Internationals
Springbok loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after rupturing ligaments in his knee during the Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Less than a week ahead of the first British and Irish Lions test against Australia, former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer has labelled the visitors as cheats because of illegal scrummaging and other rule infringements.
Lions coach Warren Gatland responded by saying he’s sad at the “tirade of abuse” that the former World Cup-winning Dwyer’s comments have attracted on social media.
Rob Harley has been called into the Scotland squad as injury cover after fellow forward Jim Hamilton returned home to be with his expectant wife.
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson questioned Jim Hamilton’s sin-binning in the defeat by South Africa. The Springboks moved into a second-half lead shortly after Hamilton had been yellow-carded for a push into the face of Eben Etzebeth.
Former Wales wing Shane Williams has been drafted into the British and Irish Lions team for Tuesday’s final warm-up game against the Brumbies in Canberra.
Pumas (12) 26 / 51 (25) England (Final Score)
Argentina and England did battle in the June Internationals at Velez Sarsfield Stadium, Buenos Aires at 21:10 SA Time (16:10 ARG Time, 19:10 GMT, 20:10 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SH2 on TV in SA.
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Springboks (6) 30 / 17 (10) Scotland (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Scotland did battle in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 17:15 SA Time (15:15 GMT, 16:15 BST).
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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Samoa (10) 39 / 10 (3) Italy (Final Score)
Samoa and Italy did battle in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 14:15 SA Time (12:15 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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Waratahs (10) 17 / 47 (23) Lions (Final Score)
The Waratahs and British & Irish Lions of 2013 did battle in the British & Irish Lions tour of 2013 at Allianz Stadium, Sydney at
11:30 SA Time (19:30 Sydney Time, 10:30 BST, 09:30 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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All Blacks (10) 30 / 0 (0) France (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and France did battle in the June Internationals at AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 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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Italian coach Jacques Brunel made seven changes to his team for their second Test in the four-nations tournament, when they meet Samoa in Nelspruit on Saturday.
The Waratahs have named four Wallabies in their team that will play the British and Irish Lions on Saturday in Sydney including regular captain Dave Dennis.
Marlan Yarde will win his first England cap as Stuart Lancaster aim to secure a clean sweep against Argentina on Saturday. The 21 year-old London Irish flyer comes into the side on the left wing replacing David Strettle while Bath’s Kyle Eastmond will make his first Test start in the No.12 shirt vacated by Lions-bound Billy Twelvetrees.
Cardiff Blues flanker Josh Navidi will make his Wales debut in a side showing four changes for Saturday’s second Test against Japan in Tokyo. Navidi starts at open-side in place of James King, who replaces Andrew Coombs at blind-side flanker, while Andries Pretorius comes in for Rob McCusker at number eight.
South African-born flanker Bernard Le Roux has been named to make debut, at number eight, as one of four changes to the France line up that will play the All Blacks in Christchurch on Saturday.
Baby Blacks (14) 31 / 26 (11) Ireland (Final Score)
New Zealand Under 20 and Ireland Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 18:45 SA Time (16:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 & SHD3 on TV in SA.
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After fielding six debutants in last weekend’s Test against Samoa, Scotland have named three more new caps in their team to play South Africa at Nelspruit on Saturday.
South Africa Under-20 coach, Dawie Theron, has shuffled his team for their vital Pool A match at the IRB Junior World Championship against hosts France on Thursday evening at La Roche-sur-Yon.
The match kicks off at 20:45 and will be televised live on SuperSport and of course we will have our Live Game Article here on Rugby-Talk.
Eighthman Kieran Read will reach 50 Test caps when he leads the All Blacks out in their 500th Test against France in Christchurch on Saturday.
All Black head coach Steve Hansen has named the same starting XV that played in last week’s 23-13 first up victory over the French at Eden Park for the milestone match.
The Springbok team to face Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday shows five changes, three of them on the bench, from the match-23 which beat Italy in the opening round of the Castle Lager Incoming Series last weekend.
The two new players in the starting line-up are scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, who comes in for the injured Jano Vermaak, and loose forward Marcell Coetzee, who replaces Francois Louw.
Stade Francais prop Sakaria Taulafo is the only change to the Samoa starting line-up to face Italy in Saturday’s test in Nelspruit, Samoa Rugby Union said on Wednesday.
