Australian Rugby
Sharks (12) 32 / 10 (3) Waratahs (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 02:05 Sunday Eastern Aus 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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Reds (13) 22 / 17 (10) Stormers (Final Score)
The Reds and DHL Stormers did battle in Super Rugby at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Brisbane Time, 08:40 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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Reds wing Chris Kuridrani will be out for 4 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to clean up loose cartilage in his ankle.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said on Friday that the attitude of players as much as form will help him decide the makeup of his team as he plots a course towards next year’s Rugby World Cup.
McKenzie said the desire to wear the gold jersey and professionalism would be major factors in weighing up contenders ahead of June’s three-Test home series against France.
Rebels (3) 32 / 24 (10) Brumbies (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels and Brumbies did battle in Super Rugby at
AAMI Park, Melbourne at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Melbourne Time, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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It is Round 7 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 6 games in Round 7, with 2 games on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
The Lions, Toyota Cheetahs & Western Force have bye weekends.
In June / July 2014 the Antipodian teams will catch up in played games with the South African counterparts, when the South African sides sit out for 1 Round.
The Combined Log will therefore be skewed for the majority of the competition and one has to question why individual countries are allowed to start such a long competition ahead of it’s rivals. In 2013 the Australian sides started a week early, but at least they had the excuse that they needed an extra week in the middle of the year to prepare for the British & Irish Lions series, which they lost.
The Waratahs received a timely boost ahead of their two-match tour of South Africa, with star back Israel Folau cleared to join them.
Folau stayed behind in Sydney, to see specialist – after suffering a throat injury in last Friday’s win over the Melbourne Rebels.
The Melbourne Rebels have named their Super Rugby team to play the Brumbies at AAMI Park in Melbourne with Jason Woodward and Nic Stirzaker returning to the starting line up.
Jason Woodward has overcome a bruised knee to return after missing one week and is named to start as fullback, while Tom Kingston will start after a knee injury bought a premature end to Foundation Rebel Lachlan Mitchell’s season.
The Reds have named their Super Rugby team to play the Stormers with flanker Beau Robinson making his first start as one of three changes to the starting line up.
Reds coach Richard Graham has promoted three players who were on the replacements bench against the Lions last week and promoted them into the starting team.
Robinson, James Hanson and Dom Shipperley were on the bench but start at Suncorp Stadium as the Reds look to get back to winning ways.
Tevita Kuridrani is back in the Brumbies starting side this Friday, for their Super Rugby showdown with the Rebels.
The Brumbies have made just one change to their staring side which beat the Stormers last weekend, with Tevita Kuridrani named at outside centre after a week off for a family funeral.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has given the Stormers a few tips on how to beat the Reds when they meet in a Super Rugby clash in Brisbane on Saturday.
Ackermann’s Lions beat the Reds 23-20 at Ellis Park last week and the Lions mentor says he knows how to floor the Australian side.
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has made 6 changes and brought in 4 new faces to his starting line-up to face the top-of-the-table Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Jonno Lance will make his Waratahs debut in the light blue No 15 jersey, deputising for the injured Israel Folau.
Brumbies inside centre Christian Lealiifano will return from an ankle injury against the Rebels, but doesn’t want the goal kicking duties just yet.
Lealiifano had surgery on his ankle late last year and is now ready to return to action.
Waratahs fullback, Israel Folau, will be unable to add to his remarkable season tally of eight tries this weekend after being ruled out of the Super Rugby clash against the Sharks with a bruised throat.
After eight scores in his first four matches, it looked like only injury could prevent Folau from breaking the single season Super Rugby record of 15, which is jointly held by Joe Roff (1997) and Rico Gear (2005).
The Lions and Vodacom Bulls flew the South African flag in Vodacom Super Rugby this weekend when they scored come-from-behind home victories on Saturday.
The side from Johannesburg scored two late tries to deny the Reds by 23-20 after they were still behind by 20-3 shortly before the break at Ellis Park.
In the process, Lions flyhalf and kicking ace Marnitz Boshoff became the first player this season to reach 100 points when he kicked his second penalty goal in the 40th minute of the match.
In the final match of the weekend, the Cell C Sharks lost their first encounter of 2014 when they went down 23-19 to a determined Vodacom Bulls side at Loftus Versfeld.
Reds flank Liam Gill and fullback Aidan Toua were injured in the loss to the Lions in Johannesburg.
