Monthly Archives: December 2012
The Blue Bulls Rugby Union is very pleased to honour Lourens (LM) Smit, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday.
Smit is the oldest living player that has represented the union and played in their very first match ever, in 1938.
Firstly we at Rugby-Talk would like to wish all our bloggers a wonderful and prosperous NEW YEAR!
Who doesn’t love humour and laughter around them?
That oddball in your life who makes you smile without any reason, with the quirkiest things to say, that funny bone tingling. So be that person with our Funny New Year Messages, who spreads the celebratory cheer and zeal around with their words.
In this Article we look at the contenders for SCRUMHALVES at the Sharks 2013 Super Rugby group.
SCRUMHALF – now here is where many a match is won or lost, not always because the scrumhalf was poor. Well sometimes this may be true, but because of various reasons beyond a Scrumhalf’s control, many times we say the flyhalf should control the game as he is normally the play maker, this although true to a degree, it is not always the case in the modern game where a more complete rugby is played.
And so we move on to the backs, but before we do, some housekeeping and a summary of what has happened through player movements at Stormers HQ from the 2012 to the 2013 season.
This time of year fresh rugby news for the Southern Hemisphere is almost as scarse as chicken’s teeth, so bang away and discuss music… and place your favourite MUSIC YOUTUBE VIDEOS right here, in your comments!
It’s simple… just go to Youtube, find your favourite song, copy the web site address, also known as it’s URL, come back to comments and write your comment, PASTING that URL on a new line, before submitting the comment like usual.
Here’s my favourite band of all ages…. Pink Floyd, with one of my favourite tunes…
Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby did battle yesterday in the Rabo Direct Pro12 at Murrayfield. The match also doubled up as the second leg of the 1872 Cup. Glasgow won the first leg of the cup game last weekend at their home ground, Scotstoun Stadium, by nine points. Glasgow were comfortably in front in yesterday’s game, leading by 18 points on the 55 minute mark. However, a late rally by Edinburgh made for an exiting finish, FINAL SCORE : Edinburgh 17 – 21 Glasgow.
Rather than bring one match report I thought for a change would post two match reports, one from either camp. There is some repetition but it is interesting to see the reports as written from ‘both sides of the fence’.
Former All Black coach John Mitchell quit as Sale Sharks head coach on Saturday after just a month in charge of the English Premiership club.
We were off-line for a number of hours, suspended by our Web Hosts because apparently our SQL Database has become unwieldy and freegin large.
Couple of fights later and we’re back online… still have to place some Plugin’s back in place. That will happen tomorrow as I want to monitor what and how the website performs overnight.
Former England captain Tony Greig, one of the architects of cricket’s World Series revolution in the 1970s, has died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack at his Sydney home on Saturday.
Greig, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, was taken to a Sydney hospital but died at about 1:45 pm (0245 GMT).
At the half-way point of the regular season Ulster sit atop of the Pro12 table with a perfect won 11 out of 11 record.
The leaders face Munster in one of four games on Saturday, safe in the knowledge that regardless of other results, they will enter 2013 as table toppers.
Leicester Tigers will play host to Gloucester at Welford Road on Saturday in the key clash of the last round of the Premiership in 2012.
This weekend sees further action in the RaboDirect Pro12 as this season’s competition enters the twelfth round of matches in the league stage. Most of the games will be completed during the weekend but one of the matches, Scarlets versus Ospreys, is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday afternoon.
The attention in Scotland in particular will, for the second week in a row, be centred on the derby match between Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors. This match will take place at Murrayfield on Saturday, kick off due 18.05 South African Time.
The 4th Article in the set discussing the Southern Kings.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOOSE FORWARDS in the Southern Kings 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
“This is where the debate starts to get interesting. So much conjecture around Schalk Burger, his role and where he should play. With Francois Louw gone, is the fetching role going to be an area of contention?” This was my view from the same article 12 months ago – has anything changed?
Schalk Burger still under a cloud, Nizaam Carr still hobbling, but a plethora of very good players in the squad means that if these two players do ever get into frontline rugby again, the Stormers will certainly be able to post a formidable loose trio on match days!
The 4th Article in the set discussing the Vodacom Bulls.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOOSE FORWARDS in the Vodacom Bulls 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
Wow, 5 CURRENT or very RECENT Springbok Loose Forwards in the Bulls Super Rugby group and only 3 can start a game… Plus 2 Junior World Champion Under 20 SA players in the broader squad. Which other Super Rugby side can muster or even sniff such quality?
In years past, this was a position the Cheetahs could make their team selections with their eyes closed. With legends like Juan Smith in particular, giving yeoman service.
Long term injuries and player movements has temporarily thrown the proverbial spanner in the works, resulting in Naka having to recall Hendro Scholtz out of retirement to have a fit flanker in the 2012 Currie Cup.
However the emergence of a few young stars has restored order. Marnus Schoeman has started delivering on the hype anticipated when he was still a junior with the Blue Bulls. Lappies Labuschagne and Justin Downey have grown in their positions, which leaves Naka Drotske spoilt for choice.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOOSE FORWARDS at the Sharks 2013 Super Rugby group.
Loose Forward is a set of 3 positions where the Sharks have abundance of, but much will depend on the coaching staff’s game plans and which combinations to use accordingly and as we have seen with John Plumtree, you could very well see someone like Willem Alberts playing a game or two at lock.
