SA Rugby
Springbok and Toyota Cheetahs flank Heinrich Brüssow has joined the growing exodus of players out of South Africa after signing a contract to further his career in Japan.
Day to day we hear people say “Don’t give Springbok jerseys away” and others say “Give the youngsters a chance to show their mettle”
So, which one of the 2 do you want, make up your flippin minds!
MTN Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to front The Sharks at Ellis Park on Friday evening.
Butch James will play his first game for The Sharks after battling a knee injury, having been named at flyhalf for Friday evening’s SA Franchise Challenge match against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will be given until Friday to prove that he has fully recovered from a sternum injury, which has kept him off the training field thus far this week.
The Springboks face Samoa in the final match of the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. The team shows three changes – all of them in the pack – from the side which beat Scotland by 30-17 in Nelspruit last weekend.
Super Rugby’s newcomers the Southern Kings have announced that their backs and attack coach Brad Mooar, has left the franchise and will be returning to New Zealand for personal reasons.
Bokkies (7) 17 / 18 (6) Wales (Final Score)
South Africa Under 20 and Wales Under 20 did battle in the IRB Rugby World Championship at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 18:15 SA Time (16:15 GMT, 17:15 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
European champions Toulon have Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis firmly in their sights, a French media report indicates.
There are five changes in the starting line-up of the Junior Springboks to play against Wales in the IRB Junior World Championship rugby semi-final in Vannes, France, on Tuesday evening.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is in doubt for Saturday’s final match of the Incoming Series against Samoa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
De Villiers injured his right sterno-clavicular joint and second rib early in last weekend’s victory over Scotland in Nelspruit.
Springbok loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after rupturing ligaments in his knee during the Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Rob Harley has been called into the Scotland squad as injury cover after fellow forward Jim Hamilton returned home to be with his expectant wife.
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson questioned Jim Hamilton’s sin-binning in the defeat by South Africa. The Springboks moved into a second-half lead shortly after Hamilton had been yellow-carded for a push into the face of Eben Etzebeth.
The South Africa President’s XV side has made three changes from the team that defeated Emerging Ireland in round two for Sunday’s decisive clash with Georgia at the Avchala Stadium. Victory for the South Africans will see them claim the inaugural IRB Tbilisi Cup, while Georgia and even Emerging Ireland, who play Uruguay, still have outside claims on the title.
Springboks (6) 30 / 17 (10) Scotland (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Scotland did battle in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 17:15 SA Time (15:15 GMT, 16:15 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Lions (28) 42 / 12 (5) WP (Final Score)
The MTN Lions and a weakened Western Province side did battle in the Lions Challenge at Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
*******************
France (7) 19 / 26 (8) Bokkies (Final Score)
France Under 20 and South Africa Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 Stade Henri Desgrange, La Roche-sur-Yon at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Springboks and Sharks back Meyer Bosman has agreed to leave the Durban based Super Rugby franchise and join Stade Francais in the Top14.
After fielding six debutants in last weekend’s Test against Samoa, Scotland have named three more new caps in their team to play South Africa at Nelspruit on Saturday.
South Africa Under-20 coach, Dawie Theron, has shuffled his team for their vital Pool A match at the IRB Junior World Championship against hosts France on Thursday evening at La Roche-sur-Yon.
The match kicks off at 20:45 and will be televised live on SuperSport and of course we will have our Live Game Article here on Rugby-Talk.
The Springbok team to face Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday shows five changes, three of them on the bench, from the match-23 which beat Italy in the opening round of the Castle Lager Incoming Series last weekend.
The two new players in the starting line-up are scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, who comes in for the injured Jano Vermaak, and loose forward Marcell Coetzee, who replaces Francois Louw.
With Scotland due to play against the Springboks in the second round of matches in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday it seemed like a good time to bring a view from within the Scotland camp. This is part two of Scotland lock Allistair Kellock’s tour blog written as his contribution as RBS Ambassador.
