SA Rugby
South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins wants to see a 17-team Super Rugby competition in future with fewer local derbies and an Argentine team in the mix.
The Super Rugby format is set to change from 2016 when a new broadcast deal takes effect and Hoskins would like to see a change from the current 15-team format.
Teenage lock forward Jonny Gray is the only uncapped player in Scotland’s 23-man squad to face South Africa in the viagogo Autumn Test at Murrayfield on Sunday.
The South African Rugby Players’ Association (SARPA) has expressed concern at the financial situation at the Border Bulldogs.
The crisis started when players at the East London-based union did not receive their match fees for the month of September, and salaries for October have not been paid in full.
France’s Jérôme Garcès will referee the Scotland v Springboks Test at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 17:00.
Rugby fans can start voting for their own International Player of the Year and World XV of the Year following the release of a 45-strong shortlist of contenders.
Part of the inaugural Ultimate Rugby IRPA Awards, the Fans’ Player of the Year, and World XV of the Year will be decided by votes cast on Ultimate Rugby’s mobile app, and announced in conjunction with other category winners on November 26.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Monday confirmed the names of 10 Springboks who were awarded long-term national contracts in August this year, which will see them remain in South Africa until the end of 2015.
The Barbarians have announced that four more Springbok players will represent them when they tackle Fiji later this month.
A new black-owned side, Eye of the Tiger Academy, will compete with other privately owned teams for the prize money of R1 million at the George Sevens Premier League.
Combining a fair bit of Springbok news, as speculation flows…
John McFarland, Springbok defensive coach says the Springbok defences were already better last week compared to the previous game against the All Blacks.
Scribes worry and remind Bakkies Botha to keep his dicipline on field and not to succumb to the “Red Mist” od ill-dicipline and the real threat of Yellow or Red Cards.
It also appears that both the formidable frame of young Pieter-Steph du Toit (lock) and that of Patrick Lambie will be in the run-on side for the Springboks on the weekend, with scribes writing up the virtues of Pieter-Steph du Toit almost non-stop, whilst others consider Lambie the perfect fir for the Scotland game.
Scotland have injury concerns over five players ahead of next Sunday’s Test against South Africa at Murrayfield.
The home and away Super Rugby derby matches could be dropped in favour of playing every team when the tournament format is restructured in 2016.
The current Super Rugby format has split teams into three conference of five teams each and the teams in the conferences play opposition teams on a home and away basis.
International news is flowing like a river in flood today, seems I have been updating all day, today… but we like it that way, don’t we!
Reviews of the Fourie du Preez try, clearly shows that Jaque Fourie was ahead of Fourie du Preez when he kicked, did not retreat and the subsequent try, however well-worked, should not have been awarded. Another blemish on refereeing in 2013!
Looking ahead at this weekend’s clash against Scotland, it appears at this stage if Bakkies Botha might get a starting berth at lock and it looks likely that Patrick Lambie will get the nod at flyhalf.
Meanwhile Morné Steyn is responding well to treatment for his back spasm injury and it looks likely that he’ll also be ready for Sunday’s match.
The Springboks’ victory over Wales on Saturday has slightly narrowed the gap between them and the All Blacks at the top of the IRB world rankings.
Scotland coach Scott Johnson was struggling to evaluate his side’s win over Japan as he looked ahead to the sterner tests that South Africa and Australia are sure to pose at Murrayfield on the next two weekends.
Kings duo Rynier Bernardo and Shane Gates have both been called up to the Cheetahs wider training camp ahead of next year’s Super Rugby season.
The Springboks have veered off from their normal schedule on Sunday to visit the iconic Old Trafford in Manchester for the English Premiership clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.
The South African team was invited by Richard Arnold, Group CEO of Manchester United, when he met Springbok captain Jean de Villiers at a rugby match in Cape Town earlier this season.
A barrage of news and speculation greets us early on a Monday morning after a power game against Wales by the Springboks, this past weekend.
Firstly, the match analysis… reports indicating that Team Management and leaders in the side are lauding Fourie du Preez for his Man Of The Match performance against Wales.
Secondly, it appears that the injury to Bok flyhalf Morné Steyn, who had to leave the field after only 18 minutes in the game is not serious, with a troublesome back spasm picked up in the pre-game warm-up blamed and the player taken off to prevent real injury.