Both players had to be replaced during the match, with Toua injuring his chest after being tackled just short of the line early in the first half and Gill injuring his hamstring in a ruck in the second half.
SANZAR wishes to advise two referee appointment changes for the forthcoming round of Super Rugby.
Nick Briant will officiate Crusaders v Hurricanes on Friday night while Steve Walsh will oversee the Blues v Highlanders clash in Auckland on Saturday night.
Israel Folau is doubtful for the Waratahs’ South African tour after taking a knock to the throat in their victory over the Rebels.
The star fullback stayed behind in Australia to see a specialist, and although coach Michael Cheika had initially been confident that he would recover in time, there are now fears that he will not make it.
Reds coach Richard Graham admitted that he felt ‘aggrieved’ at the manner of his team’s 23-20 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A late try saw the hosts snatch a dramatic victory from the Reds who finished the match with only 13 players on the field as referee Stuart Berry issued two yellow cards.
Western Force coach Michael Foley said that it is key that his side capitalise on the momentum created by their three consecutive victories.
The Perth side saw off the challenge of defending champions the Chiefs on Saturday, keeping the Hamilton outfit tryless on Australian soil for the first time since 2011.
SANZAR duty judicial officer Adam Casselden has accepted a guilty plea from Alby Mathewson of the Force for contravening Law 10.4 (b) Stamping or trampling, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Mathewson has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including 30 March 2014.
Lions (6) 23 / 20 (20) Reds (Final Score)
The Lions and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 01:05 Sunday AEST).
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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Force (8) 18 / 15 (9) Chiefs (Final Score)
The Western Force and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at
nib Stadium, Perth at 13:00 SA Time (19:00 Perth Time, 11:00 GMT, 00:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Brumbies (13) 25 / 15 (10) Stormers (Final Score)
The Brumbies and DHL Stormers do battle in Super Rugby at
Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time 08:40 GMT).
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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Waratahs (11) 32 / 8 (8) Rebels (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD &CSN on TV in SA.
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It is Round 6 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 7 games in Round 5, with 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
The Crusaders have a bye weekend.
In June / July 2014 the Antipodian teams will catch up in played games with the South African counterparts, when the South African sides sit out for 1 Round.
The Combined Log will therefore be skewed for the majority of the competition and one has to question why individual countries are allowed to start such a long competition ahead of it’s rivals. In 2013 the Australian sides started a week early, but at least they had the excuse that they needed an extra week in the middle of the year to prepare for the British & Irish Lions series, which they lost.
We have two incidents from Super Rugby in the last two weeks which are worth looking at, both incidents which caused debate and argument and even acrimony.
We are dealing with decisions by top referees in top matches when speed is an essential ingredient, including the speed match officials need to process the information, even when they have help from the replays provided by the TMO.
There is never a rest from debate and argument when it comes to rugby football, certainly not in the application of the most complex set of laws of any sport – a contact sport played by 30 vigorous young men in physical contact in a confined space.
The Springboks’ second match in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Argentina has been moved to Salta in the north of the country.
The final venues and kick-off times for this four-team Southern Hemisphere competition were confirmed by SANZAR on Thursday.
Cape Town-raised Jean-Pierre Smith will get his first start in Super Rugby when he claims the No 1 jersey for the Brumbies against the Stormers.
Smith makes his way into the starting team via the Brumbies bench where he has featured alongside twin brother, Ruan, since Round 2.
Ben Tapuai is the only change to the Reds starting line-up for their Round Six Super Rugby clash against the Lions on Saturday.
The seven-cap Wallaby Tapuai slots into the starting team at outside centre replacing Chris Feauai-Sautia, who suffered a hamstring injury during training.
Rebels’ coach Tony McGahan has made two changes to the starting line-up that will face the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 6 of Super Rugby 2014.
Nick Briant takes care of the 1st match in Dunedin where the Highlanders host the Hurricanes.
7 Matches are played this weekend, 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Crusaders have their bye weekend.
The Reds’ hopes of grabbing a win while in South Africa were dealt a blow as two players left for home with injuries, one of them serious.
South African franchises won two of the four matches they were involved in in round-five of the Super Rugby competition over the past weekend.
Cheetahs fullback Willie le Roux and Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff continue to make major contributions for their respective teams, as is evident from statistics taken from the Vodacom Rugby Stats App.
After Round 5 of the Super Rugby season, the Stormers find themselves at the bottom of the try-scoring standings.
Having played 4 matches to date, the Stormers have scored a total of 5 tries – at an average of 1.25 per match.