For the best part of Victor Matfield’s playing career, opponents have attempted to find some way of stopping him – and for the most part they’ve failed, according Wallabies forward Dean Mumm.
By RUPERT GUINNESS – Sydney Morning Herald
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers acknowledged that his team owed South Africa “a big one” after their poor performances in Australia and New Zealand of late.
Article by Brenden Nel – SuperSport
THE SHARKS are keeping their options open after an arbitration ruling found that winger Lionel Mapoe has a valid contract with the Cheetahs following an ongoing dispute involving the three parties.
The Western Force have insisted that Head Coach John Mitchell will be staying with them for the 2011 Super 15 season and will not be moving to the Lions in South Africa.
Another 4 head to head games are in the offing this weekend in the Currie Cup Premier Division.
They are:
Friday 13 Auust 2010:
- GWK Griquas vs Barloworld Toyota Pumas – GWK Park, Kimberley at 19:00 SA Time
- Platinum Leopards vs Sharks – Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg at 19:10 SA Time
Saturday 14 August 2010:
- Xerox Lions vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 15:00 SA Time
- Vodacom Western Province vs Vodacom Blue Bulls – Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time
The Melbourne Rebels officially launched their brand-logo and jersey at the Weary Dunlop Luncheon on 29 July 2010.
They have now also made the Logo available to the Media.
Western Province will not release defence coach Jacques Nienaber to assist the Springboks during the Tri-Nations. Rob Wagner, managing director of WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd, told Sport24 on Wednesday that Nienaber had to focus on his job in the Cape.
An administrative blunder by the South African Rugby Union, rather than injury, might turn out to be the biggest stumbling block in the way of Frans Steyn’s return to the Springbok team.
Stormers wing Gio Aplon looks certain to start the Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks as fullback next Saturday after the release of Zane Kirchner to play Currie Cup rugby again.
Industrial strikes in South Africa have forced the Springboks to cancel a coaching clinic which was planned for Soweto on Thursday afternoon.
With the Rugby World Cup 2011 not far away and the realisation that within the next year many of our rugby players will look towards retirement after the RWC, the question beckons of how well are we prepared for the next generation of Springboks to come through. Continue reading
It may be tempting to some to surmise that the big Absa Currie Cup meeting between Western Province and the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday amounts to a virtual re-run of the Vodacom Super 14 encounter there earlier in the year. Continue reading
Next year’s Springbok Test against New Zealand will be held in Port Elizabeth, following a decision of the executive council of the South African Rugby Union.
Soccer City, the World Cup Soccer venue as well as the venue where the Springboks and the All Blacks will compete on 21 August, will henceforth be known as FNB Stadium or First National Bank Stadium.
This follows a ruling by the Gauteng South High Court today, Wednesday 11 August 2010 after First National Bank took the proposed name changers, who wanted to change the name to National Stadium, to Court.
Zane Kirchner is back at the Blue Bulls and will start his first Absa Currie Cup match of the season, when the defending champions take on Western Province at Newlands on Saturday.
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs team to take on the Xerox Lions on Saturday, the 14th of August in Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg has been announced.
The sharks have made changes to the squad for Friday evenings match against the Leopards, Players returning from injury are Micheal Rhodes and Odwa Ndugane and Patric Cilliers, Also returning are players from the Springbok training camp being Tendai Mtawarira and Bismark DuPlessis.
The Western Province rugby selectors are at the mercy of the Springboks who will only make a call on players’ services later this week. Continue reading
Springbok Sevens player Lionel Mapoe has lost his bid to be released from his contract at the Free State Cheetahs.
The Sharks’ hopes of winning back the Currie Cup from the Blue Bulls this year took a big knock on Tuesday with the news that Jean Deysel’s season is over.
With Peter de Villiers having announced and clearly favoured a conservative approach in naming his broader Springbok training group, it leaves most of us wondering just how close certain uncapped players and youngsters are for inclusion in future Bokke training groups.
The Springboks are currently busy with a 4-day training camp at Hyde Park High School, where the squad of 29 will be whittled down to 24 on Friday.
Johannesburg – All SANZAR disciplinary questions are now firmly behind the Springbok team and management, national teams manager Andy Marinos announced. Continue reading
Sharks coach John Plumtree admitted after the Absa Currie Cup match against the Lions that he was happy with his team’s performance at The Absa Stadium Durban, scoring five tries and taking a full compliment of log points out of the game.
Continue reading
Western Province must be considered favourites for Saturday’s Currie Cup match against the Blue Bulls at Newlands. Continue reading
Friends, muppits, moepels & mopkoppe,
Rugby-Talk is officially in it’s 52nd week of it’s existence… Friday 13 August we are 1 year old!
The Lions have set their sights on retaining John Mitchell for the Super 15 which starts next year in 2011.
A number of the All Blacks squad have again been made available for ITM Cup provincial rugby games this week, if required by their provinces, ahead of the All Blacks departure to South Africa this weekend.
Pieter De Villiers has been found not guilty of bringing rugby into disrepute. Continue reading
The Australian team currently have seven players out of their squad for various reasons. Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane, Wycliff Palu, James Horwill, Rob Horne, Ben Alexander and Tatafu Polota-Nau. Continue reading
Western Province and the Sharks are top of the Currie Cup Log after two compelling victories over the Griquas and the Lions Continue reading
A nice old Blue Bull story. Hero Lourens turns 86.
With the Springbok Tri-Nations hopes over, how should they approach their remaining three home fixtures?
Survey Results now added
Just look what Bob Dwyer has now cooked up… why don’t you just shut your trap Bob, and silently sink away into oblivion!
South African Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins is the next target of SANZAR bosses, as they continue their ‘attack’ on the Springbok camp.
The Afrikaans weekly, Rapport, reported that Hoskins on Thursday received a letter from the SANZAR secretariat to “explain” his ‘declaration of war’ statements made last week.