The Rugby Championship
Australia hooker Stephen Moore injured a hamstring in training on Thursday, making him a doubt for Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Perth.
All Black flyhalf Daniel Carter has been withdrawn from the team to face Argentina in Wellington this Saturday, having suffered a calf strain.
DHL Western Province No 8 Duane Vermeulen will make his Springbok debut against Australia in Perth on Saturday, in South Africa’s third test in The Rugby Championship for 2012.
It is not only the Vodacom Bulls, who feel pretty in pink, the All Blacks do too!
The Pink Brigade have infiltrated the All Blacks and Israel Dagg is chuffed.
In the week leading up to a big game it’s unusual for the two opposing teams to come together off the field, but on Wednesday 5 September members of the Qantas Wallabies and Springboks squads will be getting together for a South African style big BRAAI.
Argentina have named their Pumas team to play New Zealand’s All Blacks in Wellington this weekend with two changes to the team that drew with South Africa.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has named his Australia team to play South Africa’s Springboks in Perth this weekend with Kurtley Beale returning to the starting line up.
Robbie Deans has brought in five players to an extended Australia squad for the Rugby Championship clash with South Africa.
Captain Jean de Villiers says the Springboks need to learn from their mistakes as they prepare for the Australasia leg of their Rugby Championship campaign.
DHL Western Province No 8 Duane Vermeulen and Toyota Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen are the two uncapped players that have been added to the Springbok squad for the Australasian leg of The Castle Rugby Championship.
The squad of 28 for Tests against Australia in Perth (September 8) and New Zealand in Dunedin (September 15), was finalised on Wednesday.
Apart from the inclusion of Vermeulen and Goosen, there were recalls for DHL Western Province midfielder Juan de Jongh as well as loose forward Francois Louw, who has captained Bath in England.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has come out in defence of his Wallabies rival Robbie Dean who is under severe pressure for his job to turn the Australian Rugby team around or face the sack.
Any thoughts that Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer may have about selecting Toyota Free State wunderkid Johan Goosen should be shelved until the Boks get back from Australia and New Zealand.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer pulled no punches when asked where things went wrong for his team as they drew the second Test in The Castle Rugby Championship, against Argentina in Mendoza, by 16-16.
Pumas (13) 16 / 16 (3) Springboks (Final Score)
The Argentinian Pumas and South African Springboks did battle in The Rugby Championships at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza at 21:10 SA Time (16:10 ARG Time, 19:10 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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All Blacks (9) 22 / 0 (0) Wallabies (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Australian Wallabies did battle in The Rugby Championship at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
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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I certainly hope you all have your rugby shoes ready for tomorrow, Saturday 25 August 2012!
There are 5 marvelous games on, starting with the Test between the All Blacks vs Wallabies at 09:35 SA Time.
The Wallabies have announced their team to face the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday, in their second clash of The Rugby Championship, with Quade Cooper slipping back into the starting line-up.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has had to change his side, initially discarding fullback Lucas Amorosino as the main culprit in his team’s loss to South Africa last week. With the injury to Juan Martin Hernandez though the Pumas side has not been finalised.
Loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett is the only change to the New Zealand side to face Australia on Saturday as the All Blacks seek to retain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup.
The Springboks have named their team to face Argentina in the second Rugby Championship Test match which will be held in Mendoza with two changes and one positional switch.
Puma flyhalf Juan Martín Hernández will miss the game against South Africa next Saturday in Mendoza. He suffered a five-millimetre groin tear during today’s training session, the Argentine Rugby Union announced.
Australian Rugby star Quade Cooper looks set to return to the Wallabies team to face New Zealand’s All Blacks for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash in Auckland.
All Blacks and Blues prop Tony Woodcock has been ruled out and sidelined with a rib injury from the Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies on Saturday, a Test forming both part of The Rugby Championship as well as it being a Bledisloe Cup match, at Eden Park in New Zealand.
Sharks hooker Craig Burden has replaced injured hooker Bismarck du Plessis in the 26-man Springbok squad that will travel to Argentina for their second Rugby Championship match this coming weekend.
Wallabies vice captain Will Genia has defended his fullback Kurtley Beale by saying that the whole team should be criticized instead of singling out Beale.
Wallabies captain David Pocock is in doubt for Australia’s Bledisloe Cup rematch with the All Blacks and the rest of tournament after after he sustained a knee injury in their 19-27 in the Rugby Championship opener.
For my 2 cents worth, I thought this was a good game from South Africa without it being a commanding one.
Only the 4th match into the Heyneke Meyer era, and after a very long and hard Super Rugby season, the number of injuries, the tiredness of the Sharks players in the Springboks and the short preparation time, these are all contributing factors that will always make the early games in The Rugby Championships seem a bit loose.
This was also very evident in the Australian Wallabies vs New Zealand All blacks match where a number of balls were spilled, knock-on’s, errors, etc was the prevailing trend.
This will improve, and I expect to see a much better performance in the next set of matches.
I have penned my feelings, lets open the debate and have your reactions to the match.
Springboks (20) 27 / 6 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Argentinian Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time.
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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Wallabies (10) 19 / 27 (18) All Blacks (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 12:00 SA Time.
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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Keegan Daniel’s inclusion into the Springbok team at No 8 was one of five changes to the Bok side which last played against England at the end of June.
Daniel comes in for the injured Pierre Spies, and coach Heyneke Meyer said the young player would provide the team with “that X-factor”.
The All Blacks have named their team to face Australia in the opening Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney with Ma’a Nonu coming in for the injured Conrad Smith.
Springbok centre Frans Steyn will on Saturday play in his 50th Test for South Africa when they take on Argentina in the opening round of The Castle Rugby Championship at DHL Newlands in Cape Town.
Springbok No 8 Pierre Spies has been ruled out of The Rugby Championship due to an injury he sustained playing Super Rugby last month.
Prop Rodrigo Roncero will start for Argentina in the Pumas’ four-nations Rugby Championship opener against South Africa in Cape Town.
Although the Springbok side will only be announced on Wednesday, indications are that the composition is the squad is largely decided, bar maybe a tough choice at lock and finalisation of the replacement bench.