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira has overcome his heart condition and is relishing the opportunity to wear the green and gold again when South Africa tackles Italy at Kings Park on Saturday.
The British and Irish Lions will encounter a weaker than expected Western Force team in their first match in Australia, the Perth-based side naming an inexperienced line-up on Tuesday with an eye on the weekend’s Super Rugby clash.
Wingers Corey Brown and Dane Haylett-Petty, centres Chris Tuatara-Morrison and Ed Stubbs, hooker James Hilterbrand and fullback Sam Christie were all selected to start Wednesday’s clash at the Subiaco Oval, the six combining for just 20 Super Rugby appearances between them.
Scotland will field three new caps in their team for Saturday’s international against Samoa in Durban, the first of their three games in the Castle Lager Incoming Series. The debutants are 24-year-old Edinburgh Rugby full-back Greig Tonks and the Glasgow Warriors duo, centre Alex Dunbar, 23 and hooker Pat MacArthur, 26.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn has been called up to the Springbok squad currently preparing for the Castle Lager Incoming Series in Durban.
Ebersohn’s inclusion follows uncertainty over the availability of midfielders Jean de Villiers (mild hamstring strain) and JJ Engelbrecht (quad contusion), while Juan de Jongh has already been ruled out of Saturday’s Test against Italy because of a finger injury.
Former Varsity Cup-winning Maties head coach and a current member of SARU’s High Performance Mobi-unit, Chean Roux, has been added to the Springbok Team Management in the role of Performance Analyst.
It won’t all be plain sailing for Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer as on Monday he begins the buildup to Saturday’s first test match of the season against Italy in Durban.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has announced his Springbok squad for the 2013 June Internationals.
The surprise inclusions are Lourens Adriaanse, Trevor Nyakane and Bjorn Basson.
The surprise omissions are Raymond Rhule, Robert Ebersohn, Ryan Kankowski and Elton Jantjies.
Nine uncapped players, six of whom have not been part of the national set-up before, have been included in a 34-man Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series involving Italy, Samoa and Scotland later this month.
Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll will captain the British and Irish Lions in their first tour game in Australia, against Western Force in Perth on Wednesday.
The 23-man team contains eight new Lions.
Dan Carter heads a string of injured All Blacks less than a week from the first Test against France, with coach Steve Hansen unable to confirm Monday if his star playmaker would take the field.
X-rays have revealed Carter cracked a bone in his right hand during the Crusaders’ 23-22 win over the Waratahs in a Super Rugby match last Friday.
Billy Vunipola scored a six-minute hat-trick as England completed their preparations for the Test series against Argentina with 41-21 victory over a South American XV.
Kieran Read was named as the captain of a 32-man All Blacks squad including six new faces to face France in the upcoming series.
Injuries to key players have forced Wallabies coach Robbie Deans to make three changes to his preliminary squad to play the the British and Irish Lions.
Deans had to seek replacements following injuries to wing Digby Ioane, lock Sitaleki Timani and flank Scott Higginbotham.
Saracens and Barbarians hooker Schalk Brits has been slapped with a three week ban for punching his Saracens team mate Owen Farrell in the British & Irish Lions’ tour opener in Hong Kong.
Lions (23) 59 / 8 (3) Barbarians (Final Score)
The British & Irish Lions and Barbarians did battle in the 1st game of the B & I Lions Tour 2013 at Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
at 13:30 SA Time (19:30 Hong Kong Time, 12:30 UK Time, 11:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 5 & SHD 3 on TV in SA.
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Seven players will make their first senior starts for England against the Sudamerica XV in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Sunday (19:30 BST – British Summer Time; 20:30 South African Time).
A well-prepared South Africa Under-20 team leave for France on Thursday where they will defend their Junior World Championship title.
After six months’ planning and three weeks’ training, coach Warren Gatland finally begins his British and Irish Lions adventure in earnest on Saturday with what should be a gentle opening match against the Barbarians to open the 125th anniversary tour.
Samoan coach Stephen Betham has been left scrambling to field a fully fit team against the Lions in their challenge match at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Warren Gatland has named 17 new British & Irish Lions in his 23 strong matchday squad to tackle the Barbarians in the opening game of the 125th anniversary tour in Hong Kong on Saturday.
Italy captain Sergio Parisse said he wanted to give the British and Irish Lions an early taste of pressure after being named to lead the Barbarians side in Saturday’s encounter in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Heyneke Meyer feared he had ruined Tom Youngs’ career when he persuaded the Englishman to switch from centre to hooker. The Springbok coach can probably rest easy now.
The South African Rugby Union has confirmed that Rohan Janse van Rensburg will replace his Blue Bulls team mate Jan Serfontein in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the Junior World Championship (JWC).
The British and Irish Lions have arrived in Hong Kong ahead of a month-long tour of Australia where they will seek their first Test series victory in 16 years.
All Blacks centre Conrad Smith has revealed that he will miss New Zealand’s European tour in November and take a sabbatical after the Rugby Championship.
How will Heyneke Meyer fare in 2013?
Well there are a lot of surprises in the mid-year appointments this year, and I’m not sure how much can be read into them.
Vern Cotter is to become Scotland’s next head coach – but at present will not be available until his contract with Clermont Auvergne ends in 2014. Unless an early release is negotiated for the New Zealander, Scott Johnson will remain head coach until next June.
Ulster and Ireland hooker Rory Best has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad for their tour to Australia, which begins with a trip to Hong Kong to face the Barbarians next Saturday.
The All Blacks suffered a blow for their Test series next month against France as senior lock Sam Whitelock has been ruled out due to injury.
Stuart Lancaster may have unearthed a few sparkling young diamonds in the Twickenham turf as his new boys shone brightly during England’s 40-12 demolition of the Barbarians on Sunday.
Clermont scrumhalf Morgan Parra has been ruled out of France’s tour to New Zealand next month, the national side said on Sunday.
Dylan Hartley will miss out on this year’s British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. The Northampton Saints captain was sent off yesterday during the Aviva Premiership Final against Leicester Tigers at Twickenham.