Internationals
What the hell is going on with our beloved Springboks? I believe this is the main question every SA rugby supporter wrestles with at this moment!
Wrong players in key positions, an unbalanced back row, injuries to key players and playing an outdated game plan has all been voiced as probable reasons.
Heyneke has responded to most of these criticisms by making changes to the team but still the team seems to be tentative and almost scared to do anything. They played like a golfer obsessed with his golf swing, so focussed on getting it exactly right that he forgets to hit the damn ball. The ‘Boks in the first half was overly careful, almost scared that they would make mistakes (not getting it exactly right). The result of that –and it has been the case in some of The Rugby Championship test matches as well- was that they became tentative and pedantic when going into contact.
Ireland (12) 12 / 16 (3) Springboks (Final Score)
Ireland and the South African Springboks did battle in the End Of Year Tours at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin at 19:30 SA Time (17:30 GMT).
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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Wales (9) 12 / 26 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
Wales and the Argentinian Pumas did battle in the End Of Year Tours at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 16:30 SA 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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All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made ten changes to the team that drew with Australia for this weekend’s Test against Scotland with Piri Weepu returning to the starting line up and a new midfield pairing.
The Springbok Team to take on Ireland in the 1st Test of the Springbok End Of Year Tour to the Northern Hemisphere, taking place on Saturday 10 November, was announced at about 13:40 SA Time on Wednesday 7 November 2012.
Francois Louw will turn down offers from South African teams and opt for a contract extension at Bath, believes the English club’s head coach, Gary Gold.
The Wallabies have named Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu and lock Kane Douglas to make their starting debuts for Australia’s Test match against France on Saturday.
Veteran Toulon playmaker Frederic Michalak has been named ahead of Francois Trinh-Duc at flyhalf in the France line up to face Australia on Saturday.
England coach Stuart Lancaster has named his team with Leicester Tigers hooker Tom Youngs to make his debut at Twickenham against Fiji on Saturday.
There will be a family ‘feud’ in Dublin on Saturday when cousins Richard Strauss and Adriaan Strauss confront each other for the first time in a Test.
Argentina have recalled veteran centre Felipe Contepomi to their starting XV to play Wales in a one-off international at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
Starting lock Sitaleki Timani is among four players who remain in doubt for the Wallabies opening Test against France this weekend.
Everyone seems to be aspiring coaches and selectors and week after week we watch matches and air our views where we either slate the coach or sing his praises.
So, I would like to invite every Blogger to post his or her 23 players for the First upcoming Springbok Test against Ireland. Also I will put this up for each Test so we can eventually see who gets it right overall as well as each individual Test.
Highly-rated South African referee Jason Jaftha will make his Test debut later this month, the South African Rugby Union announced on Monday.
The New Zealand Rugby Union have released the dates and venues for their 2013 International Rugby season which includes three Tests in June against France.
As the Springboks prepare to travel to Europe for their end-of-year tour, coach Heyneke Meyerhas confirmed that Bakkies Botha will also be on stand-by for their tour along with Marco Wentzel.
When the Springbok squad of 31 (one more player to be added) was announced on Sunday, my first impression was that there was a squad of fully fit players, bar maybe some niggles after the Currie Cup Final of the day before.
It now appears that there were indeed real injuries to be considered, specifically the injuries of Adriaan Strauss (knee) and Francois Louw (neck) as well as Springbok Captain Jean de Villiers (hamstring).
All Black coach Steve Hansen on Monday named uncapped scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow and fellow rookie Dane Coles in his 32-man squad for New Zealand’s upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour.
The Springboks will travel to the Northern Hemisphere next weekend with five uncapped players but without their all-time leading try-scorer and most experienced player, Bryan Habana.
England coach Stuart Lancaster recalled a couple of big guns for his team’s year-end Tests against the three Southern Hemisphere powerhouses.
Springbok No 8 and Bulls captain Pierre Spies may further his career up north after French club Bayonne reportedly have made a massive offer for his services over the next three years.
The Wallabies playing stocks for their end of year tour have suffered yet another blow as utility back James O’Connor will miss the tour.
The Wallabies named their 22-man team to take on the All Blacks on Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup clash in Brisbane… then changed it due to another injury.
Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen will undergo knee surgery on Tuesday which will rule him out of action for the rest of the year.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) have said that Irish referee Alain Rolland got it wrong when he refused to allow Australia to make a replacement and forced them to play the last 14 minutes with 14 men.
Springbok prop Coenie Oosthuizen has been cleared to play after an examination by a neurosurgeon in Durban on Tuesday.
First-choice flyhalf Dan Carter has been cleared to start in his 90th Test, when New Zealand play Argentina in a Rugby Championship match at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata in La Plata on Saturday.
Kurtley Beale will start his first Test at flyhalf on Saturday after Australia coach Robbie Deans chose the fullback to replace the injured Quade Cooper for the Rugby Championship clash with South Africa.
The Australian Rugby Union broke their silence over the public rants of controversial flyhalf Quade Cooper, confirming they have placed the volatile player on notice.
Morne Steyn’s indifferent performance against the All Blacks has increased the pressure on Bok coach Heyneke Meyer to start Johan Goosen at flyhalf.
There is a caveat, and given Heyneke Meyer’s insistence that his team employed the right game-plan in Dunedin it is a significant one, but the Springboks have ended the away leg of their Castle Rugby Championship campaign with reason to be encouraged.
Argentina have named their Pumas team to play New Zealand’s All Blacks in Wellington this weekend with two changes to the team that drew with South Africa.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has named his Australia team to play South Africa’s Springboks in Perth this weekend with Kurtley Beale returning to the starting line up.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has had to change his side, initially discarding fullback Lucas Amorosino as the main culprit in his team’s loss to South Africa last week. With the injury to Juan Martin Hernandez though the Pumas side has not been finalised.
Loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett is the only change to the New Zealand side to face Australia on Saturday as the All Blacks seek to retain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup.