Francois Pienaar
Scotland (12) 21 / Springboks (9) 17 (Final Score)
Scotland hosted the Springboks at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh at 16:30 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a scrappy game a brave Scotland held out to beat the Springboks and shatter their Grand Slam hopes.
Worst Springbok performance in a very long time.
For this time of year there is a lot of rugby to be seen on TV in SA This weekend.
Coach Peter de Villiers on Thursday called up three replacements to the Springbok squad for the final two matches of the team’s end-of-year tour against England and the Barbarians – both matches at Twickenham.
We laud some schools for developing rugby and producing quality players like a conveyor belt, well Grey College boasts 9 players in the Springbok touring squad and 8 out of 22 in the match 22 for the Springboks against Scotland! Amazing.
Since reading most opinions on news websites and the mainstream media I cannot get that irritating tune of Kenny Rogers called The Gambler out of my head. Continue reading
Coach Peter de Villiers on Tuesday made four changes to the Springbok starting XV and one positional switch for Saturday’s Test against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Zane Kirchner, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo and Ryan Kankowski were all promoted to the starting line up while Gio Aplon moves from fullback to wing from the team that defeated Wales 29-25 in Cardiff on Saturday.
South Africa, England and Argentina all rise one place in the latest IRB World Rankings after victories in their respective November internationals on Saturday, although it is Bulgaria who claim the honour as the biggest climbers of the week with an eight-place elevation to 82nd.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers may well unleash some of the young stars in his touring party on Scotland in Saturday’s rugby test at Murrayfield.
The banned stimulant Springboks Bjorn Basson and Chilliboy Ralepelle were tested positive for after the team’s opening Test against Ireland possess a real threat to sports men and women across the world, South African Institute for Drug Free Sport chairperson Dr Shuaid Manjra said on Monday.
Two Springboks are returning home from South Africa’s tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, having returned positive samples for a banned stimulant.
Bok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle and wing Bjorn Basson returned positive samples following the Test against Ireland on November 6.
Between the referee, Habana and box kicks the Springboks nearly lost this Test. The score line is certainly flattering to the Welsh and we should be concerned by the fact that we made such hard work to put away a Welsh team that was fairly average on the day. Continue reading
Wales (17) 25 / Springboks (9) 29 (Final Score)
Wales host the Springboks from South Africa at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 16:30 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Springbok Team for the game against Wales has been announced.
Jean de Villiers continued to be nursed as the Springboks began the buildup to Saturday’s test against Wales in Cardiff on Monday, but the chances are good that the most experienced centre in the squad will take his place at the Millennium Stadium.
The Springboks won – just – with a convincing performance by the forwards pack but the dangers and limitations of our old school style was again ominous.
In fairness, the way the pack dominated we should have won this match by at least 17 points, but lack of structure when we play the ball wide /down the line culminated in a comedy of errors and some frustrating decisions by the referee which almost cost us the match.
Ireland (6) 21 / Springboks (13) 23 (Final Score)
Ireland hosted the Springboks at Aviva Stadium, Landsdowne Road, Dublin at 19:30 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 and M-Net on TV in SA.
The Springboks forwards were monsterous and they dominated the first half and most of the set pieces.
The Irish came back strongly in the last 20 minutes and a comedy off errors by Sppringbok players nearly made the Irish comeback complete.
Well done to the Springboks though, a win I did not foresee!
3 / 0 for the Southern Hemisphere on the day.
Ireland hosts the Springboks at Aviva Stadium, Landsdowne Road, Dublin at 19:30 SA Time.
What is in stock for the embattled Springboks, from the lands up North?
Springbok centre Jean de Villiers has been cleared to win his 64th cap for South Africa on Saturday after passing a late fitness test in Dublin on Friday morning.
He takes his place in the centre alongside Zane Kirchner for the first test of the Springboks’ four-Test tour of Britain and Ireland and will go up against the formidable Gordon D’Arcy and Brian O’ Driscoll.
OK, now that we all have been very negative and taken out the canes to castigate Peter de Villiers from every angle, let’s look at the realities.
In effect there is ONLY ONE real controvertial selection, playing Zane Kirchner at Outside Center (No 13).
What would you have done given the injury situation?
Deon Stegmann will make his Test debut in a much-changed Springbok line-up against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. Uncapped Sharks utility back Patrick Lambie could also make his debut if Jean de Villiers fails a late fitness test. The bench will also include two uncapped players.
South Africa’s Springboks will be sweating on the fitness of back Jean de Villiers and forward Willem Alberts when they arrive two days ahead of their clash with Ireland.
The Springboks have been hit hard with injuries to their centres for this tour and now De Villiers threatens to make matters worse.
The absence of the Springboks’ star players will not be an excuse when the national team kick-off their five week tour in Ireland, captain Victor Matfield said on Tuesday.
The Springboks will leave South Africa will leave South Africa in high spirits even though they will be missing 13 of their first choice players for the five week rugby tour of Britain and Ireland.
The Ireland team to play South Africa in the opening game of the 2010 Autumn Internationals shows the return of several players who missed the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia.
Bok coach Pieter De Villiers has, once again, put his foot in his mouth. Continue reading
Victor Matfield has been named as captain of the Springbok end-of-year tour on the first day of a preliminary training squad get together.
Jurie Roux the new CEO of SARU, has been emailing a survey to subscribers of Bok supporters. Let us see if he can sweep clean as a new broom.
30 June 1976 – Border &North-Eastern Cape 0 / All Blacks 24
The match was played in perfect weather conditions at the Buller Rugby Union Ground in East Londen and attended by a crowd of 10 000 people. Continue reading
The South African Rugby Union announced on Friday the outcome of deliberations regarding the placement of logos and emblems on the playing jersey of South African teams at IRB World Cup events.
Several months of discussions took place with the relevant regulatory authorities before the Executive Council ruled on the management of the placing of the Springbok logo on team jerseys.
The South African Rugby Union confirmed its full support for the current Springbok coaching team on Friday and said planning was underway for the end-of-year tour.
Head coach Peter de Villiers and assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold met SARU president, Mr Oregan Hoskins, in Durban on Thursday evening.
The International Rugby Board has announced the Match Official appointments for the schedule of international matches to be played between October 30 and December 4, 2010.
The disharmony between Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his assistants Dick Muir and Gary Gold has reached a crescendo with De Villiers seemingly in a desperate search for new assistants before the Springboks embark on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour.
Is Bok rugby heading towards a crisis? Well given that De Villiers is seemingly scrambling to get experts on-board and all of them are turning him down, it seems we are getting pretty close. Continue reading
After the umpteenth “review” on Pieter de Villiers it is clear the coaching panel is now cast in stone for the upcoming World Cup in New Zealand. It is therefor imperative that we now find within ourselves the passion and patriotism in our character to support our Springbok team and the coaching staff. Our personal feelings in this matter must be set aside as we look towards next year as the Springboks will need our positivity more than ever before and any negativity towards either Pieter de Villiers or anyone else involved will only deter them on focusing on the job at hand. Continue reading
The heads of Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his two assistants, Dick Muir and Gary Gold, may all roll Today when their performance reviews are done.