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Tri-Nations: Springboks vs Wallabies, Perth, 29 August 2009

2009-09-03T19:56:00.003+08:00

It was mission accomplished for the Springboks as they beat the Wallabies 32-25 in Perth on Saturday but a late flurry by the Australians took some gloss off what could have been a record away victory.
The Springboks caught the Wallabies on the hop by playing more attacking rugby than they have up to now this season and scored two tries within the first ten minutes to take control of the match by jumping into a 12-0 lead.
The quick tries by Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie gave the Boks the platform they needed to push for the bonus point try and they duly accomplished this goal by the 52nd minute when Bryan Habana got over for his second try.
Added to Morne Steyn’s contribution from the boot that put the Boks 32-13 up after 67 minutes and seemingly headed for what would have been a record win on Australian soil.

However the Wallabies, who had controlled the ball for long spells and shaken the Boks up at scrum time, fought back strongly to score two tries in the last five minutes to gain the satisfaction of having outscored John Smit’s men in the second half.
The victory means that the Springboks now only require a bonus point from next Saturday’s test in Brisbane to claim the 2009 Tri-Nations as the All Blacks would then need bonus-point wins in their last two matches (one against the Aussies and one against Boks) while also having to erase a points differential that currently stands on 54 points.

However there was enough in the Wallabies’ performance to cause some concern in the Springbok camp.
The Boks were under the cosh in the scrums and heavily penalised in this area (especially in the second half) by referee Bryce Lawrence while they will be none too pleased with the amount of time the Wallabies were able to control possession and that Matt Giteau yet again managed to crack open their defences.

The Subiaco Oval has been a happy hunting ground for the Springboks and Fourie du Preez was able to put some gloss on his 50th test cap with the opening try in the fifth minute.
The Boks had signalled their intention to move the ball as Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie engineered a breakthrough with their first touch of the ball and with the South Africans hard on attack Du Preez caught the Wallabies napping by quickly tapping a penalty to himself and sniping over.
Morne Steyn’s conversion made it 7-0 and with the Wallabies appearing nervous -- particularly Richard Brown who knocked two balls into touch as he fielded clearance kicks -- the Boks drove home their advantage with a superb try by Jaque Fourie.

Clearly smarting at media insinuations that they could not run the ball the Springboks constructed a classic setpiece try as Du Preez made a dummy run to the right and Pierre Spies fed Steyn who in turn popped the ball to Fourie, coming hard and straight, who scythed clean through.
Steyn uncharacteristically duffed the point-blank conversion but then knocked over a penalty, after Giteau had missed one, to have the sizeable expat crowd ecstatically cheering a 15-0 advantage after just 16 minutes.

Giteau got the Wallabies on the board with a penalty in the 27th minute but the Boks’ well-schooled kick-and-chase game resulted in a telling blow as Habana scored the first of his two tries.
Du Preez, fielding a centre-field clearance by the Wallabies, sent a bomb back, Jean de Villiers challenged Lachie Turner for the catch, the ball ricocheted off the pair of them and Habana swooped on the rebound to sprint in.
Steyn’s conversion made it a 19-point advantage (22-3) which became 16 points on the stroke of half time when Giteau kicked his second penalty to make it 22-6 at the break.

However, the Wallabies returned to make the ideal start as they worked Giteau over for the first of his two tries after just three minutes.
A shocking clearing by JP Pietersen provided the Australians with attacking field position and a quickly taken tap penalty by Luke Burgess allowed the gamecock flyhalf to scurry over under the posts and then convert himself to cut the deficit to 13-22.

The Springboks had lost their intensity, the Wallabies were starting to string together the phases and the clinching score came somewhat against the run of play.
Fourie du Preez did well to hook a bouncing clearance kick back into play, JP Pietersen won a long touch and then the Wallabies were yet again made to pay for a mistake as a long throw over the top went straight to John Smit.
The Bok skipper went about winning a bridgehead as the Boks recycled the ball five times before Jaque Fourie was unable to thread the ball to Habana on the left. Fortunately for the Boks a Wallaby hand had made the slightest of knock-ons and from the ensuing scrum Smit’s men constructed another slick try as Spies picked up, fed Du Preez breaking wide and the scrumhalf, with Jean de Villiers providing the decoy run, slipped the ball inside to allow Habana to burst over.

With Steyn’s nailing the conversion and then also a penalty it should have been all over at 32-13 but the Wallabies had plenty of shouting left to do as Giteau made them pay for a rare botched lineout and a period of 11th phases provided Turner with the chance to cut through the traffic and score the final try of the match.

Scorers:

Wallabies - Tries: Matt Giteau (2), Lachlan Turner. Conversions: Giteau (2). Penalties: Giteau (2).

Springboks - Tries: Fourie Du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana (2). Conversions: Morne Steyn (3). Penalties: M.Steyn (2).

Blow-by-Blow

80	Conversion - Matt Giteau converts the try.
80	Try - The Wallabies in possesion inside the Boks 22. Pocock drives the ball up to the boks 5 meter line. Turner recives the ball on the blindside and runs straight through the broken up ruck and scorers the try.
76	Missed Conversion - Giteau misses the conversion.
75	Try - The Line out to the Boks on indside their own 22. The Boks lose their own line out and Pocock picks up the ball and drives forward. Genia receives the ball on the Boks 5 meter line and passes to Cooper. Cooper drfts right and switches nicely with Giteau who runs in his second try of the match.
68	Penalty - Scrum to the Wallabies in their own 22. Penalty to the Boks - Wallabies front row driving straight down. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt.
65	The Boks win their own line out ball in the Wallabies 22. The Boks drive it forward. The ball comes out and Du Preez passes to Jacobs, but he loses the ball forward.
64	Scrum to the Boks on their own 5 meter line. Penalty to the Wallabies - Boks front row collapsing. The Wallabies opt to take the scrum. Ashley-Cooper receives the ball and gas a run. Giteau has a little dart, but gets brought down short of the line. After 14 phases the Boks come away with the ball and send it wide to Pietersen. Pietersen runs up to the halfway line and kicks the ball forward. Habana chases and forces O`Connor to grubber the ball into touch.
60	The Wallabies in possesion inside the Boks 22. The Wallabies forwards driving forward, but the Boks defence holds and the Wallbies lose the ball forward at the breakdown. Scrum ot the Boks.
54	Conversion - Morne Steyn converts the try.
53	Try - Line out to the Wallabies deep inside their own 22. The Boks win the line out and John Smit drives and goes to ground on the Wallabies 5 meter line. The Boks drive the ball forward. Scrum to the Boks on the Wallabies 5 meter line- Knock on by the Wallabies. Du Preez recieves the ball from Spies from the back of the scrum. Du Preez drifts right and passes a lovely waited pass to Habana who runs staight line and dives over the line for the try.
44	Conversion - Matt Giteau coverts his try.
43	Try - Ashley-Cooper receives the ball on the halfway line and kicks for the corner. De Villiers and Pietersen go back to pick up the ball. De Villiers passes to Pietersen who kicks, but as far as Hynes on the Boks 10 meter line. Hynes runs the ball back into the Boks 22. The Wallabies drive the ball forward. Penalty tot he Wallabies taken qquickly on the Boks 5 meter line and Burges passes to Giteau. Giteau steps one and drives his way over the line for the Wallabies first try.
39	Penalty - The Wallabies trying everything to salvage some points before the end of the first half. The Wallabies working the phases and keeping the ball in hand. Penalty to the Wallabies - Boks entering the ruck from the side. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt.
33	Conversion - Morne Steyn converts the try.
32	Try - Giteau restarts from his own 22. Du Preez catches and puts up an up & under. De Villiers and habana chases the kick. Hynes goes up for the ball as well as De Villiers. Hynes loses the ball and Habana collects on the Wallabies 22 meter line. Habana breaks one tackle and cracks on the pace to run in and score the Boks third try.
32	Missed Penalty - The Boks win their own line out on the Wallbies 10 mete rline. The Boks forwards maul the ball forward into the Wallabies 22. George Smith enters the maul from the side - Penalty to the Boks. Morne Steyn misses the penalty attempt to the right.
28	Penalty - The Wallabies in possesion once again. Penalty to the Wallabies on the Boks 10 meter line - Bismarck not rolling away after making the tackle. Giteau converts the penalty attempt this time around.
25	Missed Penalty - Scrum to the Boks on their own 22. Spies drives the ball forward. Du Preez kicks a little box kick. hyne catches, but their where to many Springbok forwards infront of the kick - Penalty to the Wallabies on the Boks 10 meter line. Matt Giteau misses the penalty conversion to the left.
20	Line out to the Wallabies deep inside the Boks 22. Robinson drives the ball forward to the Boks 5 meter line. The Wallabies forwards trying to makes those last few yards to score the try, but the Boks defence holds and they force the knock on.
17	Penalty - Scrum to the Wallabies on their own 10 meter line. Penalty to the Boks - Robinson driving straight down in the scrum. Morne Steyn converts a great penalty attempt from the side on the Wallabies 10 meter line.
14	Missed Penalty - The Wallabies looking to hit right back after the Boks scored their second try. The Wallabies working the ball wide to Turner. Turner goes to ground on the 22 of the Boks. Penalty to the Wallabies - Smit off side at the breakdown. Matt Giteau misses the penalty converison.
11	Missed Conversion - Morne Steyn hits the upright and in doing so misses the conversion.
10	Try - Scrum to the Boks just outside the Wallabies 22. Du Preez passes to Steyn. Steyn passes to Fourie who runs a great line and breaks the Wallabies line. Fourie steps O`Connor and dots down the Boks second try.
7	Conversion - Morne Steyn converts the try.
6	Try - The Boks in possesion deep inisde the Wallabies half. The Boks moving the ball wide more and making the yards. Penalty to the Boks on the Wallabies 22. Fourie Du Preez takes the penalty quickly and catches the Wallabies off guard and drives over the line for the try.
1	Matt Giteau kicks off deep. Caught by Du Preez and kicked dow the line. Chisholm knocks the ball into touch.

Vodacom Tri-Nations | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	South Africa	4	4	0	120	80	40	8	7	1	17
2	New Zealand	4	2	2	79	93	-14	4	4	0	8
3	Australia	4	0	4	76	102	-26	6	7	3	3

Injury News

Following hot on the heels of the disappointing departure of the injured JP Pietersen and Andries Bekker from the Springbok camp, came the news on Monday that Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana and Danie Rossouw are battling niggles as well. The trio of Bulls stars are busy working with doctor Craig Roberts on their rehabilitation, with Botha carrying a knee injury, Habana having a groin niggle and Rossouw working on his conditioning following a mild hamstring strain he suffered before coming to Australia.
But with coach Peter de Villiers needing to find replacements for Pietersen and Bekker in the match-day 22 for Saturday's test in Brisbane, there is some trepidation in the camp.

"The Bakkies injury is more of a worry than anything else, especially since Danie is fit but hasn't played for a while. We haven't used him a lot and we'll have to see whether he can be an 80-minute player," De Villiers said on Monday.
"Bryan is more precautionary, he was rucked in the groin, but he could have played today if he had to. But it's a tough tour and the management of the players is important."

De Villiers hinted that he may change his mind over calling up replacements for Pietersen and Bekker.
"I don't want to weaken the provincial sides and then not use someone I've called over. But I will speak to the doctor and see if we really need someone. I appointed a brilliant support staff and I trust them with my life, I trust them to make those calls. If the doctor says I must look at other players, then I will do it," the coach said.

De Villiers, who has put aside the antipathy he had displayed towards the media earlier in the year, was philosophical about the injury concerns.
"We always prepare for the uncontrollables, that's part and parcel of being a rugby coach. Things are not always going to go all your way. We've been so lucky that we have not had a lot of injuries, but now we will just have to replace those players that do get injured," De Villiers said.

The one thing the former scrumhalf is loathe to do is take anything for granted, even though the Springboks seem to have built up unstoppable momentum on their march to the Tri-Nations title.
"We have done good up till now, but we need to keep that momemtum going. Now is not the time to make silly mistakes even though we are so close to winning the competition."

De Villiers made it quite clear that he will not be making a host of unforced changes to the Springbok team, admitting that he did not want a repeat of what happened in the final test of the British and Irish Lions series, when he made ten changes and lost 28-9 in Johannesburg.
"I only make the same mistake once. I made changes for the last test against the Lions, but it has worked in our favour because I now know where I stand in terms of combinations and individual players.
"We will take it game by game, even if we have won the Tri-Nations, because we want to stay number one. We want to lead, we want to set trends, lay down markers wherever we go. We want the world to follow the things we do well and we will not cheapen our emblem," De Villiers said.

Currie Cup 2009: Round Eight

2009-09-03T15:20:00.003+08:00

Leopards 50 - 16 Boland

The Platinum Leopards claimed their first win of the season as they smashed the Boland Cavaliers 50-16 (half-time 17-9) in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Friday.
Leopards’ flyhalf Cecil Dumond led the charge for the home side with 25 points from a try, four conversions, three penalties and a drop goal as the Leopards took revenge for their 26-18 loss against the Cavaliers earlier in the season.

Dumond was ably assisted by his scrumhalf Michael Bondesio who kept Boland’s defence honest throughout the game with some incisive running and astute tactical kicking as the bonus-point win lifted the Leopards above Boland on the Currie Cup table on point’s difference.

Scorers

Platinum Leopards – Tries: Shuaib Samaai (2), Christo van Niekerk (2), Michael Bondesio, Cecil Dumond. Conversions: Dumond (4). Penalties: Dumond (3). Drop goal: Dumond.

Boland Cavaliers – Try: Sarel Hoffman. Conversion: Justin Peach. Penalties: Peach (3).

WP 21 - 9 Sharks

Vodacom Western Province handed the Sharks their second defeat of the season as the visitors claimed a 21-9 (half-time 8-6) victory in their Absa Currie Cup match at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Province were full value for their victory as they scored two tries to nil over a disjointed Sharks side. Not only did the home side lose the match but they failed to pick up a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the men from Cape Town.

The Sharks began the weekend at the top of the Currie Cup table, with Province in second place, but the match failed to live up to its billing as a top-of-the-table clash although the visitors were the more industrious side on attack.
The Sharks committed crucial handling errors throughout the match while the first half in particular was punctuated with some injudicious kicking from out of hand as the Durban-based side’s run of six consecutive victories was brought to an end.

Joe Pietersen turned in a solid performance for Western Province from fullback, as well as contributing 11 points with his boot, while Province’s forwards as a whole turned in an unyielding effort.
There was little for the Sharks to be happy about although reserve hooker Craig Burden made some strong runs when he entered the game at the start of the second half while left wing Lwazi Mvovo looked dangerous with the limited opportunities that he had.

Scorers

The Sharks - Penalties: Rory Kockott (2). Drop goal: Juan Hernandez.

Vodacom Western Province: - Tries: Tonderai Chavhanga, Chris Jack. Conversion: Joe Pietersen. Penalties: Pietersen (2). Drop Goal: Pietersen.

Cheetahs 58 - 13 Griquas

Wing Jongi Nokwe scored a hat-trick to steer the Free State Cheetahs to a resounding 58-13 (halftime 23-8) win over GWK Griquas in an Absa Currie Cup premier division match in Kimberley on Saturday.
Nokwe completed his triple three minutes into the second half with a typical run-in after being freed through some clever build-up play by his teammates.

But the Bok flyer not only scored tries, he created two as well with some excellent running and offloads that led to touchdowns for lock Nico Breedt and No 8 Frans Viljoen.
Victory was the Cheetahs’ fourth in succession after losing their first four games of the campaign while Griquas slumped to their third straight loss after starting the competition with five consecutive wins.

