SA Rugby
Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen should be ready to play for the Cheetahs when they host the Bulls in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
Goosen went for a scan after slightly injuring his arm in the Cheetahs’ 21 / 20 home defeat to the Lions at the weekend.
The DHL Stormers have been the South African side to be hit with the most pre-season injuries of all 5 Super Rugby Franchises. It has left them lean at lock and in the backline at wing and fullback.
Jaco Taute is rported to be out for 2 more weeks,as a result of which the Stormers have had to scramble to sign more depth, which now comes in the form of signing Shakes Soyizwapi from the EP Kings.
In addition, speculation is rife around what the constitution of the back three will be to run out against the Lions in Super Rugby on the weekend and the likelyhood is that Allister Coetzee would entrust a midfield spot next to Jean de Villiers to Michael van der Spuy.
Former England and British & Irish Lions prop Matt Stevens has agreed to return home to Durban and play Super Rugby for the Sharks at the end of this season.
Jason Jaftha, one of SANZAR’s panel of Super Rugby referees, has suffered what seems to be a serious knee injury.
Alan Solomons has lured former IRB Junior World Championship-winning Baby Bok prop Allan Dell to Edinburgh.
Educated at Queens College in Eastern Cape, the promising young prop, who can play on both sides of the scrum, qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, Joan Carmichael, who was born in Paisley and brought up in Edinburgh.
Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle will be out “for a long time” after suffering a knee injury at the weekend, French club Toulouse have said on Monday.
Tuks (8) 26 / 0 (0) Shimlas (Final Score)
FNB UP-Tuks (University of Pretoria) and FNB-UFS Shimlas (University of the Free State)
did battle in Super Rugby at Tuks Rugby Stadium, Pretoria 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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UJ (24) 32 / 15 (2) Wits (Final Score)
FNB UJ (University of Johannesburg) and FNB Wits (University of Witwatersrand)
did battle in the Varsity Cup at UJ Stadium, Johannesburg 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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Governing body Sanzar has confirmed that Television Match Official Deon van Blommenstein made a critical error in awarding Cobus Reinach his try during the Cell C Sharks’ 31 / 16 win over the Vodacom Bulls in their Vodacom Super Rugby match in Durban on the weekend.
Sanzar referees boss Lyndon Bray confirmed the try – which led to repeated replays – should not have been awarded as the ball was knocked-on by Sharks lock Anton Bresler.
The Lions celebrated their return to Vodacom Super Rugby with a good win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein before the Cell C Sharks showed they mean business in 2014 with a bonus-point victory over the Vodacom Bulls in Durban.
For the Cell C Sharks, under a new coach in former Springbok mentor Jake White, it was a perfect start to the season. They got their 4th try at the death of their 31 / 16 win after scoring 3 five-pointers in the first 40 minutes.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann knows that his young team’s gritty victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein was worth more than just the four log points.
The Johannesburg side made an ideal return to Super Rugby, with a late drop-goal from flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff giving them a dramatic 21 / 20 victory over the home side.
The DHL Stormers still have to get into the action and will have other intentions, but the first two matches of Vodacom Super Rugby reinforced the pre-season view that the Cell C Sharks will be the team to beat in the South African conference.
Certainly the other three sides that played this weekend were light years behind the Sharks, and that confirms the view picked up in the last Absa Currie Cup season, when the understrength sides of the Sharks and Western Province dominated the league season before contesting the final: there really are only two strong unions in South Africa at the moment.
The unavailability of fullback Jaco Taute for the Vodacom Super Rugby opener is just one of the many things that have given DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee reasons to be thoughtful ahead of the trip to Johannesburg on Saturday.
As the Lions were sounding a warning ahead of Ellis Park by shocking the Toyota Cheetahs 21 / 20 in Bloemfontein, a scratch Stormers team that included several youngsters who were still at school last year was on the way to a 29 / 24 defeat to the Boland Cavaliers in searing heat in Wellington.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské says their performance against the Lions was the worst by them in three years.
Legendary Australian wing David Campese wasn’t impressed by what the Bulls dished up in their Super Rugby opener against the Cell C Sharks in Durban over the weekend.
