Super Rugby
SANZAR has released the names of the match officials for Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014.
Rohan Hoffmann starts the action this weekend in Dunedin when the Highlanders take on the Vodacom Bulls.
This weekend sees 6 matches, with 2 games on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
The Blues, Hurricanes and Stormers have BYE WEEKENDS.
Remember that Daylight Savings Time changes occured all over the Globe on Sunday, so the Time difference between South Africa and their Antipodian counterparts increase bu an hour.
Highlanders wing Kurt Baker has been handed the biggest ban of the Super Rugby season – a six-week suspension for a spear tackle.
Baker was slapped with the suspension for his tackle on Rebels scrumhalf Nick Stirzaker during the Highlanders’ 33-30 win on Dunedin last Friday.
Constant change of personnel as a consequence of regular injuries has taken its toll on the Stormers, according to coach Allister Coetzee.
The Stormers have now replaced the Cheetahs at the bottom of the Super Rugby log following their 22-11 loss to the Waratahs at Newlands on Saturday, marking a sixth defeat in seven matches this season.
“We’ve had to change personnel week in and week out and many of the players coming in lack experience,” Coetzee said after the game in Cape Town.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann gave a damning assessment of his side’s performance in their 28-7 loss to the Crusaders in their Vodacom Super Rugby match at Ellis Park on Saturday, calling on his players to “take responsibility” for their own performances.
A visibly angry Ackermann wasn’t impressed with the way the Lions imploded against the street-smart Crusaders, who simply fed off the home side’s mistakes and scored two late tries to inflate the scoreboard in their favour.
The Vodacom Bulls will limp into Queenstown on Monday to nurse their wounds and get themselves up and ready for Saturday’s second tour challenge against the Highlanders in Dunedin.
The Bulls have chosen the holiday resort for a few days before heading to Dunedin on Thursday, and it couldn’t come at a better time as they lost both Dewald Potgieter (torn bicep) and Deon Stegmann (torn groin muscle) on Saturday.
The Waratahs have called utility back Ben Volavola into their squad as emergency injury cover after injuries to wingers Peter Betham and Alofa Alofa.
The Waratahs beat the Stormers 11-22 in Cape Town on Saturday but the victory came at a cost as Betham and Alofa were both injured in the battle.
Chiefs wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma has been issued with an off-field yellow card for contravening Law 10.4 (b) stamping or trampling.
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika believes that the Australian conference is more competitive this year because the teams have shown more hunger.
Cheika’s team earned a valuable four points on the road against the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday to make it three Australian teams in the top five with the Brumbies and Force also getting up for wins.
The Melbourne Rebels’ loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin continued their dismal record on foreign shores but coach Tony McGahan believes Australia’s Super Rugby strugglers can upset the double-defending champion Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.
Chiefs’ flyhalf Aaron Cruden will miss six to eight weeks of Super Rugby after breaking his thumb in a dramatic draw with the Central Cheetahs, the club said on Monday.
In a major dent to the Chiefs’ hopes of securing three titles in a row, the 25-year-old had an X-ray following the 43-43 draw in Bloemfontein which confirmed his left thumb was fractured.
Die Skotse rugbyklub Edinburgh se Suid-Afrikaanse spens raak al hoe voller. ’n Amptelike aankondiging word eers later verwag, maar Alan Solomons (afrigter) het glo ’n sewende Suid-Afrikaner na Edinburgh gelok.
Die slot van die Haaie, Anton Bresler, sal hom glo ná die Super Rugby-reeks by Edinburgh aansluit. Bresler kan hom as plaasvervanger vir die oud-Cheetahs slot, Izak van der Westhuizen, wat op pad terug na Suid-Afrika is, daar aanmeld.
Stormers (8) 11 / 22 (10) Waratahs (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT, 02:10 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 (0) 7 / 28 (6) Crusaders (Final Score)
The Lions and Crusaders did battle in Super Rugby at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT, 03:05 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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Cheetahs (34) 43 / 43 (10) Chiefs (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT, 01:00 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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Reds (17) 29 / 32 (17) Force (Final Score)
The Reds and Western Force did battle in Super Rugby at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 17:40 AWST, 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 (16) 25 / 20 (13) Bulls (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Vodacom Bulls did battle in Super Rugby at
McLean Park, Napier 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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Kurt Baker of the Highlanders has been cited by SANZAR for alleged foul play during their Super Rugby match against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.