Free State’s slim semifinal hopes remained alive as they moved to 20 points on the standings with Griquas still in the mix for a playoff place with 24 points.
But the form of the Kimberley-based team must be of huge concern for coach Dawie Theron. They lost 41-6 against the Sharks a week earlier and don’t seem to be able to halt the slide.
The Cheetahs’ curve by contrast is going up at the right time of the season. In all, they scored seven tries with flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter contributing 21 points from six conversions and three penalties.
It was a collective effort though, with hooker and skipper Adriaan Strauss in the vanguard when it came to driving play and prop WP Nel superb in the tight loose. Scorers

Griquas - Tries: Bjorn Basson, Rohan Kitshoff. Penalty: Riaan Viljoen.

Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Jongi Nokwe (3), WP Nel, Nico Breedt, Frans Viljoen (2). Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (6), Louis Strydom. Penalties: Potgieter (3).

Lions 20 - 13 Bulls

The Lions produced a spirited performance in the Jukskei derby to beat a lacklustre Blue Bulls team 20-13 (halftime 10-0) in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match played in Johannesburg on Saturday. The home side were full value for their win, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first hour thanks to industrious work up front, clinical finishing by the backs, and the deadly kicking boot of flyhalf Herkie Kruger.
They might have picked up their fourth victory from eight starts, but the Lions remain in sixth position on the Currie Cup table, tied with the Free State Cheetahs on 20 points but with an inferior points difference.

Ironically, the Bulls began the weekend in fourth place but despite suffering their third defeat -- and a comprehensive one at that -- they actually climb up the ladder to third, thanks to a late bonus-point gained for finishing within seven points.
In truth, the scoreline flattered the Bulls, who were well beaten in all departments, with only a 79th-minute try from centre Jaco Pretorius and an injury-time penalty from replacement Francois Brummer creating the illusion that this was somehow a close affair.

Scorers:

Lions 20 – Tries: Alwyn Hollenbach, Jano Vermaak. Conversions: Herkie Kruger (2). Penalties: Kruger (2).

Blue Bulls 13 – Try: Jaco Pretorius. Conversion: Burton Francis. Penalties: Francis, Francois Brummer.

Selected Tries from Round Eight

Summary

The only real surprise of the weekend was the massive Leopards thrashing of Boland. Being at home they should have been expected to win, especially as they weren't thrashed by Boland in the first round.
However, the other results were what should have been expected all through the first seven rounds anyway. As I've stated before, the Sharks and the Bulls are the only two teams to have been truly weakened by Springbok call-ups (which may continue after the Boks return if Province gets their way and poaches several Sharks and Bulls players).
The Lions, WP and the Cheetahs are nearly at full strength and should by rights be in first, second and third position on the log.
The last few rounds of the Currie Cup, when the Boks return are going to be revelatory, as up to now I've thought the Currie Cup to be very lack lustre and boring to the point that Campese would suffer severe heart burn would he be forced to sit through a weekend of this. Watching the Air New Zealand NPC I've been dazzled by the level of competition in the Land of the Long White Cloud, and it's no surprise why New Zealand teams dominate the Super 14 year after year.

Here's a sample of what I'm on about.

NPC Round Four

NPC Round Three

NPC Round Two

NPC Round One

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Vodacom Western Province	8	6	2	234	134	100	24	10	4	28
2	Sharks	8	6	2	225	125	100	22	10	3	27
3	Vodacom Blue Bulls	8	5	3	209	151	58	24	14	5	25
4	GWK Griquas	8	5	3	243	211	32	30	25	4	24
5	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	8	4	4	277	152	125	34	13	4	20
6	Xerox Lions	8	4	4	181	164	17	17	14	4	20
7	Platinum Leopards	8	1	7	148	325	-177	17	42	1	5
8	Boland	8	1	7	105	360	-255	10	50	1	5

Tri-Nations: All Blacks vs Wallabies, Sydney, 22 August 2009

2009-08-26T13:24:00.003+08:00

New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter celebrated his return to the All Blacks with a penalty two minutes from fulltime to seal a thrilling 19-18 win over Australia in the Tri-Nations in Sydney on Saturday. However, considering the sole try scored by New Zealand I was highly amused during the post match interview with Richie McCaw when the commentator asked, "How does it feel to return to running rugby?" Obviously a dig at the Springboks, but how this test could be seen as an advertisement for "running rugby" when only a single try was scored is beyond me. I seem to remember 3 being scored in the Newland's test between the Boks and the Wallabies.

Interestingly, New Zealand also seemed a lot more potent with the return of their kicking talisman, the sublime Daniel Carter. considering New Zealand and Aussie attacks on the Springbok style, it is even more ironic that all Australia could manage was 18 points from the boot of Matt Giteau, and New Zealand's victory is due in no small part to a late Carter penalty, along with a further 11 points by the boot...

Carter, playing his first test match this year after returning from injury, showed why he is regarded as one of deadliest kickers to ever play the game when he held his nerve to coolly slot the matchwinning goal at a packed Olympic stadium after Australia wing Lachie Turner was penalised for failing to release the ball.
The Australians, who are yet to win a match in this year's Tri-Nations, led for almost all of the contest after their own flyhalf Matt Giteau produced a flawless display of goalkicking but one again came up agonisingly short after conceding the late penalty.

Giteau landed all six of his shots at goal and the home side also had a chance to snatch victory at the death only to cough up the ball just metres from the New Zealand line.
The Wallabies had looked to be in control after opening up a 12-3 lead at halftime but failed to contain the All Blacks in the second half.
New Zealand scored the only try through replacement centre Ma'a Nonu and dominated possession and territory as the Australians struggled in the scrums, replacing tighthead prop Al Baxter after half an hour.
The first half failed to reach any great heights as both sides failed to deliver on their promise to play an expansive running game. This is, of course, obvious, because had any one of the tried that, it would've been suicidal. And at this stage neither of them can afford to lose anything. Seems to me, despite flapping their gobs and parading their sour grapes like bad sportsmen (the media and their rugby administrators - NOT the players AFAIK) for all the world to see, when it comes down to it everyone realises that a test team needs to do what it takes to win.
The opening term was dominated by relentless kicking and ferocious exchanges, with three players needing the blood-bin inside the first 20 minutes.

Scorers:

Australia - Penalties: Matt Giteau (6).

New Zealand - Try: Ma`a Nonu. Conversion: Daniel Carter. Penalties: Carter (4).

Blow-by-Blow

79	Penalty - Carter receives the ball inside his own half and kicks the ball for the corner. Mithcell picks up the ball and finds himself under pressure with a lot of All Blacks chasing him down. Penalty to the All Blacks - Holding on by the Wallabies. Daniel Carter converts the penalty attempt from 20 meters out.
76	Missed Drop Goal
76	Missed Drop Goal - The All Blacks driving the ball froward, keeping it close and availible for their forwards. The All Blacks through 12 phases inside the Wallabies 22. Carter drops back in the pocket. Cowan passes to Carter. Carter misses the drop goal attempt to the right.
74	After a lot of kicking from both sides Mitchell`s kick runs over the deadball line and the All Blacks get awarded a scrum on the Wallabies 10 meter line.
68	Penalty - From the restart Mitchell regathers the ball and has run and gets brought to ground inside the All Blacks 22. Penalty to the Wallabies. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt on the 22 meter line of the All Blacks.
66	Conversion - Carter converts the try.
65	Try - The Wallabies in possesion of the ball on their own 10 meter line. The ball is passed to Giteau and he kicks, but straight into an All Black player. The All Blacks with good counter rucking win the ball at the breakdown. The All Blacks move the ball wide to McCaw. McCaw offloads to Nonu. Nonu passes to Read. Read to Sivivatu. Sivivatu back to Nonu and will score the first try in the corner for the All Blacks.
59	Penalty - The All Blacks working the ball wide at every chance and finding themselves on the Wallabies 22. Penalty to the All Blacks - Wallabies offside at the breakdown. Daniel Carter converts the penalty attempt.
54	The Wallabies with a scrum on their own 5 meter line. Smith picks and drives, but runs into his own man. Scrum to the All Blacks. Free kick to the All Blacks taken quickly by Read. Read gets tackled 2 meters from the line. Cowan picks and dives over the line, but obstuctional play by Kaino and the referee awards the Wallabies a penalty.
52	Scrum to the All Blacks deep inside the Wallabies half. The ball is played to Sivivatu on the blindside and gets tackled inside the Wallabies 22. The All Blacks drive the ball forward through their forwards. Cowan goes to the blindside. Cowan passes to Sivivatu. Sivivatu passes to Carter and he dives for the try, but he has to come back as the pass was forward.
48	Penalty - The All Blacks trying to run at the Wallabies from inside their own half. nonu has a run, but he gets taken to ground by two Wallabies. Penalty to Australia - Nonu holds the ball on the ground. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt from the All Blacks 10 meter line.
45	Penalty - Carter's next attempt is right out in front and this time he makes no mistake.
43	Missed Penalty - Carter misses the penalty to the left and the Wallabies are let off the hook. How will they go with a man down for the next ten minutes.
42	Yellow Card - Brown is sent off for a dangerous takle on Franks.
41	Carter restarts and the Wallabies patiently work their way out of the half. Barnes kicks deep and Sivivatu is tackled into touch.
40	Penalty - The siren sounds, but the Wallabies running the ball at the All Blacks. Barnes receives the ball on the All Blacks 22 breaks a tackle and off loads to Sharpe 8 meters from the line. Sharpe goes to ground 3 meters short of the line looking for support, but the All Blacks kill off the ball - Penalty to the Wallabies. Giteau converts the penalty attempt and that is the end of the first half.
40	Missed Drop Goal
35	Penalty - Great defence by the Wallabies sees George Smith force the penalty for the Wallabies as McAlister holds onto the ball on the ground. Matt Giteau converts a 36 meter penalty attempt in the middlle of the field.
32	Line out ot the All Blacks after O`Connor slices a kick into touch on the full. The All Blacks win the line out just outside the Wallabies 22. And McAlister goes to gorund on the Wallabies 10 meter line. Scrum to the All Blacks on the Wallabies 10 meter line - Knock on by the Wallabies as one of their players tried to steel the ball at the breakdown.
28	A lot of kicking going on between both sides. Penalty to the All Blacks - Wallabies penalized for obstructional running. Carter kicks the ball from his own 10 meter line deep into the Wallabies half. The All Blakcs move the ball wide to Conrad Smith. Penalty to the Wallabies - Holding on by the All Blacks. The wallabies defence up to the constant backline atttacks from the All Blacks.
20	The All Blacks playing with more freedom, spreading the ball wide, but the All Blacks making some silly mistakes and just not finishing off their moves and in doing so struggling to build any momentum.
14	Line out to the All Blacks on the Wallabies 22. The Wallabies win the line out and clear the ball upfield and into touch.
11	Penalty - The Wallabies looking in control. The Wallabies move the ball forward through their forwards. Penalty to the Wallabies - All Blacks playing the ball on the ground. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt from 35 meters out in front of goal.
7	Penalty - Barnes kicks off. The Wallabies regain possesion on the All Blacks 22 meter line. Penalty to the Wallabies - Kaino playing the ball on the ground. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt on the All Blacks 22 meter line infront of goal.
4	Penalty - The Wallabies in possesion deep inside their own half. Barnes kicks the ball, but straight into a New Zealand player and then played by Giteau in an offside position - Penalty to the All Blacks. Daniel Carter converts the penalty attempt on the Wallabies 10 meter line.
1	Berick Barnes kicks off deep into the All Blacks half. Penalty to the All Blacks - McCaw tackled by Elsom in the air as he jumped for the ball. Carter kicks the ball into touch on the half way line.

Vodacom Tri-Nations | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	South Africa	3	3	0	88	55	33	4	4	0	12
2	New Zealand	4	2	2	79	93	-14	4	4	0	8
3	Australia	3	0	3	51	70	-19	3	3	2	2

This test makes this article (and other's by the likes of Legendary Wallaby wing, David Campese) and the management of the Aussie and New Zealand rugby sides llok like sore losers. Here it is for your viewing pleasure (my comments in italics):

Australia and NZ criticise kicking game

Australia and New Zealand have joined forces in attacking the increasing reliance on kicking in international rugby.
Of course, seeing as they both got thumped at home by the Boks. However, if we lose in Oz and NZ, I'd like to think we'll take it like men, congratulate the victors and move on...

New Zealand coach Graham Henry said the game had become a "poor product" while his Australian counterpart Robbie Deans said kicking had taken over as the single deciding factor in major matches. Rich words for both men, seeing as how dismal their coaching records are, especially Graham Henry's botched RWC 2007 campaign. I would think they'd have bigger things to worry about than criticising the rules they helped push through. And considering their whingeing combined with their abysmal records, it's amazing that Wallaby and New Zealand supporters aren't clamouring for their resignations. They both do the proud histories of the Wallabies and All Blacks a grave disservice.

"Particularly when you've got a side like South Africa who are so able to play the game that way," Deans told reporters on the eve of Saturday's Tri-Nations match between New Zealand and Australia. Funny how the SA Super 14 sides didn't complain like old women and school girls when the Crusaders were so able in exploiting the ELVs to their advantage a season or so ago. Isn't the point to play by the rules and find weaknesses in the opposition whilst playing to your strengths in exploiting those weaknesses within the bounds of the rules?

"They essentially won the World Cup in 2007 without playing."
As opposed to not taking a vital drop kick or penalty against France that could've gotten New Zealand into the Semi-Finals of RWC 2007? does Henry really believe the crap that comes out of his own mouth? Why do the New Zealand supporters swallow it hook line and sinker? Time to let him go lads. Really.

Henry said he wants the sport's lawmakers to investigate ways of changing the laws to encourage teams to run the ball instead of always kicking it.
Sure, and when the Boks exploit those rules to their advantage and win three tests on the trot, will running the ball then no longer "be good for the game"?

"The product you're looking at needs some attention, quite frankly," Henry said.
Isn't that what they've been trying to do over the last two or three seasons with the experimental ELVs, ELVs and the new rules from those experiments that have been added to the current laws? It's because of all this experimenting, rule changes and other malarky from catering to certain unions to "revitalise" the game to compete with other codes that we are where we are! Namely, no one seems to know what the rules are anymore, least of all the fans. And what we have now is directly due to this sort of clamour to "revitalise" the game and make it more "exciting". What this "guru" of the modern game fails to realise is, it's one thing for the Crusaders to score 8 tries against the Lions in the Super 14, but no matter what the rules, that's simply not going to happen in tests between the three best sides in the world...

"I think we need to have some attention on that and the people who make the laws to try and improve the product."
You keep telling yourself that, Graham...

Arguments about the best way to play rugby have raged as long as the game has been played. While some exponents prefer a running-based game where the emphasis is on scoring tries, others prefer a kicking-game based on accumulating penalties from opposition errors.

Exponents of the riskier running game believe the balance has recently tipped too far in favour of the kicking game after England (2003) then South Africa (2007) won the last two World Cups with their conservative approaches.
They seem to forget the no try South Africa vs New Zealand 1995 final, the one try Australia vs England 1991 final and the two try Australia vs France 1999 final. Afterall, there were two tries in the 2003 final and and the no try 2007 final was no different from the 1995 final featuring New Zealand. Conservative rugby indeed.

But Henry said a formula was needed to ensure both styles of rugby remained effective and running rugby did not have to be replaced by a simpler, safety-first gameplan. He seems to be confused between Rugby LEAGUE and rugby UNION, CLUB rugby and international TESTS between the top sides in the world... How is this man still the national coach of one of the finest teams in the world?

"I think you can do both. We've done both in the past and I can't see why we can't do both in the future," Henry said.
Against who? Argentina? Italy? Traditionally there are rarely more than two or three tries between these three sides. Bonus points in the Tri-Nations are invariably due to losing by less than seven, not four tries or more...

