The Rugby Championship
New Zealand’s All Blacks have named their team to travel to Argentina and South Africa for their last two Rugby Championship matches against the Pumas and Springboks.
Rassie Erasmus says Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is tweaking his game plan ahead of next weekend’s Rugby Championship clash with the Wallabies in Pretoria.
Pumas coach Santiago Phelan has named a 27-man strong squad for Argentina’s home matches against the All Blacks and the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies have named uncapped Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan and Western Force winger Nick Cummins in their 28-man Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship away leg.
Springbok utility back Patrick Lambie’s unavailability for Currie Cup duty this week has left Sharks coach John Plumtree a frustrated man.
Springbok Rugby coaches have released five players back to their Currie Cup squads from the squad that returned from New Zealand.
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has been ruled out of the remainder of The Rugby Championship after scans revealed an articular cartilage chip to his right knee.
Springbok prop Dean Greyling has been suspended from all forms of Rugby for two weeks after he pleaded guilty for foul play.
Morne Steyn’s indifferent performance against the All Blacks has increased the pressure on Bok coach Heyneke Meyer to start Johan Goosen at flyhalf.
There is a caveat, and given Heyneke Meyer’s insistence that his team employed the right game-plan in Dunedin it is a significant one, but the Springboks have ended the away leg of their Castle Rugby Championship campaign with reason to be encouraged.
Wallabies (3) 23 / 19 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Argentina Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship at Skilled Park, Gold Coast at 12:00 SA Time (20:00 Gold Coast Time).
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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All Blacks (5) 21 / 11 (3) Springboks (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and South African Springboks did battle in The Rugby Championship at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 09:35 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.
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The Springbok team that will face New Zealand in the fourth Test in The Rugby Championship in Dunedin on Saturday shows two changes from the side that played Australia last weekend.
Both changes are in the forwards, where lock Flip van der Merwe replaces the suspended Eben Etzebeth while Francois Louw comes in for Marcell Coetzee at flank.
Nathan Sharpe has been named as the Wallabies fourth captain this year while fullback Kurtley Beale has been dropped for Australia’s clash with Argentina on Saturday.
Argentina have named their team to play the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship match at the Gold Coast on Saturday with Martin Landajo replacing Nicolas Vergallo at scrumhalf.
The Wallabies injury woes have continued with the news that hooker Stephen Moore and utility back James O’Connor’s return to fitness has been postponed.
The Springboks’ woes are set to continue for the remainder of the year due to the severity of their shortcomings.
Bakkies Botha has been placed on stand-by by Springbok management in case lock Eben Etzebeth loses his hearing into an alleged headbutt during South Africa’s 26-19 Rugby Championship loss to Australia, coach Heyneke Meyer said on Monday in Auckland.
You have to be careful these days not to use performances in the diluted Currie Cup as too big a yardstick toward international credentials.
Flyhalf Dan Carter will not be considered for New Zealand’s Rugby Championship clash with South Africa next week to allow him to recover completely from a calf strain, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said on Sunday.
Any suggestion the Pumas would be pushovers in their Rugby Championship debut was squashed for good on Saturday.
Australia were quickly brought back down to earth after a morale-boosting victory over South Africa in the Rugby Championship with world class scrumhalf Will Genia ruled out for at least six months with a knee injury.
Since I did not watch the game let me rather deal with statistics. I don’t know whether this will support Heyneke Meyer or not because I will post them as I source them. You sift through it and make with it whatever you will.
Wallabies (6) 26 / 19 (13) Springboks (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and South African Springboks did battle in The Rugby Championship at Patersons Stadium, Perth at 12:35 SA Time (18:35 Perth Time).
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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All Blacks (6) 21 / 5 (5) Pumas (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship at Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 04:35 Arg Time).
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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Australia hooker Stephen Moore injured a hamstring in training on Thursday, making him a doubt for Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Perth.
All Black flyhalf Daniel Carter has been withdrawn from the team to face Argentina in Wellington this Saturday, having suffered a calf strain.
DHL Western Province No 8 Duane Vermeulen will make his Springbok debut against Australia in Perth on Saturday, in South Africa’s third test in The Rugby Championship for 2012.
It is not only the Vodacom Bulls, who feel pretty in pink, the All Blacks do too!
The Pink Brigade have infiltrated the All Blacks and Israel Dagg is chuffed.
In the week leading up to a big game it’s unusual for the two opposing teams to come together off the field, but on Wednesday 5 September members of the Qantas Wallabies and Springboks squads will be getting together for a South African style big BRAAI.
Argentina have named their Pumas team to play New Zealand’s All Blacks in Wellington this weekend with two changes to the team that drew with South Africa.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has named his Australia team to play South Africa’s Springboks in Perth this weekend with Kurtley Beale returning to the starting line up.
DHL Western Province No 8 Duane Vermeulen and Toyota Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen are the two uncapped players that have been added to the Springbok squad for the Australasian leg of The Castle Rugby Championship.
The squad of 28 for Tests against Australia in Perth (September 8) and New Zealand in Dunedin (September 15), was finalised on Wednesday.
Apart from the inclusion of Vermeulen and Goosen, there were recalls for DHL Western Province midfielder Juan de Jongh as well as loose forward Francois Louw, who has captained Bath in England.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has come out in defence of his Wallabies rival Robbie Dean who is under severe pressure for his job to turn the Australian Rugby team around or face the sack.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer pulled no punches when asked where things went wrong for his team as they drew the second Test in The Castle Rugby Championship, against Argentina in Mendoza, by 16-16.