New Zealand
There will be a new name on the Women’s Rugby World Cup as New Zealand are the high profile absentee in the final four of the competition.
In the last round of the pool stages in Marcoussis, England’s draw with Canada saw both into the semi-finals where they will be joined by Australia and Ireland.
New Zealand, who have triumphed in the past four World Cups, won their last game of the pools but they went into their game against the USA already knowing they were out of the competition.
Cyprus players celebrate a victory over Austria in the European Nations Cup. It was their 21st in a row and they have won two more since.
When the All Blacks take the field against the Wallabies on Saturday, they’ll know they stand 80 minutes away from a landmark 18 successive wins.
If they come out on top, they’ll leapfrog the All Blacks of the late 1960s and the 1997-98 Springboks to further their reputation as one of the greatest teams in rugby history.
It’s an impressive feat, and would be a record for a tier one nation, but it won’t strictly be a world record.
Defending champions New Zealand got their World Cup defence off to a strong start on day one of the tournament while wins for hosts France, Canada, Australia, England and Ireland mean the competition is set for more classic match-ups before the 17 August final.
The seventh Women’s Rugby World Cup saw sell-out crowds watch six top-quality matches at FFR headquarters in the French capital.
Ireland beat their Pool B rivals USA in a match that could be crucial for the progress of the girls in green, while Australia and England impressed in their pool openers.
There is a palpable level of excitement in the country ahead of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow this year. Driving up the road over the weekend one was reminded by overhead sign boards long before reaching Glasgow of the need to plan ahead and potential difficulties in travelling as a result of the Games.
The online search engine Google has the theme of the games on its page, there is a lot of coverage in the media both online, in print and of course in audio and visual. Radio schedules have already been changed on some stations providing coverage already ahead of the Games which are due to get kick started with the opening ceremony tonight. In advertising it’s radio coverage the national broadcaster has even made a pledge to bring all the action of Scotland’s medal winning events live to the public. Colleagues have members of their family involved on a voluntary basis as ambassadors for Glasgow 2014 with some having already been helping out in the Athletes Village for the last two weeks.
There was little change in the International Rugby Board’s rankings after the weekend’s matches, according to the IRB website.
New Zealand, who beat England 28-27 in Dunedin to secure the three-match series, remain at the top with 93.81 ratings points.
The Springboks, who beat Wales 38-16 in Durban, stay in 2nd position on 89.34, while Australia – who were 6-0 victors over France in Melbourne – stay in 3rd position (86.92) ahead of England (85.68).
Dawie Theron
The Junior Springboks finished top of pool C at the IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand on Tuesday, beating a spirited Samoa 21-8 in Pukekohe. Samoa had a 8-7 lead at the break.
The South Africans scored three tries, two of them in the second half, as they battled poor playing conditions and a very committed Samoan team to finish as the top qualifier at the tournament.
It was a frustrating evening for the Junior Boks, who lacked the sharpness and edge that highlighted their play against New Zealand on Friday. They could not execute on a number of occasions, but finished strongly.
The South Africans were held over the line on three occasions, lost the ball over the line twice and had two penalties to the poles drifted wide.
The IRB Junior World Championships are underway in New Zealand.
Rugby-Talk will update the Results and Logs on a regular basis.
The Tournament started on 2 June 2014 and will run till 20 June 2014.
The Big winner in Round 2, on Friday 6 June was South Africa’s Junior Springboks, who beat the Junior All Blacks in their backyard, by 33 / 24. The Junior Springboks scored 4 tries to boot, earning them a vital bonus point going forward, whilst the Junior All Blacks earned no Log Points at all, making it an uphill battle for them to even reach the semi-finals, as only one 2nd placed team in all Pools will go through to the semi-finals with the 3 respective Pool winners.
Day 3 of the tournament is on Tuesday 10 June.
Junior All Blacks (17) 24 / 33 (14) Junior Springboks (Final Score)
New Zealand Under 20 and South Africa Under 20 did battle in the 2014 Junior World Championships at
QBE Stadium, Albany, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Jesse & Dan Kriel with Dawie Theron
Powerfully built twins Jesse and Dan Kriel will play alongside each other in the midfield for the Baby Boks against the New Zealand Under 20’s.
Injury to four players has forced Theron to reshuffle his match 23 after the Junior Boks scored a convincing 61-5 win over Scotland.