"I know there's been a bit of an emphasis on kicking and sides not catching particularly well and people are trying to exploit that.
They're playing within the rules, son! And if your back three can't catch a bloody rugby ball they have no place in a test side. In fact, perhaps that's where the problem lies. Selecting players on name and reputation, not current form. Perhaps you're just not a good international test ;evel coach, Mr. Henry...

"We need to think outside the square about how we can change the game so it's more enjoyable to play and better to watch." Maybe, but as a coach you should be thinking outside the box in terms of exploiting weaknesses in the oppositions' game, and playing to your strengths whilst abiding by the rules...

All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw said he believed the current rules favoured teams who kicked the ball a lot and he had no problems with teams exploiting those rules to ensure they won. You guys could've used that sage advice in the RWC 2007 quarter final...

However, he said he also expected New Zealand and Australia to revert to their traditional running game at the Olympic stadium Saturday.
Yes. We saw. Wow! It was expansive. 18 points from the boot of Giteau. 14 points from the boot of Carter. And one solitary try by Nonu. Very expansive indeed. I'm impressed. I'd even buy the video, Campo...

"Usually the Australia-All Blacks fixtures are pretty entertaining," McCaw said. "(Both teams will be) keen to make sure it's a game where there's plenty of quick ball and there's no excuses for not having an entertaining spectacle."
Sure. We saw on August 22, 2009. Quite the spectacle of running rugby. I'm sure League fans in Aus were thrilled out of their boots.

Whether the Springboks win or lose their remaining three matches in Australia and New Zealand, I'm willing to bet any amount of money on one thing. There are going to be more than one stinking try in all three those games. And if we lose, at least we wont be bitching like little girls about it...

Currie Cup 2009: Round Seven

2009-08-26T12:10:00.002+08:00

Blue Bulls 44 - 11 Leopards

A top-class display it certainly was not, but it was still a case of mission accomplished for the Vodacom Blue Bulls as they secured a convincing 44-11 victory, with a bonus point, over the Platinum Leopards in their Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday night. The Bulls always looked much the classier side, but dug themselves into holes for periods of the game, especially in the second quarter when the Leopards fought back to 17-11 down.

The home side's finishing was often profligate, but their big advantage up front in terms of physicality and mobility would eventually be translated on to the scoreboard through tries by centre Jaco Pretorius, flank Deon Stegmann, prop Flip van der Merwe, scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and wing Gerhard van den Heever.

Things went rapidly pear-shaped for the Leopards in the second half as they were given three yellow and two red cards and the Bulls scored four of their six tries after going into the break just 20-11 up.
The new boys to the Currie Cup premier division ended the match in disarray, with 12 men. But they had been quick to make their mark on the match when eighthman RW Kember, whose straight red card for a late shoulder charge on Hougaard was practically the final act of the game, charged upfield from the kick-off with ball in hand and forced a ruck penalty which flyhalf Cecil Dumond converted.

Scorers

Vodacom Blue Bulls - Tries: Jaco Pretorius, Deon Stegmann, Flip van der Merwe, Francois Hougaard, Gerhard van den Heever, Dewald Potgieter. Conversions: Burton Francis (4). Penalty: Francis. Drop goal: Francis.

Platinum Leopards - Try: Danie Dames. Penalties: Cecil Dumond, Clayton Durand.

Sharks 41 - 6 Griquas

The Sharks moved to the top of the Currie Cup standings after they romped to a 41-6 (half-time 20-6) win over the GWK Griquas in their Currie Cup match in Durban on Saturday. The Sharks scored five tries as their bonus-point victory ensured that the men from Durban would reach the half-way mark in the competition safely ensconced atop the points table.

After six consecutive wins the Griquas’ season is in danger of falling apart following consecutive losses to the Bulls and Sharks respectively.
Flank Jean Deysel turned in an all-action performance for the home side and he was a huge presence whether he was hitting rucks or providing excellent link play out wide.
Deysel received superb support from his fellow loosie Keegan Daniel, who capped his match with a try, while flyhalf Monty Dumond turned in a faultless kicking display to contribute 16 points with his boot.

The Griquas made the early running in the match with a couple of line-breaks stretching the home side’s defence but the Sharks were first on the board when Sarel Pretorius was caught off side. Dumond coolly slotted the resulting penalty as the Sharks eased into a 3-0 lead in the seventh minute.
And from there on it was one way traffic until the final whistle went.

Scorers

The Sharks - Tries: Waylon Murray, Charl McLeod, Monty Dumond, Lwazi Mvovo, Keegan Daniel. Conversions: Monty Dumond (5). Penalties: Dumond (2).

GWK Griquas - Penalties: Naas Olivier (2).

Cheetahs 59 - 8 Boland

Springbok wing Jongikhaya Nokwe scored four tries for the Free State Cheetahs as they destroyed the Boland Cavaliers for a 59-8 (half-time 26-8) victory in their Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Nokwe produced the individual highlight as the Cheetahs continued their comeback from an awful start to the competition, playing some scintillating running rugby along the way.
Nokwe pinned his ears back and dashed down the left touchline for tries in the third, 14th, 62nd and 80th minutes to repeat his record-breaking feat for the Springboks against Australia in Johannesburg one week short of a year ago.

The Cavaliers were already staring a heavy defeat in the face by the 14th minute, with the Cheetahs already three tries and 19-0 to the good. But the visitors did lift themselves in the second and third quarters, scoring their eight points through a try by centre Cornel Hendricks and a penalty by fullback Justin Peach and conceding just seven points to the Free Staters. Nokwe's top-class finishing was obviously a highlight of the match, but Daniller also made a few incisive incursions into the backline. Eighthman Kabamba Floors and Strauss, who was an inspiration to his team with ball in hand and in terms of his leadership, were the star forwards for the Cheetahs as they lifted themselves into fifth place on the log.

Western Province 25 - 20 Lions

Western Province moved to second place on the Currie Cup Premier Division log with a 25-20 (halftime 18-8) victory over the Lions at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday. In doing so, the home side picked up their fifth win in seven starts to move up to 24 log points at the halfway stage of the competition -- the same as Griquas and the Blue Bulls but with a better points difference.

The Lions received a bonus point for finishing within seven points, but they remain in fifth place, two points ahead of the Cheetahs but seven points adrift of semifinal territory.
WP scored three tries to one and had fullback Joe Pietersen to thank for the bulk of their points. The man of the match scored an excellent try and once again proved accurate with the boot to notch a personal haul of 15 points.
That figure was matched by the Lions’ flyhalf Herkie Kruger, who slotted five penalties that kept the visitors in the game throughout.

Scorers:

WP 25 – Tries: Luke Watson, Joe Pietersen, Duane Vermeulen. Conversions: Pietersen (2). Penalties: Pietersen (2).

Lions 20 – Try: Jano Vermaak. Penalties: Herkie Kruger (5).

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Sharks	7	6	1	216	104	112	22	9	3	27
2	Vodacom Western Province	7	5	2	213	125	88	23	10	4	24
3	GWK Griquas	7	5	2	230	153	77	28	18	4	24
4	Vodacom Blue Bulls	7	5	2	196	131	65	23	12	4	24
5	Xerox Lions	7	3	4	161	151	10	15	13	4	16
6	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	7	3	4	219	139	80	27	11	3	15
7	Boland	7	1	6	89	310	-221	9	44	1	5
8	Platinum Leopards	7	0	7	98	309	-211	11	41	0	0

At the half way point of this year's competition I think the time for surprises are over. I doubt Griquas will be able to seriously challenge the big three in the top four during the second half of the competition, and with occasional flashes of brilliance the Lions may prove to be the resurgent team in the second half. It is also quite possible that the Cheetahs may come back strongly to challenge for a semi-final spot.
I predict that in the end the fourth semi-final spot is going to be closely contested between the Lions, Cheetahs and Griquas. I kind of hope Griquas pulls through and I think SA Rugby has to start looking at our Super 14 teams. With the performances deliver so far in a second string Currie Cup competition (the Sharks and the Bulls are really the only teams heavily hit with Bok call ups), that resembles the Vodacom cup more than anything, one has to wonder how we can seriously place the Cheetahs and Lions in the Super 14 when they can't even accumulate bonus point wins at this level.

And if you've seen any of the Air New Zealand NPC cup matches so far, you'll realise how amateur this year's Currie Cup looks in comparison.

Clyde Rathbone Retires from Rugby

2009-08-18T14:08:00.002+08:00

I saw this on rugbydump, Planet Rugby and SARugby:

It had been coming for a while, but on Tuesday Australia's winger Clyde Rathbone announced his retirement due to injury.

Rathbone suffered five fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone playing for club Uni-Norths Owls in Canberra on Saturday.

He said that injuries such as those, coupled with a declining desire, were behind his decision to leave a career that spanned 26 Tests for the Wallabies and 52 matches for the Brumbies, after having captained the South African U21 side.

His first year at the Brumbies in 2003 was largely a false start due to a groin problem, and subsequent knee injuries have seen him miss much of the last three seasons.

"I've decided to hang up the boots, it's all over," Rathbone said in the Canberra Times.

"I need to look after my long-term health and when I couldn't agree with any of the contracts that were in front of me for next year, I figured it would be best to step aside."

Rathbone, out of contract with the Brumbies, had had numerous offers to continue, including overseas, but nobody was willing to offer only a one-year contract.

Clyde Rathbone Player Profile

Born in Durban, South Africa, Rathbone attended Kingsway High where he represented the South African Schools side in 1999. Rathbone, a prodigy of South African rugby, captained the national Under 21’s side to a World Championship title and made his Super Rugby debut for the Sharks in 2002. At the end of that season, he joined the CA Brumbies. While a groin injury interrupted his 2003 season, Rathbone exploded onto the Australian provincial scene the following year, playing each match and scoring nine tries in the CA Brumbies’ Championship season.
Clyde Rathbone continued a remarkable 2004 season during the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series after an impressive start in the Super 12 with the ACT Brumbies. Making his debut at outside centre against Scotland in the first Test, Rathbone was called into the starting lineup just before kick off against England, scoring a hat trick of tries off the right wing in the 51-15 victory at Suncorp Stadium.

Adapting well to the pressures of Test rugby, Rathbone then secured the starting wing spot for the Tri Nations series, scoring a match-winning try against the country of his birth, South Africa in Perth.

Clyde's Try Against South Africa in Perth, 2004

Position	Centre
Height	180cm
Weight	97kg
Date of Birth	23/7/1981
Club	Canberra
Super 14 Team	ACT Brumbies
State Caps	12
Super 12/14 Caps	15 - 12 (ACT), 3 (Sharks)
Tests	11 - 2004 S1, S2 (rep), E1 [3t], PI, NZ1, SA1 [1t], NZ2, SA2, S3 [2t], F, S4
Test Points	30 - [6 tries]
Test Debut	2004 v Scotland
Honours	South African Schools, Natal U21s, Natal, South African Under 21s, Sharks, ACT Brumbies, Australian Wallabies
Senior Tours	2004 - UK & Europe.

Clyde's Try Against South Africa in 2005

I never felt "betrayed" when Clyde left for Australia and decided to play for the Wallabies instead of Jake White's Boks. I always felt he made the best decision for his rugby career and especially his private life. Had I been a player of his calibre, I would also have gone the way of Clyde and several other South African players that have defected to Australia.

For me, he'll always be a young player that never really lived up to his potential, due to no fault of his own, due to injury. It's a real pity, because had he not had such bad luck I think he could have developed into a great international.

Travel well, Clyde. May the success that eluded you on the field be found in other areas. Go you good thing!

Currie Cup 2009: Round Six

2009-08-18T13:45:00.004+08:00

Cheetahs 71 - 17 Leopards

The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs ran in 11 tries as they smashed the Platinum Leopards 71-17 (half-time 38-3) in their Absa Currie Cup match at Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Friday.
So dominant was the Cheetahs display that they wrapped up the bonus point for four tries as early as the 26th minute of the match to consign the hapless Leopards to their sixth consecutive defeat of the season.

The Cheetahs, who had endured a miserable start to their Currie Cup campaign losing their first four matches, built on their impressive 24-15 win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their previous game, by outplaying the Leopards in all facets of the game.
The visitors' forwards were particularly impressive on the drive while their backline produced a slick display with pivot Jacques-Louis Potgieter putting in a commanding performance from the flyhalf position.
The result leaves the Leopards rooted to the foot of the Currie Cup table while the Cheetahs, despite their fine performance, remain in sixth position, five points behind the Lions.

Scorers

Platinum Leopards – Tries: Russell Jeacocks (2). Conversions: Clayton Durand (2). Penalty: Durand.

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs– Tries: Jongi Nokwe (2), Nico Breedt (2), JW Jonker (2), Danwel Demas (2), JP Joubert, Johan Wessels, Robert Ebersohn. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (6), Louis Strydom (2).

Blue Bulls 25 - 24 Griquas

The Vodacom Blue Bulls scored a try in the dying minutes of the match to beat the GWK Griquas 25-24 (half-time 13-14) in their Absa Currie Cup clash at GWK Park in Kimberley on Saturday. Trailing 24-18 with less than two minutes of the match to play replacement loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg barreled his way over for the Bulls’ bonus point try, under the posts.
Replacement flyhalf Burton Francis coolly added the extra two points to give the Bulls the win and end the Griquas' unbeaten season.
Despite the loss Griquas remain on top of the Currie Cup standings with 24 points.

The home side played with tremendous commitment and they harried their more fancied opponents at every opportunity with their captain Jonathan Mokuena putting in an enormous performance with his support play being particularly impressive.
For the Bulls, scrumhalf Francois Hougaard was a constant threat from the base of the scrum while loose forward Dewald Potgieter was a physical presence at the breakdown.

The Griquas were forced to play the last five minutes of the match with only 13 men when flank Rohan Kitshoff and Mokuena were yellow-carded within seconds of each other for killing the ball at a ruck.
The loss of the two players was the final nail in Griquas' coffin as the Bulls took advantage of their numerical advantage to score the winning try.

Scorers

GWK Griquas – Tries: Egon Seconds, Ryno Barnes, Trompie Nontshinga. Penalties: Naas Olivier (3).

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Derick Kuun, Francois Hougaard, Gerhard van den Heever, Pedrie Wannenburg. Conversion: Burton Francis. Penalty: Francois Brummer.

Western Province 38 - 7 Boland

Vodacom Western Province eased to a 38-7 (half-time 8-7) win over the Boland Cavaliers in their Absa Currie Cup match at Boland Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. The defeat left Boland second from bottom on the Currie Cup log with just one win from six matches while Province, who nabbed a bonus point for scoring four tries against Boland, took their record to four wins from six matches.

Juan de Jongh turned in a man-of-the-match performance for Province with the outside centre proving to be especially destructive on attack.
While Boland battled manfully against their opponents they were always in trouble as they failed to secure enough possession and territory.

Scorers

Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Penalty Try. Conversion: Justin Peach.

Vodacom Western Province – Tries: Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh, Tonderai Chavhanga, Brok Harris, JJ Engelbrecht. Conversions: Joe Pietersen, Peter Grant. Penalties: Pietersen (3).

Sharks 30 - 19 Lions

There may be a new order running the show at Coca-Cola Park, but the same old basic errors were on display out on the field as the Xerox Lions were beaten 30-19 (half-time 17-0) by the Sharks in their Absa Currie Cup match in Johannesburg on Saturday.The Sharks were clinical at taking their chances in a first half in which the Lions had the better of the forward exchanges, and it was the visitors who went into the break 17-0 to the good.
The lead was extended to 23-0 by two penalties from the boot of flyhalf Monty Dumond, before the Lions fought back in the last ten minutes to add some respectability to the scoreboard.

