New Zealand Rugby
Springboks (15) 27 / 38 (21) All Blacks (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 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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World Cup-winning All Blacks blindside flank Jerome Kaino will return to the Blues next year after signing a two-year deal with the Auckland franchise.
The 48-Test All Black has been contracted to play with the Blues and be available for the All Blacks in 2014 and 2015.
This important Test match is turning out to be the final of The Rugby Championship of 2013, however it is not a winner-takes-all final, but rather a terms-and-conditions-apply final.
A draw or a win for the All Blacks and the trophy is theirs. The Springboks on the other hand need to do a lot more. They need 4 tries, they need to prevent the All Blacks from scoring 4 tries and they need to beat the All Blacks by more than 7 points to win the trophy. If the Springboks just win the match without scoring 4 tries they will finish second, 1 Log point behind the All Blacks. All the All Blacks need is 1 solitary Log point, to secure this year’s Rugby Championship.
The Springboks have a great record at Ellis Park, when facing the All Blacks and recorded a massive win here under the coaching of Jake White in 2004 of 40 / 26.
For the Springboks to take the title will be a tall order, but not an impossible one. This could turn out to be the clash of the year.
Tasman’s Marty Banks, Auckland’s Hadleigh Parkes, and Mark Abbott from Hawke’s Bay have all signed on to join the Hurricanes in 2014.
Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett said all three had shown great form throughout the NPC, and each would bring different qualities to his strengthening squad.
World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry, affectionally also known as “Ted”, could find himself in hot water once again for disparaging remarks he has made about match officials.
The former All Blacks boss who is now a technical advisor for the Pumas, had some choice words to say about the standards of refereeing in the Rugby Championship, saying that referees and the judicial panel have been “totally inconsistent” and are “a weakness in the game.”
Steve Hansen, the All Blacks coach has made only 2 changes to the All Blacks starting 15 for their important Test match and a fitting finale to The Rugby Championship, against the Springboks of South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
As expected, Richie McCaw returns to captain the side and fill the openside flanker role, with Sam Cane dropping to the bench. Richie will play in his 120th Test match and has never had the opportunity to play in a Test at Ellis Park.
The injured prop, Owen Franks, has failed to recover from a groin strain and has been replaced by Charlie Faumuina at tighthead prop, with Ben Franks coming onto the bench.
Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira will play in his 50th Test for the Springboks when they take on New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, in the final round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
The 28-year-old Mtawarira, who made his Test debut on 14 June 2008 against Wales in Pretoria, will become the 27th Springbok to reach 50 Test caps, following hot on the heels of his fellow front rankers, Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis, as well as Morné Steyn.
New Zealand’s Super Rugby coaches are pushing for a team of Pacific island players to be included in the Southern Hemisphere competition when it expands in 2016.
The team, based in Auckland, would be part of an 18-team competition under a proposal from the head coaches of New Zealand’s five existing Super Rugby teams, the New Zealand Herald reported.
It may come as a surprise to Springbok fans, but coach Heyneke Meyer has lamented the fact that his team has fallen behind the All Blacks in terms of their kicking game, with the Boks being far too wayward in their kicking this season.
While the Boks have made massive strides at the breakdown under consultant Richie Gray and currently lead the Castle Lager Rugby Championship standings for turnovers won in the competition, they have fallen behind in terms of their kicking game – something that has always been a strength.
The All Blacks ex coach, Laurie Mains says Ellis Park is a daunting task for the All Blacks this weekend and leading Sports Scientist Tim Noakes says that the Jet Lag factor could catch up to the All Blacks this weekend.
Otago forwards Gareth Evans and Tom Franklin have signed with the Highlanders, and livewire halfback Fumiaki Tanaka has recommitted for the 2014 season.
All Black wing Cory Jane is set to make his return to rugby after a long term injury.
He will be starting with baby steps and join up with his club Wellington to face Auckland this coming Saturday in the ITM Cup.
