Player Movements
Wales captain Sam Warburton must undergo immediate surgery after dislocating his right shoulder.
Wales have never faced South Africa in the north-eastern city of Nelspruit, but judging by the blank they have drawn everywhere else in the land of the Springboks, they must already be fearing the worst – especially as Sam Warburton, their captain, has been ruled out of this summer’s two-Test tour.
Edinburgh Rugby yesterday announced the signing of Scotland 7s and under-20 starlet centre Chris Dean on a two-year deal.
A former pupil of Law Primary School and Edinburgh Academy, Dean lifted the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools’ Cup in three consecutive seasons: in 2009 (under-15) and as under-18 captain in 2010 and 2011.
He has represented Scotland at every age-grade, and skippered Scotland under-17 through the Wellington Festival in 2011, before his development was fast-tracked on a Scotland 7s elite development player (EDP) contract in May 2012.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has dropped a selection bomb by axing star loose forward Pieter Labuschagne ahead of the Super Rugby Round 6 encounter with the Blues on Saturday.
Drotské made a number of changes to the team – all surprising selection – as the men from Bloemfontein look to end their losing streak on tour.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named Sampie Mastriet on the wing and Dewald Potgieter as No 8 in his team to play Cell C Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Both players will make their first appearance in the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament this year. Mastriet comes into the team in place of Akona Ndungane after a highly productive stint with the Springbok Sevens team and Potgieter joined up with the team following a season with his Japanese club Yamaha Jubilo and will take the place of Jono Ross.
The return of uncompromising All Black lock Brad Thorn has boosted the Highlanders ahead of their Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes in Dunedin.
Thorn is back from a rib injury to start at lock in place of fellow All Black Jarrad Hoeata.
The Reds’ hopes of grabbing a win while in South Africa were dealt a blow as two players left for home with injuries, one of them serious.
Lock Eben Etzebeth, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, should be ready to play for the Springboks in June.
The 22-year-old said he is hoping to return to action when the Stormers tackle the Sharks in Durban on 31 May. That would be the Cape side’s third last Super Rugby league match.
Lions centre Dylan des Fountain has been forced to retire from professional rugby due to a knee injury.
Stormers coach, Allister Coetzee, has made 5 changes to his team to take on the Brumbies this weekend. Peter Grant makes his return to the starting 15 to claim his 93rd cap.
The Vodacom Bulls will return former captain Dewald Potgieter to the starting line-up immediately in order to win Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Cell C Sharks.
The crucial fortnight that lies ahead can make or break their campaign, and a win against the Sharks will go a long way to bringing the team back into the race for the South African conference.
The Brumbies injury list continues to grow with coach Stephen Larkham ruling out Wallaby prop Scott Sio and lock Leon Power for Saturdays match up with the Stormers.
Waratahs star Kurtley Beale admits he has extra motivation for the game against the Rebels on Friday – the team that got rid of him last year.
While Beale says his rematch against his old side does mean more to him than a regular Super Rugby match, he vowed not to get caught up in settling scores with the Rebels.
The 39-cap Wallaby says he’s moved on from being released by the Rebels, and expects his former teammates have done the same.
Wallabies backrower Ben McCalman’s birthday celebrations were soured on Tuesday when he received a two-week ban for a dangerous tackle in the Super Rugby competition.
The inspirational Western Force No 8 was cited for a spear, or ‘tip’, tackle on Otago Highlanders prop Kame Hames in the 73rd minute of his team’s 31-29 victory in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Lions have issued a media release concerning injuries sustained during the weekend’s Super Rugby encounter against the Blues as well as the Vodacom Cup match against the Valke.
The Cheetahs’ tour troubles deepened on Monday when it was confirmed that another injured player will return home.
Backline coach Hawies Fourie told this website, in an interview from the team’s training base in Auckland, that burly centre Francois Venter will return to Bloemfontein.
Former Springbok captain Victor Matfield’s role ahead of this year’s international season has taken on vital importance, especially with the season-ending injury to Cell C Sharks player Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Matfield, who starred in the Vodacom Bulls’ win over the Blues a fortnight ago, will now feature even more prominently in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s plans for the upcoming season, especially with the dearth of five locks around the country at the moment.
Former Vodacom Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter, who left Loftus Versfeld under a cloud after the Bulls defeat to the Brumbies in last year’s Vodacom Super Rugby semifinal, is set to make a welcome return to the team ahead of this weekend’s match against the Sharks.
The injury-depleted Stormers could be forced to play regular No 8 Duane Vermeulen at lock in their Super Rugby clash against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday, according to reports.
De Kock Steenkamp has picked up a groin injury and is likely to be sidelined for a while.
Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen has received good news after seeing a specialist over his injured neck.
Prolific try scorer Seabelo Senatla returns to the South African squad for the next two tournaments of the IRB Sevens World Series – in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
However, playmaker Cecil Afrika will miss the trip to the Far East because of a troublesome hamstring.
Steven Hunt replaces Afrika, while Senatla comes in for Sampie Mastriet, who is on Super Rugby duty with the Bulls, for the two changes to the 12-man squad that lost to New Zealand in the Wellington Cup Final last month.
Chiefs centre Robbie Fruean will undergo a third heart procedure and be sidelined from Super Rugby for up to eight weeks.
The 25-year-old, who has come close to All Blacks selection in recent seasons, underwent open heart surgery in 2009 after a bout of rheumatic fever caused pancarditis, or inflammation of the heart.
The Brumbies were left counting the cost of their impressive 28-23 win over the Waratahs in an all-Australian Super Rugby derby at the weekend.
Wing Henry Speight is facing six weeks on the sideline with a fractured jaw and lock Leon Power is also in doubt of being a long-term absenmtee after injuring his knee.
The Blues are expect to welcome back a couple of All Blacks for their return home, when they face the Cheetahs in a Super Rugby Round Six match on Saturday.
Midfielder Ma’a Nonu is expected to be available, while loose forward Jerome Kaino is also due to be ready.
Having finally secured back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly three years on Saturday, perennial Super Rugby cellar dwellers the Western Force have a mountain to climb if they are to make it three in a row.
Not only do the Force welcome the Waikato Chiefs to Perth next weekend but they are almost certain to take on the Super Rugby champions without their inspirational No 8 Ben McCalman.
McCalman was cited for a spear tackle on Otago Highlanders prop Kame Hames in the 72nd minute of the Force’s 31-29 victory in Dunedin on Saturday.
Wales captain Sam Warburton is set to miss the rest of the European season and the tour of South Africa after suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder injury against Scotland.
Back-row forward Warburton completed Wales’ record 51-3 rout of Scotland in their Six Nations finale at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Brian O’Driscoll wants the emotion of his final Test to propel Ireland to the Six Nations title in Paris on Saturday.
Ireland’s points difference of 81 is likely to mean any win over France will seal their first title since 2009, but England and France could deny them.
De Kock Steenkamp has become the Stormers latest casualty, as the struggling team’s second row resources are stretched to the limit.
Steenkamp suffered groin injury in his team’s 20-36 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday – a result that saw the men from Cape Town drop to second from last on the standings, just above the winless Hurricanes.
Highlanders’ wing Buxton Popoali’i has announced his retirement from all rugby.
The popular Highlanders and Otago wing has recently undergone heart surgery to fix a heart valve.
Pieter-Steph du Toit underwent a scan to his knee yesterday with the disappointing news that he sustained an ACL injury and will be out for the remainder of the year.
The Sharks were dealt a cruel blow in the build-up top their Super Rugby encounter with the Reds on Saturday.
Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has been ruled out of the Round Five clash, following a training ground mishap on Thursday.
Wales, France, Ireland, England, Scotland and Italy have named thie teams for the weekend’s Six Nations action.
Wales named 6 changes in their side for the clash against Scotland.
France made 4 changes to their side, including bringing back Gael Fickou, for their clash against Ireland on the weekend.
Ireland made just 1 change to their side to face France.
England made no changes to their starting side and has made only 1 change on the bench, bringing back Manusamoa Tuilagi in the place of Alex Goode, for their clash with Italy in Rome.
After initially only naming the forwards and sweating over the composition of his backline, Scotland coach, Scott Johnson, has named his backline, with Edinburgh winger Dougie Fife winning his first cap.
Italy coach, Jacques Brunel, has made 3 changes to the Italy side, to face England, with Sergio Parisse returning to the fold and leading the team.
The Bulls are reportedly eager to attain the services of Springbok and Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen.
The 21-year-old’s contract with the Cheetahs expires on 31 October this year and it appears the Cheetahs will have their hands full to convince him to stay in Bloemfontein.
The International Rugby Board clamped down on foul play in the Pacific Cup tournament this week.
Four players from Samoa were handed bans for various acts of foul play.
Five players from the Samoa A team were cited, following the Pacific Cup match between Argentina Pampas and Samoa A in Canberra on Tuesday (11 March).
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has made several changes to the run on team to face the Blues at Ellis Park on Saterday.
Marnitz Boschoff reverts to Flyhalf, and there are starts for Willie Britz and Robbie Coetzee among the forwards.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has named his side to take on the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.
The coach made a few changes to his backline after last week’s 43-33 loss to the Reds in Brisbane.