The Lions, enjoying excellent service from their pack, particularly in the scrums, started strongly, but a trio of telling handling mistakes inside the Sharks 22 meant they remained scoreless and the first points would come from the boot of Dumond with a penalty after 16 minutes, after some superb direct running from wing Odwa Ndungane had forced a ruck offence.

One has to wonder if the Lions are ever going to get of this eternal slump they seem to be in. This quote regarding Lions replacement center, Pieter Engelbrecht's consolation try says it all: "His celebrations were mildly embarrassing given how well-beaten the Lions were and how they had put their own supporters through the wringer with a host of basic mistakes."

Scorers:

Xerox Lions - Tries: Cobus Grobbelaar, Derek Minnie, Pieter Engelbrecht. Conversions: Ruan Boshoff (2).

The Sharks - Tries: Ryan Kankowski, Craig Burden, penalty try. Conversions: Monty Dumond (2), Stefan Terblanche. Penalties: Dumond (3).

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	6	5	1	224	112	112	28	13	4	24
2	Sharks	6	5	1	175	98	77	17	9	2	22
3	Vodacom Western Province	6	4	2	188	105	83	20	9	4	20
4	Vodacom Blue Bulls	6	4	2	152	120	32	17	11	3	19
5	Xerox Lions	6	3	3	141	126	15	14	10	3	15
6	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	6	2	4	160	131	29	18	10	2	10
7	Boland	6	1	5	81	251	-170	8	35	1	5
8	Platinum Leopards	6	0	6	87	265	-178	10	35	0	0

Tri-Nations: Springboks vs Wallabies, Newlands, 8 August 2009

2009-08-18T13:02:00.003+08:00

The South African juggernaut rolled on in the Tri-Nations championship on Saturday with a late Morne Steyn penalty sealing a 29-17 triumph over Australia at Newlands.
Flyhalf Steyn contributed 24 points from seven penalties and a drop goal while veteran lock Victor Matfield crossed for a try as the Springboks went eight points clear of New Zealand in the standings.
The result completed a run of three home victories in as many weeks for South Africa after defeating fiercest rivals the All Blacks in Bloemfontein and Durban.
The southern hemisphere championship takes a one-week break before Australia host defending champions New Zealand in Sydney on August 22 followed by two home fixtures against the Springboks.

Australia gave the capacity 49 000 crowd an early jolt by taking a second-minute lead when fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper dotted down in the corner for a try Giteau converted.
After scoring the early try, Australia were rocked by a number of setbacks, including the 30th-minute departure of injured captain Stirling Mortlock and yellow cards for Matt Giteau and Richard Brown within 60 seconds soon after.
As pressure gradually mounted on the Wallabies they committed frequent infringements and were severely punished by Steyn, who kicked three penalties to edge the green and gold into a 9-7 lead after 14 minutes.

Centre Berrick Barnes put the visitors ahead again 60 seconds later as he picked up a pass from loose play and struck a sweet drop goal.
Referee Alain Rolland warned both captains as the penalty count mounted and another Aussie transgression presented Steyn with the chance he gladly took to slot a fourth penalty and nudge the reigning world champions in front.
Steyn dropped a goal soon after and the increasingly dominant Springboks were 15-10 ahead as they applied the same pressure game plan that worked so well against the All Blacks.
That lead was stretched to ten points on 28 minutes as Matfield, partnering Bakkies Botha at lock for the 50th time, raced on to a John Smit grubber kick and touched down.

Australia were reduced to 13 men within 60 seconds as Giteau got a yellow card amid a chorus of booing for a late tackle on Fourie du Preez and Brown followed after being caught in a blatant offside position.
However, South Africa added only three points from another Steyn penalty before half-time to turn over leading 23-10 as they sought to maintain a 100 per cent Tri-Nations record against Australia in Cape Town.
Frustration at being repeatedly blown up was telling on the Australians with George Smith holding a "mini-summit" with Rolland before Steyn landed another penalty 15 minutes into the second half.

When the Boks come under pressure, they remained calm and clinical and a huge booted clearance from flanker Heinrich Brussow took play to the other end of the field where Lachie Turner was forced to concede a five-metre scrum.
But although 16 points adrift, Australia were in no mood to surrender and they survived two Bok put-ins and eventually relieved pressure when the home team were penalised.
And a counterattack from young replacement back James O'Connor led to the visitors lock Nathan Sharpe going close before Giteau skipped over beside the posts for a try he converted.

Scoring:

South Africa - Try: Victor Matfield. Penalties: Morne Steyn (7). Drop Goal: M Steyn.

Australia - Tries: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau. Conversions: Giteau (2). Drop Goal: Berrick Barnes.

Blow-by-Blow

79	Penalty - Penalty to the Boks as the Ausies get penalised for playing the man without the ball. Steyn kicks the ball into touch. The Boks maul the ball forward. Penalty to the Boks - George Smith playing the ball on the ground and he also gets shown a yellow card. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt.
79	Yellow Card
72	A lot of kicking going on between the two teams as they probe for field possesion.
67	Conversion - Matt Giteau converts his own try.
66	Try - Giteau receives the ball from burges from the 5 meter scrum. Giteau steps 2 Boks and stretches over the line to score the try.
65	The Boks with the ball on the half way line. Pienaar kicks a cross kick for Habana, but Habana loses the ball forward. O`Connor picks up the ball and runs back at the Boks. O`Connor kicks through the ball, but Spies runs back to cover the ball. 5 meter Scrum to the Ausies.
55	Penalty - Morne Steyn kicks a high up and under from inside his own half well chased by the Boks. Turner catches, but gets ball and player at the same time. penalty to the Boks - Holding on by the Ausies. Morne Steyn converts the penalty conversion.
50	Missed Drop Goal - Line out to the Ausies deep inisd etheir own half. Barnes kicks upfield for touch, but it is regathered by Francois Steyn and he attempts a drop goal form the half way line, but misses to the right.
44	Missed Drop Goal - The Ausies in possesion on the Boks 10 meter line. Barnes receives the ball and has a go atr the drop, but he misses way to the right.
37	Penalty - Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt.
36	Yellow Card - The Boks kick for touch. The Boks play the ball nicely between backs and forwards just outside the Ausies 22. Brown plays the ball in an offside position. The referee shows him a yellow card for unsportsman like play.
35	Yellow Card - Barnes kicks a up and under. Giteau jumps straight into Du Preez with no intension to play the ball. Yellow card shown to him by the referee.
29	Missed Conversion - Morne Steyn misses the conversion attempt.
28	Try - The Boks on the attack deep inside the Ausies half. John Smith receives the ball in the centre position. Smit sees Habana calling for the ball and kicks a left footed grubber kick towards the corner. Ashlyey-Cooper is back, but can`t recover the ball and Matfield is there to pick up the ball and dive over the line for the try.
27	Missed Penalty - Penalty to the Boks inside their own half - George Smith playing the ball in an offside position. Francois Steyn misses a 58 meter penalty attempt to the right.
25	Drop Goal - The Boks playing the ball nicely from wing to wing, keeping possesion. Morne Steyn receives the ball form Du Preez and converts the drop goal 25 meters out.
21	Penalty - The Boks in possesion of the ball just inside the AUsies half. Penalty to the Boks - Ausies diving over the ball at the ruck. Morne Steyn converts another difficult penalty conversion.
15	Drop Goal - The Ausies in posession with the ball on the halfway line. Penalty to the Ausies taken quickly by Burges. Burges passes to Mortlock who goes to ground just before the Boks 22 meter ine. Burges passes to Barnes. Barnes slots over a sweetly timed drop goal.
14	Penalty - Good Pressure from the Boks defence forcing Burges to pass 2 wayward passes and thus forcing the Ausies to lose about 30 meters. Penalty to the Boks - Holding on by the Ausies. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt from 30 meters out.
12	Penalty - The Boks once again in posession just outside their own 22. Du Preez kicks a well waited box kick. Penalty to the Boks - Obstruction by the Australian players. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attwpmt from 48 meters out.
9	Penalty - The Boks under pressure inside their own 22. Francois Steyn kicks the ball deep into the Ausies half. Ashley-Cooper knocks the ball forward as he received a pass from Turner. Scrum to the Boks. The Boks move the ball wide. Penalty to the Boks - Offside play by the Ausies. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt.
3	Conversion - Matt Giteau converts the try.
2	Try - Line out won by the Ausies and they move the ball wide. Cooper receives th eball on the wing and hands off Pieterson and drives over the line for the try.
1	Morne Steyn kicks off deep. Giteau clears. Spies drives it up. Penalty to the Ausies - Boks not entering the ruck from the gates. Giteau kicks the ball into touch.

Vodacom Tri-Nations | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	South Africa	3	3	0	88	55	33	4	4	0	12
2	New Zealand	3	1	2	60	75	-15	3	4	0	4
3	Australia	2	0	2	33	51	-18	3	2	1	1

No Punishment for Matt Giteau

South Africa appeared on Monday 10 August 2009 before a disciplinary committee of the International Rugby Board (IRB) because Springbok players wore white armbands in support of Bakkies Botha in the final test against the Lions. Matt Giteau on the other hand got off scot-free for his dirty play in Saturday's test at Newlands.
SA Rugby's head of communications, Andy Colquhoun, confirmed on Sunday that there was no citation after South Africa's victory of 29-17 over Australia in Saturday's Tri-Nations match.

Giteau was one of three Aussies sent off the field during the match. He floored Fourie du Preez in the 35th minute while the Springbok scrumhalf was waiting for a high ball. Giteau knocked him down with his elbow and made no attempt at playing the ball.
He could easily have been given a red card for his offence, but the New Zealand citation official David Gray decided not to pursue the matter.

Bakkies Botha's two-week suspension, given for recklessly storming into a ruck during the second test against the British and Irish Lions, is still remembered by many and the lack of consistency in the disciplinary process will again leave a bitter taste in the mouth of South Africans.
The Springboks were so upset with Botha's suspension, which had surprised even their opponents, that they wore white armbands with the words "Justice 4" referring to Botha, in the third test against the Lions on July 4.
This led to fierce reaction from the IRB and it was announced that South Africa would on Monday appear before a disciplinary hearing.

The chairperson of the disciplinary committee is New Zealand's John Hansen, with Argentina's Guillermo Tragant and Australia's John Eales as other members. The hearing will take place via telephone conference and the general feeling is that South Africa will be given a hefty fine.
The punishment will however not stop the positive wave that has been caused by three consecutive victories by South Africa at home. Saturday's victory over the Wallabies followed back to back wins against the All Blacks and a series win over the British & Irish Lions.

Opinion

There have been some grumblings in certain camps regarding the nature of the Bok victories blah blah blah, bitch bitch bitch, sour grapes sour grapes sour grapes. To quote the indomitable John Eales when the Aussies won a test some years back against the Boks (which Eales captained) amidst a great deal of controversy regarding kicking (sound familiar?) and tries that shouldn't have been allowed (forward passes and runners impeding defenders), and questions that were asked post match to which he responded, "Look at the scoreboard, mate. We won."

And what he said then remains equally true. Today I doubt if any Aussies remember that game or that there win was highly suspect (some would say the Boks were out and out robbed). Today, all that is remembered is that the Wallabies won that test. The record attests to that. Period. Once the whistle blows, all that matters is the scoreboard.

Boks supporters may also remember the carnage after the RWC in 1996 and 1997. If you go back and check the stats of those games (Boks vs All Blacks, and Boks vs Wallabies) you'll find that the Boks outscored the Wallabies and the All Blacks with tries in those tests, but they lost the vast majority because with the retirement of Joel Stransky we had no kicker. We couldn't convert tries and penalties and we lost several tests. In fact, up to 1996 the Boks led the All Blacks in win-loss record, but since 1996 the All Blacks have surged ahead.

To those that call the Bok victories this year boring and predictable and whatever else, "Look at the scoreboard, mates. We won."

But as to the last test, for me the real revelation was James O'Connor. The youngster has shown great potential so far this year and had a wonderful game on Saturday. Definitely a talent to watch.

And as to the rest of the Tri-Nations and the Bok record so far: Everyone in SA is on such a high and much has been said about the three victories to date. Everyone seems to forget the home games are only half of the competition. They still have to win on the road. So far the Wallabies and All Blacks are also undefeated at home. Only the Wallabies have a bonus point. It could very well stay that way and whoever has the most bonus points could win this year's Tri-Nations.

I still have no faith in PDV and will only start to celebrate once the Boks actually hold the trophy aloft. Before that happens they've achieved nothing except the upper hand in the opening exchanges. The next few weeks will be the real tester.

Currie Cup 2009: Round Five

2009-08-08T17:30:00.003+08:00

Lions 19 - 13 Boland

The Xerox Lions edged out the Boland Cavalier 19-13 (half-time 7-6) in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match at Boland Stadium in Wellington on Friday. The result leaves Boland with a solitary win from their five matches this season while the Lions improved their record to three wins from five games.

The Lions’ efforts were led by their captain Cobus Grobbelaar, with the openside flank having a huge influence at the breakdown as he slowed down ball and generally made a nuisance of himself.
Grobbelaar was ably supported by his scrumhalf Jano Vermaak while Boland’s brave efforts in trying to win the match were led by flank Wendal Wehr and hooker Conrad Burke with both players featuring strongly in the loose exchanges.

I didn't have the opportunity to see the game, but one has to wonder about a Lions team that rejoices over a six point win over a team that has gone down by 32 points to the Bulls, 73 points to Griquas and 36 points to the Sharks. The solitary win being over the lowly Leopards, whom Boland only just managed to edge out by 8 points at home. Even my most conservative estimates on Superbru had the Lions winning by 30 points. That they couldn't manage a comprehensive win should be of great concern to the Lions coaching staff.

Scorers

Boland Cavaliers – Try: Penalty Try. Conversion: Justin Peach. Penalties: Peach (2).

Xerox Lions – Try: Henno Mentz. Conversion: Earl Rose. Penalties: Rose (4).

Sharks 44 - 15 Leopards

Defending Absa Currie Cup champions The Sharks moved into second place on the log with a 44-15 victory over the Platinum Leopards at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Friday night. The Sharks' defence of their title is back on track and they are looking an increasing threat in this year's competition, with their backline a constant threat on Friday against a Leopards side that is struggling to adapt after its promotion to the Premier Division.

The Sharks were just 13-3 up at half time, but sailed clear in the second half with five tries after the break.
Fullback and captain Stefan Terblanche set the ball rolling with a marvellous try, slicing through a gap, in the 48th minute, before the Leopards cut the deficit to 18-10 when Terblanche's opposite number, Russell Jeacocks, showed some good toe to beat the cover defence and score.
Sharks loose forward Jacques Botes then crashed over the line surrounded by a gang of fellow forwards and scrumhalf Charl McLeod then scampered over like a startled hare to give the visitors a commanding 32-10 lead heading into the last ten minutes.
The Sharks totted up two more tries, by prop Pat Cilliers and right wing Chris Jordaan, before the Leopards grabbed their second try right at the death, by inside centre Berndt Theissinger.

Celebrated Argentinean flyhalf Juan-Martin Hernandez, appearing in the Sharks line-up for the first time, added the conversion and two penalties. But his day did not go entirely according to plan and he did not take part in the second half after suffering what appeared to be a leg injury.

Scorers

Platinum Leopards - Tries: Russell Jeacocks, Berndt Theissinger. Conversion: Clayton Durand. Penalty: Durand.

The Sharks - Tries: Charl McLeod (2), Stefan Terblanche, Jacques Botes, Patric Cilliers, Chris Jordaan. Conversions: Juan-Martin Hernandez, Guy Cronje (3). Penalties: Hernandez (2).

Griquas 33 -32 Western Province

Griquas made it five wins out of five in the Currie Cup Premier Division with a nail-biting 33-32 (halftime 20-17) victory over Western Province in Kimberley on Friday afternoon. In a see-sawing match that was only decided in the dying minutes, WP outscored their hosts by four tries to three but had no answer to the booming boot of Griquas fullback Riaan Viljoen, who put over two monster drop goals to keep intact his team’s unbeaten record.

