SA Rugby
South African franchises won two of the four matches they were involved in in round-five of the Super Rugby competition over the past weekend.
Cheetahs fullback Willie le Roux and Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff continue to make major contributions for their respective teams, as is evident from statistics taken from the Vodacom Rugby Stats App.
After Round 5 of the Super Rugby season, the Stormers find themselves at the bottom of the try-scoring standings.
Having played 4 matches to date, the Stormers have scored a total of 5 tries – at an average of 1.25 per match.
South African rugby fans need not worry about securing match tickets for Springbok matches at Rugby World Cup 2015 in England following the establishment of SA Rugby Travel, it was announced on Tuesday.
The new company – a joint venture between the South African Rugby Union and Tourvest Destination Management – has secured thousands of tickets for likely Springbok matches and tailored packages to suit a wide range of fans’ pockets and experience choices.
The Lions have issued a media release concerning injuries sustained during the weekend’s Super Rugby encounter against the Blues as well as the Vodacom Cup match against the Valke.
Maties (0) 41 / 24 (16) Tuks (Final Score)
FNB Maties (University of Stellenbosch) and FNB UP-Tuks (University of Pretoria)
did battle in Super Rugby at Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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The Cheetahs’ tour troubles deepened on Monday when it was confirmed that another injured player will return home.
Backline coach Hawies Fourie told this website, in an interview from the team’s training base in Auckland, that burly centre Francois Venter will return to Bloemfontein.
Shimlas (21) 34 / 33 (20) NMMU (Final Score)
FNB UFS-Shimlas (University of the Free State) and FNB NMMU Madibaz (Nelson Madela Metropolitan University)
did battle in Super Rugby at Shimla Park, Bloemfontein at 16:45 SA Time (14:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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The Eastern Province Kings will be going head to head with Wales ahead of their Test matches against the Springboks in June.
Former Springbok captain Victor Matfield’s role ahead of this year’s international season has taken on vital importance, especially with the season-ending injury to Cell C Sharks player Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Matfield, who starred in the Vodacom Bulls’ win over the Blues a fortnight ago, will now feature even more prominently in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s plans for the upcoming season, especially with the dearth of five locks around the country at the moment.
Former Vodacom Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter, who left Loftus Versfeld under a cloud after the Bulls defeat to the Brumbies in last year’s Vodacom Super Rugby semifinal, is set to make a welcome return to the team ahead of this weekend’s match against the Sharks.
The injury-depleted Stormers could be forced to play regular No 8 Duane Vermeulen at lock in their Super Rugby clash against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday, according to reports.
De Kock Steenkamp has picked up a groin injury and is likely to be sidelined for a while.
Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen has received good news after seeing a specialist over his injured neck.
Prolific try scorer Seabelo Senatla returns to the South African squad for the next two tournaments of the IRB Sevens World Series – in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
However, playmaker Cecil Afrika will miss the trip to the Far East because of a troublesome hamstring.
Steven Hunt replaces Afrika, while Senatla comes in for Sampie Mastriet, who is on Super Rugby duty with the Bulls, for the two changes to the 12-man squad that lost to New Zealand in the Wellington Cup Final last month.
Six players in this competition were eliminated this weekend. The Lions proved to be their downfall and the way the Lions team came back from their year in the cold will cost many a player here their life.
The Cell C Sharks stretched their winning streak in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition to four matches, while the Lions bounced back strongly from back-to-back defeats to overpower the Blues and force their way into fourth place on the combined log table.
South Africa’s touring teams, the DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs, however, continued to struggle in Australasia as they suffered another round of defeats leaving them both winless on their tours so far.
A strong first half by the Cell C Sharks and a flawless kicking performance by flyhalf Pat Lambie and centre Frans Steyn set up the Durban-based side for their 35-20 victory against the Reds at Growthpoint Kings Park.
In Johannesburg the Lions started their match against the Blues with a bang and took advantage of the visitors’ ill-discipline to secure their 39-36 victory. The win nudged them back on track following defeats against the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls.
There will be all to play for in the final round of league action before the play-offs in the 2014 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.
Log-leaders FNB NWU-Pukke are the only team assured of a place in the semifinals, and with five other teams in the running for the other three spots the play-off race is wide open.
At the other end of the log things will be just as tense, as although Johannesburg outfits FNB UJ and FNB Wits cannot make the semifinals there is still the threat of relegation looming this season.
The two games televised live on Supersport One on Monday will have the biggest influence on which teams make the semifinals as sixth-placed FNB UFS-Shimlas host third-placed FNB NMMU and fifth-placed FNB Maties square off with fourth place FNB UP-Tuks in Stellenbosch.
The Reds bemoaned a number of calls made by South African referee Lourens van der Merwe in their 20-35 loss to the Sharks at the weekend.
Despite an impressive second-half fight back at Kings Park, the reds left Durban empty handed.
