Assistant Coach
Bristol say they will “take all reasonable actions” after denying a deal had been done with the Rugby Football Union for Steve Borthwick to become England forwards coach.
The RFU released a statement saying former England captain Borthwick would join new head coach Eddie Jones’ team.
Borthwick signed a long-term deal with Bristol after the World Cup, having worked under Jones with Japan.
“We have not agreed Steve Borthwick can leave our employment,” Bristol said.
Borthwick is understood to have handed in his resignation on Tuesday, but the club said they had not given the RFU permission to speak to Borthwick and would “take all reasonable actions as necessary to protect the club’s position”.
Before Bristol intervened, Borthwick was quoted in an RFU statement saying it was a “huge honour to be asked as these chances don’t come around often”.
The former England captain was due to be Jones’ first appointment after previous forwards coach Graham Rowntree departed on Monday, along with Mike Catt and Andy Farrell.
In the same RFU statement, Jones described Borthwick as a “great addition” who would “get the best out of the players at the highest level”.
Jones also called Borthwick a “young coach with great potential” and praised his “analytical” approach as part of the RFU announcement.
Robert du Preez snr
The Sharks (Pty) Ltd today confirmed the appointment of former Springbok scrumhalf, Robert du Preez (snr), who will join the Cell C Sharks coaching team. He will be an assistant coach during Super Rugby and will head up next year’s Currie Cup tournament.
Du Preez, coach of the Leopards who recently won the ABSA Currie Cup First Division trophy, joins the Cell C Sharks in November 2015.
Confirming his appointment, The Sharks Director of Rugby Gary Gold said: “We are immensely happy to confirm the appointment of Robert du Preez. It was an appointment that we thought long and hard about. We identified that we wanted to bring in a coach who fitted a particular profile, someone who was South African and someone that understands our unique culture and who also has a strong belief in a disciplined environment.
“We believe that Robert ticks every single box. The route that his coaching career has gone has been absolutely textbook in terms of the success he enjoyed at College Rovers, where he won 67 out of the 70 games he coached there, then with NWU-Pukke as well as the knowledge he has of unearthing the potential of young players coming through the ranks and obviously his recent success with the Leopards. He has certainly shown that there is a consistency to what he does.
Alistair Rogers
All Blacks Performance Analyst Alistair Rogers will become the new assistant coach for the Blues.
Rogers, who has been with the All Blacks for the last 7 years, was named to join new head coach Tana Umaga for the next 2 years at the Blues.
He has had a special focus on opposition analysis and defence with the All Blacks and will take the responsibility for defence at the Blues, joining incumbent forwards coach Glenn Moore.
The former professional player is keen to return to a full-time coaching role, after guiding the Ballina Rugby Club in Ireland for 12 months, a stint as defence coach at Honda in Japan and a spell as Hurricanes assistant defence coach last year.
Andrew Strawbridge
Manu Samoa technical advisor and Chiefs assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge is fighting for his life in a Samoan hospital after he took ill during his flight to the island nation to join the team ahead of their historic All Blacks Test match.
Strawbridge was admitted to hospital overnight on Tuesday with an infection in his right eye and his condition deteriorated rapidly. He has now been joined by his wife Laura, and sister Susan.
The family is extremely grateful for the care Andrew is receiving from Dr David Galler and the staff at Moto’otua Hospital.
Chiefs CEO Andrew Flexman said: “We truly appreciate the incredible support that has been provided by the hospital staff, the people of the Samoan Rugby Union, the All Blacks and the Chiefs players who are on the ground over there.”
Frans Ludeke
Former Vodacom Bulls head coach Frans Ludeke could be heading to the World Cup in England in September as part of the Fijian coaching staff.
The 47-year-old stepped down as the Bulls’ head coach in June and is set to be heading to the Pacific Island where he will link up with the Fijians as they begin preparations for the global showpiece.
World-Cup winning Springbok lock Victor Matfield, who is eyeing the Bulls coaching job, revealed that Ludeke was off to Fiji to help the Islanders in the World Cup.
“It’s always sad to see someone go but sometimes the time for change comes. I’ve learned so much from Frans and there are so many players who also learned a lot from him during the 8 seasons with the Bulls.
“I think he’s going to Fiji to help them with the World Cup and I wish him success with that as well,” Matfield said.
Chris Malone
Former Bath, Harlequins and London Irish flyhalf Chris Malone will join the Waratahs next season as attack and kicking coach.
The Waratahs confirmed the appointment of Malone as assistant coach to Daryl Gibson on a 3-year contract, to commence with the 2016 season.
Malone, who will be a specialist attack and kicking coach, was recruited from the Sydney University club where he has been coach of the 1st grade Shute Shield side since 2013.
Gibson, who will move from assistant to head coach when Michael Cheika leaves at the end of the season, said the appointment of Malone would bring a fresh perspective to the coaching team.
Brad Macleod-Henderson
The Sharks (Pty) Ltd announced that assistant coach, Brad Macleod-Henderson has resigned from the Sharks.
Brad had been involved with the Sharks since 2012 initially with the Under 21’s before joining the senior side in July 2013.
He was assistant coach in their last 2 Super Rugby campaigns, looking after the forwards and breakdown and headed-up the Currie Cup campaigns.
The Sharks offered Brad a role within their new structures, going forward but he felt that it was time to move on.
Aaro Mauger
Crusaders Assistant Coach, Aaron Mauger, has accepted the Head Coach role with his old Leicester Tigers club from the 2015 / 2016 season.
Mauger, who will complete his third Super Rugby season as Assistant Coach with the Crusaders in 2015, played 53 games for the Leicester Tigers between 2007 and 2010 and captained the side for much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
He says it is a dream opportunity to return to a club that he is so fond of, in a head coach capacity.