In a match played on a bone-hard field and in front of a good weekday crowd, the opening exchanges saw both sets of forwards engaged in an arm-wrestle that lasted the entire 80 minutes.
Olivier’s second penalty made it 20-10 after 35 minutes before WP fought their way back into the match on the stroke of halftime thanks to a try by hard-working flanker Francois Louw from a scrum pick-and-go. Pietersen again added the extra points.

The second half became increasingly frantic as the game opened up, with only another Olivier penalty to trouble the scorers in the 25 minutes after the interval.
But the point-scoring floodgates then opened up with a vengeance!

Griquas stepped up a gear when it mattered, and probably sealed the victory with 15 minutes remaining thanks to an excellent break by Viljoen, and rounded off by a flying Bjorn Basson on the left wing.
Olivier’s conversion suddenly had the effect of forcing WP to have to score two converted tries to win, and they very nearly did exactly that in a heart-stopping final seven minutes.
WP pulled one try back in the 72nd minute via right wing Tonderai Chavhanga before flyhalf Peter Grant kicked a penalty to cut the deficit to just five points.
But Viljoen, the man of the match, kicked his second enormous drop-goal to make it an eight-point game once again.
Replacement WP flanker Pieter Louw crashed over in the dying minutes to give his side what may prove to be a vital bonus point, but yet again it was a case of so near and yet so far for a WP team in Kimberley.

This Griquas team is giving the big guns a lot of trouble. It's really interesting that it's only really the Bulls and the Sharks that are playing with weak or depleted teams. WP only gave up three players to the Boks, with one replaced by a former All Black and another (Januarie) who didn't make their starting line-up anyway. The Lions have only given up Jacques Fourie, and the Cheetahs have given up Heinrich Brussouw and Juan Smith. The Bulls and Sharks, on the other hand have given over eight and nine players respectively to the Bok Tri-Nations campaign.

One has to wonder why the Cheetahs (especially), Lions and WP aren't dominating the competition in the same fashion as Griquas. And the bad news is that after the Tri-Nations ends the Sharks and the Bulls get their players back, and they aren't doing badly as it is.

Scorers:

Griquas 33 – Tries: Ruaan du Preez, Sarel Pretorius, Bjorn Basson. Conversions: Naas Olivier (3). Penalties: Olivier (2). Drop goals: Riaan Viljoen (2).

WP 32 – Tries: Penalty try, Francois Louw, Tonderai Chavhanga, Pieter Louw. Conversions: Joe Pietersen (2), Peter Grant. Penalties: Pietersen, Grant.

Cheetahs 24 - 15 Bulls

The Free State Cheetahs captured their first win of the season as they beat the Blue Bulls 24-15 (half-time 3-12) in their Absa Currie Cup match at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Friday. The Vodacom Cheetahs were full value for the victory as they scored three tries to nil with the Bloemfontein side snapping a four-game losing streak in the process.

The home side dominated possession and territory for much of the match as they overturned a nine-point deficit at half time to not only win the match but also deny the Bulls any bonus points.
The Cheetahs forwards can take much of the credit for their team’s win with props WP Nel and Coenie Oosthuizen turning in strong performances in both the scrums and the loose.
The Bulls looked bereft of ideas on attack and were only kept in the game by the boot of flyhalf Francois Brummer, who scored all of his team’s points.

The Bulls weathered the early onslaught from the Cheetahs and the visitors were the first to score after the home side transgressed at a ruck. Brummer succeeded with his 45-metre penalty attempt in the 12th minute to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead.
As the first half wore on the Cheetahs pack began to gain a measure of ascendancy over their rivals. The home side were dominating possession but they were failing to convert their dominance into points.

The Cheetahs made the early running in the second half and they made light of being a man down as a series of concerted attacks saw tighthead prop Nel barge his way over from close range.

The Bulls stretched their lead to five points in the 56th minute of the game when Cheetahs lock David de Villiers was penalised for playing a man in the air.
Brummer was once again on target, this time with a 50-metre penalty kick, but the Cheetahs were quick to reply with their second try of the match.
Scrumhalf JP Joubert took a tap penalty ten metres from the Bulls’ line before unloading to the hard-working Frans Viljoen. Flanker Viljoen did exceptionally well to dot down in the corner, despite the attentions of Bulls replacement scrumhalf Francois Hougaard. Potgieter’s conversion was a good one and the Cheetahs found themselves leading 17-15.
The Cheetahs had their tails up and they scored their third try, in the 70th minute, when the burly Nel burst through the Bulls defence and set off on a 20-metre run only for the prop to be hauled down inches from the line. Hooker Adriaan Strauss was on hand to scoop up the ball to crash over for a converted try and complete the day’s scoring.

Scorers

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Tries: WP Nel, Frans Viljoen, Adriaan Strauss. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3). Drop goal: Potgieter.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Penalties: Francois Brummer (5).

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	5	5	0	200	87	113	25	9	3	23
2	Sharks	5	4	1	145	79	66	14	6	2	18
3	Vodacom Western Province	5	3	2	150	98	52	15	8	3	15
4	Xerox Lions	5	3	2	122	96	26	11	7	3	15
5	Vodacom Blue Bulls	5	3	2	127	96	31	13	8	2	14
6	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	5	1	4	89	114	-25	7	8	1	5
7	Boland	5	1	4	74	213	-139	7	30	1	5
8	Platinum Leopards	5	0	5	70	194	-124	8	24	0	0

Tri-Nations: Springboks vs All Blacks, Durban, 1 August 2009

2009-08-06T14:54:00.002+08:00

Morné Steyn turned a record-setting test into a special record-breaking occasion as the Springboks beat the All Blacks 31-19 to take a stranglehold on the 2009 Tri-Nations at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
The Bulls flyhalf claimed a string of new marks as he scored all the Springboks’ points to put the cherry on top of a match that marked skipper John Smit’s world record 60th test as captain and Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana’s 50th internationals.

Steyn scored a try, a conversion and eight penalties to not only break Jannie de Beer’s record as the individual with the most points against the All Blacks but also claim the mark for the most points in a Tri-Nations test.
In what has turned into a fairytale season for Steyn he also took the record for the most penalties in a test match (one better that the Boks’ kicking coach Percy Montgomery who twice landed seven) as well as the most points by a player who scored all the points in a test match to give the Springboks the perfect platform to push for what will be their third triumph in the Tri-Nations.

The Springboks, especially when the predicted rain began to fall, executed their game plan perfectly by using their strong kickers, Morné Steyn, Francois Steyn and Fourie du Preez, to pepper the All Blacks with high kicks and strong chases to put them under pressure.
However Steyn’s goal-kicking and the marauding of the like of Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, which had the All Blacks all at sea under the high ball, would not have been possible without the awesome effort put in by the forwards.
With Bakkies Botha the destroyer in chief and Heinrich Brüssow yet again showing what a find he is the Bok pack blasted the All Blacks to smithereens and left them looking a very ordinary side.

The All Blacks simply could make no headway against the relentless green wave that enveloped them, made even more unforced errors than they did in Bloemfontein and at times played downright stupidly as they tried to run the ball from suicidal positions or put themselves under pressure when the situation was crying out for a relieving kick.
Referee Nigel Owens kept a tight reign on proceedings -- sinbinning JP Pietersen and Bakkies Botha from the Springboks and Isaac Ross of the All Blacks -- but the New Zealanders made significantly more punishable errors and were made to pay by Steyn.
Pietersen was marched for a reflex high tackle on Jimmy Cowan that might have saved a try, Botha for being off-sides as he fell back and tackled Conrad Smith and Ross for coming around a ruck and playing a ball he thought had emerged.

However, the Springboks were able to batten down the hatches when they were down to 14 men as they made the most of the absence of lock Ross -- scorer of his team’s solitary try in the 11th minute.
When Ross departed for ten minutes in the 30th minute the Springboks were trailing 9-13 and by the time the half-time whistle sounded the home-side were 22-13 in front and holding sway.
There was an early indication of how it would play out when Francois Steyn launched a bomb, Pietersen followed up and flattened Mils Muliaina and the All Blacks were penalised for holding on.
Muliaina had been in charge of the Chiefs in the Super 14 Final against the Bulls and it must have played out like a nightmare for him as Steyn started to swing that metronomic right boot of his.

Scorers:

South Africa - Try: Morne Steyn. Conversion: Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (8).

New Zealand - Try: Isaac Ross. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalties: Donald (4).

Blow-by-Blow

80	Missed Penalty - Steyn misses his first kick of the night as the fulltime whistle goes. He is still named man-of-the-match, however. The Boks are applauded off the field.
74	Penalty - The All Black scrum are blown up for delibaretly swinging a scrum. Steyn adds his eighth penalty and now holds the all-time Tri-Nations points-scoring record.
65	Penalty - Steyn slots another penalty and his 28 points is the most ever scored by one player between these two countries.
62	Penalty - McAllister attempts a kick from way inside his half. The wind is at his back and he strikes it well. The flags go up.
56	Penalty - The All Blacks are caught playing the ball in a ruck. Steyn slots penalty no. six.
52	Missed Drop Goal
51	Penalty - Botha is yellow carded after a tackle from an offside position. Donald slots his fourth penalty.
50	Yellow Card
48	Missed Drop Goal - The Boks spend a good five minutes attacking the All Blacks line but the resolute defence won't budge. Steyn is well back in the pocket and attempts a drop. The ball hits the right-hand upright and the All Blacks can escape.
40	Penalty - Steyn slots his fifth penalty as the halftime whistle goes. The Boks, trailing for most of the half, head for the dressing room with a nine-point lead.
38	Conversion - Steyn converts his own try.
37	Try - Du Preez steals the ball from the back of an All Black 5-metre scrum. He gets away to Steyn who steps inside two tackles and scores.
32	Penalty - Ross soon follows Pietersen to the cooler after blatantly playing the ball from an offside position. Steyn slots the penalty. The rain is coming down much harder now.
31	Yellow Card
29	Penalty - Pietersen is yellow carded for a high tackle on Sivivatu. Donald slots the resulting penalty.
28	Yellow Card
27	It has started drizzling here in Durban and the All Blacks are looking more and more dangerous on attack. The Boks will do well to stay in this until halftime.
26	Missed Drop Goal
18	Penalty - Steyn cuts the All Black lead to one after another successful penalty.
15	Penalty - Steyn strikes back with another well-struck penalty.
13	Conversion - Donald adds the conversion from the touchline.
12	Try - The All Blacks run the ball from well inside their 22. McCaw is taken on the halfway line, but the ball goes wide where Nonu, Smith and Sivivatu make good yards. The ball pops back from a ruck and Ross goes over in the corner.
7	Penalty - The Boks win the kickoff but concede a very technical penalty. Donald levels the scores.
5	Penalty - Two well-timed up-and-unders cause all sorts of havoc at the back for the All Blacks. The second time round the visitors concede a penalty and Steyn puts the Boks in the early lead.
1	The Boks almost steal a lineout 5 metres from the All Black line. Cowan's attempted clearnce is charged down, but Donald gets to the spilt ball first to force the 22.
1	Steyn starts the match with the wind at his back. McCaw claims inside his 22 and Cowan kicks over the ruck.
1	Good day and welcome to our live coverage of the Tri-Nations test between South Africa and New Zealand. We're coming to you from Durban today where the rain has stayed away for the moment. The atmosphere, as it always is here, is electric. The teams have just run out and are readying themselves for the anthems.

Vodacom Tri-Nations | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	South Africa	2	2	0	59	38	21	3	2	0	8
2	New Zealand	3	1	2	60	75	-15	3	4	0	4
3	Australia	1	0	1	16	22	-6	1	1	1	1

The Smith Era

The Springboks are still lagging a long way behind New Zealand when it comes to battles won and lost between the two leading rugby nations in the post-isolation era, but John Smit’s class of 2004 and beyond have gone a long way towards restoring the old order. When Smit led his team to victory over the All Blacks in Durban this past weekend in their Vodacom Tri-Nations fixture, it was the sixth time that the South Africans had done the trick since 2004, which was when Jake White took over, installed Smit as his captain, and began building the current team.

In the same time -- which spans 14 fixtures -- the All Blacks have won eight times, making it 8-6 to the New Zealanders in the battles they have waged against each other over the past five years. But a few things need to be put into perspective when looking at that record, such as the big wobbly the Boks underwent in 2006 as well as White’s decision to tackle the 2007 Tri-Nations under-strength.

Officially it was just the away fixture in the World Cup year that the Boks played under-strength, but in reality they were also far from full strength when they met in their only other clash of that season in Durban. The team lists from that match make for interesting reading -- the All Blacks were at full-strength, but the Boks were without Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith and John Smit.

If you look at it that way, their 26-21 defeat in the last few minutes, when the strength of the All Black bench eased the Kiwis home after a real epic battle, was not something to be ashamed of. And there was certainly not enough in it to justify any theory that had the two teams met again in the World Cup of 2007, the All Blacks would have won as a matter of course.

Take away Jake White’s annus horribilus of 2006, when the ravages of injury, particularly that to the talismanic Schalk Burger, left the coach at sixes and sevens when it came to selection, and the Smit era has generally seen the Boks more than just competitive against their long-time rivals.

Yes, there was a big defeat at Loftus in 2006, 45-26, but then Smit’s men smashed the All Blacks 42-26 in 2004 at what was then Ellis Park. And the two defeats the Boks suffered in New Zealand in 2004 and 2005, White’s first two years in charge, were both to tries off the last movement of the game.

It was a far cry certainly from what had transpired in the three or four years that had separated the White era from that of Nick Mallett, so far the most successful Bok coach against the All Blacks (four wins, three losses). Peter de Villiers currently has three wins and two losses, but his career is not completed yet, and it is only when it is over that you can say you are comparing apples with apples (Mallett, at the same stage of his career that De Villiers is now, was still at 100%).

Between 2001 and the end of 2003, when the Boks under Rudolf Straeuli made an ignominious exit to the All Blacks in the World Cup quarterfinal, the Boks did not compete well against their old rivals. Neither did they for much of the error that preceded Mallett’s three seasons in charge, with Carel du Plessis’s Boks conceding 55 points in Auckland in 1997 and the team coached by Andre Markgraaff in 1996 slumping to the first ever series defeat at home to the All Blacks, and two Tri-Nations losses.

Of all the Bok teams, however, it is this one, the line that started in 2004, that has come closest to suggesting that beating the Kiwis could start to become a habitual regular occurrence rather than a remarkable achievement, and it is hard to recall an occasion, other than perhaps Ellis Park in 2004, when the Boks have been so completely dominant.

Smit, in his record 60th match as Bok captain in Durban, managed to bring his own record as skipper against the All Blacks to 50%, with five wins and five defeats on his record. One of those defeats was the game in Wellington last year when he was injured in the first half and was ruled out for several months, so it should hardly count.

No other Bok captain since 1992 has managed to break even in terms of matches won and lost against the All Blacks, and Smit’s personal record tells us that the Kiwi dominance of the post-isolation era isn’t what it used to be before 2004. It appears that the old order, with New Zealand and South Africa perennially in the top two, has been restored.

That is also reflected in the results of the past three Super 14 tournaments, with the Vodacom Bulls breaking the seal for South African teams in 2007 before coming back to do it in 2009. The trend may have started lower down than that, however, as most of the current players would have been involved in highly competitive games against New Zealand at age-group level.