Midfielders Rohan Janse van Rensburg (ankle), Andre Esterhuizen (head blow) and flank Jacques Vermeulen (ankle) were all ruled out of selection because of injuries sustained against the Scots.
On Thursday, Golden Lions hooker Malcolm Marx was also ruled out of action for several weeks after he had suffered a knee injury during a training session.
The IRB Junior World Championships are underway in New Zealand.
Rugby-Talk will update the Fixtures and Results on a regular basis.
The Tournament started on 2 June 2014 and will run till 20 June 2014.
As expected, the “Big Guns” all started with wins on the 1st day of the Tournament.
Day 2 of the tournament is on Friday 6 June.
An under-strength England squad arrived in New Zealand Thursday, with coach Stuart Lancaster rejecting suggestions his weakened side faces a “Tour from Hell” against the world champion All Blacks.
Lancaster had to leave up to a dozen top players behind for the Premiership Final between Saracens and Northampton, meaning they will be unavailable for the opening match of the three-Test series.
“It’s not ideal when you come to play the world champions in their own back yard and you don’t have your best side available,” he told reporters in Auckland.
Scottish Rugby is immensely saddened to learn of the death on Monday night of the former Hawick, Scotland and Lions internationalist Hughie McLeod. He was 81.
Hugh Ferns McLeod was a pioneer, ahead of his time. His achievements as a player were the stuff of legend but, arguably, it was the manner in which he moulded future success in Hawick that marked him as a truly special character.
Hugh drove himself very hard as a player. He set high standards and expected the same of others. Into retirement he still followed a fitness regime which might have proved – no, would have proved too onerous for younger folk. Whether it was cycling, swimming up in Edinburgh or walking, Hughie loved to be active.
Following the first of two matches in the build-up to their IRB Junior World Championship next month in New Zealand, Scotland’s under-20 squad take on Wales in Bridgend this (Wednesday) evening.
Worcester director of rugby Dean Ryan says that he is “honoured” to have been asked to coach the Barbarians against England at Twickenham on 1 June.
England are likely to name a weakened side – just a week before Test matches on successive weekends in New Zealand.
British and Irish Lions forwards Alex Corbisiero, Tom Croft and Tom Youngs will miss England’s forthcoming tour of New Zealand.
Croft and Corbisiero have recently returned to full fitness but are not yet considered ready for what is set to be a gruelling three-Test series against the world champion All Blacks.
Meanwhile Leicester hooker Youngs will miss the June campaign to help support his wife, who is having treatment for an illness.
New Zealand brushed aside England 26-7 to win the Hong Kong Sevens and reclaim top spot in the overall standings in the IRB Sevens World Series, Sunday.
The All Blacks Sevens, the defending World Series champions, won its third tournament this season in fine style, running four tries past a hapless England to claim their 11th Cup Championship in Hong Kong and first since 2011.
South Africa and New Zealand battled each other in the World T20 Cricket competition at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong (neutral venue) on Monday 24 March.
This was a Group 1 game.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
The score cards were updated at regular intervals here on Rugby-Talk.
South Africa won by 2 runs, after an excellent last bowling over by Dale Steyn!
South Africa: 170 / 6 (20 Overs)
New Zealand: 168 / 8 (20 Overs)
Winger Lee Jones has been added to the Glasgow Warriors squad for the forthcoming RaboDirect PRO12 matches, to provide injury cover until the end of the season.
The 25-year-old returns from Scotland 7s duty in New Zealand following his agreed loan from Edinburgh Rugby and will be available for this Sunday’s game against Connacht at Scotstoun Stadium.
South Africa defended their Las Vegas Sevens successfully when they defeated New Zealand 14-7 in another dramatic and tense Cup final between the two rugby rivals in the early hours of Monday morning (SA time).
The teams were tied 7-all at halftime after Scott Curry had opened the scoring for New Zealand and Branco du Preez replied for the Springbok Sevens.
Glasgow 2014 has today (Tuesday January 14) confirmed the teams and pools for the Rugby Sevens competition at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
A rip-roaring contest and magnificent entertainment it may have been, but Welsh faces after yet another defeat by Australia spoke only of more misery and another missed opportunity.
The Junior Springboks were grouped with hosts New Zealand, Samoa and Scotland when the pools and fixtures of the IRB Junior World Championship 2014 were confirmed earlier today in Auckland.
