All Blacks
The Free State Cheetahs are facing a massive fight to keep their Springbok fetcher Heinrich Brüssow in Bloemfontein after it emerged that Western Province have made a massive offer for him.
Brüssow is widely regarded as one of the best fetchers in the world, and is a shoo-in for the World Cup squad, but his contract with the Cheetahs ends at the end of this season and he has become a major target for other sides.
Compulsary rugby games will be played on Friday. Currie Cup teams must play a game against the “B” division teams. Sharks the current Currie Cup champions take on South Western Districts Eagles, Griquas will play against Border Bulldogs, Blue Bulls will play the Griffons and Free State Cheetahs take on the EP Kings. If more teams are released this post will be updated. If any of these matches will be broadcast Live is not known.
John Smit will lead a decidedly second-string Springbok selection on the away leg of the Tri-Nations series, but coach Peter de Villiers believes the side can still win in Australasia.
Sharks looseforward Jean Deysel has been added to the Springbok training squad in Cape Town because of injuries. Deysel, who made his Test debut against Italy on the 2009 end-of-year tour, joined the group on Wednesday.
I was reading the team of the week selection by Planet rugby the other day and it made me wonder what the depth was in each of the three Tri Nations countries, and also which positions they have sufficient depth.
While the news coming out of the Bok camp seem positive, you have to ask what prompted such drastic changes?
There was so much disappointment at the team’s exit from the current Super Rugby competition that it wasn’t noted at the time, but Jean de Villiers after the Newlands semi-final did have some encouraging words that should lighten the gloom for Stormers fans.
Standing in for regular captain Schalk Burger, who was unable to come back onto the field after halftime because of injury, the Springbok centre repeated what has been said often – perhaps too often for the liking of Cape supporters – this season: “We need to learn from this, absorb the lesson and apply the lesson”.
South African rugby has this reputation of having a powerful scrum. In fact the perception is that South African rugby is totally dependent or at least of being over dependent on its scrum to the extend that if you can counter the South African scrum the Springboks are easy to beat.
The absence of information will always lead to speculation, and whether it is fair or not, you would think that the Lions Rugby Union would have realised this after years of accusations of financial and administrative mismanagement.
Heinrich Brüssow, a ball fetcher par excellence, should be named along with team-mate Ashley Johnson when the Springbok team for the Tri-Nations is announced on Saturday.
Brüssow will undergo medical tests when the preliminary World Cup group assembles in Cape Town on Wednesday. He is expected to be fit to face the Wallabies and All Blacks on 23 and 30 July in Sydney and Wellington respectively.
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Stormers (10) 10 / Crusaders (23) 29 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Crusaders at Newlands, Cape Town. Stormers was forced to change their team. Dewald Duvenhage out, Louis Schreuder in. That disruption did not cost them the game, they also lost their inspirational captain at half time. Schalk Burger did not return from the changeroom, he broke a finger. The forwards of the Crusaders dominated the Stormers. At scrumtime the Stormers were not up to it. More to follow…..
Bloemfontein – Springbok reject Sarel Pretorius will continue his Super Rugby career in Australia. Continue reading
SANZAR have unveiled the new Super Rugby Rugby trophy that will be presented to the inaugural Super Rugby champions on 9 July 2011.
A lot has been made in recent days on the inclusion of Saracens hooker, Schalk Brits, in the Stormers team for their semi-final clash against the Crusaders this weekend at Newlands.
Herewith the Super Rugby team sheets for the 4 teams competing in the semi finals of Super Rugby 2011.
Rynhardt Elstadt needs to “out-work” Brad Thorn and not be intimidated by him in Saturday’s Super Rugby semi-final between the Stormers and Crusaders at Newlands.
That was the call from Stormers forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot on Tuesday. The vastly experienced Thorn was injured and did not feature for the Crusaders in their recent 20-14 victory over the Stormers at Newlands, with Luke Romano and Chris Jack guarding the second row.
The Blue Bulls Company Pty (Ltd) is pleased to announce several new additions to its current coaching staff, as well as the long term appointment of Heyneke Meyer as Executive: Rugby.