Bok/All Black results since start of 2004

2004 Lost 21-23 Christchurch, Won 42-26 Johannesburg

2005 Won 22-16 Cape Town, Lost 27-31 Dunedin

2006 Lost 17-35 Wellington, Lost 26-45 Pretoria, Won 21-20 Rustenburg

2007 Lost 21-26 Durban, Lost 6-33 Christchurch

2008 Lost 8-19 Wellington, Won 30-28, Lost 0-19 Cape Town

2009 Won 28-19 Bloemfontein, Won 31-19 Durban.

NOTE: Victor Matfield captained Boks in Durban in 2007, Johann Muller in Christchurch in 2007, and Matfield in Dundein 2008 -- the rest were all games where John Smit led the Boks.

And while we're remembering the good times and basking in the glory of a rare 2-0 (1?) series victory over New Zealand, let's remember the last time the Springboks thumped the All Blacks comprehensively. And especially Marius Joubert's hat-trick against the All Blacks in 2004.

Currie Cup 2009: Round Four

2009-08-06T14:14:00.002+08:00

Griquas 23 - 19 Lions

GWK Griquas built up enough of a lead in the first half and then produced an inspired defensive effort in the second to beat the Xerox Lions 23-19 (half-time 20-7) in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match in Johannesburg on Friday night.
The Lions made a wretched start to the game and were trailing 10-0 after 12 minutes as Griquas showed that their position atop the Currie Cup log is no fluke: They have the tight forwards, an astute flyhalf with a solid boot and a couple of dangerous runners in the back three to threaten the big boys.

Flyhalf Naas Olivier was top of the tree when it came to tactical kingpins for Griquas and, having bombarded Lions fullback Earl Rose with a series of steepling kicks, he then grabbed the opening try in the ninth minute.
Wing Dusty Noble stood out again for the Lions, while Hollenbach did well considering how the Gautengers struggled to get any front-foot ball for half the game. Eighthman Willem Alberts was a powerful force, both in terms of stopping Griquas' momentum with his fierce defence and his own efforts to get go-forward ball.

Scorers

Xerox Lions - Try: Alwyn Hollenbach. Conversion: Herkie Kruger. Penalties: Kruger (4).

GWK Griquas - Tries: Naas Olivier, Barry Geel. Conversions: Olivier (2). Penalties: Olivier (2), Riaan Viljoen.

Western Province 48 - 7 Leopards

Luke Watson scored a hat-trick of tries as Vodacom Western Province made it three wins out of four in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division with a 48-7 (halftime 15-0) victory over the Platinum Leopards at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday evening.
The home side scored seven tries on their way to a five-point haul that took the Streeptruie into second place on the log. The newly promoted Leopards remain rooted to the bottom of the table following their fourth successive defeat.

The Leopards finally troubled the scorers in the 67th minute when Emerging Springboks centre Deon van Rensburg finished off an excellent counter-attack with a try in the right-hand corner. Flyhalf Clayton Durand converted.
But WP weren’t finished, once again using their deadly rolling maul to hand Watson his third try on a silver platter before man of the match candidate Aplon completed the rout on the stroke of fulltime to send the Newlands faithful home in high spirits.

Scorers:

WP 48 – Tries: Luke Watson (3), Willem de Waal, Joe Pietersen, Pieter Louw, Gio Aplon. Conversions: De Waal (5). Penalty: De Waal.

Leopards 7 – Try: Deon van Rensburg. Conversion: Clayton Durand.

Blue Bulls 50 - 18 Boland

The Vodacom Blue Bulls cantered to a 50-18 (half-time 22-3) win over the Boland Cavaliers in their Absa Currie Cup game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday.
The Bulls outscored their opponents seven tries to two with the result pushing the Pretoria-based side into second place in the competition standings while Boland were handed their third defeat in four matches.

The home side’s forwards dominated proceedings with only superb defence from Boland, especially in the first half, preventing the score from being more comprehensive.

Flank Jacques Burger turned in another sterling performance in the loose exchanges for the home side with lock Flip van der Merwe not far behind.
Bulls wing Gerhard van den Heever was strong on attack for his team and his industry was rewarded with two tries.

The two late tries were just reward for the gallant Cavaliers team, however the Bulls were not done and left wing Marius Delport finished the visitors off with a try after the hooter with replacement flyhalf Burton Francis converting to bring up the Bulls' half-century of points.

Scorers

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Gerhard van den Heever (2), Jaco Pretorius, Flip van der Merwe, Jacques Burger, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Marius Delport. Conversions: Francois Brummer (4), Burton Francis (2). Penalty: Brummer.

Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Lionel Cornelius, Ernie Kruger. Conversion: Elgar Watts. Penalties: Watts (2).

Sharks 21 - 12 Cheetahs

A superb kicking performance from Rory Kockott saw the Sharks hand the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs a 21-12 (half-time 9-9) defeat in their Absa Currie Cup match at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Kockott succeeded with five penalties and a drop goal for a personal tally of 18 points while his kicking from out of hand was also impressive as the scrumhalf turned in a man of the match performance.

The result leaves the Cheetahs winless in this season’s competition with four defeats from four matches while the Sharks took their record to three wins from four games.
The Cheetahs’ cause was not helped by the loss of their influential captain Hendro Scholtz late in the first half with an elbow injury.
Flank Scholtz had put in a tremendous effort in the loose and his absence saw the Sharks win the battle at the breakdown.
The Bloemfontein side will also be rueing their poor discipline that saw them concede 15 penalties and free kicks to the visitors nine.

Scorers

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3). Drop goal: Potgieter.

The Sharks – Penalties: Rory Kockott (5), Monty Dumond. Drop goal: Kockott

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	4	4	0	167	55	112	22	5	3	19
2	Vodacom Blue Bulls	4	3	1	112	72	40	13	5	2	14
3	Vodacom Western Province	4	3	1	118	65	53	11	5	1	13
4	Sharks	4	3	1	101	64	37	8	4	1	13
5	Xerox Lions	4	2	2	103	83	20	10	6	3	11
6	Boland	4	1	3	61	194	-133	6	29	0	4
7	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	4	0	4	65	99	-34	4	8	1	1
8	Platinum Leopards	4	0	4	55	150	-95	6	18	0	0

Tri-Nations: Springboks vs All Blacks, Bloemfontein, 25 July 2009

2009-07-30T15:03:00.002+08:00

A late try by Jaque Fourie settled Springbok nerves and carried South Africa to a vital 28-19 victory over the All Blacks in their Tri-Nations rugby test match played at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Springboks had led 17-3 shortly after half time but the All Blacks came back strongly and were whittling away at the deficit. A solo try by Conrad Smith pulled them up to 17-10; next a penalty made it 17-13, the Boks edged back to 20-13 but another penalty made it 20-16 moving into the last quarter.
The Springboks had been mightily impressive in putting the All Blacks on the back-foot but with the clock running down the New Zealanders were starting to have much the better of exchanges until Fourie’s game-breaking try in the 71st minute created the winning edge.
In the end, however, it was a satisfying result for the Boks because on balance they played the better and more accurate rugby.

With the like of Pierre Spies, Juan Smith and Bismarck du Plessis inspired by the old enemy to lift their standard, Victor Matfield towering in the lineouts and at kick-offs, the scrum going well and Heinrich Brüssow winning his duel with Richie McCaw in a man-of-the-match performance the Boks were well on top in the forwards.

Seldom has an All Black side looked as sloppy as they did for periods of this game; proving the adage that you can only play as well as you’re allowed to. In fact, it's been a very very long time since I've seen an All Black team dominated so heavily for so much of a test.

Scorers:

South Africa - Tries : Ruan Pienaar, Jaque Fourie. Penalties: Pienaar, Francois Steyn (2), Morne Steyn (3).

New Zealand - Try: Conrad Smith. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalties: Donald (4).

Blow-by-Blow

78	Penalty - Line out ot the Boks on their own 10 meter line. The Boks maul the ball forward. Penalty to the Boks - Eaton playing the ball in an offside position at the maul. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt form the half way line.
75	Penalty - Penalty to the All Blacks on the Boks 10 meter line - Olivier not releasing the player after he had tackled him. Donald converts the penalty attempt.
73	Missed Conversion - Morne Steyn misses the conversion.
72	Try - Line out won by the All Blacks from just outside the Boks 22. The All Blacks move the ball wide to Sivivatu who gets tackled by Fourie inside the Boks 22. Weepu passes to Eaton who loses the ball. Spies kicks the ball forward and chases. Muliaina picks up the ball, but gets tackled by Spies. Muliaina tries to offload the ball, but it is picked up by Juan Smit who passes to Jacques Fourie on his outside and Fourie will score the try in the corner.
67	Missed Drop Goal - Donald kicks the ball upfield and Francois Steyn attempts a drop goal from his own 10 meter line, but misses far to the right.
64	Penalty - The All Blacks with the ball deep inside the Boks half. The All Blacks thorugh 7 phases find themselves inside the Boks 22. Rokocoko has a run, but gets tackled 8 meters from the try line. Penalty to the All Blacks - Bismarck Du Plessis playing the ball in the ruck. Stephen Donald converts the penalty attempt.
57	Penalty - The Boks move the ball to Habana who gets brought down inside the All Blacks 22. The All Blacks showing good defence and forcing the Boks backwards. Morne Steyn with a great break gets tackled just short of the All Blacks 22. Penalty to the Boks - Weepu diving over the ruck and playing the ball on the ground. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt.
54	The Boks with the ball on the half way line. Du Preez kicks a box kick. Habana chases well and applies the pressure. Rocokoco knocks the ball forward. Scrum to the Boks on the All Blacks 22 meter line.
52	Penalty - The Boks in posession inside the All Blacks half. McCaw wins the ball on th eground for the All Blacks. The All Blacks move the ball wide to Rocokoco who gets brought down on the Boks 10 meter line. Penalty to the All Blacks - Botha entering the ruck from the side. Donald converts the penalty attempt.
49	Conversion - Stephen Donald converts the try.
48	Try - Scrum to the All Blacks just outside the Boks 22 mete line. The All Blacks move the ball to Conrad Smith. Smith dummies and steps on the pace and drives over the line for the try.
42	Penalty - The All Blacks with the ball inside their own half. Donald kicks a up & under, but the All Blacks infront of the kick - Penalty. Morne Steyn converts the penalty attempt from the All Blacks 10 meter line.
41	Stephen Donald restarts the second half. Regathered by Matfield and Du Preez kicks up field.
39	Missed Penalty - The All Blacks trying to run the ball from inside their own 22. Penalty to the Springboks - All Blacks holding on to the ball on the ground. Ruan Pienaar misses a easy penalty to the left.
33	Penalty - Bakkies regathers from the All Blacks 22 meter drop in and runs the ball into the All Blacks 22. The Boks move the ball wide, but Brussouw drops the ball behind him. penalty to the Boks - Nonu offside. Francois Steyn converts the penalty attempt from inside the All Blacks 22.
31	Missed Drop Goal - The Boks with all the posesion. The Boks with the ball on the All Blacks 22 meter line. Du Preez to Pienaar who misses the drop goal to the right.
26	Missed Conversion - Pienaar misses the conversion to the right.
25	Try - The Boks with a scrum on the All Blacks 5 meter line. Spies picks and drives from the back of the scrum, but he gets dragged down just short of the try line. Du Preez plays the ball quickly to Pienaar. Pienaar to De Villiers who gets tackled 2 meters short of the line, but pops the ball back to Pienaar who runs for the corner and scores the first try of the match.
18	Penalty - The Boks on the attack in the All Blacks half. Penalty to the Boks - All Blacks entering the ruck from the side. Ruan Pienaar converts the penalty attempt from 43 meters out.
15	Missed Penalty - The All Blacks in possesion just inside the Boks half. Penalty to the All Blacks - Boks playing the ball on the ground. Stephen Donald misses the penalty conversion just short from 45 meters out.
14	Missed Penalty - The Boks moving the ball forward through their forwards on the All blacks 10 meter line. Penalty to the Boks - All Blacks playing the ball on the ground. Ruan Pienaar hits the upright again in his penalty conversion attempt and the All Blacks clear.
12	Missed Penalty - The Boks in posession inside the All Blacks half. THe Boks move the ball wide. Penalty to the Boks - High tackle by the All Blacks. Ruan Pienaar hits the upright in his penalty conversion attempt and the All Blacks kick the ball into touch.
7	Penalty - Line out won by the Boks inside their own half. The Boks maul the ball forward. Penalty to the Boks - All Blacks entering the ruck from the side. Francois Steyn converts the penalty attempt from the halfway line.
4	Penalty - Steyn kicks the ball upfield from just outside his own 22. Sivivatu kicks the ball back upfield. Penalty to the All Blacks - De Villiers schoulderd Sivivatu. Stephen Donald converts the penalty attempt.
1	Pienaar kicks off deep and Leonard clears.

Vodacom Tri-Nations | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	South Africa	1	1	0	28	19	9	2	1	0	4
2	New Zealand	2	1	1	41	44	-3	2	3	0	4
3	Australia	1	0	1	16	22	-6	1	1	1	1

Currie Cup: Round Three

2009-07-29T14:09:00.002+08:00

Sharks 19 - 13 Bulls

The Sharks overcame three yellow-cards to claim a scrappy 19-13 (half-time 9-3) win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their Absa Currie Cup match at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday.
On a chilly night in Durban the home side played 30 minutes of the match with only 14 players after lock Albert van den Berg, flank Jacques Botes and replacement hooker Skipper Badenhorst all spent time in the bin for a variety of offences.
Despite handicapping themselves the Sharks handed the Bulls their first defeat of the season thanks to the Durban-based side’s sheer tenacity.

Scorers

The Sharks - Try: Skipper Badenhorst. Conversion: Rory Kockott. Penalties: Kockott (3). Drop Goal: Riaan Swanepoel.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Try: Dewald Potgieter. Conversion: Francois Brummer. Penalties: Brummer (2).

Western Province 19 - 13 Cheetahs

Former Free State Cheetahs kingpin Willem de Waal emerged as Western Province's hero after he goaled four penalties in his side's 19-13 victory at Newlands on Friday evening.
Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske said his side paid a heavy price for their mistakes but added it was something he expected.
The 19-13 loss was Free State's third defeat defeat in a row since the start of the Currie Cup season.

Griquas 80 - 7 Boland

The log-leading GWK Griquas made it three out of three in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division with an 80-7 (halftime 33-0) victory over the Boland Cavaliers in Kimberley on Saturday.
The home side, coming off a 28-18 away victory over Free State and a 36-11 home win against the Leopards in the opening two rounds, scored five tries in an opening half in which the visitors did not even get a sniff of their opponents’ 22-metre area.
The men from Kimberley then twisted the knife after the break, scoring another seven tries to equal their biggest ever winning margin of 73 points in a Currie Cup match (Griquas beat Border 87-14 in 1998).

Scorers:

Griquas 80 – Tries: Jonathan Mokuena, Rohan Kitshoff (2), Barry Geel (2), Albertus Buckle, Jacques Lombaard, Dewald Pretorius, Naas Olivier, Bjorn Basson (2), Wilmaure Louw. Conversions: Naas Olivier (9), Riaan Viljoen.

Boland 7 – Try: Conrad Burke. Conversion: Elgar Watts.

Lions 40 - 19 Leopards

The Xerox Lions dismantled the Platinum Leopards 40-19 (half-time 15-10) in their Absa Currie Cup match at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng on Saturday.
The bonus point victory for the Lions pushes them into second place on the Currie Cup log while the Leopards remain rooted to the bottom of the standings after three consecutive losses.

Scorers

Platinum Leopards – Try: Jovan Bowles. Conversion: Clayton Durand. Penalties: Durand (2). Drop Goals: Durand (2)

Xerox Lions – Tries: Walter Venter (2), Hans van Dyk, Willem Alberts, Earl Rose. Conversions: Rose, Herkie Kruger (2). Penalties: Rose, Kruger (2).

