SA Rugby
It looks likely that the Cheetahs will remain a Super Rugby team next year, with the Lions dropping out at the expense of the Southern Kings.
Sharks centre Tim Whitehead may have to wait until next year before feeling what it is like to play against his former Stormers teammates at Vodacom Super Rugby level.
Just when we thought that the Bulls would have played their last away game in PINK against the Highlanders the past weekend, they throw us a curveball…
Herewith the full Vodacom Bulls media release, dreadedly received just now:
Cheetahs lock George Earle will head to the Scarlets in July in the hope of representing Wales at the 2015 World Cup.
Last week we reported that the meeting between the Super Rugby participating SA Franchises and SARU was to be continued on Monday.
Well today was Monday and SARU has the following to report:
Former Springbok flyhalf Naas Botha has called for harsher punishments against fighting during school rugby matches, Beeld reported on Monday.
With 10 wins from 11 starts in Vodacom Super Rugby this season and top position in both the South African conference and the overall log, the Stormers don’t have much to complain about as they start to head towards the business end of the competition.
Die Vodacom Bulls se twee losvoorspelers CJ Stander (Heup) en Dewald Potgieter (Skouer) wat beide teen die Highlanders beseer is in Dunedin, sal waarskynlik beide oorweeg kan oorweeg word vir insluiting in die span vir die laaste toerwedstryd teen die Chiefs.
Remarkable team the Highlanders. Just when you think you can count on counting them out, you can’t.
That was the case on Saturday night when they humbled a Bulls team which had started the weekend as Super Rugby’s competition front-runners but ended it with a 16-11 loss. They will be re-evaluating their form ahead of this weekend’s game against the Chiefs.
With the exception of the Highlanders gritty victory against the Bulls, every winner in Week 13 was higher on the competition log table than their vanquished rivals, meaning that the title hopefuls tightened their grip on potential Super Rugby Final’s Series qualification.
Stormers (16) 19 / Waratahs (3) 13 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Cheetahs (14) 20 / Sharks (21) 34 (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and The Sharks did battle in Super Rugby at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Reds (13) 34 / Lions (6) 20 (Final Score)
The Reds and MTN Lions did battle in Super Rugby at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Brisbane Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Highlanders (3) 16 / Bulls (6) 11 (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 07:30 SA Time (17:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
The Lions may be fighting a survival battle on several fronts, but they remain firm in their resolve to retain their Super Rugby status.
Griquas (13) 18 / WP (10) 20 (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and DHL Western Province did battle in the Final of the Vodacom Cup at GWK Park, Kimberley at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets for Week 13 of Super Rugby 2012.
Herewith all the Teams, as announced for the weekend.
Following a meeting today between SARU and the South African Super Rugby franchises, Jurie Roux of SA Rugby has made the following statement:
Racing-Metro’s Springbok utility back Frans Steynwill be fit to play the Top 14 playoff tie against Toulon on 26 May after recovering from a thigh injury, his club confirmed on Wednesday.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has welcomed a compromise agreement on the kick off date for the 2015 Rugby World Cup tournament as well on a new funding model to recognise impacts on unions in Rugby World Cup years.
The IRB Council on Tuesday reached agreement that the 2015 tournament will kick off on September 18, which represented a compromise between the organiser’s preferred date and that of the SANZAR nations, who will be engaged in the Castle Rugby Championship until shortly before Rugby World Cup kick off.
Saracens eighthman Ernst Joubert could be on his way to Cape Town to help alleviate the Stormers’ loose forward injury crisis.
SANZAR have released the match officials for Week 13 of Super Rugby 2012, with Mark Lawrence starting the first game on Friday and Marius Jonker finishing the weekend off in Perth on Sunday.
This weekend has 7 matches, 1 on Friday, 5 on Saturday and the last 1 on Sunday, meaning only one team has a bye-weekend, namely the Chiefs.
The Sharks could be forced to play their Super Rugby clash this weekend against the Cheetahs without star flyhalf Patrick Lambie due to injury.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee wants SANZAR to change their regulations so that Super Rugby teams can field their strongest teams in the play offs.
Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee has confirmed that eighthman Nizaam Carr will miss the rest of the Super Rugby season due to injury.
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula is bringing former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers back into rugby to assist with the development of the sport, according to a Sowetan report.
A while back I offered to manage a selection competition where we at Rugby-Talk could show our knowledge of SA rugby and who can read Heyneke Meyer’s mind the best. Bok Barometer was the driving force in this idea. The first Test is on the 9th of June, less than 4 weeks away.
As much as I hate this clichéd saying that every sports commentator has used with gay abandon since the 1980’s, where the English football hacks had run every overused idiom, including this one into the ground, it is most apt for this game. This really was “a game of two halves”.
Taranaki 3 / 3 South Africa – 11 August 1956, Rugby Park New Plymouth
The Springbok team arrived in New Plymouth in high spirits after winning the second test and constructing an impressive win against Wanganui – scoring 7 splendid tries. There was a feeling in the camp that the tour was back on track and that the team was starting to hit form. The struggling performance against a spirited Taranaki team therefore came as a bit of a shock; a reality check.
Within context of the tour it was a match as important and influential as the Waikato game. The spirit, commitment and overall performance of the Taranaki team showed the way for the All Blacks according to Terry McLean and this had a highly significant influence on the outcome of not only the third test but also the series:
LIONS president Kevin de Klerk believes next week’s crunch meeting between the South African Rugby Union and franchise bosses would “draw a line in the sand” on the Super Rugby participation saga. In January the Port Elizabeth-based Southern Kings were guaranteed their place in the 2013 Super Rugby tournament by unanimous decision at a General Council meeting of SARU.
During the Stormers and Cheetahs clash at Newlands a fight of sorts broke out in the second half. Just prior to this happening, Assistant referee Jonathan Kaplan had his flag out. Steve Walsh was about to walk over to him when the whole fight broke out.
Stormers (16) 16 / Cheetahs (0) 14 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Sharks (20) 53 / Force (6) 11 (Final Score)
The Sharks and Western Force did battle in Super Rugby at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
DHL Western Province or the Ford Pumas will be making history on Saturday when one of them qualifies for the Vodacom Cup final in a week’s time.
1 st Semi-Final
GWK Griquas (15) 30 / (5) 17 Blue Bulls (Final Score)
Waratahs (13) 24 / Bulls (10) 27 (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Sydney Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************