I am a fan of rugby-union. In my mind it is the most beautiful and complete sport ever to be devised by the inhabitants of the Muddy Isle. It has speed, power, finesse, brutality, intelligence and mind-numbing idiocy all rolled into one. It sometimes has enough drama to compete with a soap opera, only with more blood, it has action and suspense, and a better story-lines and shockers than World Wrestling Entertainment. It can crush you emotionally, only to absolutely revitalize you 10 minutes later. I blog because I love rugby, I write because I love rugby, I am a member of Rugby-Talk, because when I write or blog, I want it to only be about rugby. Continue reading
Crusaders (22) 40 / Brumbies (10) 22 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Brumbies at the AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 on DSTV in SA.
The Crusaders won comfortably and scored a bonus point try in the process, winning by 40 / 22.
The Crusaders advance to the semi’s, now sitting on No 2 spot (for the momemt), whilst the Brumbies lose out on a semi and end their season here.
Adriaan Fondse, Steven Sykes, Gerhard Mostert or Flip van der Merwe?
That is the big question the Springbok coach will have to answer in 2012 when he considers who will succeed Bakkies Botha in South Africa’s No 4 jersey.
Continue reading
The last week of the open Rounds of the Super 14 and only one team, the Bulls, have booked a spot in the semi-finals. This week sees 7 games of which only 3 are of paramount importance and we’ll only know the semi-final contenders after the last game of the week between the Stormers and the Bulls.
The games are the following:
| 14 | Crusaders | v | Brumbies | Christchurch | 09:35 |
| 14 | Waratahs | v | Hurricanes | Sydney | 11:40 |
| 14 | The Sharks | v | Western Force | The Absa Stadium Durban | 19:10 |
| 15 | Blues | v | Chiefs | Auckland | 09:35 |
| 15 | Reds | v | Highlanders | Brisbane | 11:40 |
| 15 | Vodacom Cheetahs | v | Auto & General Lions | GWK Park, Kimberley | 15:00 |
| 15 | Vodacom Stormers | v | Vodacom Bulls | Newlands Rugby Stadium | 17:05 |
Rugby Heavens,s
Scenarios heading into the final round of the Super 14 rugby competition starting on Friday (team, competition points, points differential and final-round fixture):
On the recommendation that the All Blacks should not miss the “magnificent scenery” of the Garden Route they cancelled their flights and travelled by bus to George for their next match against SWD.
Here’s what they thought of the Garden Route:
It was dreadfully dull by all reports and the players were bored. The return journey will be by aircraft.
Die playing surface at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, due to it’s slightly oval shape does not provide for normal in-goal areas, as required by rugby and therefore the in-goal areas would have to be made slightly smaller.
This will be my last article about the downgraded North vs South clash we all looked forward to. At one stage i hoped that we came second in the Super14 to give us a chance of playing the Super 14 final at Newlands versus our arch-rivals the Stormers. Only time will tell whether the Bulls played a masterstroke or made the biggest cock-up this decade.
De Wet Barry’s punishing defence has won South Africa a rugby Test against Australia at Newlands, but the Stormers have no doubt that Juan de Jongh will stand his ground against the veteran Springbok in Saturday’s Super 14 clash.
Coming to the end of what is probably the most fiercely contested Super 14 competition ever, one has to ask if the Super 14 is really as super, as we in the Southern Hemisphere make it out to be. In reality the competition does not have 14 “super” teams, hell, we hardly have 7. Now we are expanding to 15 teams? What we are actually doing is beefing up the race to the wooden spoon, because none of the newer franchises have any place, or chance to actually compete for the trophy. Continue reading
A load of bull has been uttered about the Bulls. So what if they rest up to 13 top-tier players for the final round match against the Stormers this weekend? That is the privilege of finishing well ahead of everyone else. That allows them certain luxuries.
Article by Greg Growden on Rugby Heaven, Australia
Following the Wallabies meltdown in the 2007 World Cup pressure-cooker, Robbie Deans couldn’t be happier to see the Brumbies and NSW Waratahs experience extra sudden-death encounters on Friday.