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	3	3	0	144	36	108	20	4	3	15
2	Xerox Lions	3	2	1	84	60	24	9	4	2	10
3	Sharks	3	2	1	80	52	28	8	4	1	9
4	Vodacom Blue Bulls	3	2	1	62	54	8	6	3	1	9
5	Vodacom Western Province	3	2	1	70	58	12	4	4	0	8
6	Boland	3	1	2	43	144	-101	4	22	0	4
7	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	3	0	3	53	78	-25	4	8	1	1
8	Platinum Leopards	3	0	3	48	102	-54	5	11	0	0

Tri-Nations: All Blacks vs Wallabies, Auckland, 18 July 2009

2009-07-22T15:14:00.003+08:00

New Zealand flyhalf Stephen Donald repaid the faith of the selectors by kicking 17 points to guide the All Blacks to a 22-16 victory over Australia in a Tri-Nations clash at Eden Park on Saturday.
A surprise choice to start the match ahead of Luke McAlister, Donald slotted five penalties -- four in the second half alone -- and converted Richie McCaw's try to ensure his team recorded their 20th successive victory at Eden Park.

The All Blacks have not lost at the ground since 1994, and their last defeat to Australia here came in 1986. Australia flyhalf Matt Giteau slotted three penalties and converted Berrick Barnes's fourth minute try for the Wallabies, who spent most of the second spell pinned in their own half and battling into swirling, chilly winds.

The Wallabies dominated the opening ten minutes, with Barnes ghosting through some porous All Blacks' defence after Adam Ashley-Cooper made a telling midfield break, got to his feet and made another. Giteau converted the try then added a penalty to give the visitors a 10-0 lead before Donald slotted his first penalty.

Barnes then blew an opportunity to extend the lead when he failed to find one of six support players with just three All Blacks desperately defending the line. When he finally fed George Smith, the flanker dropped the ball with the tryline open.
A converted try at the time could have cemented a potential game-winning 17-3 margin inside the opening 18 minutes as the All Blacks struggled with their lineout and defensive pattern against an attacking Wallabies backline. Giteau slotted his second penalty to make it 13-3 before the All Blacks finally strung some phases together.

Rodney So'oialo, returning from a neck injury, was a prominent figure as the All Blacks recycled quickly and changed their angles of attack. Centre Conrad Smith then straightened the line and fed inside to the ever-present McCaw, who crashed over. Donald converted two penalties inside the first four minutes of the second half to give the home side the lead for the first time, though that lasted only two minutes with Giteau slotting his third penalty to level the score at 16-16.

Donald's third penalty of the half gave the All Blacks another slim lead, and he added another with seven minutes remaining.

Scorers:

New Zealand - Try: Richie McCaw. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalty: Donald (5).

Australia - Try: Berrick Barnes. Conversion: Matt Giteau. Penalties: Giteau (3).

Blow by Blow

1 Stephen Donald kicks off deep into the Wallabies 22. Cleared by Barnes.
4 Try - 22 meter drop in for the All Blacks. Donald kicks and Ashley-Cooper returns. Ashley-Cooper counters from his own 10 meter line. Ashley-Cooper gets tackled on the All Blacks 10 meter line, but he gets up and makes another 8 meters. Barnes receives the ball on the blindside. Barnes dummies to his right, steps to his left and breaks the tackle of Muliaina to score the first try for the Wallabies.
5 Conversion - Giteau converts the try.
10 Penalty - The All Blacks lose their second line out of the night and the Wallabies move it to Mortlock in midfield. Penalty to the Wallabies on the All Blacks 10 meter line. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt.
13 Missed Penalty - Scrum to the Wallabies inside their half. Penalty to the All Blacks - Baxter driving in eith the shoulder. Donald pulls the penalty attempt to the left.
15 Penalty - Muliaina kicks a up & under from deep inside his own half. Knocked forward by the Wallabies and regathered. Penalty to the All Blacks - Wallabies playing the ball in an offside position on. Stephen donald converts the penalty attempt.
21 Penalty - Line out to the All Blacks on their own 10 meter line. The Wallabies steel the ball at the line out. Penalty awarded to the Wallabies - McCaw playing the ball on the ground. Matt Giteau converts the penalty attempt.
26 Try - The All Blacks in posession on the half way line. Donald kicks for the corner and good chasing by Sivivatu forces the Wallabies to take the ball into touch. Line out won by the All Blacks deep inside the Wallabies 22. The ball is kept in possession. After 6 phases and constant pressure Conrad Smith runs a great line drawing in 2 players and off loads to McCaw who drives over the line for the try.
27 Conversion - Stephen Donald converts the try.
30 Missed Penalty - Penalty to the Wallabies - Holding on by the All Blacks at the breakdown. Giteau pulls a 48 meter penalty attempt to the left.
33 Missed Penalty - Donald kicks up field. Ashley-Cooper regathers and has a run at Nonu. Nonu brings him down and immediately goes for the ball. Penlaty to the All Blacks - Holding on by Ashley-Cooper. Donald misses the penalty attempt to the right from the touch line and 45 meters from goal.
38 Penalty awarded to the All Blacks - George Smith going straight to ground at the breakdown. Doanld kicks for touch, but it is regathered bu Mitchell. Mitchell kicks for touch, but the ball comes off the side of his boot. Line out to the All Blacks inside the Wallabies 22. Thorn loses the ball forward.

Half-Time

42 Penalty - Cowan with a box kick up to the half way line. Good cahase by Jane and the All Blacks regather the ball. Penalty to the All Blacks - Wallabies playing the ball on the ground. Donald converts the penalty attempt from just inside the Wallabies half.
45 Penalty - Line out to the Wallabies inside their own half. The Wallabies trying to move the ball wide, but they get penalized for obstructional running. Stephen Donald strikes the ball sweetly and he puts the All Blacks ahead for the first time in the match.
46 Penalty - Giteau restarts with a well weighted kick and allows the Wallbie drowards to contest for the ball. Penalty to the Wallabies - Conrad Smith playing the ball on the ground. Giteau converts the penalty attempt from 30 meters out.
56 Both teams look like they are finding their feet. Defence from both teams very solid. Both teams doing a lot of kicking and trying to find themselves in the best field position.
58Penalty to the Wallabies - Muliaina holding on to the ball on the ground. Giteau kicks for touch. Line out to the Wallabies just inside the All Blacks 22. Good defence by the All Blacks and they come away with the ball.
61 Penalty - The Wallabies in posession deep inside their own half. Giteau kicks for touch, but Kano charges ddown the kick and regathers the ball. Conrad Smith r2eceives the ball and had a go. Penalty to the All Blacks inside the Wallabies 22 - George Smith playing the ball on the ground. Donald converts the penalty attempt.
64 Missed Penalty - The Wallabies looking to spread the All Blacks wide. Penalty to the Wallabies - Conrad Smith not rolling away after making the tackle. Giteau misses the penalty attempt to the right 34 meters out.
69 Scrum to the All Blacks on the Wallabies 10 meter line. Free kick awarded to the All Blacks. Taken quickly and Thorn has a run. The All Blacks keep it with the forwards, by they lose the ball forward in the process and Giteau clears the ball in to touch.
74 Penalty - The All Blacks in posession just outside the Wallabies 22. The All Black forwards keeping the balll amongst them and making those vital meters. Penalty to the All Blacks - Wallabies playing the ball on the ground. Donald converts the penalty attempt.

Teams:

New Zealand: Mils Muliaina, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Stephen Donald, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So’oialo, Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Isaac Ross, Brad Thorn, Neemia Tialata, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Jason Eaton, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister, Joe Rokocoko.

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lachie Turner, Stirling Mortlock (captain), Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess, Wycliff Palu, George Smith, Richard Brown, Nathan Sharpe, James Horwill, Al Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson.
Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, Phil Waugh, David Pocock, Will Genia, James O’Connor.

Referee: Craig Joubert (SA)

Kick-off: 7.35pm NZ time.

2009 Tri-Nations Log

	P	W	L	BP	TF	TA	PF	PA	PD	LP
New Zealand	1	1	0	0	1	1	22	16	6	4
Australia	1	0	1	1	1	1	16	22	-6	1
South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Currie Cup: Round Two

2009-07-21T14:54:00.003+08:00

Sharks 46 - 10 Boland

The Sharks destroyed the Boland Cavaliers side to record a 46-10 (half-time 29-3) victory in their Absa Currie Cup match at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday. The Sharks were full value for their victory as they scored seven tries to one to help erase memories of their 29-15 defeat at the hands of Vodacom Western Province in their opening match of the competition.

The Sharks enjoyed an excellent start to the match when centre Riaan Swanepoel took an inside pass from his flyhalf Guy Cronje, 35 metres from Boland’s tryline, before setting off on a mazy run which saw the burly centre evade two would-be tacklers before he dotted down with less than a minute played.
The home-side began the second half as they had begun the first as Daniel scored his second try of the match, in the 44th minute, after the Sharks forward’s had driven their way over from a lineout.
The final quarter of the game saw the match lose much of its structure as both coaches made liberal use of their benches although the Sharks’ cause was not helped by Guy Cronje being yellow carded in the 60th minute for a spear tackle on Rito Hlungwane.

Scorers

The Sharks - Tries: Craig Burden (2), Keegan Daniel (2), Riaan Swanepoel, Deon Carstens, Albert van den Berg. Conversions: Rory Kockott (3), Monty Dumond. Penalty: Kockott.

Boland Cavaliers - Try: Deon Scholtz. Conversion: Mark Harris. Penalty: Justin Peach.

Lions 31 - 22 Cheetahs

The Lions team did extremely well to come from behind to beat the Free State Cheetahs 31-22 (half-time 13-19) at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Cheetahs had threatened to run away with the game in the first half-hour as they raced into a 19-0 lead, but this Lions team is certainly full of steel and spirit and, provided they cut out the basic errors, is well-equipped to challenge the Currie Cup big guns.
An awful first 30 minutes in which they conceded a try to Cheetahs prop Wian du Preez and three penalties, a conversion and a drop goal by crackshot flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter was followed by an awesome comeback in which they won the last 50 minutes 31-3.

A host of basic mistakes by the Lions allowed the Cheetahs to take a firm grip on the game, with the list of offenders being headed by fullback Earl Rose. How anyone can honestly believe this man is Springbok material is beyond me. The Lions would do well to trade him to another union and perhaps groom other youngster for future backline (full back and fly half) roles at the Johannesburg union.
But aside from a few basic errors and perhaps certain selections, one has to feel up beat about this Lions side since Jake White has been brought into the fold. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the course of the competition.

Scorers

Xerox Lions - Tries: Walter Venter, Johan Jackson, Jano Vermaak. Conversions: Herkie Kruger (2). Penalties: Kruger (4).

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs - Try: Wian du Preez. Conversion: Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Penalties: Potgieter (4). Drop goal: Potgieter.

Griquas 36 - 11 Leopards

Scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius scored two tries and continued to push for selection to higher honours as he steered GWK Griquas to a 36-11 (half-time 19-8) victory over the Platinum Leopards in their Absa Currie Cup match in Kimberley on Saturday.

The bonus point for scoring four tries means the Griquas will sit proudly atop the Currie Cup log after the second round, and the men from Kimberley could well extend the lead as they host Boland in the third round.

Scorers

GWK Griquas - Tries: Egon Seconds, Sarel Pretorius (2), Brendon Snyman. Conversions: Naas Olivier (2). Penalties: Olivier (3). Drop goal: Riaan Viljoen.

Platinum Leopards - Try: Russell Jeacocks. Penalties: Clayton Durand (2).

Blue Bulls 30 - 22 Western Province

The Vodacom Blue Bulls held off a spirited Vodacom Western Province to triumph 30-22 (half-time 17-12) in their Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria on Saturday.
Province well be left wondering how they lost the match, never mind failing to secure a bonus point for finishing within seven points of their opponents, after their forwards took a firm grip on proceedings in the second half.

Province were especially strong in the scrums and they showed that their scrumming performance against the Sharks, in their first match in the competition, was no fluke as they gained ascendancy over the highly fancied Bulls pack.

Bulls flank Jacques Burger turned in a massive performance, whether he was carrying the ball up or competing for loose ball, and he was deservedly named man of the match for his efforts.
Not far behind Burger was rookie Bulls flyhalf Francois Brummer who turned in a composed performance that belied his lack of top-flight rugby experience as he scored 15 points with his boot courtesy of three conversions, two penalties and a drop goal.

Scores

Vodacom Blue Bulls -- Tries: Gerhard van den Heever (2), Gurthro Steenkamp. Conversions: Francois Brummer (3). Penalties: Brummer (2). Drop Goal: Brummer

Vodacom Western Province -- Try: Luke Watson. Conversion: Willem de Waal. Penalties: De Waal (5).

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	2	2	0	64	29	35	8	3	2	10
2	Vodacom Blue Bulls	2	2	0	49	35	14	5	2	0	8
3	Sharks	2	1	1	61	39	22	7	3	1	5
4	Xerox Lions	2	1	1	44	41	3	4	3	1	5
5	Vodacom Western Province	2	1	1	51	45	6	3	3	0	4
6	Boland	2	1	1	36	64	-28	3	10	0	4
7	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	2	0	2	40	59	-19	3	7	0	0
8	Platinum Leopards	2	0	2	29	62	-33	4	6	0	0

Tri-Nations: All Black and Wallaby teams named for the first test.

2009-07-15T23:59:00.002+08:00

The All Black squad:
15-Mils Muliaina
14-Cory Jane
13-Conrad Smith
12-Ma'a Nonu
11-Sitiveni Sivivatu
10-Stephen Donald
9-Jimmy Cowan
8-Rodney So'oialo
7-Richie McCaw (captain)
6-Jerome Kaino
5-Isaac Ross
4-Brad Thorn
3-Neemia Tialata
2-Andrew Hore
1-Tony Woodcock

Replacements:
16-Keven Mealamu
17-Owen Franks
18-Jason Eaton
19-Kieran Read
20-Piri Weepu
21-Luke McAlister
22-Joe Rokocoko

No big surprises, but I think they've missed some of the in form Super 14 loose forwards. Is Aled de Malmanche injured? I thought he had a good season so far and would've enjoyed seeing him in the team against the Wallabies. Also very interested to see how Cory Jane and Sivivatu will perform in the first test.

The Wallaby squad:
15-Adam Ashley-Cooper
14-Lachie Turner
13-Stirling Mortlock (captain)
12-Berrick Barnes
11-Drew Mitchell
10-Matt Giteau
9-Luke Burgess
8-Richard Brown/Wycliff Palu
7-George Smith
6-Dean Mumm
5-Nathan Sharpe
4-James Horwill
3-Al Baxter
2-Stephen Moore
1-Benn Robinson

Replacements:
16-Tatafu Polota-Nau
17-Ben Alexander
18-Phil Waugh
19-David Pocock
20-Josh Valentine
21-Ryan Cross
22-James O'Connor

Also, no real surprises. But let's be honest, in the southern hemisphere, the only suprises and odd ball selections seem to come from the Springboks, due to no fault of the splendid players. I think it was a very good move to include James O'Connor on the bench. Starting him against the All Blacks would've been throwing a massive young talent to the wolves. But I do hope he gets a run.

This is going to be a cracking game. I think it's going to be fairly close, and one would have to pip the All Blacks to win at home. If the Aussies manage a win it's going to confirm my suspicions that they'll be the eventual winners this year.
Personally, I think the Aussie forwards are going to have the better game, but the All Black backs (centers and outside backs) should be devastating if they can get the ball.

Despite being able to name a full-strength side, history will be against the Wallabies at Eden Park, where victory has eluded them for more than 20 years. The match, also the first leg of the Bledisloe Cup for the trans-Tasman rivals, will highlight Australian flanker George Smith's 100th test.

