SA Rugby
Die Vodacom Bulls-afrigter, Frans Ludeke, het vier skuiwe gemaak vir sy span se Vodacom Super Rugby-wedstryd teen die Toyota Cheetahs Saterdag in Bloemfontein, met Arno Botha, Jan Serfontein, Werner Kruger en Lionel Mapoe almal in die opdrafspan.
Heyneke Meyer feared he had ruined Tom Youngs’ career when he persuaded the Englishman to switch from centre to hooker. The Springbok coach can probably rest easy now.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 16 of Super Rugby 2013. Glen Jackson once again starts the action between the Crusaders and Waratahs on Friday.
This weekend sees 6 matches, with 2 on Friday and 4 on Saturday.
The South African Rugby Union has confirmed that Rohan Janse van Rensburg will replace his Blue Bulls team mate Jan Serfontein in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the Junior World Championship (JWC).
Taking a look at the Super Rugby season for The Sharks thus far has been painful and regrettable, the uncertainty and anger of supporters as to “What just happened out there” or “Why? Who is to blame?” and naturally the first thing that is thrown around is “Dismiss the coaching staff!”.
How will Heyneke Meyer fare in 2013?
Well there are a lot of surprises in the mid-year appointments this year, and I’m not sure how much can be read into them.
The Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs are now firmly in playoff contention with the June break looming after crucial away victories on an exciting weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby.
Bulls wing Bjorn Basson has been cited for a dangerous tackle during Saturday’s 18-16 win over the Sharks at Kings Park.
Sharks (3) 16 / 18 (9) Bulls (Final Score)
The 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.
*******************
Stormers (3) 20 / 15 (0) Reds (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at Newlands, Cape Town 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.
*******************
Kings (12) 22 / 34 (13) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at Nelson Mandela bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they are announded for Round 15 of Super Rugby 2013.
Vodacom Bulls scrumhalf Jano Vermaak will make a 100th Vodacom Super Rugby appearance on Saturday if he takes to the field in his side’s match against The Sharks in Durban.
The former Cats (11 caps) and MTN Lions (62 caps) player will represent the Vodacom Bulls for the 28th time and become South Africa’s 22nd centurion at that level.
Springbok flank Jacques Potgieter is set to leave the Bulls for good after requesting a release from his contract.
A group of 38 players, featuring eight players who were not part of the first camp, will assemble in Durban for the second Springbok training camp before the final squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series is named early next month.
The Vodacom Bulls are set to announce a two-year contract extention to head coach Frans Ludeke’s contract on Wednesday.
DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has named a much-changed line-up for Saturday’s Super Rugby encounter against the Reds at DHL Newlands (kick-off 17h05).
Andries Bekker’s career at the Stormers may well have come to a premature end as he joined the Cape franchise’s ever-increasing injury list.
Bekker and fellow Springbok Juan de Jongh were the latest additions to the Stormers’ injury list, ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Reds at Newlands.
The Southern Kings team has remained relatively unchanged for the Round 15 Super Rugby encounter with the Cheetahs.
There is just one change in their starting line-up, as SP Marais returns at fullback for the Round 15 game in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 15 of Super Rugby 2013. Steve Walsh starts the action between the Chiefs and Crusaders on Friday after Chris Pollock was originally named to be in charge of the match at Waikato Stadium but a minor leg injury has ruled him out, Walsh coming in as replacement.
We have 7 matches this weekend, 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
Being officially out of the Vodacom Super Rugby race has not exempted the DHL Stormers from further injuries, with several players on the doubtful list for a clash against the Reds at Newlands on Saturday that is of academic interest only to South African fans.
Of course former Springbok coach Jake White and his Brumbies, and the Waratahs that beat them this past weekend, may have different ideas about the irrelevance of the game.
The Sharks and the Springboks have received a blow with the news that wing JP Pietersen will be sidelined for an extended period.
Europcar South Africa has joined the South African Rugby Union (SARU) sponsors’ family as the official car rental supplier to SARU, its national squads and national teams, it was announced on Tuesday.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee on Monday told a high-powered delegation that poor refereeing and a high injury toll were big contributing factors to their struggles this year.
Two rounds of relative disappointment were reversed this weekend as three of the four South African teams in action won their Vodacom Super Rugby matches against Australasian opposition.
In the process the Vodacom Bulls moved up to second spot on the overall log, although they made very hard work of recording a try-scoring bonus point in their 35-18 win over the struggling Highlanders in Pretoria on Saturday.
There was a clean bill of health to the Vodacom Bulls squad that conquered the Highlanders on Saturday, but a number of players from that match are recovering from bruises and light strains, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.
The return of injured Springboks Bismarck du Plessis and Butch James will bolster The Sharks as they return home from their disasterous tour and as they ready themselves to face the South African Conference Log leaders, the Vodacom Bulls for the tough derby game at Kings Park this Saturday.
Southern Kings flank Jacques “Vleis” Engelbrecht has been cleared for the game against the Cheetahs on Saturday, while Andries Strauss’ shoulder injury has shown remarkable improvement.
Now we are into the business part of the Super Rugby season! Before the TEST Window break each South African team has 2 games left (Sharks have only 1).
It was the Springboks’ best performance of the tour. A real confidence booster after the shock defeat against the University side but at the same time a game that had a negative impact in more than one way. It showed New Zealand the danger of allowing the Springboks space to play the Craven-linking pattern. Not that New Zealand was unaware of the Springbok style but it re-affirmed the necessity of keeping the Springboks on the back foot.
Cheetahs (18) 27 / 13 (6) Reds (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 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.
*******************
Bulls (23) 35 / 18 (6) Highlanders (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Highlanders did battle in Super Rugby at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 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.
*******************
The long history of South African teams being done in by the incompetence and, let’s be honest, the one-eyed approach of Australasian match officials took another turn for the worse on Friday as the DHL Stormers were beaten 30-21 by the Rebels in a Vodacom Super Rugby match in Melbourne.
Pumas (20) 28 / 42 (23) Golden Lions (Final Score)
The Pumas and MTN Golden Lions did battle in Super Rugby at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************