Coach, Allister Coetzee, has announced the Stormers team to play the Crusaders in Saturday afternoon’s semi final.
The Stormers are sweating on the fitness of Jaque Fourie and Dewaldt Duvenage who are in danger of missing the Super Rugby Semi-final against the Crusaders.
Canterbury has officially launched their revolutionary new jersey that will be worn by the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year.
(Take note, the picture on the left and the picture on the right are just cartoons and DO NOT APPEAR on the jersey!)
Breaking News!! We have just received a Media Release from the MTN Lions… here it is:
June 28 – The Golden Lions Rugby Union today wishes to confirm that negotiations around the completion of the shareholders agreement with GUMA TAC has been terminated by GUMA TAC.
For rugby in South Africa to remain strong, SA Rugby needs to take a tough stance against its own unions before it looks to improve its standing within SANZAR.
Dr Ross Tucker, a well known Sports Scientist placed good articles about Rugby fatique before. I found this Article about the subject and want to share a few of his thoughts. The second part of his Article about home ground advantage is interesting, Here are a few extracts from the Article.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says his team will “look to right the mistakes” they made in their league defeat to the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby semifinal at a sold-out Newlands (5.05pm kick-off).
Even though the Stormers went down 20-14 to an injury-ravaged Crusaders in May, the biggest problem on that Saturday night was taking their opportunities on attack, of which there were plenty.
The Saracens hooker, Schalk Brits, has answered an SOS and is available to play for the Stormers as a loose forward this weekend.
The 2012 Currie Cup Rugby tournament’s Premier Division will be contested by six teams instead of the usual eight Currie Cup teams.
Sharks coach John Plumtree says his side suffered because of the referee, but in the end, they just weren’t good enough.
In the sober light of Sunday morning, there is a very good reason that the Sharks were never going to win this one.
With the Super 15 nearing its conclusion, a lot more clarity has been provided to Springbok coach Peter de Villiers with regard to the make-up of his World Cup squad. The emergence of exciting talents like Coenie Oosthuizen and Bjorn Basson have added to the burgeoning pool of talent, but there are plenty of headaches for “Div”.
I enjoyed this article a lot, the reason why I am sharing it here. I have not read anything of Lungani Zama before, read it and give your opinion.
9 June 1956 – Waikato 14 / South Africa 10
The first match against Waikato is remembered mainly for two reasons; firstly, the massive three and a half hour welcoming procession; secondly, the fact that the Springboks lost the match. Here is a picture of the welcoming procession.
Crusaders (13) 36 / Sharks (5) 8 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Sharks at Travalgar Park, Nelson at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This was the last of the two play-off matches to decide who will be in the semi-finals. No 3 on the Combined Log (Crusaders) at home against No 6 on the Combined Log (Sharks).
With a little bit of help from a poor performance by Bryce Lawrence as well as some poor Sharks handling, the Crusaders eased into the semi-finals.
The Crusaders now travel to Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa to meet the Stormers in the one semi-final whereas the Blues travel to Queensland, Australia to meet the Reds in the other semi-final.
Ricky Januarie has withdrawn from the Springboks’ preliminary Rugby World Cup squad after announcing his retirement from international rugby.
Herewith the Super Rugby team sheets for the 4 teams competing in the play-off round this weekend.
Improbable, not impossible. This is the feeling amongst most South Africans prior to the Sharks massive qualifier match against the Crusaders this weekend.
SANZAR has confirmed that Bryce Lawrence, Chris Pollock, Jonathan Kaplan and Craig Joubert have been appointed to control the two Super Rugby Finals Series Qualifiers, the two Semi-Finals and the Final in the coming weeks.
To mark the final World Cup-ometer, let’s take a look at the building blocks already laid down by the Tri Nations contenders over the regular rounds of the competition.
There will be further twists and turns over the coming weeks of finals football – and the opportunity to see how the players cope with the unique pressure of the knockout stages – but there has been ample evidence already presented to make a judgment of how the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks are shaping up.