SA Rugby
European champions Toulon have Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis firmly in their sights, a French media report indicates.
There are five changes in the starting line-up of the Junior Springboks to play against Wales in the IRB Junior World Championship rugby semi-final in Vannes, France, on Tuesday evening.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is in doubt for Saturday’s final match of the Incoming Series against Samoa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
De Villiers injured his right sterno-clavicular joint and second rib early in last weekend’s victory over Scotland in Nelspruit.
Springbok loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after rupturing ligaments in his knee during the Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Springboks (6) 30 / 17 (10) Scotland (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Scotland did battle in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 17:15 SA Time (15:15 GMT, 16:15 BST).
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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Lions (28) 42 / 12 (5) WP (Final Score)
The MTN Lions and a weakened Western Province side did battle in the Lions Challenge at Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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France (7) 19 / 26 (8) Bokkies (Final Score)
France Under 20 and South Africa Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 Stade Henri Desgrange, La Roche-sur-Yon at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 GMT).
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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Springboks and Sharks back Meyer Bosman has agreed to leave the Durban based Super Rugby franchise and join Stade Francais in the Top14.
After fielding six debutants in last weekend’s Test against Samoa, Scotland have named three more new caps in their team to play South Africa at Nelspruit on Saturday.
South Africa Under-20 coach, Dawie Theron, has shuffled his team for their vital Pool A match at the IRB Junior World Championship against hosts France on Thursday evening at La Roche-sur-Yon.
The match kicks off at 20:45 and will be televised live on SuperSport and of course we will have our Live Game Article here on Rugby-Talk.
With Scotland due to play against the Springboks in the second round of matches in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday it seemed like a good time to bring a view from within the Scotland camp. This is part two of Scotland lock Allistair Kellock’s tour blog written as his contribution as RBS Ambassador.
June is a busy time for rugby, and therefore a busy time here on Rugby-Talk. Of course, like has become custom, Rugby-Talk (the premier LIVE GAME RUGBY website) will broadcast and update live scores and up to date commentary on almost all the games, except where some of the Junior World Championship games overlap in their respective time slots and of course on Saturday morning at sparrow-fart (06:50) I will take the indulgence of sleeping through the bore between a Wales “B” side and Japan. Rugby-Talk will have 3 Live Games on Thursday afternoon and evening, 1 on Friday evening and 5 Tests throughout Saturday. This will bring the week’s Live Game Articles on Rugby-Talk to an impressive 11 matches (including the 2 matches already done this past Tuesday).
Here’s the Rugby you can look forward to the rest of this week, till and including the weekend. Rugby starts tomorrow late afternoon when there is a series of IRB Junior World Championship 2013 matches, including a late game between hosts France and South Africa’s Under 20 teams.
News from the Springbok camp in Hazyview is that Francois Louw has been released early this week, to concentrate on his wedding, which takes place on Sunday. He will rejoin the Springbok camp again on Monday.
Meanwhile Francois Hougaard, who was sent to Pretoria to see a specialist following a knee cartlidge injury flare-up, and told to sit out for 2 weeks till re-evaluation, will be replaced by Louis Screuder, the Stormers scrumhalf.
Former Saracens boss Brendan Venter will take up the position as Director of Rugby at the Sharks from the beginning of the Currie Cup season.
This week the Springboks are in camp at Hazyview, where they are preparing for a game against Scotland on the weekend.
Scotland, as we know, have some players out on tour with the British & Irish Lions and have additionally sent a considerably weakened side to South Africa this June. Testament to this was when they lost, for the first time, to Samoa on Saturday in Durban.
Is this then not the ideal time for South Africa to see EXACTLY where they stand as far as depth is concerned, as well as to give some players the time to get back to form after reduced game time or poor Super Rugby form? When will a golden opportunity like this, to experiment properly, again present itself?
If Heyneke Meyer has the conviction to choose players in his Springbok group, does it not then follow that he must have the conviction and the will to play these players against weaker opposition?
Bokkies (21) 31 / 24 (7) England (Final Score)
South Africa Under 20 and England Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship at Stade Henri Desgrange, La Roche-sur-Yon at 16:45 SA Time (15:45 BST, 14:45 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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Nick Mallett has reportedly turned down an offer from the Sharks to take over the coaching reins from John Plumtree.