Vox Telecom, a leading South African telecoms provider, has signed an associate / extended sponsorship agreement with the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU).
The agreement allows Vox Telecom one title sponsor game during the Super Rugby tournament and also gives the company branding rights for the remainder of the competition and Currie Cup.
Brumbies (13) 26 / 9 (6) Blues (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Blues 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 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Highlanders (20) 33 / 30 (13) Rebels (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT, 17:35 AEST).
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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It is Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have 7 games in Round 8, with 2 games on Friday and 5 games on Saturday.
The Cell C Sharks have their 2nd bye weekend.
In June / July 2014 the Antipodian 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.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie clearly doesn’t believe in continuity.
After coming away with a 34-all draw – the result of a 19-point haul in the final 10 minutes against the Bulls last week – the Chiefs have made 10 changes to their matchday squad for the Round Eight Super Rugby showdown with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has named his 23-man team to take on the Crusaders at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.
Ackermann has made just one forced change in the forwards and two changes in the backline for the encounter.
The Waratahs have announced that Israel Folau will miss this weekend’s Super Rugby match against the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
Folau suffered a throat knock two weeks ago when he was playing against the Rebels and missed last week’s loss to the Sharks.
Rebels head coach Tony McGahan has made four changes to his starting line-up for Friday’s match against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Following the club’s 32-24 victory over the Brumbies, Colby Fainga’a has failed to recover from a hip injury and will be replaced in the back row by Sean McMahon, while Tom Kingston continues to follow concussion protocols and will not be considered for selection this week.
Japanese international Male Sau replaces Kingston on the right wing, with Jordy Reid and Alex Rokobaro injected into the match day squad as reserves for the first time in 2014.
The Brumbies have made just one change to their starting side with Siliva Siliva given an opportunity in the No 2 jumper for Friday night’s clash with the Blues.
Stephen Moore will miss his first Brumbies game through injury since 2011 after the champion hooker was given a week to recover from a niggling knee concern.
Ben McCalman will return to the starting line-up when the Force takes on the Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
McCalman, who returns from a two-week suspension incurred from his side’s 31-29 win over the Highlanders, has been named at the back of the Force scrum, while Angus Cottrell reverts back to the blindside flank in the only changes to the Force line-up.
Livewire Jamie-Jerry Taulagi will make his Super Rugby debut this weekend after being named on the wing for the Reds’ match against the Force.
Taulagi’s addition is one of two changes to the starting side that defeated the Stormers last weekend, with injuries to Dom Shipperley (hip flexor) and Lachie Turner (ankle) forcing a shuffle in the back three.
Taulagi will play on the wing, while Ben Lucas will earn his first start of the season at fullback.
Victor Vito and Brad Shields will pull on the Hurricanes jersey for the first time this season, as their team gears up to face the Bulls at Napier’s McLean Park on Saturday.
Both loose forwards have been out since the beginning of the season with knee injuries, and this weekend’s match will be their first of the 2014 Super Rugby season.
Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder has made six changes to the starting line-up that will take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
The Cheetahs will soon be able to call on the services of Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow.
According to reports, Brüssow joined up with his team-mates in Bloemfontein on Monday after returning from his duties in Japan.
SANZAR has released the names of the Match Officials for Round 8 of Super Rugby 2014.
Chris Pollock starts the action this weekend in Dunedin when the Highlanders host the Melbourne Rebels.
This weekend sees 7 games, with 2 on Friday and 5 on Saturday.
The Cell C Sharks have a BYE weekend again, their 2nd one.
Trevor Nyakane will start his first game of Super Rugby this weekend as the Cheetahs take on the Chiefs in Bloemfontein.
The Springbok prop, who can play either tighthead or loosehead, has warmed the bench for the Cheetahs in the competition so far but has been selected to start over other front rowers who have been struggling with injury niggles.
No 8 Duane Vermeulen will captain the DHL Stormers in their Vodacom Super Rugby, Round Eight encounter against the Waratahs at DHL Newlands on Saturday night (kick-off 19:10).
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke included fit-again lock and regular captain, Flip van der Merwe, for his side’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes in Napier on Saturday.
The 67 cap lock takes over the captaincy and number five jersey from Victor Matfield in one of two changes to the starting pack that played against the Chiefs. In the other, Jacques Engelbrecht comes in at number 8, with Dewald Potgieter moving to the side of the scrum in place of Jacques du Plessis, who moves to the bench.