“Campo” studied the Super Rugby clash which the Sharks won 31 / 16 to go to the top of the Super Rugby standings.
Three teams remain unbeaten in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International, and they will all be on home turf in Round Three on Monday.
FNB NWU-Pukke lead the way after claiming bonus-point victories in both their matches, and they will host a desperate FNB Maties side that have just a single bonus point to show for their efforts so far this season.
The three-time champions are coming off a demoralising defeat to Cape rivals FNB UCT in front of their home crowd in Stellenbosch and now face a tough follow-up assignment against the well-drilled NWU-Pukke outfit in Potchefstroom.
Springbok fullback Jaco Taute has been ruled out of the Stormers fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg next week.
Taute was an 11th hour withdrawal from the Stormers side which went down 29-24 to Boland in Wellington on Saturday.
French champions Castres’ scrumhalf Rory Kockott told Canal Plus on Saturday he had changed his mind over a move to Heineken Cup champions Toulon and wished to remain at his present club.
The 27-year-old South African – the Top 14 player of last season after finishing leading points scorer – said that despite signing a pre-contract with Toulon he had decided it was a move not in the best interests of him or his family.
Delmas Rugbyklub, een van die Valke Platteland rugbyklubs, ‘n ou en gevestigde maar klein rugbyklub, hou weer hierdie jaar ‘n rugbydag, hierdie een die 5de in ‘n ry.
Rugby-Talk tree met trots op as borg en media vennoot van die wonderlinge geleentheid.
Oos Rand Stereo (93.9 FM) en Big Bang Events & Marketing Solutions sal ook by die dag betrokke wees en die nodige kleur aan die geleentheid verskaf.
Die gemeenskap van Delmas het ‘n sterk Afrikaanse inslag en daar is versoek dat Rugby-Talk die geleentheid in Afrikaans sal dek en hanteer, vandaar die feit dat hierdie berig in Afrikaans verskyn. Geen poging word hiermee gemaak om die Engelse en internasionale lesers kwaad te maak of te vervreem nie, tewens, ons nooi julle uit om jou krakerige Afrikaans af te stof vir die dag, en indien jy nie by magte is om dit te doen nie, om in jou beste Engels deel te neem aan die gesprek.
(The community of Delmas and surrounds has a strong Afrikaans component and it was requested that Rugby-Talk cover the event in Afrikaans, thus the fact that this article is largely in Afrikaans. No attempt is made to anger or alienate English and international readers, in fact you are invited to dust off your Shoddy Afrikaans for the day, and if you are not in a position to do so, to take part in the conversations in your best English).
Soos ons almal bewus is, kry rugbyklubs weinig bystand en finansiële steun van hul moeder-unies, van die Suid-Afrikaanse Rugbyraad en van die owerhede.
Spelers by van die klubs speel gereeld met tweedehandse tokse en klubs is van rugbydae soos hierdie afhanklik vir hul enigste inkomste van die jaar.
Vrywilligers en toegewyde rugbyondersteuners maak die bestuur van hierdie klubs op, teen hoegenaamd geen vergoeding nie, inteendeel betaal hierdie ware rugbygeesdriftiges gereeld gelde uit eie sak, sny gras en herstel wat nodig is om die rugbyklubs aan die lewe te hou.
The Boland Cavaliers gave the Stormers plenty to ponder as they beat them 29-24 in a pre-season friendly in Wellington on Saturday.
It may have been a young and experimental Stormers side, which showed plenty of guts, but it would not have been the way coach Allister Coetzee would have wanted to end the pre-season.
Sharks (23) 31 / 16 (9) Bulls (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at
Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sFMF09fgi8[/youtube]
Cheetahs (10) 20 / 21 (9) Lions (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and Lions did battle in Super Rugby at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84FxGreFTeM[/youtube]
Last year I took a bet with a fellow subscriber on Rugby-Talk and the whole idea of our own Prediction Game was born. We always brag or predict how many games other teams will win or lose. The idea was born to challenge you all to put your great rugby knowledge to test. This competition will eliminate the big mouths first and foremost.
Let me explain more…
This ARTICLE is the only place were you can participate and give your predictions. All Predictions must be in before 15:00 on Saturday 15 February 2014, that is roughly 2 hours before the first South African Super Rugby game of 2014.