Following the injury to Jano Vermaak, the Toyota Cheetahs scrumhalf Piet van Zyl has been called up to the Springbok squad in Mpumalanga.
Springboks (20) 44 / 10 (0) Italy (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Azzurri from Italy did battle in the castle Incoming Series in South Africa at Kings Park at 17:15 SA Time (15:15 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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Scotland (9) 17 / 27 (14) Samoa (Final Score)
Scotland and Samoa did battle in the Castle Incoming Tours series in South Africa at Kings Park, Durban at 14:15 SA Time (12:15 GMT, 13:15 BST).
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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Uncapped loose forward Arno Botha has been called into the Springbok starting team in the place of the injured Willem Alberts for Saturday’s Castle Lager Incoming Series opener against Italy at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban.
Wian du Preez, is already training with the Cheetahs for the upcoming Currie Cup season. Wian has 1 Springbok cap, but it could be argued that he could have had a few more. He has been a stalwart at Munster since the end of 2009. His experience will be invaluable, as the real possibility exists that the current Cheetahs front row could be called upon for The Rugby Championship.
Other returnees, are Piet Lindeque (Tuks, Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup, and Sharks), and Pieter Jordaan (DHL Western Province).
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd announced on Thursday that Vodacom Bulls and Vodacom Blue Bulls hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle did not accept an offer to extend his contract past October 31st, 2013. The hooker indicated that he will instead take up an offer with the French club Toulouse.
Italian coach Jacques Brunel has benched veteran prop Martin Castrogiovanni for Saturday’s Test against South Africa in Durban.
The encounter, in a four-nations tournaments that also features Samoa and Scotland, will feature an Azzurri team that shows seven changes for the side that beat Ireland in their last outing – a Six Nations match in Rome back in March.
Centre JJ Engelbrecht believes he wouldn’t have made the Springbok side had he continued playing his rugby in the Cape.
Engelbrecht will make his run-on debut for the Boks against Italy at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday after coming on as a replacement against Argentina at Newlands last year.
Bokkies (54) 97 / 0 (0) USA (Final Score)
South Africa Under 20 and USA Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 at La Roche-sur-Yon at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 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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Five uncapped players, two of them in the starting line-up, have been selected in the Springbok team to face Italy in the opening round of the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
Willie le Roux (fullback) and Jano Vermaak (scrumhalf) will earn their Springbok debuts in the starting team, while the trio of uncapped players on the bench are Trevor Nyakane (prop), Arno Botha (loose forward) and Jan Serfontein (centre), who was part of the SA Under-20 team that won the Junior World Championships last year.
MTN Golden Lions lock Franco van der Merwe, currently on loan to The Sharks, has been called up to the Springbok squad in the place of the injured Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Defensive coach John McFarland says the Springboks are far better prepared for the 2013 international season compared with 12 months ago.
South Africa face Italy in their season-opener in Durban on Saturday in coach Heyneke Meyer’s first full term in charge, after he and his coaching staff were appointed in early 2012.
The South Africa Under-20 team to face the United States in their first match of the IRB Junior World Championship 2013 has been named.
Vodacom Blue Bulls forward Ruan Steenkamp will captain the side from the back of the scrum in the number eight jersey.
Some very good rugby right througout the week this week… clear your schedules!
Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira has overcome his heart condition and is relishing the opportunity to wear the green and gold again when South Africa tackles Italy at Kings Park on Saturday.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn has been called up to the Springbok squad currently preparing for the Castle Lager Incoming Series in Durban.
Ebersohn’s inclusion follows uncertainty over the availability of midfielders Jean de Villiers (mild hamstring strain) and JJ Engelbrecht (quad contusion), while Juan de Jongh has already been ruled out of Saturday’s Test against Italy because of a finger injury.
Vodacom Bulls player Lionel Mapoe will miss the remainder of the Vodacom Super Rugby season due to a shoulder injury. The versatile outside back sustained the injury on Saturday during his side’s 30-25 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
Former Varsity Cup-winning Maties head coach and a current member of SARU’s High Performance Mobi-unit, Chean Roux, has been added to the Springbok Team Management in the role of Performance Analyst.