The Springboks were dealt a big blow when burly lock Flip van der Merwe was banned for one week and will miss the Rugby Championship decider at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A SANZAR judicial hearing found Flip van der Merwe guilty of contravening Law 10.4(e): Dangerous Tackling, which also constituted a breach of Law 10.4 (a): Striking.
The Bok lock was cited after South Africa’s 28-8 demolition of Australia in Cape Town at the weekend.
The All Blacks headed to South Africa on Monday banking on the return of talismanic captain Richie McCaw to put the seal on another successful season.
Although New Zealand require just a single bonus point to retain their Rugby Championship title, they are determined to seal it by beating arch rivals South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.
And the All Blacks are confident they will have McCaw in their arsenal.
It was the penultimate Round of rugby in The Rugby Championship of 2013, with the South African Springboks playing the Australian Wallabies at Newlands, Cape Town and the Argentinian Pumas playing the New Zealand All Blacks in Argentina.
The Springboks comfortably beat the Wallabies by 28 / 8, however a 4th bonus point try just barely eveded them, whilst the All Blacks won away from home against the Pumas by 33 / 15, barely getting their 4th try in the dying seconds of the match.
The All Blacks are now 5 points clear on the Combined Log (23 points), the Springboks 2nd (18 points), followed at quite some distance by the Wallabies (4 points) and the Pumas (2 points).
The competion is now poised for two games next weekend, where the Springboks and All Blacks will contest for the Championship title, whilst the loser between the Pumas and Wallabies will receive the wooden spoon for 2013.
Here are 2 highlites videos of the matches played:
Both Springboks coach and captain, Heyneke Meyer and Jean de Villiers were very pleased following their convincing 28-8 win over the Wallabies at DHL Newlands on Saturday night.
The Springboks scored three tries, but neither the coach nor captain dwelled on a fourth try that would have resulted in a bonus point win.
The vital Springbok win temporarily placed them on equal terms with the New Zealand All Blacks on The Rugby Championship Log, till the All Blacks beat the Pumas from Argentina later in the night, by 33-15 and in the process scoring a 4th try on the final hooter. This now leaves the All Blacks (23 Log Points) 5 Log Points clear of the Springboks (18 Log Points) prior to the finale at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 5 October. The Springboks would have to achieve a full haul of 5 Log Points whilst also beating the All Blacks by more than 7 points and at the same time not conceeding 4 tries in the last match to clinch The Rugby Championship. In anybody’s language THAT is a tall order against the No 1 team in the world, but at least the Springboks are in with a fighting chance.
Pumas (9) 15 / 33 (11) All Blacks (Final Score)
The Argentinian Pumas and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at Estadio Ciuda
de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina at 00:40 Sunday SA Time (19:40 ARG Time, 22:40 GMT, 11:40 Sunday NZ 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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This weekend will see the Pumas taking on the All Blacks in Argentina. Argentina are still looking for their first win over New Zealand and their first win in The Rugby Championship and the All Blacks will want to take a win here with a bonus point if they can, as they will be facing the Springboks next week in South Africa in a match building up to be The Rugby Championship decider.
Argentina put up a brave fight in New Zealand in their last outing, however beating the All Blacks is not an easy task and it seems quite far-fetched for the Pumas at this stage. A Puma win however will favour the Springboks, if they manage to beat the Wallabies.
The record remains unchanged with these team having met 17 times and the All Blacks winning 16 of these encounters.
It does seem likely that the safest bet is to go for the All Blacks for a win, however looking at the last home game for the Pumas, they pushed the Springboks for 80 minutes and only lost by 5 points and prevented the Springboks from getting a 4-try bonus point. All in all a good win for the All Blacks seems likely, but there is doubt that they will crush the Pumas and we could see a similar result as against the Springboks.
All Black coach Steve Hansen has made 2 changes to the New Zealand team to play the Pumas from Argentina at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, Argentina, in the Rugby Championship Test this Saturday (Sunday morning very early SA Time).