Blues coach John Kirwan is going to ask SANZAR for ‘clarity’ on a controversial TMO decision made in his team’s 36-39 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg at the weekend.
While Kirwan conceded the Lions were “deserved winners”, he still felt the need to raise the issue of the TMO decision.
Sharks (25) 35 / 20 (6) Reds (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 01:05 Sunday AEST).
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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Lions (17) 39 / 36 (0) Blues (Final Score)
The Lions and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT, 02:00 Sunday 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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Brumbies (20) 28 / 23 (9) Waratahs (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Hurricanes (29) 60 / 27 (20) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 05:35 SA Time (16:35 NZ Time, 03:35 GMT).
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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De Kock Steenkamp has become the Stormers latest casualty, as the struggling team’s second row resources are stretched to the limit.
Steenkamp suffered groin injury in his team’s 20-36 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday – a result that saw the men from Cape Town drop to second from last on the standings, just above the winless Hurricanes.
Pieter-Steph du Toit underwent a scan to his knee yesterday with the disappointing news that he sustained an ACL injury and will be out for the remainder of the year.
Chiefs (17) 36 / 20 (6) Stormers (Final Score)
The Chiefs and DHL Stormers did battle in Super Rugby at
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT).
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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It is Round 5 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 7 games in Round 5, with 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
The Vodacom Bulls have a bye weekend.
In June / July 2014 the Antipion teams will catch up in played games with the South African counterparts, when the South African sides sit out for 1 Round.
The Combined Log will therefore be skewed for the majority of the competition and one has to question why individual countries are allowed to start such a long competition ahead of it’s rivals. In 2013 the Australian sides started a week early, but at least they had the excuse that they needed an extra week in the middle of the year to prepare for the British & Irish Lions series, which they lost.
The Sharks were dealt a cruel blow in the build-up top their Super Rugby encounter with the Reds on Saturday.
Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has been ruled out of the Round Five clash, following a training ground mishap on Thursday.
The Bulls are reportedly eager to attain the services of Springbok and Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen.
The 21-year-old’s contract with the Cheetahs expires on 31 October this year and it appears the Cheetahs will have their hands full to convince him to stay in Bloemfontein.
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has made several changes to the run on team to face the Blues at Ellis Park on Saterday.
Marnitz Boschoff reverts to Flyhalf, and there are starts for Willie Britz and Robbie Coetzee among the forwards.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has formally asked for “clarity” on certainly questionable rulings made by referee Jaco Peyper in their encounter with the Sharks last week.
Ackermann – who made it clear he is not blaming the match officials for the 23-37 loss in Durban, he laid at the door of a “poor start” by his side and “a lack of discipline” – has written to SANZAR Games Manager Lyndon Bray and South African referees’ boss Andrew Watson.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has named his side to take on the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.
The coach made a few changes to his backline after last week’s 43-33 loss to the Reds in Brisbane.
SANZAR has released the names of the officials for Round 5 of Super Rugby 2014. Craig Joubert starts the action this weekend in Hamilton when the Chiefs host the DHL Stormers.
This weekend has 7 games, with 2 games on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Vodacom Bulls have a bye weekend.
The coastal teams made a charge up the standings at the conclusion of Round 6 of the 2014 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International on Monday night.
There were important wins for FNB UCT, FNB NMMU and FNB Maties in an enthralling penultimate round of matches before the play-offs, leaving the competition wide open heading into the final week of league action.
The Ikey Tigers ran in four tries against FNB UFS-Shimlas to secure their first victory at home on the Green Mile this season and move into second place, just four log points behind pace-setters FNB NWU-Pukke.
The Cape team scored three tries playing into the wind in the first half and then went on to claim the bonus point after half-time as they romped to a 25-5 victory. This result leaves UFS-Shimlas down in sixth place after starting the round in third position.
Torrential rain in the northern part of the country had a big say in the other three matches, as FNB UJ and FNB UP-Tuks slumped to defeats at home, whilst NWU-Pukke were forced to work hard for their victory over FNB Wits in Potchefstroom.
Defending champions UP-Tuks suffered their second consecutive defeat at home, as the Madibaz ground out a crucial 19-9 win which saw them move past the Pretoria side into third place on the standings. It was NMMU’s second big scalp of 2014, having beaten the Maties back in Round 1.
The fixtures for the Absa Currie Cup Qualifying Competition and the new eight-team Premier Division were released by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Tuesday.
The Qualifying Competition, which will be contested by GWK Griquas, the Leopards, SWD Eagles, Boland Cavaliers, Down Touch Griffons, Border Bulldogs and Valke, will kick off on the first weekend of June and run until 19 July, when the top team on the log will be granted entry into the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.
The Cell C Sharks will lose one player but are expected to get back another one or even two for this Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Reds at Growthpoint KINGS PARK.