Wallabies
SANZAR have released the match officials for the fourteenth Round of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament and Steve Walsh has been replaced.
The Crusaders blew a chance to go top of the New Zealand conference when they lost 33-20 to an Ashley Johnson-inspired Cheetahs for their second consecutive defeat in Bloemfontein this morning.
Richie McCaw’s men dominated territory and possession but Johnson, who scored the match-clinching try, and his fellow forwards produced a Herculean defensive effort to put the Crusaders under pressure and force them into costly errors.
I found this website on News24 and all Peter de Villiers fans are invited to listen to this interview with Peter. Take your time , it is in three parts and is 31 minutes long.
Listen to Peter when he is calm and not under pressure.
All the overawed Sonny Bill Williams fans Peter, has a point! Watch these videos with an open mind.
Cheetahs (16) 33 / Crusaders (17) 20 (Final Score)
The Cheetahs hosted the Crusaders at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Cheetahs recorded a masterful win over serious title contenders, the Crusaders…. and on top of it all kept the Crusaders from recording a single Log poin advance, well done Cheetahs!
Bulls (40) 47 / Rebels (3) 10 (Final Score)
The Bulls hosted the Melbourne Rebels at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Bulls blitzed the Melbourne Rebels in the first half, scoring 6 tries to none, but the second half was a dour affair with lots of replacements disrupting all rythm in the game and therefor the second half only produced 7 points for each of the 2 sides.
Job done and mission accomplished by the Bulls, 5 Log points in the bag.
Brumbies (10) 20 / MTN Lions (12) 29 (Final Score)
The Brumbies hosted the MTN Lions at Canberra Stadium, Canberra, at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
For once the MTN Lions played clever and constuctive rugby, doing the right things at te right time! Better defence, good and solid all round performance by the Lions.
Chiefs (3) 30 / Stormers (20) 23 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Stormers at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a game of two different halves, the Stormers raced to a 20 / 3 Halftime lead, only to let the Chiefs score 27 points to 3 in the Second half.
Reds (27) 37/Blues (14) 31 (Final Score)
The Reds host the Blues at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 11:40 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD en CSN on TV in SA.
Highlanders (10) 13 / Huricannes (3) 6 (Final Score)
The Highlanders hosted the Hurricanes at Rugby Park, Invercargill. They won the game with brilliant discipline in defense. One try was scored just before half time after a brilliant cross kick by Jimmy Cowan to Ben Smith.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 13 of Super Rugby 2011.
The game sees the return of Brok Harris, Ricky Januarie, Peter Grant and Brian Habana to the run-on 15.
Lions mentor John Mitchell has made a number of changes to his starting 15, as well on the reserve bench for the match against the Brumbies on Saturday.
Rugby Union will never be able to compete on a global level if it does not embrace a professional work ethic and mindset.
The Cheetahs’ penchant for all-out attack has the heroic Crusaders worried about this weekend’s Super Rugby assignment in Bloemfontein.
What looked like a match featuring two teams from different spectrums of the championship has suddenly been transformed by the Cheetahs’ results over the last phase of the competition.
Blues coach Pat Lam puts a horror injury toll in Super Rugby down to a mix of bad luck and big collisions.
And he has urged the game’s decision-makers to revisit the thorny issue of the length of the off-season as all five New Zealand franchises deal with mounting injuries that are testing the depth of their resources.
With six games left for the Bulls there is no room for another loss. But with so many permutations possible in this last six weeks of the league there might be a lifeline left , even if you lose a 6th game. Is that wishful thinking? Not really. Let me leave the jokes, the Bulls are now in a sudden death playoff.
On Friday the rugby romantic in me was awakened after a long slumber, only to be given a strong sedative a couple of hours later. Continue reading
Allister Coetzee has named his squad for a 4 game tour to Australasia. The team leaves on Sunday and travels to Auckland where they will prepare for their first game against the Chiefs.
Upon arrival back in South Africa, other fixtures include the Vodacom Bulls at DHL Newlands on 11 June and the Cheetahs on 18 June in Bloemfontein.
The Stormers remain top of the Log in the South African Conference, after losing against the Crusaders, but the Sharks have now considerably narrowed the gap on them. The difference is that the Sharks have already toured to Australasia, whereas this Stormers tour will test their real mettle.
In a match where the lead changed sides more often than some presidents change their mind on foreign policy, the Crusaders eventually ran out 20-14 victors over the DHL Stormers at Newlands.
Sharks (6) 34 / Brumbies (16) 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Brumbies at Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Sharks started shockingly and by Halftime had only scored 2 measly penalties for their 6 points, against 16 by the Brumbies.
In the second half, it was a different Sharks team, one wonders what they ate or drank, they eventually scored 28 points in the second half and kept the Brumbies scoreless at the same time, running in 4 converted tries.
Stormers (11) 14 / Crusaders (10) 20 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Crusaders at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This game lived up to it’s hype…. a cracker!
The silky offload skills by Sonny Bill Williams, the speed and hard running by Jaque Fourie, the strong Crusaders scrum, tight defence by the Stormers… classic.
The MTN Lions have announced a 26 man touring squad for the four match tour of Australia and New Zealand starting on Saturday 14th May 2011 against the Brumbies in Canberra.
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs Friday evening at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg in their last home game before heading off on an Australasian tour.
In a match that the Lions players, management, staff and I’m sure all of their spectators both at the ground as well as watching on television would in all likelihood want to forget as soon as possible, they were handed a Rugby lesson by their once Super Rugby partners from Bloemfontein.
Waratahs (6) 20 / Force (9) 15 (Final Score)
The Waratahs hosted the Western Force at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a hard game with a massive attrition rate, the Waratahs win by 5.
Chiefs (6) 20 / Highlanders (7) 7 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Highlanders at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Chiefs gutsed out a win with a good 2nd Half.
MTN Lions (7) 19 / Cheetahs (36) 53 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the Toyota Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
There was only one team on the filed, the Cheetahs…. there were 16 other individuals on the filed at the same time, a referee and 15 players in red.
Rebels (8) 18 / Reds (26) 33 (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels hosted the Reds at AAMI Stadium, Melbourne at 11:40 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
The Reds bagged 4 tries for their bonus point win.
Hurricanes (3) 11 / Blues (9) 17 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes hosted the Blues at Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and CSN on TV in SA.
In a bland game where both sides scored a try each, the Blues continued their march towards title hopes.
Herewith ALL the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announced for week 12 of Super Rugby 2011.
The MTN Lions will be playing the Toyota Cheetahs this Friday, 6 May 2011 at Coca-Cola Park. Kick off is at 7:10pm. The team was announced this afternoon and is:
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that his team are capable of playing even better than they did against the Sharks who they beat 32-12 at the weekend.
Rebels backs Danny Cipriani and Richard Kingi have been stood down for selection for their team’s match against the Reds this weekend due to disciplinary issues.