Super Rugby
John Plumtree, the coach of the Sharks, has named his squad to take on the Southern Kings.
This side is starting to look more and more like the likely starting lineup with wich the Sharks plan to launch their Super Rugby campaign of 2012.
The only notable variances WILL come at looseforward, where the Sharks regular captain of the season, Keegan Daniel, is only playing from the bench.
In Keegan’s absense, fiery hooker, Bismarck du Plessis leads the side as captain for the day.
Former France international Sebastien Chabal has announced that he will play Super Rugby for an Australian team in the very near future.
Lions coach John Mitchell has included playmaker flyhalf Elton Jantjies in the team to take on the Southern Kings in a warm-up match in George on Tuesday.
It is agonising to watch the South African Rugby Union (Saru) wrestle with what might appear a most complex solution to including the Eastern Cape in Super Rugby. Yet the solution to this is extraordinarily simple, delivering a non-conflict remedy that would otherwise decimate South African rugby to the benefit and advantage of the Kiwis, Australians and England (especially England, hosts of the Rugby World Cup in 2015).
New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw has begun running again following foot surgery but does not expect to be available for the Crusaders’ Super Rugby campaign until at least April.
PUMA® has unveiled a dramatic new Away kit that the Vodacom Bulls rugby team will sport in the Vodacom Super Rugby 2012 competition. The striking colour marks a significant image shift for the Vodacom Bulls and is inspired by the purple Jacaranda trees that characterise their hometown Pretoria.
There were surprises aplenty as Naka Drotske announced his 30 man squad, for the 2012 Super Rugby tournament.
The biggest surprise will no doubt be the ommission of veteran stalwart Ryno Barnes, the Griquas hooker, he was surprisingly usurped by Hercu Liebenberg, younger brother of Stormers hooker, Tiaan.
Other surprise ommissions were Johan Wessels, with Justin Downey doing enough to get the nod. Riaan “True Blue” Smit, makes way for Boland import Willie le Roux, and not surprisingly, Phillip Burger makes way for Cameron Jacobs.
This is the 1st Article dealing with the MTN Lions Super Rugby squad contenders for Super Rugby 2012.
With the commencement of the Super Rugby competition less that 2 weeks away, it’s time to take a look at the Lions squad and the players we can expect to see, as well as those that are on the fringes.
Today, the Props.
The 1st and Article in the set discussing the Sharks Super Rugby players for 2012.
In this Article we look at the contenders for PROPS in the Sharks 2012 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
The Sharks have high aspirations for 2012 and it appears they have the squad and depth to match those aspirations.
The Lions have announced their team to face the Southern Kings in a compulsory friendly in Port Elizabeth Tuesday evening at 18h00.
Whilst the backline has a familiar ring to it, there a couple of surprises in the pack and on the bench.
This is the 2nd last warm-up game the Lions will play prior to the start of Super Rugby 2012, the next being a warm-up against the Cheetahs this weekend.
A 0 / B 0
A and B do battle in the Second Quarter Final in Wellington at 09:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ Time).
This is the live match discussion Article.
The match is broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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This despite on Thursday announcing a three-year multimillion-rand sponsorship deal from property firm Redefine.
South Africa’s five Super Rugby franchises have threatened to boycott the 2013 Super Rugby season if any of the current five teams are excluded from the competition.
Bulls (16) 39 / Cheetahs (9) 16 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in a Warm-up match in preparation for Super Rugby at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane at 17:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 2 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Former Springboks Rugby World Cup-winning coach Jake White has suddenly discovered why Australian teams have only occasionally won the Super Rugby tournament. It adds up to a shortage of numbers and an uneven playing field.
Veteran Wallaby lock Nathan Sharpe announced on Friday he will quit all competitive rugby at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a career that has seen him play 101 times for Australia.
Golden Lions Rugby Union president Kevin De Klerk has made it clear that no South African Super Rugby franchises would be prepared to merge ahead of the Southern Kings’ involvement in the tournament in 2013.
Sharks coach, John Plumtree, has named his team to take on the Boland Kavaliers on Friday evening 10 February 2012 at 19:00.
Again JP Pietersen is used at outside centre whilst Frederic Michalak is used as scrumhalf.
In the past, some South Africans may have lamented an uneven balance of power, perhaps suggesting that their Conference was a drie perdewedren (three horse race), but on evidence of the last two months there will be a brutal dogfight amongst the five teams from the Republic this year.
