By MARK GEENTY
By RUPERT GUINNESS – SMH
When All Blacks coach Graham Henry arrived in Sydney for the Test against the Wallabies on Saturday, he said that both sides were ”desperate”.
GBS finished and published this at the ungodly hour of 1.28 a.m. this morning. He then proceeded to hide the announcement at the bottom of some article that will be long forgotten come morning in South Africa. I suggest we all spend a few minutes to read through this to make sure we all understand where this blog comes from and where we want to be. I would like to think we will all adhere to it and help to enforce it when things get busy. If not we will be responsible for messing up something great.
Stephen Nell
Cape Town – Western Province are poised to make a large offer for the services of Springbok wing and Blue Bulls hero Bryan Habana. Continue reading
Gaan die Westelike Provinsie se afrigter, Allister Coetzee, dapper wees en JJ Engelbrecht in sy beginspan vir Saterdag se Curriebeker-rugbywedstryd op Nuweland teen die Leeus insluit? Continue reading
“Nobody in Rugby should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like
Norman Einstein.” – Jono Gibbs – Chiefs………….read on for many more
August 17 2009 at 06:20AM
By Ashfak Mohamed
Springbok wing Bryan Habana will be flying into Cape Town on Monday to meet Western Province senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus about a possible move to WP.
By MARC HINTON – Stuff.co.nz
While Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is poised to unleash a pack makeover for Saturday’s Bledisloe II in Sydney, his All Black opposite Graham Henry looks to be more focused on his backline.
Last updated 10:45 17/08/2009
Two schoolboy teams have to front up to the Auckland Rugby Union tomorrow and explain how a match between them degenerated into a brawl on Saturday.
Gerdie Karstens
Kimberley. – Die Suid-Afrikaanse skeidsregtersvereniging sal vandag ’n klag by SA Rugby indien ná ’n voorval waarin mnr. Willie Roos, die skeidsregter in die naweek se Curriebeker-wedstryd tussen Griekwas en die Blou Bulle, met drank in die gesig gegooi is. Continue reading
Rudolph Lake, Johannesburg
Daar is nog geen duidelikheid nie oor waar die Springbok-senters Jaque Fourie en Jean de Villiers die res van die jaar hul rugby gaan speel. Continue reading
The Vodacom Blue Bulls scored four tries in their 25-24 victory over the Griquas in a packed GWK Stadium in Kimberley on Saturday.
Vodacom Western Province on Saturday had to fight all the way before subduing a game Boland Cavaliers side 38-7 in a Currie Cup match at Wellington.
This is open for discussion of the Currie Cup match between the Lions and the Sharks, played at Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg, SA at 17:05 local time.
This is opened for active discussion of the Currie Cup Game between Griquas (current Log Leaders) and the Blue Bulls held at GWK Park, Kimberley, SA at 15:00 local time.
This thread is open for discussion of the game between Boland and Western Province, held at Boland Rugby Stadium, Wellington, SA at 15:00 local time.
Waarom kry die Boland-rugbyspan dit so dikwels reg om die Westelike Provinsie te ontsenu? Continue reading
(compliments NZTV)
The Western Australia city of Perth is in danger of losing future Test matches unless more fans start turning up to games, Australian media reported on Saturday.
The Cheetahs ran in 11 tries as they smashed the hapless Leopards 71-17 (halftime 38-3) in Potchefstroom on Friday.
Comments by a blogger on news24.
Fellow bloggers,
I must admit I enjoyed a little Friday afternoon chuckle at the news that Springbok and Lions centre Jaque Fourie appears unlikely (for the moment at least) to be heading to Western Province and the Stormers.
Johannesburg – Like fellow-Springbok centre Wynand Olivier, whose name had also been linked to Western Province and the Stormers, the Golden Lions’ Jaque Fourie will continue playing his rugby for his present union.
Waarom dit beter is om 'n man te wees
By Ashfak Mohamed
He is regarded as relatively small for a modern-day centre, who weighs in at 100kg most times, as he is only 85kg.
