All Blacks
SANZAR have released the match officials for the tenth Round in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament and Jonathon White starts the action on Friday.
The Sharks have been boosted by the return of flyhalf Patrick Lambie at training ahead of this weekend’s Super Rugby clash against the Hurricanes.
French Top 14 Rugby club Toulouse have revealed that they have signed All Black centre Luke McAlister, Wallaby scrumhalf Luke Burgess and Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp for next season.
Bulls back-liner Jaco Pretorius will miss his team’s Super Rugby clash with the Force due to a neck injury.
Western Province senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus will be part of the Springboks management team at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year.
Martial arts have quite a number of fascinating or secret fighting strategies which are made known to the experienced or deserved practitioner. Continue reading
It’s not all doom and gloom when looking towards the business end of this year’s rugby. Most of us are quite concerned about the performances of the Bulls, Lions and Cheetahs, but then we have to be honest with ourselves. Over the last number of years the Cheetahs and Lions have never really looked like world beaters and have often found themselves at the bottom of the Super Rugby tables.
I think most South Africans (except maybe Stormers supporters) are somewhat disappointed with the way our Super Rugby teams are going this year. New Zealanders (Crusaders fans excluded) are also not particularly over the moon with how their teams are performing. The Chiefs is almost bottom of the log. The Blues is somewhat better than previous seasons but far from consistent. The Canes is sort of all over the place. The Highlanders is the surprise package for the Kiwi’s but just a few injuries short off coming apart. They lack depth in the squad and everyone in Kiwiland is holding their thumbs but not expecting them to go all the way. Continue reading
For years and years rugby laws were adapted to the way players wanted to play. Recent law changes have followed that principle though it may just be that the written laws have lagged somewhat behind accepted practice. I just had to place this article, the most passionate discussions we had here was about this subject. Lets go..
Cheetahs (33) 47 / Hurricanes (30) 50 (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs hosted the Hurricanes at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 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.
The Hurricanes stole the game right at the death with a long distance try in a game which was fast-paced and producing a plethera of tries.
Lions (13) 19 / Stormers (23) 33 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions hosted the DHL Stormers at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 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.
The Stormers scored 3 tries, the Lions 1.
Reds (17) 39 / Bulls (13) 30 (Final Score)
The Reds hosted the Bulls at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 11:40 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.
The Reds, with some amazing game breakers simply outscored a game Bulls side, and the Bulls were always playing catch-up rugby.
Coach Allister Coetzee today named a match 22, to take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Bryan Habana has been ruled out and will miss this weekend’s game between the DHL Stormers and the MTN Lions, due to a shoulder injury.
One feels sorry for the MTN Lions, well almost, in light of the fact that injuries are now devastating what is left of the embattled pack of scruffy monsters.
All the Globe Jet-setters might be more qualified to write an article like this. So let me try my hand on a subject I never experienced, in fact I have never left this beautiful country. Mozambique is only 200 kilometers to the East from where I live. Botswana and Zimbabwe not even 400 kilometers away, never been there. So take my words with a pinch of salt.
Bulls supporters and their enemies really climbed into the Super 14 Champion side after their humiliating defeat against the Crusaders since Saturday. The question immediately arises whether they can be back to winning ways again if Frans Ludeke decides to stick with this poor performing team? Can they play a lot better and record a win against the high-flying Reds?
Let us have a look at the team:
I wonder if those who criticised the concept of ‘head’s up rugby’ in the recent past realise that this is exactly what we are seeing from the two top teams in the Super 15? Continue reading
Tuks (16) 16 / UCT (10) 26 (Final Score)
Tukkies hosted UCT at LC de Villiers Stadium, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & SCN on TV in SA.
UCT kept the Tukkies scoreless in the second half, whilst they slowly caught up and then passed the Tukkies score, to eventually hold out under enormous pressure from Tukkies.
UCT are the Varsity Cup champions for 2011.
For the last 7 months I have not been very active on Rugby Talk so I thought I after all this time I would frustrate you all with this article.
This weekend revealed the problem with South African rugby to be hot potato-ittis. The old disease of spilling the ball forward in the tackle took on epidemic proportions in the South African teams. The bulls in particular were spectacularly awful in this department. It was also prevalent at crucial moments in the Stormers match although not so frequent. Continue reading
It was a back and forth battle at Newlands on Saturday evening which saw the visiting Reds pull off a huge victory over a Stormers side that reminded one of the early days of the competition, where the Cape side showed promise on attack, but had little to show for it in terms of points.
Sharks (17) 27 / Lions (3) 3 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the MTN Lions at Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 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.
The Sharks scored their bonus point try after the final hooter via a quick tap by McLeod from a penalty and going over under the sticks, eventually winning by a 24-point margin against a Lions side who seem to be regressing and showing all the traits of last year.
Stormers (3) 6 / Reds (9) 19 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Reds at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 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.
The Stormers lost their undefeated tag well and solidly today with a gritty performance from the Reds who allowed the Stormers no undue chances, a 13-point win for the Reds.
Crusaders (14) 27 / Bulls (0) 0 (Final Score)
The Crusaders hosted the Bulls at Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru 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.
The Crusaders methodically dismantled an error-ridden and lacklustre Bulls effort, keeping them scoreless.
Highlanders (17) 24 / Cheetahs (14) 21 (Final Score)
The Highlanders hosted the Cheetahs at Carisbrook Stadium, Dunedin at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Highlanders prevailed by the skin of their teeth to win by a margin of 3 points in a game where both sides scored 3 tries each and with the Cheetahs fighting hard at the end to eradicate the Highlanders lead.
At the end of the day a couple of missed penalties by Sias Ebersohn, was the difference between the sides.
The Cheetahs are hoping to achieve a second victory on tour when they take on the Highlanders in a Super Rugby match between the so-called banana peel teams on Friday. Continue reading
Sharks Stefan Terblanche is set to become the first player in Sharks and Natal rugby history to play 200 games for the Union.
Allister Coetzee, head coach of the DHL Stormers, today named an unchanged team to take on the Reds at DHL Newlands on Saturday 9 April. The DHL Stormers beat the Sharks in Durban 16 – 6, in their last fixture. The DHL Stormers are unbeaten in this year’s competition.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union and co-owner Robert Gumede will sit around a table on Wednesday night to discuss reports that the IT Mogul has been undermining his own union.
According to reports Gumede has been bidding to take over Soccer City against the wishes of fellow shareholders at the Lions.