End Of Year Tours
Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale will face court next year on an assault charge relating to an incident involving a bouncer at a Brisbane hotel in June.
Ireland have named their team to play Fiji at Thomond Park on Saturday with three three uncapped players included in the starting XV alongside a number of new faces.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made eight changes to the side that beat Tonga 28-23 last week ahead of Saturday’s test against New Zealand’s All Blacks at Rome’s Olympic Stadium.
The All Blacks have named Kieran Read as captain of the team to face Italy at Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday as coach Steve Hansen makes sweeping changes.
Australia have named their team to face England at Twickenham with Berrick Barnes at fullback as one of four changes to the team that lost to France in Paris.
England have made one change to the team that beat Fiji for this weekend’s clash against Australia at Twickenham with Chris Ashton replacing Ugo Monye on the wing.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made one change to the team that beat Australia for this week’s Test against Argentina with second row Yoann Maestri returning to the starting line up.
Wales have named former Grand Slam winning captain Ryan Jones to captain the team against Samoa at the Millennium Stadium on Friday.
Samoa has rejigged its back division as part of six changes to the starting line-up for Friday’s international against Wales.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has stuck with his guns and pretty much as expected gone for continuity, in selecting the same team as last weekend accept for two changes to the starting fifteen and one on the bench.
Argentina have made three changes to face France here on Saturday, two enforced by injuries to Felipe Contepomi and Juan Martin Hernandez in last weekend’s win over Wales.
Scotland flanker Ross Rennie has been given treatment on his dislocated shoulder suffered in the 22-51 loss to Rugby World Cup champions New Zealand at Murrayfield.
The All Blacks and coach Steve Hansen are anxiously awaiting a decision on whether flanker Adam Thomson will be ruled out of the rest of their European tour for disciplinary reasons.
Australian coach Robbie Deans was left shell-shocked and searching for answers after seeing his team convincingly put to the sword by an aggressive France team that stifled any plan for a width-based Wallaby gameplan.
Wales are sweating on the fitness of two of their marquee players, centre Jamie Roberts and lock Alun Wyn Jones, in the wake of their 26-12 defeat to Argentina at the Millennium Stadium.
Biarritz centre Marcelo Bosch and Montpellier full-back Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino have been included in the Argentina squad to face France next Saturday in Lille, the national federation announced Sunday.
Scotland (17) 22 / 51 (34) All Blacks (Final Score)
Scotland and the New Zealand All Blacks did battle in the End Of Year Tours at Murrayfield, Edinburgh at 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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It’s SuperBru time again, this time for the End Of Year Tours!
This competition’s FIRST matches kick off this coming weekend, in fact on Saturday 10 November 2012.
Get your BUTTS into gear and register!
We have registered a Super Pool with the following details:
Pool Name: Rugby-Talk EOYT 2012
Pool Code: grabgage
What the hell is going on with our beloved Springboks? I believe this is the main question every SA rugby supporter wrestles with at this moment!
Wrong players in key positions, an unbalanced back row, injuries to key players and playing an outdated game plan has all been voiced as probable reasons.
Heyneke has responded to most of these criticisms by making changes to the team but still the team seems to be tentative and almost scared to do anything. They played like a golfer obsessed with his golf swing, so focussed on getting it exactly right that he forgets to hit the damn ball. The ‘Boks in the first half was overly careful, almost scared that they would make mistakes (not getting it exactly right). The result of that –and it has been the case in some of The Rugby Championship test matches as well- was that they became tentative and pedantic when going into contact.
France (16) 33 / 6 (6) Wallabies (Final Score)
France and the Australian Wallabies did battle in the End Of Year Tours at Stade de France, Paris at 22:00 SA Time (21:00 Paris Time, 20:00 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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Wales (9) 12 / 26 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
Wales and the Argentinian Pumas did battle in the End Of Year Tours at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 16:30 SA Time.
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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All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made ten changes to the team that drew with Australia for this weekend’s Test against Scotland with Piri Weepu returning to the starting line up and a new midfield pairing.
The Springbok Team to take on Ireland in the 1st Test of the Springbok End Of Year Tour to the Northern Hemisphere, taking place on Saturday 10 November, was announced at about 13:40 SA Time on Wednesday 7 November 2012.
The Wallabies have named Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu and lock Kane Douglas to make their starting debuts for Australia’s Test match against France on Saturday.
Veteran Toulon playmaker Frederic Michalak has been named ahead of Francois Trinh-Duc at flyhalf in the France line up to face Australia on Saturday.
England coach Stuart Lancaster has named his team with Leicester Tigers hooker Tom Youngs to make his debut at Twickenham against Fiji on Saturday.
There will be a family ‘feud’ in Dublin on Saturday when cousins Richard Strauss and Adriaan Strauss confront each other for the first time in a Test.
Everyone seems to be aspiring coaches and selectors and week after week we watch matches and air our views where we either slate the coach or sing his praises.
So, I would like to invite every Blogger to post his or her 23 players for the First upcoming Springbok Test against Ireland. Also I will put this up for each Test so we can eventually see who gets it right overall as well as each individual Test.
England have called Gloucester duo Freddie Burns and Billy Twelvetrees into their training squad ahead of the opening Autumn International against Fiji at Twickenham.
Argentina have called up former captain Felipe Contepomi for the Autumn Internationals but lost second rower Patricio Albacete as he needs surgery.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is reportedly targeting tighthead prop Brian Mujati as his 32nd squad member for their European tour.
When the Springbok squad of 31 (one more player to be added) was announced on Sunday, my first impression was that there was a squad of fully fit players, bar maybe some niggles after the Currie Cup Final of the day before.
It now appears that there were indeed real injuries to be considered, specifically the injuries of Adriaan Strauss (knee) and Francois Louw (neck) as well as Springbok Captain Jean de Villiers (hamstring).
All Black coach Steve Hansen on Monday named uncapped scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow and fellow rookie Dane Coles in his 32-man squad for New Zealand’s upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour.
The Springboks will travel to the Northern Hemisphere next weekend with five uncapped players but without their all-time leading try-scorer and most experienced player, Bryan Habana.
England coach Stuart Lancaster recalled a couple of big guns for his team’s year-end Tests against the three Southern Hemisphere powerhouses.