Continue reading
Mike Greenaway
August 14 2009 at 07:21AM
The Sharks’ potential match-winning halfback pairing of Juan Hernandez and Rory Kockott will have to wait at least another week to make their Absa Currie Cup debut, but the Sharks have nevertheless been able to put together a more than useful combination to take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday (5pm).
Was hierdie nie veronderstel om die Kaap van Vleuels te wees nie?
Dís die vraag wat die Westelike Provinsie se senior professionele rugby-afrigter, Rassie Erasmus, hom afvra noudat hy en sy afrigtingspan daarin geslaag het om ’n mededingende pak voorspelers te vestig.
by Gavin Rich | 13 August 2009 (08:51)
When you have followed or covered rugby in South Africa for a long time, and you possess a reasonable memory, it is sometimes impossible not to spot the recurring themes and arguments.
With some background and team info from the plonkers at rugby365…
Jan de Koning
Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:55
World Cup-winning Springbok centre Jaque Fourie is prepared to go the legal route to get out of his contract with the Golden Lions, as he strives to join Western Province.
Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | August 14, 2009
THE Wallabies will go for the old and the new when George Smith becomes the new Test captain and James O’Connor takes over at fullback against the All Blacks in Sydney next weekend.
LOUIS DE VILLIERS
KAAPSTAD
Die Britse en Ierse Leeus het dalk die weg gewys na ’n meer gebalanseerde spelpatroon iewers tussen aanvalle met die bal in die hand en taktiese skopwerk, maar moenie môre Boland-stadion toe gaan as u eensklaps lus kry vir ’n fees van hardlooprugby nie.
Dié kan ’n mens tussen die lyne lees as jy met die agterlyn-afrigter van die Westelike Provinsie, Robbie Fleck, gesels.
Fleck, in sy speeldae een van die dodelikste aanvallers en vroeër as hulpbreier by die Ikeys bekend om die vrye teuels wat hy sy agterlyn gegee het, erken die spel is nou gewis een van voet inlê.
“Die nuwe reëls het dit in ‘n mate teweeggebring,” sê hy, “maar verdedigingspatrone het gevolglik ook die afgelope twee seisoene soveel beter geword dat taktiese skopwerk die sleutel tot sukses is. Ek en jy en die toeskouers wil dalk meer aanvallende rugby sien, maar ons sal ’n ruk moet wag.”
Fleck glo nie die skopwerk gaan vir ewig die toon van rugby bepaal nie. “Die een of ander tyd sal die een of ander afrigter ’n nuwe manier bedink om die verdedigings te fnuik en dan sal die mode weer andersom wees. Die spel ontwikkel nou maar so.
“Ek dink tog die Leeus het op hul toer deur Suid-Afrika naderhand ’n goeie balans getref tussen taktiese skopwerk en aanvalle.
“Die Springbok-verdediging is van die mees gedugte wat jy kan kry en hulle kon soms hier verby.
“Maar die Springbokke en die Blou Bulle gee tans die toon aan en die res van ons probeer eerlikwaar nog om in te haal.
“Al spanne wat rêrig nog die ou styl van hardlooprugby speel, is die Nieu-Seelanders. Al is die nuwe reëls ook grotendeels daarmee heen, bly die sleutel vir eers hoe jy speel vir posisie en hoe jy jou teenstanders se vaste fasette aanval.”
Fleck sê die WP het vandeesweek ekstra aandag aan sy taktiese skopwerk gegee.
“Ek koop heeltemal hierby in.
“Ek kon as speler nie skop om my lewe te red nie – toe ek dié week met ’n oefening iets beduie het, skop ek dit toe ook direk uit! – maar dit gaan harde werk en geduld vat voordat ’n nuwe balans bepaal word.
“Chean Roux (Maties-afrigter) het my gesê die veld op Wellington is bitter swaar ná die week se reën en dié wedstryd sal voorlangs beslis word. Dit sal dom wees om te loop en voorspel van vier drieë druk en dies meer.
