Proteas
Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusautoir will skipper France’s 30-strong World Cup squad to travel to New Zealand for the September 9-October 23 tournament.
Prop Deacon Manu has been named as Fiji captain for next month’s Rugby World Cup.
Manu, who has played more than 100 matches for Llanelli since moving to Wales from New Zealand in 2006, will lead the 30-man squad named on Saturday, which includes 21 overseas-based players.
Former Springbok wing Stefan Terblanche believes uncertainty in key selection areas is hampering the Springboks as they continue their stuttered build-up towards the defence of their World Cup title.
The Springboks are at risk of a white wash (losing all 4 Tri-nation tests matches) for the first time in tri-nations history. Desperate times indeed and that might explain some of the selections for this match.
Matt Giteau’s exit from the Wallabies squad has been like a slow, dripping tap that has taken more than two years to be turned off.
Ultimately, it came down to the Wallabies management – and not just coach Robbie Deans – having concerns that apart from opposing teams having ”worked Giteau out”, the Test midfielder had fallen short of the mark on several occasions when on-field pressure was applied.
Most of us here also blogged somewhere during the 2007 World Cup. Just like this year, in fact every time a Springbok team is picked, we the real experts pick our team too. Yes and every “selector” has his own favourites. In 2007 we disagreed with some of Jake White’s selections. Now let us see how many players back then were in YOUR team. Dont lie, some of us can remember your favorites, no cheating.
See the happy faces?
A major All Blacks sponsor on Thursday cancelled a campaign urging New Zealand sports fans give up sex to support their team during the World Cup, after a public backlash.
James Horwill has replaced Rocky Elsom as Australia’s captain in a shock move before next month’s Rugby World Cup.
Queensland Reds skipper Horwill was surprised when coach Robbie Deans today named him to lead the 30-man Wallabies squad to the tournament, kicking off in New Zealand on September 9.
Smith has not sufficiently recovered from an injured Achilles and have therefore withdrawn himself from the South Africa’s World Cup squad.
“I am not 100%,” an emotional Smith told the Volksblad newspaper.
Flank Jacques Burger from English Premiership club Saracens will captain rank outsiders Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next month.
The south-west Africa nation make their Group D debut on September 10 against Fiji in Rotorua and then tackle Samoa at the same venue four days later, title holders South Africa in North Shore on September 22 and Wales in New Plymouth after a three-day break.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan selected his strongest line-up on Tuesday for the World Cup warm-up match with Wales on Saturday.
Wales however, have made 9 changes to the side which beat England on the weekend.
Wallabies stalwart Matt Giteau has given every indication he has controversially missed Rugby World Cup selection.
Springbok captain John Smit has not yet been ruled out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a South African Rugby Union (Saru) spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.
The Wallabies achieved one of their most courageous overseas Test victories against the Springboks at the weekend to push their World Cup claims, Australian newspapers said on Monday.
It is often said class is permanent , but form is temporary.
In relationships we often find ourselves in a situation where we are hanging on to something we know has been over for a quite some time.
How much stil makes sense in South African Rugby? Is it maybe a way for Peter and his coaching team to confuse all? How serious is our challenge? Who is not laughing? Is it not the perfect chance to let the politicians get their way and pick that 60% black team? Who would care if we send a brand new politically correct team to the World Cup? Most serious rugby supporters gave up anyway on our chances to win this year.
Springbok captain John Smit and fullback Frans Steyn are in doubt for the World Cup after they were both injured in South Africa’s 9-14 loss to Australia in the Tri-Nations.
Many years ago I read a book written by Org Mandino, called “The greatest salesman on earth”.
There is a bit of a public hysteria at the moment in South Africa after the first two Tri-Nations Tests this year, specifically because of the way the Springboks lost in both these games.
I don’t think any Springbok supporter will ever be happy with ‘throwing’ Test matches for the sake of a ‘larger/bigger’ objective. However, this is exactly what happened in 2007. Continue reading
The Springboks have moved to shore up their problems in defence by bringing in defensive coaching specialist Jacques Nienaber on a consultant basis.
International visitor numbers at this year’s World Cup in New Zealand look set to exceed expectations, despite the current global economic turmoil, according to tournament organisers.
The All Blacks will field the oldest side in their test history against the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday.
Coach Graham Henry has nailed his World Cup colours to the mast by naming a team of veterans that will closely mirror the starting side in the knockout phase of the World Cup.
Not only will “Ted’s Army” be the most ancient starting XV in the All Blacks’ 477 tests dating back to 1903, they are also the most test-hardened team in rugby history.
Tim Noakes, foremost Sports Scientist in South Africa has something to share with us…
This follows a request by Ashley, a blogger on our web site, regarding the resting senior Springboks.
England’s Joe Worsley and New Zealander Thomas Waldrom will miss the World Cup after being named as two of the five players dropped from Martin Johnson’s training squad for the tournament in New Zealand.
Barely one third of New Zealanders are enthusiastic about the Rugby World Cup, a mere five weeks out from the sport’s global showpiece, said a survey released on Tuesday.
Ireland’s star centre Brian O’Driscoll will miss at least the first two matches of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup warm up matches with a neck/shoulder injury which is restricting his ability to train.
A group of 23 players involved in the Springboks’ preliminary World Cup squad have been released back to their clubs and provinces to be available for Currie Cup selection this weekend.
The list includes 15 of the 29 players who were part of the squad for the away leg of the Tri-Nations Series.
The Rugby Football Union have unveiled the England Rugby team playing kits for the 2011-12 season which includes the Rugby World Cup.
England will play in an all white home kit and will be worn for the first time against Wales on Saturday then again on August 13 and Ireland on August 27.
It has been impressive to watch the All Blacks coaches in action this week as they set to work on the detail of an area that is increasingly deciding the outcomes of test-match rugby.
Two weeks ago Samoa used the counter-ruck to destroy Australia’s search for quick attacking ball, something South Africa failed to achieve with disastrous results in Sydney last weekend.
While every club side in New Zealand spends hours on the breakdown, they do not do it with the impressive accuracy and thought of the country’s top side.
Dwyer’s thoughts in blue with some commentary from my side in black.
The Boks were well under strength with about eleven first choice players missing and, as was clear with the second-string Wallabies against the Samoans, this is rarely good enough.
So clearly it is not just the Springboks who struggle with their second stringers. What worries me though is that we probably have more rugby players in the Western Cape than the entire Australia. One would think we have enough depth to be competitive with a second string team.
Springbok lock, Andries Bekker has been ruled out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup with an ankle injury. Team Doctor, Craig Roberts, said that Bekker will undergo surgery in Cape Town on Tuesday.
CJ van der Linde has signed a contract of just over 2 years to join the Lions from 1st August 2011 to 31st October 2013 the Johannesburg based Union announced in a media release this morning.
Herewith the full announcement as received from the Lions.
England’s Rugby team will wear an All Black rugby kit when they start their 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina in New Zealand on September the 10th.
Waratahs and Wallabies prop Benn Robinson has been ruled out of Rugby for the rest of the season ruling him out of the TriNations and the world cup.