SA Rugby
The recall of a fit-again Handré Pollard, first starts to William Small-Smith and David Bullbring and returns for Sampie Mastriet and Marcel van der Merwe highlights the Vodacom Blue Bulls team announcement ahead of their Absa Currie Cup clash against GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
In all, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made six changes to his starting line-up, with Jurgen Visser also returning at fullback and Clayton Blommetjies dropping to the bench.
The Springboks are once again likely to field a match-day squad on Saturday liberally sprinkled with overseas-based players … but SARU has reiterated its green light for coach Heyneke Meyer’s approach to the matter.
South Africa tackle Australia in The Rugby Championship at Newlands (17:00) and the Springbok match 23, to be revealed later on Wednesday, is likely to feature at least seven players already based with foreign clubs and another, Zane Kirchner, who very shortly dons a Leinster jersey.
Springbok tourist Raymond Rhule is one of four players who felt the wrath of Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské axe.
The Cheetahs host defending champions Western Province in a crucial Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Springbok Johan Goosen’s hopes of a comeback for the year-end tour has been dashed.
The 21-year-old has undergone surgery to remove an inflamed appendix.
Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis is set to play his 50th Test which will see him and brother Bismarck achieve a special milestone.
Jannie du Plessis and flyhalf Morné Steyn will play their 50th Tests for the Springboks when they tackle Australia’s Wallabies at Newlands on Saturday.
Ali Williams says he enjoyed being on the same side as South African Bakkies Botha for a change, having locked horns with the giant former Springbok on numerous occasions for club and country.
Springboks and former national team captains were united in predicting that the new Springbok Experience rugby museum would be a major success after it opened its doors to the public at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for the first time on Tuesday.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers was the first official visitor to the new attraction closely followed by the rest of the Springbok squad and former national team captains, all of whom were ‘wowed’ by the world-class new installation – before the doors were thrown open to the public at the sounding of the noon gun.
In a Springbok medical update, it still seems as though some players are still recovering from minor niggles as a result of the last test against the All Blacks.
The resignations of head coach Pote Human and Abre Minnie have been confirmed by Griqualand West Rugby Union.
Both these members will be leaving Griquas at the end of the 2013 Currie Cup season.
Defending champions DHL Western Province have received a big boost ahead of Friday evening’s Absa Currie Cup away clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs with the return of fit-again forwards Deon Fourie and Schalk Burger.
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend strengthened their chances of home semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas continued their struggle to make their presence felt.
With only three pool rounds remaining the Sharks and Western Province need only two more log points to cement their semifinal places, while the Blue Bulls and Griquas face a daunting task to sneak into the semifinals after each side managed to secure only a bonus point this weekend.
Probably the most biased rugby writer in world rugby, Spiro Zavos (writes for the Sydney Morning Herald), has described Springbok Rugby as “Thugby”.
Come on Spiros, I have a special toffee that I would like to show you in person… this is a family website, after all.
Anybody who takes Spiros’ ramblings with more than a pinch of salt, lowers him or herself to the lowest COMMON (pun intended) denominator. The man is a legend… in his own mind only!
Come on Spiros, surely you are better than that…
DHL Western Province have probably lost Juan de Jongh for their next two matches after the centre was called up by the Springboks on Sunday, but they should be significantly boosted for Friday’s crucial Absa Currie Cup clash with the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
WP were set back before their match against the GWK Griquas at Newlands at the start of the weekend by the late withdrawal of big blindside flanker Rynhardt Elstadt.
The Sharks revelled in their ‘best performance of the season’ after thrashing the Free State Cheetahs to climb top of the Currie Cup table in Durban on Saturday.
Both forwards coach Brad Macleod-Henderson and captain Keegan Daniel hailed the seven-try, 50-26 bonus-point win as the Durban side’s best performance to date.
Lourens Adriaanse has signed a two year deal with the Sharks.
The EP Kings, SWD Eagles and Leopards this weekend all booked their semifinal berths in the Absa Currie Cup First Division alongside log-leaders, the Steval Pumas, with one pool round remaining.
Springbok Coach Heyneke Meyer has recalled two players into the Springbok group for the final two matches of The Rugby Championship against the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
Pieter-Steph du Toit(Sharks) and Juan de Jongh(WP) are the two players who find themselves in the Springbok group for the final stages of The Rugby Championship. Continue reading
Golden Lions (13) 35 / 26 (7) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (26) 50 / 26 (16) FS Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Sharks and Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Kings Park, Durban at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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WP (6) 19 / 13 (10) Griquas (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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As we enter Round 7 of the 2013 Currie Cup, WP is setting the pace at the top of the Log, with 20 Log points. The Griquas find themselves in last place with 9 Log points.