With Scotland due to play against the Springboks in the second round of matches in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday it seemed like a good time to bring a view from within the Scotland camp. This is part two of Scotland lock Allistair Kellock’s tour blog written as his contribution as RBS Ambassador.
England centre Billy Twelvetrees is joining the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia as cover for the tourists’ injury-affected backline. Twelvetrees, 24, has been on England duty in Argentina, scoring a try in the 32-3 win over the Pumas at the weekend.
June is a busy time for rugby, and therefore a busy time here on Rugby-Talk. Of course, like has become custom, Rugby-Talk (the premier LIVE GAME RUGBY website) will broadcast and update live scores and up to date commentary on almost all the games, except where some of the Junior World Championship games overlap in their respective time slots and of course on Saturday morning at sparrow-fart (06:50) I will take the indulgence of sleeping through the bore between a Wales “B” side and Japan. Rugby-Talk will have 3 Live Games on Thursday afternoon and evening, 1 on Friday evening and 5 Tests throughout Saturday. This will bring the week’s Live Game Articles on Rugby-Talk to an impressive 11 matches (including the 2 matches already done this past Tuesday).
Here’s the Rugby you can look forward to the rest of this week, till and including the weekend. Rugby starts tomorrow late afternoon when there is a series of IRB Junior World Championship 2013 matches, including a late game between hosts France and South Africa’s Under 20 teams.
World Cup winning captain Richie McCaw will return to rugby in early-to-mid July by playing for his local club in Christchurch, though was unsure as to whether he would play Super Rugby for the Canterbury Crusaders.
Although the Springbok side will officially be announced later today, Wednesday 12 June, it appears from the way the team is training that the likelyhood is that Heyneke Meyer will only change players in the positions where injury and absense due to other duties are forcing his hand.
News from the Springbok camp in Hazyview is that Francois Louw has been released early this week, to concentrate on his wedding, which takes place on Sunday. He will rejoin the Springbok camp again on Monday.
Meanwhile Francois Hougaard, who was sent to Pretoria to see a specialist following a knee cartlidge injury flare-up, and told to sit out for 2 weeks till re-evaluation, will be replaced by Louis Screuder, the Stormers scrumhalf.
Blues (3) 15 / 38 (12) France (Final Score)
The Blues and France did battle in the French Tour to New Zealand at North Harbour Stadium, Albany at 09:05 SA Time (19:05 NZ Time, 07:05 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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This week the Springboks are in camp at Hazyview, where they are preparing for a game against Scotland on the weekend.
Scotland, as we know, have some players out on tour with the British & Irish Lions and have additionally sent a considerably weakened side to South Africa this June. Testament to this was when they lost, for the first time, to Samoa on Saturday in Durban.
Is this then not the ideal time for South Africa to see EXACTLY where they stand as far as depth is concerned, as well as to give some players the time to get back to form after reduced game time or poor Super Rugby form? When will a golden opportunity like this, to experiment properly, again present itself?
If Heyneke Meyer has the conviction to choose players in his Springbok group, does it not then follow that he must have the conviction and the will to play these players against weaker opposition?
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has expressed confidence that troubled star Kurtley Beale is ready to take on the British and Irish Lions.
Deans named his final squad for the series which included Beale, who has been sidelined due to recent alcohol related issues, but is missing flyhalf Quade Cooper.
Dumped Wallaby Quade Cooper has been involved in an incident at a Brisbane hotel in which he had beer thrown over him, reports said on Monday.
French coach Phillipe Saint-Andre has made a number of changes to his side that lost to New Zealand 23-13 including selecting loose forward Yannick Nyanga as his captain when they take on the Blues in Albany on Tuesday.
Baby Blacks (14) 14 / 10 (3) Wallababies (Final Score)
The New Zealand Under 20 and Australian Under 20 sides did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Ireland (14) 46 / 3 (3) Fiji (Final Score)
Ireland Under 20 and Fiji Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 18:45 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has confirmed playmaker Quade Cooper will not be one of the six additional players added to his squad to play the British and Irish Lions but Kurtley Beale will be.
Deans is expected to name an extra six players that will be added to the Wallabies squad on Monday but he has already partly showed his hand.