“Die weer was ons nie vanjaar besonder goedgesind nie,” sê Fleck.
Berlin – Rugby Sevens and golf virtually secured their spots as the two new sports for the 2016 Olympic Games when the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board voted in their favour on Thursday.
The decision, taken by secret ballot, is not binding as it has to be rubber-stamped by the entire IOC membership in a vote in Copenhagen in October – if successful it would take the amount of sports to 28.
For the five sports who lost out there is no hope of continuing their fight as IOC president Jacques Rogge has said they cannot come to the vote as an alternative option should one of the recommended sports be voted down.
Rugby had always been the front runner.
After failing in their previous bid to get into the 2012 Games the sport’s powerbrokers mounted an aggressive and effective campaign, with International Rugby Board (IRB) president Bernard Lapasset making it the priority of his first term of office.
His intention was to make it a truly global sport, ‘reaching out’ as he termed it, and as IRB chief executive Mike Miller pointed out the Sevens format is ideal for television as it is ‘fast and furious’ and also has the habit of producing upsets.
Golf had attracted a certain amount of scepticism even from golf lovers, in that it was too elitist and also several members hardly espouse the IOC value of sexual equality as they belong to male-only golf clubs.
Also as Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy declared at one point ‘we are not members of a team we are individuals and we decide where we play’.
2016 is also a Ryder Cup year.
Several potential Olympic contenders who may be on the cusp of qualifying for either the American or European teams could well prefer to play in another tournament so they can garner enough points to make their respective Ryder Cup teams.
Softball produced a very passionate campaign led by their Korean War veteran, president Don Porter, who had been stunned when they were voted out of the Games in Singapore in 2005.
Indeed in a poll in the extremely influential Olympic publication ‘Sports Intern’ they topped the poll of IOC members, experts and specialist journalists – golf was fifth.
However, in the end that meant little as Rogge once again showed he is without doubt the master of the IOC – having initially begun his regime looking a bit shaky – and his will prevailed.
JAKE White says he would pick Schalk Burger before Heinrich Brussow. The former Bok coach was giving his opinion on the current team ahead of the Test against Australia in Perth.
Lack of game time will hamper Schalk Continue reading
Olivier signs with Bulls till end of 2011
The Vodacom Blue Bulls’ Springbok centre Wynand Olivier has signed a two year contract with the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd at Loftus Versfeld on Thursday afternoon.
The coach of the Vodacom Bulls and Blue Bulls, Frans Ludeke, is delighted with Olivier’s decision and says the fact that he declined numerous offers from other teams where he could have earned more money says a lot about his character and loyalty.
“Our team is build around experienced individuals and Wynand is without a doubt one of them. “His has been phenomenal for us in the Super 14 and he is one of those players who are able to deliver something special when all the odds are against us.
“His defence is superb, on attack he is more than a handful and as one of our main decision makers he has been exceptional. Wynand operates like a world class flanker on defence and the turnovers he forces are extremely valuable for us.
Ludeke added Olivier’s ability to get the Bulls over the advantage line is outstanding and his line-breaks combined with his innovative midfield play have been superb.
“All in all he is a huge asset for the team and to develop such a player takes several years and that is one of the main reasons why I am very grateful that he opted to stay on with the Bulls.
“He is also very keen to help us to develop the younger players in the system and with his professional attitude and unequaled work ethic he will surely add a lot of value to the Bulls in the years to come.”
A relaxed Olivier, who has been playing for the Blue Bulls since his schooldays, said in Barend van Graan’s office on Thursday afternoon that he is certain that it was the right thing to do.
“I have made the decision and I am happy with it. “All the structures are in place at Loftus and I want to play for the Bulls.”
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have advanced very well with DEVELOPMENT of our final Blog. Continue reading
By Craig Lewis
The battle up front is undoubtedly going to be absolutely crucial when the Sharks meet the Lions in Johannesburg this Saturday, with both sides boasting formidable packs who will hold nothing back.
Continue reading