A fit again Aaron Cruden comes in at flyhalf as an injury enforced change, replacing the injured Dan Carter.
At hooker Andrew Hore replaces Dan Coles (who falls out of the match 23), for his 80th Test.
The Pumas have made six changes for their clash against the All Blacks this weekend.
One of the six changes will see veteran Patricio Albacete slotting in at lock.
Ali Williams says he enjoyed being on the same side as South African Bakkies Botha for a change, having locked horns with the giant former Springbok on numerous occasions for club and country.
New Zealand Rugby announced on Thursday 19 September that they plan to increase annual funding to $3.3 million for Provincial Unions to grow community rugby in New Zealand.
There is growing concern that New Zealand rugby’s new contracting landscape will create unsustainable bidding wars and render Super Rugby franchise boundaries irrelevant.
Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis says “even now it feels unreal” that he picked up two yellow cards and an automatic red, which reduced the Boks to 14 men for much of last weekend’s Rugby Championship defeat to the All Blacks in Auckland.
Steve Hansen will be taking charge of the Barbarian side that will face Fiji at Twickenham later this year.
All Black flank Liam Messam has hit back at Springbok fans after a barrage of criticism in reaction to a tweet he posted.
Messam upset South Africans when he took to Twitter following the All Blacks’ controversial 29-15 Rugby Championship win over the Boks in Auckland last Saturday.
Andrew Hore joined Ma’a Nonu Tuesday as an All Black without a Super Rugby home, fuelling speculation he is on the verge of retirement.
The Highlanders confirmed they have not re-signed Hore for the 2014 season, and said they wished the 79-Test All Blacks hooker well “with whatever future endeavours he undertakes”.
With only 730 days till World Cup 2015 the pools and qualifying teams are starting to take shape.
There is still quite a few qualifying matches ahead and still a playoff series to fill all open spots.
Having had a disturbed night’s sleep, and having blasted Romain Poite and his co-match officials here on Rugby-Talk, during and after the Rugby Championship match yesterday, it is fitting to have a look at what rugby analists, the rugby media here and abroad (including those from New Zealand), have to say.
Firstly, let’s look at the SuperSport media panel who sat during and after the match, with Nick Mallett (fromer Springbok coach) and John Mitchell (former All Blacks coach) the key ingredients here, augmented by Naas Botha (Former Springbok Captain) and Ashwin Willemse (former Springbok wing).
Both Mitchell and Mallett slammed referee Poite, point blank, so too Naas Botha and Ashwin Willemse.
Here’s a video exerpt of what these fine gentlemen had to say:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/LkptdOWWVIU[/youtube]
The Springboks, who lost over the weekend to the All Blacks, will feel a little undone by the result, but not all hope is lost.
It will take a big push to ensure they still win The Rugby Championship.
With the All Blacks having beaten the Springboks over the weekend, in The Rugby Championship, they have extended their lead to four points over the second placed Springboks.
It would however seem that not everything is sunny in the All Black camp though.
SANZAR judicial officer Terry Willis has removed a red card from the disciplinary record of Bismarck du Plessis.
Du Plessis was issued with a red card after receiving two yellow cards during the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and South Africa at the weekend.
The build-up to this match was incredible, it was so hectic that it almost seemed like this was a World Cup final, or the last match before the end of the earth.
However, after just 15 minutes of play some fans wished for the end of the world to come.
The International Rugby Board has confirmed that French referee Romain Poite was wrong in his decision to give Bismarck du Plessis his first yellow card during the Boks’ clash against the All Blacks in Saturday’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship match in Auckland.
Du Plessis received two yellow cards and was sent from the field in the 42nd minute, making the Boks play with 14 men for almost 50 minutes in the game, which many feel allowed New Zealand to win 29-15.
Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis will appear before a SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer after being shown a red card in the defeat to the All Blacks.
Du Plessis received two yellow cards for separate incidents in the 29-15 defeat at Eden Park on Saturday, and will have his case considered in the first instance by SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Adam Casselden.