June is a busy time for rugby, and therefore a busy time here on Rugby-Talk. Of course, like has become custom, Rugby-Talk (the premier LIVE GAME RUGBY website) will broadcast and update live scores and up to date commentary on almost all the games, except where some of the Junior World Championship games overlap in their respective time slots and of course on Saturday morning at sparrow-fart (06:50) I will take the indulgence of sleeping through the bore between a Wales “B” side and Japan. Rugby-Talk will have 3 Live Games on Thursday afternoon and evening, 1 on Friday evening and 5 Tests throughout Saturday. This will bring the week’s Live Game Articles on Rugby-Talk to an impressive 11 matches (including the 2 matches already done this past Tuesday).
Here’s the Rugby you can look forward to the rest of this week, till and including the weekend. Rugby starts tomorrow late afternoon when there is a series of IRB Junior World Championship 2013 matches, including a late game between hosts France and South Africa’s Under 20 teams.
Yes, I’ve deliberately inverted the WP Logo, for disrespecting the Lions
WP coach John Dobson has named his team to take on the Lions in a friendly at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday. Kick-off is at 19:00.
One of 2 things must happen as a result of the Western Cape deciding not so send their Super Rugby side, but rather a WP “No-Namers Side” consisting of a mix of Vodacom Cup and Under 21 players, to face the Golden Lions. Either the Golden Lions must go on and man-shame WP for daring to disrespect the Lions so much and at the same time proving that the Lions are indeed still a team with Super Rugby quality. Alternatively, if the Lions do not manage to win against this mottley crew, they must lose and lose well, so that it is clear for all and sundry to see that the final demise of the Lions is imminent.
Although the Springbok side will officially be announced later today, Wednesday 12 June, it appears from the way the team is training that the likelyhood is that Heyneke Meyer will only change players in the positions where injury and absense due to other duties are forcing his hand.
News from the Springbok camp in Hazyview is that Francois Louw has been released early this week, to concentrate on his wedding, which takes place on Sunday. He will rejoin the Springbok camp again on Monday.
Meanwhile Francois Hougaard, who was sent to Pretoria to see a specialist following a knee cartlidge injury flare-up, and told to sit out for 2 weeks till re-evaluation, will be replaced by Louis Screuder, the Stormers scrumhalf.
Former Saracens boss Brendan Venter will take up the position as Director of Rugby at the Sharks from the beginning of the Currie Cup season.
Western Province have included three Stormers fringe players in their squad to face the Golden Lions in a friendly clash on Johannesburg on Friday evening.
The announcement of the Scotland squad to face the Springboks in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday has been delayed due to a spate of injuries picked up by Scotland players in last Saturday’s bruising encounter against Samoa in Durban.
This week the Springboks are in camp at Hazyview, where they are preparing for a game against Scotland on the weekend.
Scotland, as we know, have some players out on tour with the British & Irish Lions and have additionally sent a considerably weakened side to South Africa this June. Testament to this was when they lost, for the first time, to Samoa on Saturday in Durban.
Is this then not the ideal time for South Africa to see EXACTLY where they stand as far as depth is concerned, as well as to give some players the time to get back to form after reduced game time or poor Super Rugby form? When will a golden opportunity like this, to experiment properly, again present itself?
If Heyneke Meyer has the conviction to choose players in his Springbok group, does it not then follow that he must have the conviction and the will to play these players against weaker opposition?
Bokkies (21) 31 / 24 (7) England (Final Score)
South Africa Under 20 and England Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship at Stade Henri Desgrange, La Roche-sur-Yon at 16:45 SA Time (15:45 BST, 14:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 & SHD on TV in SA.
*******************
Nick Mallett has reportedly turned down an offer from the Sharks to take over the coaching reins from John Plumtree.
Following the injury to Jano Vermaak, the Toyota Cheetahs scrumhalf Piet van Zyl has been called up to the Springbok squad in Mpumalanga.
Springboks (20) 44 / 10 (0) Italy (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Azzurri from Italy did battle in the castle Incoming Series in South Africa at Kings Park at 17:15 SA Time (15:15 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Scotland (9) 17 / 27 (14) Samoa (Final Score)
Scotland and Samoa did battle in the Castle Incoming Tours series in South Africa at Kings Park, Durban at 14:15 SA Time (12:15 GMT, 13:15 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************