SA Rugby

WalesWales will take heart from the British and Irish Lions’ demolition of Australia earlier this year when they tackle the Springboks in Cardiff on Saturday.

There were 10 Welsh players in the Lions’ starting team for the decisive third Test against the Wallabies in June – a game the Lions convincingly won 41-16 to claim their first series win in 16 years.

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Vodacom BullsVictor MatfieldDerick HougaardThis week Bakkies Botha returned to the Springbok team and very soon his long-time second row partner Victor Matfield may be back on the playing field as well.

Reports suggest that both Matfield (Big Vic) and Bok flyhalf Derick Hougaard (Liefling) are on the comeback trail with the Bulls, hoping the experienced duo can play a role in their 2014 Super Rugby campaign.

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Loftus ParkThe precinct around ‘Fortress’ Loftus will undergo a major facelift over the next two years. Loftus Park, which may best be described as an exclusive shopping and office precinct, valued at R1,2 Billion on completion, is expected to be fully functional and operational by the beginning of 2016, with actual construction starting towards the middle of 2014.

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Jaque FourieSpringbok and Kobelco Steelers centre Jaque Fourie has scoffed at suggestions that he won’t be able to take the step up to Test level for the Springboks on their end of year tour, after having spent two years playing in Japan.

Speaking to BallzRadio, Fourie said Suntory Sungoliath and Springbok scrumhalf Fourie du Preez’s return to the Springbok fold had proved that players playing in Japan could return to the national side without appearing out of their depth.

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South AfricaJannie du PlessisLourens AdriaanseExperienced Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis has been ruled out of the forthcoming Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to Wales, Scotland and France because of injury.

His place in the touring team will be taken by the uncapped GWK Griquas prop Lourens Adriaanse, a member of the Springbok squad during the Castle Lager Rugby Championship who was on the official standby list and will play with Du Plessis for The Sharks next season.

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Nick MallettSouth AfricaFormer Springbok coach Nick Mallett has backed current coach Heyneke Meyer NOT to rest his key players on the end of year tour, despite the risk of player burn-out.

Speaking to BallzRadio, Mallett said that the Springbok Tests should take precedence over the Currie Cup and Super Rugby, and said franchise coaches should take responsibility for managing players better. Mallett also praised Sharks Director of Rugby Brendan Venter as one of the few coaches using proper player rotation.

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South AfricaSiyabonga “Scarra” Ntubeni is one of four uncapped players who will join three stalwarts of the Rugby World Cup winning squad of 2007, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie and Bakkies Botha, in 32-man Springbok squad for the forthcoming Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to Wales, Scotland and France.

It will be Botha and Fourie’s first involvement with the Springboks since the previous Rugby World Cup, in 2011 in New Zealand, while Pietersen is back in the squad for the first time this year.

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ABSA Currie CupThis weekend saw the conclusion of the ABSA Currie Cup, with The Sharks upsetting overwhelming favourites, before the game, DHL Western Province, by playing the better tactical game and winning by a handsome 33 / 19. This leaves us with the International window opening again and all Southern Hemisphere sides getting ready to travel north, for the End Of Year Tours.

It would however not be fitting to move our attention over to the Internationals, without paying tribute to those domestic stars, who performed out of their skins for their respective Unions in the Currie Cup. For this purpose and although the Springboks took part in the latter rounds of the Currie Cup, we decided to compose 2 Player-by-player sides of the best candidates in their positions, but purposely excluding the players of the Springbok group from the equasion.

Chief writers, Rudi Geldenhuys and Timothy Bornman takes a look at these players… and it appears that in most positions the same logic applies, however there are certain positions where we differ on exactly who performed best. We chose not to pick players out of position but rather to choose players in the positions they regularly played during the Competition.

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ABSA Currie CupHere we are, the final week of the 2013 Currie Cup season. This has been one of those seasons where we look back and say that there was never a dull moment. Some new young talent came to the party and showed us that there is still a great big future for SA Rugby.

As always every rugby supporter in South Africa has picked his or her team to support on Saturday. This is what makes the Currie Cup such a great competition. There are only two teams left and the whole of the nation has a team to support between the two. It is also in this time that people go a little crazy driving down the streets waving flags, hooting at each other, drinking and having a braai together.

So lets get to business. On Friday we will see the Pumas host the Griquas in the 2nd and last Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation game. The Pumas showed last weekend that they can cause an upset here and maybe get back into the Premier Division for 2014.

In the main event of the weekend, we see a Currie Cup Final with a familiar sight for for a second time when Western Province and The Sharks go into battle. This should be yet another epic Currie Cup Final, as most people will agree that the best two teams of this year’s Currie Cup is in the final.

Newlands Stadium in Cape Town is sold out for the occasion!

So folks, hold on to your seats… IT”S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE!

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Vodacom Blue BullsMTN Golden LionsBlue Bulls Under 19 – (21) 35 / 23 (9) – Golden Lions Under 19 (Final Score)

The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 and MTN Golden Lions Under 19 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 19 Final at

Newlands, Cape Town at 12:30 SA Time (10:30 GMT).

 

 

DHL WPVodacom Blue BullsWestern Province Under 21 – (16) 30 / 23 (13) – Blue Bulls Under 21 (Final Score)

DHL Western Province Under 21 and Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 21 Final at

Newlands, Cape Town at 14:30 SA Time (12:30 GMT).

 

This was the live match discussion Article.

The matches were broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.

SharksThe Sharks have named what must be close on their strongest line-up possible with the inclusion of Jannie du Plessis and Willem Alberts for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Final against Western Province.

Unfortunately, Jean Deysel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s semi-final victory over Free State and will not play, which means Alberts comes into the starting line-up at flank.

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ABSA Currie CupAlthough the Currie Cup dates back more than a hundred years, the first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province. The Sharks, a.k.a. Natal, are back in the Final for the third year in a row and will be playing the Western Province for the fifth time in a Currie Cup Final.

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Cornal HendricksProlific try scorer and Blitzbok stalwart, Cornal Hendricks, finally gets to don the Cheetahs jersey. The Toyota Cheetahs iniatially contracted Hendricks for this year’s Super Rugby, but a dispute arose with SARU, as Sevens coach Paul Treu wanted Hendricks for the Sevens circuit. It now seems that Hendricks’ wish of playing for the Cheetahs will come true.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has confirmed that Hendricks has signed a contract for the 2014 Super Rugby and Currie Cup season.

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