Samoa have named a very strong squad – comprising just two locally based players – for their tour of South Africa next month.
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The Eastern Cape franchise will make their Super Rugby entry without stalwarts Tiger Mangweni and Wayne van Heerden who failed to make the cut when the revised squad was announced this week.
The Pumas face the Springboks at Newlands on August 18, as they joined the SANZAR giants of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere showpiece.
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The Sharks squad to play in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby tournament shows no great surprises, with two players drafted in from outside, a couple of new faces that have been in the system and the familiar faces we all know.
Wales interim head coach Rob Howley has taken a bold move by naming his team to face Italy in Rome next Saturday a week early but rewarding the players that beat France 6-16 last week.
The Cheetahs have announced their group of 35 players for this year’s Super Rugby tournament. It differs substantially from last year’s squad, with numerous players having pursued careers overseas. Considering that ten of last year’s squad’s names don’t appear, one could be forgiven for expecting a weaker squad but it looks like a good squad overall.
The Southern Kings have announced a 40-man squad ahead of their Super Rugby debut season, with some experienced players falling by the wayside.
The Western Force have completed the overhaul of their Super Rugby backline for the 2013 season with the signing of Waikato flyhalf Sam Christie who claimed the final Extended Playing Squad contract for 2013.
Super Rugby newcomers, the Southern Kings, are busy finalising their squad for next year’s tournament.
The Sharks squad for the new season is taking shape and what is encouraging is that it seems that the only players leaving the Sharks are Steven Sykes who will Join the Kings in Port Elizabeth as well as Piet Lindeque who will be furthering his studies and rugby career at the university of Pretoria although the latter not yet confirmed.
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.
Australia have named a 30-man sqaud for the end of year tour to Europe without Scott Higginbotham and captained by Nathan Sharpe.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has showed his hand when he named a 26-man squad that will travel to South Africa next week for the opening round of the inaugural Rugby Championship.
Rugby players from ten countries including three cap centurions have have been named in the Barbarians’ 33-strong squad for their three match tour.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has made three changes to the team that played Wales in Ireland’s final 2011 Rugby World Cup match for this weekend’s Six Nations opener.
New Italy coach Jacques Brunel has changed nearly half of Italy’s squad for his Six Nations debut against his home nation France on Saturday.