Thirdly, with 1 win under the belt and 2 games remaining, the next one being against Scotland on Sunday, speculation is rife whether Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will rest some weary players and pick a hand full of other players, to test new combinations against what should be South Africa’s weakest opposition on tour.
We will discuss the above under seperate headings below:
Ground staff at Murrayfield have been spraying the home of Scottish rugby with garlic in a bid to eradicate a turf parasite. Nematodes are roundworms that damage the grass root structure.
Wales (12) 15 / 24 (17) Springboks (Final Score)
Wales and the South African Springboks did battle in the End Of Year Tours at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 19:30 SA Time (17:30 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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Meanwhile, another International in progress at the same time, here is the score:
Ireland 40 / 9 Samoa (Final Score)
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In Round 2 of the End Of Year Tours of 2013 there will be a lot more games on the weekend, compared to Round 1, last week. This weekend almost gives the impression of a Mini World Cup, as virtually all the top teams in the world are somehow involved in rugby this weekend.
Some teams are playing their first games on tour whilst others started their tours last weekend already. This weekend will feature quite a few games that has been hyped up to be classic clashes on the yearly calendar. Wales vs the Springboks from South Africa and France vs the New Zealand All Blacks are the two clashes most talked and speculated about during the week. Here are some head to head stats to help you pick your winners.
Pumas speedster Rosco Speckman was this week added to the Springbok Sevens training squad in Stellenbosch.
The group is preparing for the next two legs of the IRB Sevens World Series – in Dubai and Port Elizabeth.
Experienced backline stars JP Pietersen and Jaque Fourie are back in the Springbok team for Saturday’s Castle Lager Outgoing Tour opener against Wales in Cardiff, while Frans Malherbe will make his Test debut at the Millennium Stadium.
In naming his side for Saturday’s Test against the current Six Nations champions, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has decided to hand Fourie his first Test for South Africa since the Rugby World Cup in 2011, while a combination of injury and non-availability means Pietersen is back for his first taste of international rugby yet this season.
The former home of Eastern Province rugby, the Boet Erasmus Stadium, is currently in a state of ruin.
A sports management company is claiming €79 200 (R1 million) from former Springbok and Blue Bulls hooker, Gary Botha.
Wales have announced their team to play South Africa in their opening Autumn International Test match, initially with Ospreys wing Eli Walker being named to make his international debut. Walker has since been sidelined by injury and is replaced by Liam Williams (Scarlets).
Heyneke Meyer is taking the approach to take Wales quite seriously, so seriously that he has changed his game plan away from the expansive style the Springboks played during The Rugby Championship.
Meyer is approaching this game more conservatively with the mindset of building phases and keeping the ball in hand.
With Jannie du Plessis out for the End Of Year Tours for the Springboks it seems likely that Frans Malherbe will make his debut for the Springboks.
With Du Plessis out, only two options remain at tighthead prop and these are Frans Malherbe and Lourens Adriaanse, who are both uncapped.
Heyneke Meyer has given a clear indication as to what his intentions are for the 2013 End Of Year Tour.
It seems likely that Meyer will use this End Of Year Tour to test combinations building up to the 2015 World Cup.
Former New Zealand international wing Rene Ranger and South African centre Robert Ebersohn on Monday arrived to significantly bolster Top 14 highflyers Montpellier’s ranks.
England have closed the gap on second placed South Africa after their 20-13 victory over Australia this past weekend.
With the victory over Australia, England managed to gain half a ranking point and is now 1.55 ranking points behind South Africa.
Western Province Rugby can confirm that one of its players was arrested on suspicion that his blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit.
Wales will take heart from the British and Irish Lions’ demolition of Australia earlier this year when they tackle the Springboks in Cardiff on Saturday.
There were 10 Welsh players in the Lions’ starting team for the decisive third Test against the Wallabies in June – a game the Lions convincingly won 41-16 to claim their first series win in 16 years.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers said that his team is focused solely on their match against Wales this weekend.
A cold and rainy Cardiff greeted the Springboks on Sunday upon arrival in Wales, where they will kick off their tour at the Millennium Stadium.
It is not exactly a state secret, but the Stormers confirmed on Saturday that Argentinean lock Manuel Carizza will move to Cape Town after his country’s November tour.
The Sharks have swooped to secure the services of talented Western Province Under-20 flyhalf Tim Swiel.