“I have awesome memories of my time at Leicester as a player and it is a place I will very happily return to.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to do that as the head coach for the club and the timing is right for me to grab that opportunity.
“My aim is to help create the framework for Leicester to once again be amongst the top clubs in European and world rugby.
Clarke Dermody
Former Southland and All Black prop, Clarke Dermody has been unveiled as the Highlanders’ scrum and assistant forwards’ coach for the 2015 Super Rugby season.
He had a voluntary, part-time role with the Highlanders this year, before serving as an assistant with Southland during the national provincial championships.
Dermody had a remarkable playing career, which included playing for every New Zealand age-group team before playing three Tests in 2006 for the All Blacks and is no stranger to the Highlanders after representing them 44 times.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph hopes the fulltime work by Dermody will help shore up a scrum that was put under pressure this season.
Stephen Larkham
Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham turned down the opportunity to help coach the Wallabies on their End Of Year Tour.
The Rugby World Cup winning Wallabies playmaker Larkham has tipped to be the attack coach working as an assistant to Michael Cheika.
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika was confirmed as replacement Wallabies coach on Wednesday.
Larkham said that he was honoured to be considered but would prefer to concentrate on preparing for the Brumbies upcoming Super Rugby season.
Former Springbok utility back Franco Smith has been appointed as assistant coach of the Cheetahs.
Backline coach Hawies Fourie has been released to take charge of Griquas.
The Highlanders have announced that former All Black and current Otago ITM Coach Tony Brown has joined the Super Rugby franchise as an assistant coach.
Brown has played for the Sharks and Stormers in Super Rugby but is best known for his 90 caps starting back in 1996 with the Hlghlanders.
Former All Black Rugby World Cup winger Jeff Wilson will join Pat Lam and Bryce Woodward as skills coach for the Blues in the 2012 Super Rugby season.
Carlos Spencer: Armed and Dangerous!
New Zealand rugby legend, Carlos Spencer has revealed that he has no immediate plans to return to his home town of Auckland in New Zealand.
Former Springbok centre Brendan Venter and Nazeem Adams, head coach of the Western Province Under-19 side, have been appointed as assistant coaches of the South African Under-20 side.
Former Rugby Football Union Vice-Chairman Fran Cotton has agreed to chair an independent review of the entire England structure after the national team exited the Rugby World Cup in the quarter finals.
Secret England training documents from the Rugby World Cup have been discovered in Ireland’s Rugby world Cup team hotel in New Zealand.
England will decide on the future of England manager Martin Johnson before the end of the year according to England’s director of rugby operations Rob Andrew.
Imanol Harinordoquy gave a barnstorming display to earn the man-of-the-match award as France reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals with a 19-12 win against England on Saturday.
England (0) 12 / France (16) 19 (Final Score)
England and France did battle in the Second Quarter Final in Auckland at 09:30 SA Time (20:30 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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France started like a house on fire and by halftime led by 16 / 0.
England did not give up though, and came back hard at France, but France prevailed.
England go home and France marches on.
When England and France line up against each other in Saturday’s quarter-final Martin Johnson’s men will take confidence from a record of three victories in four Rugby World Cup matches against their cross-Channel rivals.
Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood will start for in England in one of four changes to Martin Johnson’s side for the Rugby World Cup quarter final against France at Eden Park on Saturday.
England winger Delon Armitage has been suspended for this weekend’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final with France but will be available for the Semi-final if England progress.
Armitage was cited for making a dangerous tackle in England’s 16-12 Pool B match against Scotland at Auckland’s Eden Park last Saturday.
England (3) 16 / Scotland (9) 12 (Final Score)
England and Scotland did battle in Auckland at 09:30 SA Time (20:30 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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Scotland gave England a hell of a go, just running out of puff in the end and Chris Ashton was England’s tool to punish the brave Scotts, with a late try, securing a narrow win.
How old is too old? Despite South Africa’s impressive figures from their three matches so far (153 points scored, 19 against, 20 tries), 18 is the one that seems to be exercising the sceptics.
History suggests Saturday’s clash between England and Scotland should be an epic battle between two old foes.
Delon Armitage will replace Mark Cueto who scored a hat-trick against Romania as one of three England changes for their Pool B decider against Scotland at Eden Park on Saturday.
England made further unwanted headlines on Thursday when they suspended two coaches for illegally swapping match balls, as the Rugby World Cup prepared for the make-or-break last round of pool matches.
England (34) 67 / Romania (3) 3 (Final score)
England and Romania did battle in Dunedin at 08:00 SA Time (18:00 NZ Time).
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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There was ALWAYS only going to be one winner, and so it was, England winning by 10 tries to none.
England (17) 41 / Georgia (10) 10 (Final Score)
England and Georgia did battle in Dunedin at 08:00 SA Time (18:00 NZ Time).
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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Despite a 31-point winning margin and 6 tries, England will not feel at all happy about this match and you can bet your bottom dollar that Martin Johnson must be secretly fuming at the ill-dicipline and overall incompetance of the England side.
If Georgia had a kicker who could slot the penalties, the score would have been very different.
That said, it’s 5 Log points in the bag for England.
Toby Flood has been preferred at flyhalf for Sunday’s game against Georgia. Continue reading
England Prop Andrew Sheridan has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup due to injury and will return home to England. Continue reading 
England lock Courtney Lawes has become the first player at the 2011 Rugby World Cup to be cited after allegedly kneed Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma in the head. Continue reading
England (3) 13 / Argentina (6) 9 (Final Score)
England did battle with Argentina in Dunedin at 10:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ Time).
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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Argentina made England sweat and work very hard for their win.
The worst aspect of this match was poor goal kicking by both sides.
Lewis Moody
England Captain Lewis Moody will miss his team’s Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina on Saturday as he has not recovered from a knee injury.