From the Queensland Reds fairy-tale maiden championship win – defying their devastating floods and years of bottom table finishes – to the Brumbies Annus Horribilis, to the historic inclusion of the Melbourne Rebels; it was certainly a season to remember for the Australian Conference last season.
The warm glow that New Zealand rugby fans hold as they reflect on their status as World Champions will mean that there will be high hopes that the most successful country in the history of Super Rugby will add to their ten titles.
Exciting midfielder Johann Sadie will make his debut for the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday after being named in the side that will play the Cheetahs in a friendly match in the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Allister Coetzee has surprised somewhat by naming Bryan Habana to play at outside centre for the DHL Stormers against the Kings this weekend in the compulsory friendly games against the Kings as well as in preparation for Super Rugby 2012.
Jean de Villiers will captain the side in the absense of Schalk Burger, who attended the Laureus Awards in Europe.
All in all not the strongest Stormers side and there should still be a few tweaks before Super Rugby proper starts. Players who should make the final Super Rugby squad still missing includes the likes of Dewaldt Duvenage, Schalk Burger and Juan de Jongh.
Lions first-choice hooker Bandise Maku will be sidelined for some time after having surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, leaving Martin Bezuidenhout and Callie Visagie to wrestle over the No.2 jersey.
The referees for the first 6 weeks of Super Rugby in 2012 has been announced by SANZAR.
Some interesting appointments indeed.
Let the games begin!
Here’s a Schedule as well as the official Statement, as received via Media Release.
The Cheetahs will travel to Polokwane, to face an expected full strength Bulls team in the last warm-up.
The match take place on Saturday.
The Cheetahs will look to test a couple of players, who have played more of a role off the bench, as Naka and his merry men, fine tune their team.
This match will be televised on SuperSport, which is a step in the right direction after they got their priorities all wrong in broadcasting the Stormers vs Boland game, but failing to broadcast the much more meaningful warm-up matches between the Lions vs Stormers, and Cheetahs vs Stormers!
Who knows, this comes out after the New Age report from last week. If de Klerk ever loses his job, I strongly suggest he offers his c.v. to the Fire Department, he spends his life at the Lions putting out fires – would fit in perfectly! As to the heading, any guesses to who KdK may be out of the Magic Roundabout gang?
There is continuing speculation that he will be part of Heyneke Meyer’s new management team, but Rassie Erasmus would still be involved with Western Province were it not for the interference from elected officials that eventually prompted him to quit as director of rugby in an attempt to ease the pressure on the other coaches.
SuperSport
As per my comment in the live thread, not a great game, but according to both coaches a good day at the office, and preparations for the Start of the Super 15 well on track.
Stormers 14 / Cheetahs 22 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in a warm-up game in preparation for the impending Super Rugby competition of 2012 at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article, our man in the Press Box for the match was Just For Kicks.
(The match was NOT BROADCAST on TV)
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On a dry and mild west coast evening in front of a near capacity crowd of 4000 at Rugby Park, Greymouth, the Crusaders’ 2012 campaign got off to a flying start in front of their faithful.
It’s late on Friday night, and it’s been a hard week… far too hard…
But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, tomorrow there’s good rugby on… and on Sunday too.. and as an added bonus Monday is Varsity Cup time!
The question is, are you prepared?
Is the biltong bought?
Is the beers, or in my case the Jerepico and sletsappies, cold?
Is your SuperBru picks done, and have you seen to it that you have been approved in your Pools?
In the case of the latter, make sure you are a registered Rugby-Talker, otherwise I cannot approve you in the Rugby-Talk SIX Nations SuperBru pool, or in the Rugby-Talk Varsity Cup 2012 pool.. or for that matter in the Rugby-Talk Super Rugby 2012 pool.
Come on, get cracking!
People in the Rugby-Talk SIX Nations pool who have not made their picks yet are: KingPaul, SuperBul, Bono, Blue Bird, Mayhem & Loosehead
People in the Rugby-Talk SIX Nations pool who have not yet been accepted in the pool due to non-registration at Rugby-Talk are: Stormy, Johnny Walker & Geniusboywonder
Some coaches dismiss pre-season matches as insignificant. The Bulls embrace them as a vital part of their campaign.
The Stormers and Cheetahs will enter the next, crucial phase of their Super Rugby pre-season build-up when they meet at Newlands on Saturday.
The 8th and last Article in the set discussing the Vodacom Bulls.
In this Article we look at the contenders for the BACK THREE (Wings & Fullbacks) in the Vodacom Bulls 2012 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.