Super Rugby
The Blues could be dealt a double blow this week as they have already lost flanker Luke Braid and might lose captain Keven Mealamu to injury.
English Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks have announced that 24 year old Melbourne Rebels fly half Danny Cipriani has signed a three year deal with the club.
Queensland winger Digby Ioane has been suspended for five weeks (four matches) for a tip tackle on Sharks flanker Marcell Coetzee.
The Bulls and their supporters have certainly copped massive derision about the Pink jerseys the Vodacom Bulls will be wearing in away games where their normal Blue strip clashes with the colours of the Home side.
But here’s one back at you… so, Stormers supporters and those of the other franchises, I’d think TWICE about scoffing at those jerseys again!
…. and here’s the reason why….
The Reds were thrown into crisis at fly half after their fourth round loss to the Sharks as Ben Lucas and Mike Harris have been forced out of the tour leaving the current champions without a fly half.
I was pleasantly surprised and much impressed with the Stormers this weekend. The Blues showed just how dangerous they can be against the Bulls last week. They confirmed that for about 10 minutes in the second half when the Stormers got a bit complacent and took the foot of the pedal after establishing a 17 point lead.
That sense of complacency as result of feeling secure with their 17 point lead saw the Stormers deviating from their success formula and they paid for it by getting two tries scored against them in seven minutes. Credit to them for rectifying the neglect and going back to the formula.
The Stormers used a well-established formula to beat NZ but added some new dimensions to the pattern. These new strategies employed by the Stormers countered the typical offensive measures NZ sides have been using over the last couple of years to overcome the proven South African recipe to beat them.
Reds winger Digby Ioane could spend some time on the sidelines after he was cited for a dangerous lifting tackle during his teams 27-22 loss to the Sharks.
Rebels (10) 26 / Cheetahs (20) 33 (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at AAMI Stadium, Melbourne at 07:10 SA Time (16:10 NZ 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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Three things struck me about yesterday’s game – The Stormers didn’t succumb to the Blues mind games, the tight five finally seemed to strike a chord, and the manners of the Newlands crowd are despicable.
Sharks (10) 27 / Reds (17) 22 (Final Score)
The Sharks and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time.
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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Waratahs (14) 20 / Force (13) 21 (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Western Force did battle in Super Rugby at Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Sydney 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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Hurricanes (14) 17 / Highlanders (13) 19 (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Highlanders did battle in Super Rugby at Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ 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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Stormers (17) 27 / Blues (3) 17 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time.
This was a live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Chiefs (9) 29 / Brumbies (9) 22 (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Brumbies did battle in Super Rugby at Bay Park Stadium, Tauranga at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ 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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Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they are announced for Week 4 of Super Rugby 2012.
The Team sheets are all up and can also be found under the Main menu, under SUPER RUGBY, 2012, Weekend Teams.
The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
The South African Rugby Union has written to its Sanzar partners, Australia and New Zealand, requesting a re-scheduling of a planned presentation on an expansion of Super Rugby to 16 teams in 2013.
All Black and Crusaders super star Dan Carter has given his struggling Crusaders team mates a confidence lift for the season by returning to training for the Super Rugby season.
The Stormers team to play the Blues was announced and sees only one positional change – Peter Grant slots into the No. 10 jersey, at the expense of Gary van Aswegen who drops the bench for the game on Friday night at 19:10 at Newlands, Cape Town.
South African referees boss André Watson says Lions coach John Mitchell was wrong to criticise the assistant referees after his side lost to the Sharks in Durban over the weekend.
Lions coach John Mitchell has put on report at least one of the match officials, following his team’s heart-breaking 20-32 loss to the Sharks in a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Blues winger Rene Ranger has been suspended for two weeks for his late tackle on Bjorn Basson during the Blues 23-29 victory over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
The Sharks won their first Vodacom Super Rugby match of 2012 while the Vodacom Bulls let slip a great opportunity to remain top of the log as they lost at home to the Blues.
Blues winger Rene Ranger will face a Sanzar tribunal for his dive on Bulls winger Bjorn Basson in the last minute of the game at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Bulls (8) 23 / Blues (20) 29 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time.
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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Sharks (17) 32 / Lions (6) 20 (Final Score)
The Sharks and MTN Lions did battle in Super Rugby at Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The sharks battled for 80 minutes in an error strewn game to break down a heavily injury depleted Lions side, who never capitulated. The Sharks secured the bonus point try in the dying seconds, and in so doing deprived the Lions of a losing bonus point.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Reds (3) 11 / Rebels (6) 6 (Final Score)
The Reds and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 11:10 SA Time (19:10 Brisbane 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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Highlanders (8) 18 / Waratahs (9) 17 (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ 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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Brumbies (10) 24 / Cheetahs (13) 23 (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 06:35 SA Time (15:35 Canberra).
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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Force (10) 19 / Hurricanes (22) 46 (Final Score)
The Western Force and Hurricanes did battle in Super Rugby at NIB Stadium, Perth at 13:05 SA Time (19:05 NZ Time).
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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Crusaders (6) 19 / Chiefs (16) 24 (Final Score)
The Crudaders and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at McLean Park, Napier at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time).
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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The Toyota Cheetahs have hit the road and will face the Brumbies in Canberra first up on their four-week Australasian Vodacom Super Rugby tour on Saturday.
The men from Bloemfontein are the first to leave South Africa this year as they travel to the Australian capital for a match against a team now coached by former Springbok boss Jake White.
On home soil, The Sharks will be aiming for their first victory of the season when they host the MTN Lions in Durban, before the Vodacom Bulls aim to prolong the Blues’ blues on the Highveld.
Here are the Super Rugby Team Sheets as they are announced for Week 3 of Super Rugby 2012.
All the sides have been announced and have been updated. The Teams are also to be found on the Menu under the Header Graphics, under Super Rugby, 2012, Weekend Teams.
The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has extended its contract with Gilbert Rugby South Africa as the Official Ball and Equipment Supplier to the Springboks.