The future stars of world Rugby will come together in New Zealand from 2-20 June 2014 for the seventh edition of the Under 20 tournament which will see matches played at North Harbour Stadium and Pukekohe Stadium during the pool stages and semi-finals on 2, 6, 10 and 15 June 2014.
Round 1 of the End Of Year Tours of 2013 is upon us and it is that time of the year where we see the teams from the South migrate to the North to go do battle with those from Europe and beyond.
The Test rugby games of the End Of Year Tours or November Internationals are always a nice spectacle to see. Some teams use this as an experimental base, whilst other teams use this competition to prepare for other competitions like the 6 Nations. The big thing here is that the 3 Southern Hemisphere giant teams are ranked No 1 to 3 in the world. So, every team wants to beat these sides for bragging rights and to also get an indication of where they stand in preparation of the next Rugby World Cup.
So let the battles begin!
Andrew Trimble has missed out on a place in Ireland’s squad for the November games against Samoa, Australia and New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium. The Ulster wing fails to make Joe Schmidt’s 34-man squad which includes uncapped trio David Kearney, James Coughlan and Jack McGrath.
The All Blacks are flying Chiefs prop Ben Afeaki over to South Africa for their match against the Springboks this coming weekend.
Afeaki will be standing in for injured Owen Franks.
Baby Blacks (14) 14 / 10 (3) Wallababies (Final Score)
The New Zealand Under 20 and Australian Under 20 sides did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 & SHD on TV in SA.
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France coach Philippe Saint-Andre on Tuesday called up eight uncapped players for his 35-man squad to tour New Zealand tour next month.
The European climax of the HSBC Sevens World Series kicked off in Scotland with Round Eight this weekend, the Glasgow Sevens at Scotstoun Stadium. The Tournament ran from Saturday 4 to Sunday 5 May.
With ONE more game to go, who will take the CUP, South Africa or New Zealand?
Well, that question was answered in Green and Gold… Blitzbokke take the Glasgow title, with a win by 28 / 21.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 3rd and last ODI in the Series at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom on Friday 25 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first.
South Africa won the match with a 6 off the last possible ball in their 50 overs, needing 3 runs from the last ball, and getting those last 3 and 3 more with a magnificent 6 by Ryan McLaren.
New Zealand won the ODI Series 2 – 1 and now heads home, whilst pakistan has already landed in South Africa.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 2nd ODI at De Beers Oval, Kimberley on Tuesday 22 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand won the game by 27 runs, bowling South Africa out with the first ball of the last over.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 1st ODI at Boland Park, Paarl which started at 10:00 SA Time on Saturday 19 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand won the match in the 46th over, when James Franklin scored the winning runs. New Zealand won by 1 wicket.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 2nd 5-Day Test at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth which started at 10:30 SA Time on Friday 11 January 2013 and which was due to only finish on Tuesday 15 January 2013.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. They posted a mammoth First Innings total of 525 runs for 8 wickets, when they declared the First Innings closed.
New Zealand went in to bat and the South Africans demolished them by bowling them out for a measly 121 runs, forcing New Zealand for follow on with their Second Innings. New Zealand battled on a bit more resolutely in the Second Innings but the last 5 wickets fell rapidly at the end, causing New Zealand to be all out for 211, still 193 runs short.
South Africa won by an Innings and 193 runs, before Lunch on Day 4, also winning the Series with a clean sweep of 2 / 0.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 1st 5-Day Test at Newlands, Cape Town at 10:30 SA Time on Wednesday 2 January 2013 and the match was supposed to run until Sunday 6 January 2013.
South Africa demolished the New Zealanders in the 1st Innings, bowling them out for a measly 45 runs in total, then went in to bat a couple of overs before Lunch on Day 1. South Africa amassed a lead of 302 runs before declaring on 347 / 8 on Day 2 of the match.
At the start of Day 3 of the match New Zealand had already lost 4 wickets, but made a gritty start to the day until eventually tumbling to an Innings and 27 run defeat three quarters through Day 3.
Can a series of unequals prove to be a contest?
It might be too much to hope that the South Africa-New Zealand Test series is hard fought, but both teams have little and big goals to pursue.
South Africa and New Zealand did battle in the 3rd T20 International at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth at 14:30 SA Time on Wednesday 26 December 2012.
This was the Live Game Article for the match.
South Africa posted a mighty 179 / 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
New Zealand started the chase well but after Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum departed, it was all over bar the shouting.
South Africa won comfortably, by 33 runs and with only 1 New Zealand wicket left standing.