Bakkies Botha will lead a well balanced Vodacom Bulls team into battle against the Stormers at Newland on Saturday. The first time captain will be followed onto the field by two debutants at this level, with Deon Helberg and Gerrit-Jan van Velze making Super debuts in a team that see 14 changes from the starting line-up of the side that beat the Crusaders 40-35 at Loftus Versfeld last weekend.
Allister Coetzee, head coach of the Vodacom Stormers, today announced his team to play the Vodacom Bulls at Newlands on Saturday 15 May in the last league match of the 2010 Vodacom Super 14. Kick-off is at 17h05. Gates open at 15h00 and supporters are urged to get to the stadium early as the match is a sell out.
Die Vodacom Cheetahs-rugbyspan sal sy Springbok-senter Meyer Bosman vandeesweek die ruskans gee wat hy nodig het om sy span Saterdag in Welkom tot een van hul beste Vodacom Super14-reekse te help.
Bosman se borsspier is in sy span se sege van 29-14 oor die Western Force beseer en daar word gevrees dat hy die Vodacom Cheetahs se kragmeting met die Lions sal misloop.
We have received news from Megan Harris at the Sharks regarding the Sharks team who plays the Western Force at The ABSA Stadium, Durban on Friday 14 May 2010 at 19:10… here it is.
All of the teams for Round 14 have been announced.
Most Stormers supporters are fuming about their one winger’s mistake that lead to a Sharks try last weekend. A high tackle in last years Currie Cup semi-final also springs to mind. Statistics once again make for interesting reading and some comparisons are made between the Stormers and a Bulls winger. Continue reading
Whinging Australians…. Neverrrrrrrrrrrr!
Well, well, well, it did’nt take long for the Waratahs to show the whinge-factor…. for this mere fact I hope the Canes clout them to kingdom come on the weekend!
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says that he thinks that the Stormers will beat the Bulls when the two teams clash this weekend.
The Waratahs have been forced to make two changes ahead of Friday’s final match for the regular season against the Hurricanes at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Blue Bulls Company would like to announce that tickets for the Super 14 semi-final match at Orlando Stadium in Soweto in two weeks time will be available soon.
South Africa’s top referee, Jonathan Kaplan, will referee the Stormers v Bulls Super 14 clash at Newlands on Saturday.
The RFU has launched an investigation into the behaviour of Saracens South African director of rugby Brendan Venter and his South African Hooker Schalk Brits during Saturday’s first win at Welford Road.
The GLRU (Golden Lions Rugby Union) are reportedly negotiating with a host of high profile players, including the likes of Butch James, Jean de Villiers, John Smit, Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis and Joe van Niekerk.
Former All Blacks No 8, Sione Lauaki, has been charged with careless driving after crashing his car last month following a Super 14 rugby match in Hamilton.
We have found a Lion on top of the LOG!!
Gerhard van den Heever has been suspended for two weeks after his spear tackle this weekend, ruling him out of the semi-final.
Apparently De Wet Barry received a call-up from the Bulls for the match against the Stormers… and if the Monday practice is anything to go by the Bulls squad will indeed be a Bulls B-Team for the game. What is wonderful though is that this team is still a very strong team.
Victor Matfield has confirmed on his social networking Twitter page that the Super 14 table-topping Bulls have decided to rest some players for their clash against the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.
So here are the weekly update on this log after round 13… Continue reading
There’s been a lot of speculation whether the last Bulls try, that of Francois Hougaard on 81 minutes, was indeed a try…
Well have a look at the following photo’s, then decide for yourself!
[cincopa 10600143]
Click on the 1st Photo and use your RIGHT ARROW on the keyboard to scroll to the next Photo.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HVqAGcUAfE[/youtube]
Enjoy this one… but remember if your Internet Connection is slow, let it buffer through once… then watch!
The Sharks played their best match by far this season to destroy the high flying Stormers. The Stormers now have a must win situation against the log topping Bulls, with much for Schalk Burger’s men to ponder about.
In all honesty the scoreboard does not tell the true story of this game.
