Super Rugby
New Chiefs coach Dave Rennie had a harsh introduction into Super Rugby in Round 1 as he lost his first match at home and four of his players to injury.
Blues flyhalf Michael Hobbs has been issued with the Super Rugby’s first off-field yellow card after being accused of a dangerous tackle in their opening match against the Crusaders.
Cheetahs centre Andries Strauss has been cited and suspended for 2 weeks for foul play in the Super Rugby match between the Lions and the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Lions (12) 27 Cheetahs (19) 25 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg 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.
*******************
Stormers (23) 39 / Hurricanes (16) 26
(Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Hurricanes did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Newlands, Cape Town 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.
*******************
Waratahs (8) 21 / Reds (12) 25 (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Reds did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Sydney Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Chiefs (16) 19 / Highlanders (9) 23 (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Highlanders did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Brumbies hold on for victory against Western Force
Patient Crusaders hold off dangerous Blues
Bulls (0) 18 / Sharks (0) 13 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and The Sharks did battle in the Third Super Rugby game of 2012 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 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.
*******************
Brumbies (9) 19 / Force (12) 17 (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Western Force did battle in the Second Super Rugby game of 2012 at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Blues (12) 18 / Crusaders (16) 19 (Final Score)
The Blues and Crusaders did battle in the FIRST Super Rugby game of 2012 in Wellington at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they were announced for Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012.
The last of the team sheets, that of the Highlanders, came in this morning as they waited till the last minute due to some serious possible injury concerns.
Following today’s metting between SARU and the “Big Five” SA Super Rugby Franchises, SARU released the following:
Representatives of the South African Vodacom Super Rugby franchises will accompany the delegates of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to present a case for competition expansion in 2013 to SANZAR partners next month.
With time creeping up on us very fast, we have received our first allottment of Super Rugby tickets, 10 in total, for the game between the MTN Lions and Toyota Cheetahs, which takes place on Saturday at 19:10 SA Time.
Scrumdown, one of our Lions reporters collected them today and phoned me.
He left a very good suggestion that we could give a couple of tickets to some of the unsung medics and helpers who work at the games in the Lions region… and he seems to have just the right people in mind.
The South African Rugby Union’s head honchos will come face-to-face with the ‘big five’ at a crucial meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The SARU delegation, headed by CEO Jurie Roux, will meet with officials of the five current SA franchises – Lions, Bulls, Cheetahs, Sharks and Stormers.
So, in a year where the SA Super Rugby teams have so much to win, and so very much to lose should they have a nightmare season, the two perrenial bottom dwellers of the South African teams square up in the first round of games.
The Lions are riding on the crest of the Currie Cup wave, whilst the Cheetahs will take great heart from some truly stellar performances during the 2011 Super Rugby campaign.
Lets take a look at what we can expect in this the first CAT FIGHT of the season, as well as a look at the player – player match ups.
The Generals, Standoff’s of just plain Flyhalf’s. Irrespective of what you call the man with number 10 on his back, when on song they can single handedly destroy ANY opposition, but when having a miserable day, they can utterly negate the hard work done by their 14 team mates.
Let’s look at the men likely to do duty in the number 10 jersey for the Lions in this season’s Super Rugby campaign.
In the latest edition of the Lions’ contenders we look at the men that dictate the flow of the game once the hard wok has been done by the big men up front – the Scrumhalves.
Scrumhalves are not the biggest players in any squad, by any means, but often the nuggiest and most skillful of the whole bunch.
They often talk too much as well!
It will be goodbye Lions, hello Kings come 2013 as a political decision has been endorsed to allow only ONE TEAM per PROVINCE.
The Lions held a media conference to launch their Super Rugby campaign this afternoon, where the team to face the Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday was announced.
Kick Off is at 19h10 local time.
Although we have seven games and only the Melbourne Rebels have a bye, my personal three Big games involve the top teams of each Conference. Crusaders vs Blues, Bulls vs Sharks and Waratahs vs Reds. Continue reading
Part two into Tony O’Sullivan’s insight into the Super Rugby Series, this time, he jumps the pond to Australia.
The Second installment therefore deals with the Teams from the Land where they call each other “Mate” in stead of friend, Australia.
They are the Reds, Melbourne Rebels, Waratahs, Western Force and Brumbies.
Following on the theme of other ‘experts’ insights,Tony O’Sullivan from rugbydump has put together his thoughts on the teams competing in the upcoming Super Rugby series.
I will post them per country, as he has done.
The First installment deals with the Teams from the Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand.
They are the Crusaders, Blues, Highlanders, Hurricanes and Chiefs.
Sharks coach, John Plumtree, has chosen his best available side to take on the Bulls on Friday night at Loftus Versveld at 19:10 in thier opener for Super Rugby 2012.
Here is the Vocacom Bulls team to face the Sharks on Friday night (19:10 SA Time) at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.
We are including the English and Afrikaans versions of the Official Vodacom Bulls Media Release.
Picked up this piece on the net at a website called sportbilly.co.za
The man is some kind of biased New Zealand supporter of sorts… and obviously oblivious of what is really happening here in South Africa at present.
This Article of course does not necessarily reflect my own views or that of Rugby-Talk, but at least someone was willing to nail his beliefs to the wall!
Here it is:
Super Rugby previews are more numerous than Whitney Houston tributes at the moment. In both cases time is wasted. There seems to be a reluctance amongst sports writers in general to spare one’s balls from the impending pain and climb down off the fence. So lets now seperate the poop from the champagne when it comes to the teams.
I am not going to bore you with in depth analysis of the no-hopers. I’m looking at potential champions here. To win this thing you have got to finish top of your conference. Bottom line. The ‘extended playoff’ scenario gives the ‘also rans’ a cruel illusion of hope but their chances remain slimmer than a Somalian hunger striker.
Here is how I see it.
Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen, has allegedly been involved in another scuffle at a club, Barba’s in Bloemfontein.
In this the 3rd instalment of the Lions contenders, we look at the big men who perform in the engine room of the forward pack, the lock forwards.
Providing the grunt in the heart of the scrum, as well as the means to win ball in the line-outs, this group of BIG men are responsible for ensuring a continuous supply of quality first phase ball for the team.
Let’s open with the players who did the hard yards in last years campaign.
The next instalment will look at the ever improving and exciting loose forwards.
Stormers and Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has signed a new contract to stay in Cape Town until 2015 and has turned down the opportunity to join Heyneke Meyer’s new Springbok coaching staff