A win for the Shark and Western Province this weekend could almost assure them of a semi final spot, in this scenario the Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions and Blue Bulls are still fighting for the last two spots. A loss for the Griquas this weekend could see them remain in last position.
Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis says “even now it feels unreal” that he picked up two yellow cards and an automatic red, which reduced the Boks to 14 men for much of last weekend’s Rugby Championship defeat to the All Blacks in Auckland.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has made several changes to the team that lost 26-23 to the Cheetahs last week.
Ruan Pienaar seems to be the latest interest for French side Toulon.
According to reports from France it seems that Toulon is chasing Pienaar’s signiture.
Steve Hansen will be taking charge of the Barbarian side that will face Fiji at Twickenham later this year.
All this hand wringing and cries of foul because the French ref Romain Poite, in this past Saturday’s game, sunk South Africa’s chances of winning in Eden Park Auckland, since 1937 needs a rethink.
As fans whose emotions are fueled by the learned and very emotional commentators and animated in studio television presenters, we need to make a far more calculated observation on this, as South Africa is now playing at the highest level of international sports and all occasions and events need to be anticipated, rehearsed, with a number of options planned to give South Africa the advantage.
Cheetahs lock Lood de Jager has recovered from a concussion to take his place in the team to face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The young De Jager, who made a big impression in Super Rugby this year, replaces Teboho Mohoje in the only change to the side that beat the Golden Lions last week.
Two more Southern Kings players have decided to make their futures elsewhere, bringing the tally to 10 so far. Cornell du Preez will join Solly (Alan Solomons) in Edinburgh, and Nicolas Vergallo will join French club, Lyon.
The players who have now already left the Southern Kings are: Nicolas Vergallo, Cornell du Preez, Daniel Adongo, Waylon Murray, Bandise Maku, Jacques Engelbrecht, David Bulbring, SP Marais, Wesley Dunlop and Dimetri Catrakilis. Alan Solomons of course has also jumped ship to Edinburgh.
Bismarck du Plessis is not likely to start when the Springboks name their side to face the Wallabies in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match at Newlands on September 28.
Du Plessis, who has faced a torrid week after being incorrectly red-carded by French referee Romain Poite in Auckland last weekend, is set to be on the bench when the Boks resume their chase for the title next week.
Plagued by injuries to key players, GWK Griquas coach Pote Human was forced to reshuffle his starting line-up for the Absa Currie Cup encounter against DHL Western Province at Newlands on Friday evening.
Utility forward Carel Greeff has been ruled out for the next couple of weeks after he broke his hand in Griquas’ home game against the Sharks last weekend in Kimberley.
The return of Absa Currie Cup record try scorer Bjorn Basson will boost the Vodacom Blue Bulls ahead of their Absa Currie Cup match against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Basson, who holds the record for most Currie Cup tries in a season, has been released by the Springboks for this match and will start on the left wing, where he replaces Sampie Mastriet.
The Stormers are looking to bolster their second row stocks by signing Argentine lock Manuel Carizza for next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Apparently the Capetonians are busy negotiating a deal with the 29-year-old.
All Black flank Liam Messam has hit back at Springbok fans after a barrage of criticism in reaction to a tweet he posted.
Messam upset South Africans when he took to Twitter following the All Blacks’ controversial 29-15 Rugby Championship win over the Boks in Auckland last Saturday.
The South African Rugby Union has spiritedly knocked back suggestions that it did not take a powerful enough stance following the “Bismarck du Plessis affair” in the Castle Rugby Championship Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Auckland.
The Springbok hooker has subsequently had his controversial red card, issued by French referee Romain Poite at Eden Park on Saturday, erased by a SANZAR judicial officer, and he is clear to represent the country against the Wallabies if chosen at Newlands on Saturday week.
But some domestic critics and fans have raged that it is “too little too late” as the dismissal of Du Plessis badly dented the Boks’ prospects of winning at their long-time bogey venue; the All Blacks eventually won 29-15.
The Barbarians have confirmed that Schalk Burger will join Springbok captain Jean de Villiers in the team to take on Fiji at Twickenham in November.
The World Cup-winning Springbok flank has been sidelined through injury and illness since the start of last year, but it appears he is set to make his return to the international stage in what will be his fourth appearance for the Barbarians.