All Blacks
Flanker Juan Smith is the only injury concern in the Springbok camp following the weekend’s 22-29 loss to the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium.
After 4 Springbok losses in a row in a Tournament, the Tri-Nations, which lies very close to the hearts of South Africans and with the Rugby World Cup now exactly a year from now, the temptation is there to insist on taking the knives out and to cut some dead wood from the Springbok team and management.
… but we’ve been there before, remembering so well how we, me included, shouted from the rooftops that Jake White needed the axe.
Sharks 27 / WP 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks host Vodacom Western Province at ABSA Stadium, Durban at 19:15 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
Springboks (16) 22 / All Blacks (14) 29 (Final Score)
The Springboks hosted the All Blacks in their last Tri-Nations match against one another of 2010 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was bradcast live on SuperSport 1, SuperSport HD and M-Net.
The All Blacks won, scoring 2 quick tries in the last 3 minutes, to break the Bokke hearts and those of their supporters.
It must be said though that the Springboks showed moments of brilliance during the game though, with the Hougaard experiment working well and Juan Smith and Flip van der Merwe doing their part brilliantly too.
Jean de Vlliers shone at inside centre and Morne Steyn’s boot was as effective as ever.
… but well done Blacks, you came, you saw, you absorbed a shipload of pressure … and you won!
Richie McCaw says the All Blacks will have to quickly take the crowd out of the game in the clash against the Springboks in Soweto today.
Blue Bulls (14) 39 / Griquas (27) 38 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hosted the GWK Griquas at Loftus at 19:00 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was NOT BROADCAST live on TV in SA.
The Blue Bulls won by a single point, 39 / 38, after Naas Olivier missed the last conversion to win the game for Griquas.
Bulls got out of jail….
Jaco van der Westhuizen nearly cost the Blue Bulls another game this season…..
(Despite what SuperSport and Brenden Nel says that Griquas won, they are wrong… it is official, the Blue Bulls won. Brenden Nel was not even here at the game with us, simple as that! Read What SAPA says, what JJ Harmse says, what Vata Ngobeni of Pretoria News says…. and above all believe me!)
SA 3 / NZ 55 (Final Score)
South Africa takes on New Zealand in the Womans Rugby World Cup at 17:15 SA Time at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game is broadcast live on SS1 on DSTV in SA.
Again 4 games to be played, 3 today, Friday 20 August 2010 and 1 tomorrow, Saturday 21 August 2010.
They are:
- Blue Bulls v Griquas, 20 Aug 19:00 = 20 Aug 19:00
- Cheetahs v Leopards, 20 Aug 19:00 = 20 Aug 19:00
- Pumas v Lions, 20 Aug 19:10 = 20 Aug 19:10 (Broadcast live on SS1 on DSTV)
- Sharks v Western Province, 21 Aug 19:10 = 21 Aug 19:15 (Broadcast live on SS1 on DSTV)
It’s the day before the momentous Test, the best in the World playing one another, in the Tri-Nations.
What more could you want, 90 000 spectators at the Southern Hemisphere’s best Stadium, the All Blacks standing ont the verge of the Tri-Nations crown for 2010 and Springbok captain John Smit due to run out for his 100th Test cap?
Will the Bokke be better at home or will the All Blacks continue their dominant form of 2010?
The following rugby is LIVE on TV today:
17:05 – 19:00 | Rugby | IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup New Zealand v South Africa | |
19:00 – 21:00 | Rugby | Absa Currie Cup: Barloworld Toyota Pumas v Xerox Lions | |
21:00 – 23:00 | Rugby | French Top 14 Round 2 – Biarritz v Toulon |
… but that’s not all folks, we will also cover the Blue Bulls vs Griquas Currie Cup match, with a Live Game Thread, from Fortress Loftus, tonight at 19:10.
There is widespread speculation of exactly who will follow up in SASOL’s place to be the main sponsor of the Springboks from 2011. Will it be ABSA or Castle?
The South African Player’s Association has called on the SANZAR partners to stop their threats of dissolving the partnership. Continue reading
I have just returned from collecting my Media Accreditation Card, VIP Parking Ticket and Media Documentation at FNB Stadium (Soccer City).
It is FABULOUS… it is MONSTEROUS… it is WONDERFUL!
3 Of the Bulls Bokke contingent in the current Springbok squad are injured. Zane Kirchner, Dewald Potgieter and Danie Rossouw did not take part in general training today.
Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test at FNB Stadium will be the biggest rugby production in SuperSport history.
A New24 article
South African rugby is exploring the possibility of breaking away from their alliance with New Zealand and Australia as the SANZAR relationship is too strained.
Over the last month or so, a common discussion around pubs, braais and common folk have been the perceived rise of Stormers rugby and I thought a little investigation should give some perspective on whether this is a storm in a teacup, or the real deal. Continue reading
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
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.
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’ 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.
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.
Pieter De Villiers has been found not guilty of bringing rugby into disrepute. Continue reading
World Cup-winning Springbok utility Frans Steyn is one of five players recalled to the Bok squad for South Africa’s home leg of the Tri-Nations.
Sharks (18) 48 / Lions (16) 19 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Xerox Lions at ABSA Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The game was broadcast live on M-Net, SuperSport 1 and on SuperSport HD on DSTV in SA.
The Lions held the Sharks well till halftime but by then the Sharks had already enjoyed 70% Territorial Advantage and most of the possession.
After halftime the Sharks turned on the taps and ran the Lions ragged, eventually running out with a 29-point winning margin. They won 48 / 19.
Griquas (3) 3 / WP (12) 50 (Final Score)
GWK Griquas hosted WP at GWK Park, Kimberley at 15:00. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The Game was broadcast live on M-Net and SuperSport 1 in SA.
The 1st Half was a hard and uncompromising affair with Willem de Waal giving WP the edge with a few converted penalties, but the 2nd half was a different affair, WP running Griquas ragged and ending the game on fire.
WP scored 6 tries in the process…. they will be hard to beat next weekend at Newlands… beware Blue Bulls!
Blue Bulls (26) 43 / Leopards (10) 38 (Final Score)
The Blue Bulls hosted the Leopards at Loftus, Pretoria at 19:10 on Friday night 6 August 2010. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The Bulls won by a measly 5 points and was hugely fragile on defence tonight…. they will have to change a few gears if they do not want WP to knock them for a big six next week!
The Bulls scored 6 tries to the Leopards 5 tries and managed to gather their bonus point win, but they wee patchy, to say the least.
Not good enough Bulls!
Judgment was reserved in the hearing of Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’s misconduct hearing on Friday over his suggestion that the team were victims to a conspiracy to assist the All Blacks ahead of next year’s World Cup.
We are already well into the Currie Cup Premier Competition of 2010, with WP, The Sharks and Griquas, setting the pace so far and The Leopards and Pumas hanging on at the bottom.
This weekend sees another 4 matches, as follows:
- Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Platinum Leopards – Loftus at 19:10 SA Time on Friday 6 August 2010
- Barloworld Toyota Pumas vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Witbank at 15:00 on Saturday 7 August 2010
- GWK Griquas vs Vodacom Western Province – GWK Park, Kimberley at 15:00 on Saturday 7 August 2010
- Sharks vs Xerox Lions – ABSA Stadium, Durban at 17:05 on Saturday 7 August 2010