But before I continue, let me get this out of the way first! The biggest problem at the Sharks at Loose Forward is the lack of a FETCHER and as many great Loose Forwards that they have, not having a fetcher is that one huge weakness. All one has to do is look back at the Currie Cup Final of 2012 and see how it hurt them as a team, specially with Bismarck du Plessis being out injured, because it is common knowledge that Bismarck du Plessis fulfills that role for the Sharks.
With only four locks in the squad, and the well documented injury problems that Bekker seems to pick up on a regular basis, this looks like an area of concern for Alister Coetzee and his assistants.
The 3rd Article in the set discussing the Southern Kings.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOCKS in the Southern Kings 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
The 3rd Article in the set discussing the Vodacom Bulls.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOCKS in the Vodacom Bulls 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 3rd T20 International at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth at 14:30 SA Time on Wednesday 26 December 2012.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa posted a mighty 179 / 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
New Zealand started the chase well but after Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum departed, it was all over bar the shouting.
South Africa won comfortably, by 33 runs and with only 1 New Zealand wicket left standing.
In this Article we look at the contenders for LOCKS at the Sharks 2013 Super Rugby group.
At Lock the Sharks have had their fair share of worries this past year, none more so than the semi-final and final of the Currie Cup 2012.
Anton Bresler and Jandre Marais along with Steven Sykes were the frontline jumpers but there always seemed to be something missing, and although the Sharks made both the Super Rugby and Currie Cup Finals, one glaring aspect of their play that at times was very troublesome was the poor line-outs.
This was due, one can assume, to various issues such as injuries to key players at critical stages of the season as well as just poor play.
The season of 2013 will see the Sharks with the same young locks accept for two changes – Steven Sykes has signed for the Kings and is returning to his family farm (Steven was a great servant to Natal rugby and will no doubt be sorely missed) and on loan to the Sharks for the Super Rugby season 2013 is Franco van der Merwe, who no doubt with his experience can help fill that void and add some much needed experience.
Looking at the tall timber, in what has been a troublesome position for the Cheetahs in seasons past. With stalwarts like Barend Pieterse, Rory Duncan, Corniel van Zyl, Flip van der Merwe, David de Villiers , Nico Breedt, and Wilhelm Steenkamp all leaving a void, so a new generation of locks has to be nurtured. With the more recent departures of George Earle, and Izak van der Westhuizens’s departure for colder pastures, a perception could exist, that the Cheetah class of 2013 could struggle in the second row. Well, maybe not!
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 2nd T20 International at Buffalo Park, East London at 18:00 SA Time on Sunday 23 December 2012.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
After New Zealand won the toss again, they decided to field first.
South Africa set a wonderful total of 165 / 5 after 19 overs (match was reuced to 19 overs due to a power outage in the flodd lights). bad fielding by South Africa, shoddy bowling with a wet ball and a marvelous innings of 101 not out by Martin Guptill saw New zealand home off a 4 on the last ball.
Today we had 2 Aviva Premiership games on TV, and we had this Live Game Article… but with a difference.
We were more casual, giving updates whilst talking nonsense inbetween.
How’s that for a nice mix?
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 1st T20 International at Kingsmead, Durban at 18:00 SA Time on Friday 21 December 2012.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa won with ease, with 7.5 overs to spare (47 balls). The South African bowlers did the trick, bowling the New Zealanders out for a poultry 86 runs in 18.2 overs. New Zealand took the 1st South African wicket without a single run on the board for South Africa, but Faf du Plessis and Davids steadied the ship, untill Davids perished on 20, leaving it to young Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis to finish the New Zealanders off in style.
The world’s best player, All Black flyhalf Dan Carter, is the latest target of the cash-flush French clubs.
Wallabies flanker and captain David Pocock has signed a new contract with the Australian Rugby Union for another three years ensuring that he will be available for Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The wait is finally over for Sonny Bill Williams, with the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) informing the Sydney Roosters that the code-hopping superstar’s 2013 playing contract has been registered.
After their forays into Europe, this weekend sees the start of the festive derby fixtures for the Pro12 teams.
Ulster still lead the way with a perfect 10 out of 10 in this competition, a full nine points clear of their nearest rivals, Scarlets, and are one of three Irish Provinces currently in the play-off zone. They welcome Leinster to Ravenhill on Friday, a victory for the visitors would close the gap between themselves and the leaders to single figures, a loss could, put their own top four place into jeopardy.
The battle between the four frontrunners for pole position on the Premiership standings will heat up in this weekend’s Round 11 action.
So close is the title hunt that any of the Harlequins (33), Saracens (32), Northampton Saints (31) or Leicester Tigers (30) could top the standings at the conclusion of the weekend’s play.
The Sharks have launched their official Super Rugby jerseys for the 2013 season.
After a few weeks of Heineken Cup rugby this weekend seems the return to action in the major leagues in the form of the Aviva Premiership and the Rabbo Direct Pro12 as well as the French Top 14. Of particular interest in Scotland is the big derby match between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh on Friday night in Glasgow.
The 2nd Article in the set discussing the Southern Kings.
In this Article we look at the contenders for HOOKERS in the Southern Kings 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.
The 2nd Article in the set discussing the Vodacom Bulls.
In this Article we look at the contenders for HOOKERS in the Vodacom Bulls 2013 Super Rugby group, and what their worth will be in Super Rugby terms.