Super Rugby
The Golden Lions Rugby Union announced the MTN Lions team to play in their second match of the 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby competition against the Hurricanes on Friday, 2 March 2012 at a press conference this afternoon.
Chris Smylie - Out
Reg Goodes - 6 weeks
The Hurricanes have suffered a double blow with the news that half back Chris Smylie has been ruled out for the season and loosehead prop Reg Goodes for six weeks at least.
Johann Sadie - 3 Weeks
Wynand Olivier - Fit
Lionel Cronjé - Crocked
We all know rugby is not a sport for sissies, and so it was on Friday for Johan Sadie too, when he sustained an AC Jojnt injury after barely 11 minutes in the Super Rugby game against the Sharks, which will keep him out injured for about 3 weeks. The good news though is that Wynand Olivier is ready again to step into the fold again.
Lionel Cronjé, another of the signings from down South, is not so lucky though, he sustained a pectoral muscle tear which will have to be operated on, in the friendly game between the Vodacom Blue Bulls against the Sharks XV side.
Other Bulls still recovering include Arno Botha, Morné Mellett, Dewald Potgieter & Rossouw de Klerk.
Juan de Jongh - Fit again
Schalk Burger - Crocked
Some good news, tempered with some bad news…
Juan de Jongh returns to the fold this week in preparation for the Stormers game against the Sharks, but the initial assessment of Schalk Burger’s injury was further compounded by news now that Schalk Burger, their mercurial captain and one-man wrecking machine, will be out for at least 6 weeks if not more, with damaged medial knee ligaments.
Andries Bekker and Jean de Villiers have some injury niggles, Rynhardt Elstadt is on his way back… and Peter Grant joins the Stormers this week from Japan.
The Sharks have been given a boost with the news that flank Willem Alberts has been cleared to play after having extensive rehabilitation during the off-season.
Springbok and Sharks prop Tendai “‘Beast” Mtawarira has been admitted to a private hospital in Cape Town suffering from heart palpitations.
We have done it before and maybe we should pick a panel of Bloggers and pick our own team of the week.
There would have been much head shaking by those in the North, as the Crusaders and Highlanders recorded opening wins in the New Zealand Conference, and while the losers hardly shamed themselves – it is easy to see how the patient and uncompromising rugby of the South eventually subjugated their rivals.
Every season we muse over the potential changing of the guard, and of all the giants in Super Rugby many would have predicted that the Overlords of the game in the Republic – the Bulls – would have been a team that could have been excused for a season of rebuilding.
One could argue that the one coach who should be most sated after round one of Super Rugby was Michael Foley, who watched his Waratahs come within the brink of upsetting the defending champions – and finally ensure a NSW season begins with the amount of hype and expectation attached to Australia’s most prolific rugby state.
The Otago Rugby Union will be placed in liquidation on Friday, potentially winding up one of New Zealand’s strongest provincial teams – which has produced 156 All Blacks in 131 years.
Stormers grind out a 13 point margin win against the Hurricanes at Newlands.
Stormers captain Schalk Burger’s knee injury would appear to be less serious than was initially feared when he left the field in the first half of his team’s match against the Hurricanes at Newlands on Saturday.
New Chiefs coach Dave Rennie had a harsh introduction into Super Rugby in Round 1 as he lost his first match at home and four of his players to injury.
Blues flyhalf Michael Hobbs has been issued with the Super Rugby’s first off-field yellow card after being accused of a dangerous tackle in their opening match against the Crusaders.
Cheetahs centre Andries Strauss has been cited and suspended for 2 weeks for foul play in the Super Rugby match between the Lions and the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Lions (12) 27 Cheetahs (19) 25 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA 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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Stormers (23) 39 / Hurricanes (16) 26
(Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Hurricanes did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA 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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Waratahs (8) 21 / Reds (12) 25 (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Reds did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Sydney 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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Chiefs (16) 19 / Highlanders (9) 23 (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Highlanders did battle in Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 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 hold on for victory against Western Force
Patient Crusaders hold off dangerous Blues
Bulls (0) 18 / Sharks (0) 13 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and The Sharks did battle in the Third Super Rugby game of 2012 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA 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 (9) 19 / Force (12) 17 (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Western Force did battle in the Second Super Rugby game of 2012 at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra 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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Blues (12) 18 / Crusaders (16) 19 (Final Score)
The Blues and Crusaders did battle in the FIRST Super Rugby game of 2012 in Wellington at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 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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Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they were announced for Week 1 of Super Rugby 2012.
The last of the team sheets, that of the Highlanders, came in this morning as they waited till the last minute due to some serious possible injury concerns.
Following today’s metting between SARU and the “Big Five” SA Super Rugby Franchises, SARU released the following:
Representatives of the South African Vodacom Super Rugby franchises will accompany the delegates of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to present a case for competition expansion in 2013 to SANZAR partners next month.
In the final episode covering the Lions Super Rugby contenders, we look at the men tasked with both the last line of defence, as well as what is often the last point of attack, the Back Three.
The Speedsters.
In this the next episode of the Lions Super Rugby Contenders, we will look at the Centres that have been included in the squad.
In the next, and final episode, we’ll cover the back three.
With time creeping up on us very fast, we have received our first allottment of Super Rugby tickets, 10 in total, for the game between the MTN Lions and Toyota Cheetahs, which takes place on Saturday at 19:10 SA Time.
Scrumdown, one of our Lions reporters collected them today and phoned me.
He left a very good suggestion that we could give a couple of tickets to some of the unsung medics and helpers who work at the games in the Lions region… and he seems to have just the right people in mind.
The South African Rugby Union’s head honchos will come face-to-face with the ‘big five’ at a crucial meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The SARU delegation, headed by CEO Jurie Roux, will meet with officials of the five current SA franchises – Lions, Bulls, Cheetahs, Sharks and Stormers.
So, in a year where the SA Super Rugby teams have so much to win, and so very much to lose should they have a nightmare season, the two perrenial bottom dwellers of the South African teams square up in the first round of games.
The Lions are riding on the crest of the Currie Cup wave, whilst the Cheetahs will take great heart from some truly stellar performances during the 2011 Super Rugby campaign.
Lets take a look at what we can expect in this the first CAT FIGHT of the season, as well as a look at the player – player match ups.
The Generals, Standoff’s of just plain Flyhalf’s. Irrespective of what you call the man with number 10 on his back, when on song they can single handedly destroy ANY opposition, but when having a miserable day, they can utterly negate the hard work done by their 14 team mates.
Let’s look at the men likely to do duty in the number 10 jersey for the Lions in this season’s Super Rugby campaign.
In the latest edition of the Lions’ contenders we look at the men that dictate the flow of the game once the hard wok has been done by the big men up front – the Scrumhalves.
Scrumhalves are not the biggest players in any squad, by any means, but often the nuggiest and most skillful of the whole bunch.
They often talk too much as well!
It will be goodbye Lions, hello Kings come 2013 as a political decision has been endorsed to allow only ONE TEAM per PROVINCE.