All Blacks
In a match where the lead changed sides more often than some presidents change their mind on foreign policy, the Crusaders eventually ran out 20-14 victors over the DHL Stormers at Newlands.
Sharks (6) 34 / Brumbies (16) 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Brumbies at Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Sharks started shockingly and by Halftime had only scored 2 measly penalties for their 6 points, against 16 by the Brumbies.
In the second half, it was a different Sharks team, one wonders what they ate or drank, they eventually scored 28 points in the second half and kept the Brumbies scoreless at the same time, running in 4 converted tries.
Stormers (11) 14 / Crusaders (10) 20 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Crusaders at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This game lived up to it’s hype…. a cracker!
The silky offload skills by Sonny Bill Williams, the speed and hard running by Jaque Fourie, the strong Crusaders scrum, tight defence by the Stormers… classic.
The MTN Lions have announced a 26 man touring squad for the four match tour of Australia and New Zealand starting on Saturday 14th May 2011 against the Brumbies in Canberra.
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs Friday evening at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg in their last home game before heading off on an Australasian tour.
In a match that the Lions players, management, staff and I’m sure all of their spectators both at the ground as well as watching on television would in all likelihood want to forget as soon as possible, they were handed a Rugby lesson by their once Super Rugby partners from Bloemfontein.
MTN Lions (7) 19 / Cheetahs (36) 53 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
There was only one team on the filed, the Cheetahs…. there were 16 other individuals on the filed at the same time, a referee and 15 players in red.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 12 of Super Rugby 2011.
In a landmark judgment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, a former school rugby player won his case against an opposing player who injured him so severely during a scrum that it left him with a broken neck.
The ruling could serve as a legal precedent for civil claims against players of any sport found to have deliberately injured a player during a game.
Crusaders second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams will come up against a host of Springboks in the Stormers backline, in a match that could be last year’s newest All Black biggest test of his rugby career.
The MTN Lions will be playing the Toyota Cheetahs this Friday, 6 May 2011 at Coca-Cola Park. Kick off is at 7:10pm. The team was announced this afternoon and is:
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that his team are capable of playing even better than they did against the Sharks who they beat 32-12 at the weekend.
Ever since the demise of that “arranged marraige” that was the Cat’s, the two orphaned children that were born out of it, namely the Cheetahs and the Lions have competed non-stop, year after year to avoid the wooden spoon in Super Rugby, and 2011 appears to be no different.
It’s been debated before, but I thought it about time, as a Lions supporter to ask the question again. “Can South Africa sustain a competetive 5th Super Rugby franchise?”
Peter de Villiers has confirmed that John Smit will captain the Springboks at the World Cup. Rassie Erasmus was appointed as technical adviser.
At a press conference on Monday, Peter de Villiers confirmed the appointments of his captain and management staff. Smit will continue as captain with Victor Matfield named as vice-captain. Erasmus has been brought in as a technical adviser and conditioning coach Derik Coetzee is the other new appointment.
On Friday the first two quarter finals were played, the first between Pampas XV and the Free State Cheetahs at Olën Park in Potchefstroom and the second between Griquas and the Pumas at GWK Park in Kimberley. On Saturday the last two matches were between the Golden Lions and the Blue Bulls at Wits University and the last one between Western Province vs the Sharks at Newlands.
The details of the results are listed below.
The Semi Finals are on 7 May 2011, they are as follows:
- Griquas vs Blue Bulls
- Pampas XV vs Sharks XV
Stormers (22) 32 /Sharks (9) 12 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Sharks at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers comprehensively outplayed the Sharks, for a full bag of 5 Log points…. the Stormers are on fire!
Bulls (13) 43 / Chiefs (20) 27 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the Chiefs at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
After a shocker of a first half, the Bulls came out of the blocks in the second half to score 3 converted tries in 9 minutes, resulting in the fact that they built up a good lead and causing the Chiefs to play catch-up from thereon in.
They solidified their lead with great goal kicking by Morné Steyn and denied the Chiefs a single Log point.
Mission accomplished fot this week, now every week needs to be like this, a 5-pointer!
Cheetahs (32) 47 / Brumbies (26) 36 (Final Score)
The Cheetahs hosted the Brumbies at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Cheetahs raced out of the blocks and within 27 minutes had already secured their bonus point for tries, but then let in a number of Brumbies tries with suspect defence once again their downfall. After halftime it was a more conservative approach and the Cheetahs finally saw the game home with an 11-point win.
‘There is no fate but what we make.’ Cheesy I know, but this famous movie line might just be the best description of what the future holds for young Lionel Cronje.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 11 of Super Rugby 2011.
John Plumtree sprang a few surprises when naming his side for the clash with the DHL Stormers this coming weekend.
It never seizes to amaze me how South African rugby teams and coaches remain oblivious to such obvious solutions to their problems.
Alister Coetzee has named his strongest possible side to take on the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday.
Interesting article in the New Zealand Herald this morning states that New Zealand Maori rugby side is in line to play a historic series in South Africa later this year.
According to the article Rugby News reports that the Maori will play two matches against a “shadow” Springbok side after the World Cup. The article then further states:
The hot topic this week seems to be the Bulls or more specifically the Bulls’ dramatic slump in form after their shock loss against the Western Force. Somehow this loss goes down a lot more dramatically than in 2008 (I think it was when they also lost in Perth against the Western Force). Continue reading
It is interesting to note the difference in reaction to two South African Super Rugby franchises which seem to be having the exact same problem.
If you read all the Rugby pages and Newspapers you can clearly see the urge to pick a Springbok World Cup squad. It is more than 142 days before the Tournament begins, 144 days before the Springboks play Wales in our first match and 170+ days before the Quarter Finals. But let it out, I know you want to! I constantly read about the teams everyone would pick, all the time.
The Bulls won’t even make it through to the knockout stages in defence of their Super rugby title, says former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick. And Fitzpatrick launched a scathing critique of the Pretoria-based team’s failings in this year’s Super 15, as they crashed to defeat against the Western Force in Perth.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, is starting to push the panic buttons.
Lions (13) 30 / Chiefs (19) 34 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Chiefs at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Chiefs scored 5 tries to the MTN Lions 3 tries, but the Lions boot was on song, making for a thrilling end with the MTN Lions desperately attacking to try and win with a 4-point deficit to extinguish, it was once again too little, too late.
Sharks (13) 40 / Hurricanes (13) 24 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Hurricanes at Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Sharks fired and misfired at times but managed to win and get their bonus point for tries to boot.
Force (12) 26 / Bulls (15) 21 (Final Score)
The Western Force hosted the Bulls at NIB Stadium, Perth at 14:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Force won against a lacklustre and at most mid-table Bulls side.
Not good enough Bulls… simply aweful!
The words of Irish international Fergus Slattery echoed perhaps best the general feeling about South African rugby at the end of the 1976 tour. Commenting to Phillip Jones of the Sunday Times before he left South Africa Slattery said: “The first thing I would tell a young player is not to play like the Springboks. They are five years behind the times.”
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they are announced for week 9 of Super Rugby 2011.
The Sharks have named Partick Lambie in their team to face the Hurricanes this weekend however Bismarck du Plessis will miss the match.
The Cheetahs can look forward to welcoming back no less than four players from injury for their clash against the Brumbies next week.