This is a ONCE-OFF prediction game, you pick before the cut-off time, after that you just wait and see how far you go over the weeks. Once you have picked, the season will unfold and your wisdom will be tested. Rugby-Talk will compile a spreadsheet and monitor your progress or lack thereof.
Last man standing will be our winner. The prize for the winner, will be a gift voucher of R 1 000.00 from Garden Pavilion Garden Centre. This prize will be sponsored by Appelblaar Road Stall & Nursery in Hoedspruit, but will apply to any of the Garden Pavilion Garden Centres in South Africa.
Herewith a Full Media Guide, detailing ALL Super Rugby 2014 Teams, Players, Management, Staff and Statistics, for all the Super Rugby participating teams, from all 3 countries.
Stormers fullback Jaco Taute’s knee is giving him problems again as they prepare to face Boland in a pre-season friendly in Wellington on Saturday.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union is pleased to welcome Jonsson Workwear, Africa’s leading workwear brand, on board as an official associate sponsor.
The 2014 Super Rugby season kicks off this weekend with an all South African round of action featuring the Cheetahs vs the Lions and the Sharks vs the Bulls.
Here we take a brief look at the South African teams and what could lie ahead for the South African Super Rugby franchises.
Former Treviso coach, Franco Smith has been appointed as Assistant Coach for the Currie Cup. Smith gained a wealth of experience whilst coaching Treviso.
Super Rugby is finally upon us, with Round 1 of the 2014 season starting this weekend. Only 2 games are played in Round 1, and only 4 South African sides are involved in Round 1.
The DHL Stormers have a bye weekend, right at the outset, but of course Bye Points fall away in 2014.
The New Zealand and Australian sides will only join up as from Round 2, as the South African sides will only be hauled in in June when the New Zealand and Australians play a Round where the South African sides sit out.
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.
Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby Jake White has named his team to play the Bulls in Saturday’s opening Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Bulls at Growthpoint Kings Park.
Getting off to a good start is vital to the team’s tournament aims and there is no discounting the value of winning early to set up a platform for ongoing success. The team he has named includes 11 Springboks in the starting line-up with a further three on the bench as he has been able to name pretty much a full-strength side.
SANZAR has decided to do away with the hugely unpopular system whereby teams get awarded ‘bonus’ points when they have a bye in Super Rugby.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said on Thursday they listened to “feedback from the fans” and trust this makes it easier for all to track their team’s log progress throughout the season.
The ABSA Currie Cup will feature an eight-team Premier Division and a new qualification round, following the decision to expand the top flight, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) announced on Thursday.
A Special General Council meeting of the 14 member unions gave the required 75% majority to a resolution to go to an eight-team Premier Division and six-team First Division for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers on Wednesday became only the sixth player to be named South African Rugby Player of the Year more than once, while Eben Etzebeth was named the Young Player of the Year for 2013 for the second successive season at a glittering ceremony at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.
De Villiers led the Springboks to 10 wins in 12 Tests in 2013 and scored five tries in the process following an outstanding Vodacom Super Rugby campaign for the DHL Stormers. His first-class record now stands at 254 matches with 91 tries scored.
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his first Super Rugby side to take on the Cheetahs in the South African Super Rugby opener on Saturday.
The team features 6 Super Rugby debutants namely Chrysander Botha, Marnitz Boshoff, Franco Mostert, Julian Redelinghuys, Robbie Coetzee and Schalk van der Merwe and is captained by Warren Whiteley.
The Lions were not involved in the 2013 Super Rugby season, after being relegated by the Southern Kings. The Lions will be eager to show that they belong in Super Rugby and not on the sidelines.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke will look at his next generation Vodacom Bulls players to deliver the goods in the Vodacom Super Rugby season after he named a youthful looking side to face the Cell C Sharks in the season’s opener in Durban on Saturday.
Regular captain Pierre Spies will lead a team on the field with a number of players on debut and a number of others with only a handful of caps, but will also have the luxury of Victor Matfield on the bench.
Matfield will join former Sharks AJ Venter and John Smit in becoming the most capped South African Vodacom Super Rugby players and will play in his 125th match at this level.