Tri-Nations: Injuries delay naming of All Blacks

2009-07-13T18:44:00.002+08:00

Saw this on Superrugby today.

The naming of the All Blacks for Saturday's opening Tri-Nations test against Australia has been put back a day to allow a further fitness assessment of flyhalves Luke McAlister and Stephen Donald.
McAlister has a back strain and Donald a troublesome hamstring, although both appeared to run freely at training on Monday.

The team was to have been named on Tuesday but this has now been put back to Wednesday to give the selectors more time to gauge the players' fitness.
The All Blacks, the world's top-ranked side, have been hard hit by injuries in recent months and are expected to be without frontline flyhalf Dan Carter for most of the year.

However, they received good news on the weekend when key forwards Richie McCaw and Rodney So'oialo came through club games unscathed after sitting out last month's season-opening tests because of injury.
They were their first games since the end of the Super 14 competition nearly two months ago.

Isn't it time to consider Daniel Bowden or even Jimmy Goperth? Personally, I think Bowden had a great Super 14 and would be a good option at flyhalf. When Carter is back, Bowden would make a great understudy. He's a definitely a player to watch for the future. He's played againts the best that Australia and South Africa has to offer (which is just more of the same in thre Tri-Nations) and has done well.

Currie Cup 2009: Round One

2009-07-13T16:03:00.004+08:00

Western Province 29 Sharks 15

With Ali Williams reportedly out for the season, the All Black selectors could have learned a lot from being at Newlands for the start of the 2009 edition of the Absa Currie Cup competition.
Of course, it probably wouldn’t help them now, because he is contracted to Western Province until the end of October, but Chris Jack showed in helping the home team to a 29-15 win over the Sharks that New Zealand not feel short of second row depth -- they just need to widen their horizons and be more prepared to consider their overseas based players.

Jack, who only arrived in the country at the start of last week, was at the heart of much of what went right for WP in what was their first win over the reigning Currie Cup champions in some time. They lost thrice to the Sharks last year across the two major competitions (Super 14 and Currie Cup) and were also beaten at home in the opening Super 14 match of this season.
It helped that the champions were missing so many of their stalwarts to the national team, and it was not surprising that their coach John Plumtree should bemoan this afterwards, but full marks to WP for the way they took their opportunity to register a morale-boosting win in the first match of the season.
WP are also without key men at the moment, although more because of injury than national call-ups. Jack started alongside another newcomer in former Lions lock Anton van Zyl in the second row, but Adriaan Fondse, when he is over his injury problems, is due back in four weeks time to add to the WP options.
Two other potential team stalwarts absent because of injury at the weekend were flankers Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw. Both are due back shortly, and will considerably strengthen what already looks a pack that should be competitive against most opponents in the domestic competition.
No mention of the Newlands game would be complete, however, without mention of the match-winner that Willem de Waal becomes when games are played in wet weather, as Saturday’s was. He started at flyhalf and was moved to fullback later on, but from both positions De Waal’s field kicking game was crucial to the massive territorial advantage that paved the way for the WP victory. He also contributed 19 points with the boot to go with the tries scored by Jack (after just 22 seconds) and big winger Sireli Naqelevuki, some of those kicks being penalties from long range.

The Sharks scrum, with Springbok discard Jannie du Plessis in fine form, dominated the early stages of the upfront battle, but it swung around in WP’s favour later on, another massive boost for WP morale as the young front-row was also impressive against the British and Irish Lions in their previous major outing together.
The return of Tiaan Liebenberg certainly does make a massive difference to the WP forward presence in all phases of the game, and Deon Fourie, pressed into service as a loose-forward back-up this time, is a fine player for a third choice (Hanyani Shimange was Liebenberg’s back-up against the Sharks).
The Sharks just weren’t organised and together enough, and missed too many big name players, particularly at the back. But the depth was an obvious problem for the Sharks in this year’s Super 14, so Plumtree and company should welcome the opportunity to throw the fringe players in at the deep end in the hope that they will learn to swim before next February.

Flyhalf Willem de Waal scored 19 points to steer Vodacom Western Province to a comfortable 29-15 (halftime 16-12) over defending ABSA Currie Cup champions the Natal Sharks at Newlands on Saturday.
Heavy downpours before kick-off ensured the pitch was slippery and the handling conditions difficult, but WP managed the elements well to record an important victory.

Scorers:

WP – Tries: Chris Jack, Sireli Naqelevuki. Conversions: Willem de Waal (2). Penalties: De Waal (4).

Natal Sharks – Penalties: Rory Kockott (5).

Vodacom Blue Bulls 19 Xerox Lions 13

Talking of throwing players in at the deep end, Jake White, the new brains behind the Lions, did that in the away match against the Blue Bulls at Loftus, and nearly came up trumps. The tenacious Lions led 13-0 at half time before squandering that advantage with mistakes that were mainly the product of inexperience in the second half to go down 19-13.
But what the Lions, and White, did show is that with the addition of a bit of purpose and structure, even a relatively no-name brand combination can get to resemble a team and give a good account of themselves.
The Bulls looked better the longer the game progressed, however, and while they are missing the bulk of the team that won the Super 14, their north/south showdown with WP this coming weekend should be the highlight of the second round. It will be worth the trip to Loftus just to watch the feisty former Bulls backline player Frikkie Welsh, now on the wing for WP, lining up his old teammates...

The Vodacom Blue Bulls overcame a spirited Xerox Lions’ side to triumph 19-13 (half-time 0-13) in a scrappy Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria on Saturday.
Both teams were guilty of poor goal-kicking while numerous handling errors ruined the match as a spectacle. Between them the two teams contrived to miss nine kicks at goal and commit 29 handling errors.
The Lions’ tight five stood up manfully to their more fancied opponents, especially in the scrums, but in the end the Bulls proved to have too much on attack with inside centre Wynand Olivier at the heart of most of the home-side’s attacking endeavours.

Scores

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tries: Tiger Mangweni, Gerhard van den Heever. Penalties: Francois Brummer (3).

Xerox Lions – Try: Willem Alberts. Conversion: Herkie Kruger. Penalties: Kruger (2).

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 18 GWK Griquas 28

The shock result of the weekend was the one in Bloemfontein, where Griquas harried the Cheetahs (champions in 2007) out of their stride to score a Sarel Potgieter inspired victory in which they turned around an 18-7 deficit early in the second half to win by ten points courtesy of three well scored tries.

Scorers

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Lionel Mapoe, WP Nel. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2) .

GWK Griquas - Tries: Heinrich Stride, Sarel Pretorius, Barry Geel, Bjorn Basson. Conversions: Naas Olivier (4).

Boland 26 Platinum Leopards 18

The Boland Cavaliers held off the fast finishing Platinum Leopards to claim a 26-18 (halftime 23-8) win in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match at Boland Stadium in Wellington on Friday.
The Leopards scored two unconverted tries in the second half of the match, through left wing Bom Samaai, but the home-side held on to recorded their first win of the Currie Cup season.

Scorers

Boland Cavaliers – Tries: Deon Scholtz, Marnus Hugo. Conversions: Justin Peach (2) Penalties: Peach (4).

Platinum Leopards – Tries: Bom Samaai (2), Michael Bondesio. Penalty: Clayton Duraand.

ABSA Currie Cup Premier Div | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	GWK Griquas	1	1	0	28	18	10	4	2	1	5
2	Vodacom Western Province	1	1	0	29	15	14	2	0	0	4
3	Boland	1	1	0	26	18	8	2	3	0	4
4	Vodacom Blue Bulls	1	1	0	19	13	6	2	1	0	4
5	Xerox Lions	1	0	1	13	19	-6	1	2	1	1
6	Platinum Leopards	1	0	1	18	26	-8	3	2	0	0
7	Vodacom Free State Cheetahs	1	0	1	18	28	-10	2	4	0	0
8	Sharks	1	0	1	15	29	-14	0	2	0	0

Comments

2009-07-06T14:47:00.003+08:00

With the Currie Cup and the Tri-Nations coming up there's going to be a lot of blogging and cocking around for pictures and match videos required. I knew people from all over read the blog, but I never get any comments. Just the occasional vote on the poll...

This blog serves as a personal record of sorts to go back and look over past victories and losses and to reflect. However, I'm going to use this Currie Cup and Tri-Nations as a test. If I don't get any increase in reader activity wrt comments etc I'm going to consider ending my rugby blog. Reason being it takes a great deal of time, especially time I could rather be spending with my wife and son.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing it, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm just doing it for myself. Perhaps there are better sites and blogs out there with people who have more time on their hands.

Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Third Test: B&I Lions Vs Springboks - 4 July 2009

2009-07-06T13:45:00.009+08:00

The British and Irish Lions restored their pride by thumping the Springboks 28-9 in the third and final test of their tour at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. Paul O’Connell’s men gave a clinically committed performance against a disjointed and lethargic Springbok side to not only ensure that they would not be the first Lions to be whitewashed on a tour of South Africa but also match the record test score set by Willie John McBride’s 1974 side. Ironically the score, 28-9, exactly matched the score by which McBride’s Lions beat the Springboks in the second test at Loftus in 1974.
Although the Springboks had the satisfaction of winning the series by having taken the first two tests, Saturday’s comprehensive defeat will serve to highlight just how close it was. But should it have been?

The Boks’ coaches almost contrived to give it away in the first test in Durban, the only game in which John Smit’s men played anywhere near the standard they are capable of, and the second was only won thanks to Morné Steyn’s long-range penalty right at the death. Saturday’s comprehensive defeat provided the Lions with some statistical solace in that over the series they outscored the Boks by seven tries to five and by 74 points to 63; raising the question whether all is well in South Africa’s camp. There have been rumblings about the players’ dissatisfaction with their coaches and on Saturday the Boks certainly paid the price for the decision to make wholesale changes on the spurious grounds of giving certain players the chance to play against the Lions.

The Springbok management are certainly going to have to re-think the experiment of playing John Smit at tighthead prop, as hard and well as the skipper has tried to take it on, because it is disrupting the structure of the team and on Saturday the foundation of the Lions’ victory was laid in the scrums. That the Springboks could fall so far off their own standards is disturbing. There have been signs that the watertight defence of the Jake White era has sprung some leaks and the lack of cohesion on Saturday can’t simply be blamed on the changes.

Gavin Rich at Superrugby said it best:

The Springbok coaching staff might think they achieved something by making 10 changes for the final test at Ellis Park, but in reality it may just once more have exposed their inexperience.
Head coach Peter de Villiers, in justifying the selection decisions that contributed to his team’s humiliating 28-9 defeat, said that it had to be done so that he could be sure that the right players were playing in the first choice team.
“If we don’t try it how will we ever know?” was how De Villiers put it at the post-match press conference. The coach received some sympathy from some media people when he said that, but not from this one. There are many ways to skin a cat, or a Lion, and this was not the way to do it, and almost any experienced coach would be able to tell you that giving new players a chance by making wholesale changes to a team is not the way to go about it.
Indeed, it may be unfair to the players who come in, and probably was on Saturday, when instead of coming into a settled team, someone like new fullback Zane Kirchner found himself playing in a back three that was also new.
Giving Kirchner a chance while first choices Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, two players familiar with test rugby and the Springbok structures (not that there was much structure in this game), were present would have been fair. It would have conformed to the time-worn tradition of bleeding new players into a settled team, and thus giving them a proper chance of proving themselves.
It was the same story elsewhere. The selection of Jaque Fourie was a good one, but was it wise to start with Chiliboy Ralepelle on a day when the Boks were already going to be without Bakkies Botha and back-up locks Andries Bekker and Danie Rossouw in the tight five?
Bismarck du Plessis came on at half-time at Coca Cola Park, but by then the Lions had their momentum, and the flow of the game was set. Had he been on from the start, the Boks might have had a better chance of establishing some kind of physical presence against the Lions, something they abjectly failed to do and which played a big role in them losing the match.
Ralepelle, if he had to play, and there was merit in giving him a chance to get game time before the Tri-Nations, should have come on from the bench later in the game. And ditto for Ryan Kankowski, who had not played any rugby since the clash between an SA XV and a Namibian XV in Windhoek at the end of May and suddenly found himself playing against the Lions.
It was right to give Kankowski a chance, but again, maybe it should have been from the bench later in the match, when the game had opened up.
Making 10 changes was just too many, and while I agree that the Lions might have won this game anyway such was the passion with which they tackled the dead rubber, the South Africans would have had a much better chance with a more settled team.
And the game did matter if you consider the pre-series expectation from most critics that the Boks would win it 3-0. After all, the Bok camp kept telling us in the build-up week how important it was to win 3-0, how important it was to keep the winning momentum.
The changes suggested disrespect to the Lions, who also had a lot of changes but most of them forced by injury. They also suggested that the Lions series was not as big a thing as suggested in the hype. If it was such a big deal playing against opponents you only meet every 12 years, surely the Boks should have been trying to maximise their performance.
By John Smit’s own admission, the Boks never hit their buttons in either of the previous two tests, and after both they could consider themselves fortunate to win. If they wanted to carry any kind of momentum into the Tri-Nations, they needed to win the last game with a side similar to the one that had won the series.
There are three weeks remaining to the start of the Tri-Nations, so it was not as if the players needed to be rested. In fact, you could say that a four week gap, which is what Habana and Pietersen will have had when they next play, is too long. And there are three rounds of Currie Cup matches before then for fringe players like Jongi Nokwe to pick up any needed game-time.
Newcomers should have been bled into the team. Making 10 changes meant an entirely new team, and never gave the players who were tried out a proper chance. If De Villiers is suggesting when he says that he now knows who can and cannot play that the players who played on Saturday were not up to it, maybe he needs to accept that it was because he never gave them a proper chance.
A test match may have been sacrificed in pursuit of something that was never on in the first place. The winning momentum and winning habit that the Boks had was broken. Was it worth it?

Simon Shaw gets two-week ban

Simon Shaw was suspended for two weeks on Sunday for dangerous play after striking Springboks scrumhalf Fourie du Preez with his knee. Shaw was shown the yellow card and sent to the sinbin on Saturday by Australian referee Stuart Dickinson just before halftime at Ellis Park. The England second row appeared before judicial officer Alan Hudson of Canada at a hearing on Sunday and was found guilty. With the Lions tour now over and the domestic season not due to start until August, Shaw's ban will not begin until August 9 and finish August 22. The 35-year-old lock forward, who added more power to the Lions pack in both the second and third tests, challenged Du Preez while chasing a kick ahead and fell on top of the Springbok, who was left dazed and lying on the turf. Du Preez was able to continue, but was later replaced by Ruan Pienaar.

Jamie Roberts is Lions' player of series

Centre Jamie Roberts, who was absent from the third Test against South Africa because of injury, has been named as the HSBC Player of the Series for the British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa. The vote was made by members of the British and Irish media who have followed the tour which ended 2-1 to the South Africans. Roberts played alongside Brian O'Driscoll in the centre during the tour which finished on Saturday with a Lions victory in Johannesburg.
Speaking on his award Roberts said he was delighted to be named as the HSBC Player of the Series.
"This tour has been a brilliant experience and I would like to dedicate this award to the hard work and effort put in by a lot of people in the squad and management."

Roberts led the voting which was done after each of the ten matches on the Tour. In second place was Simon Shaw followed by Tommy Bowe.

Third Test: Springboks 9 - 28 British & Irish Lions

Scorers were:

South Africa (6) 9: Morné Steyn kicked three penalties.

British & Irish Lions (15) 28: Tries by Shane Williams (24min & 32 min), Ugo Monye (53min). Stephen Jones kicked two conversions and three penalties.

Team | Springboks vs B&I Lions - 04 July

Replacements
Pos	Player	Team
1	Tendai Mtawarira	Sharks
2	Chiliboy Ralepelle	Blue Bulls
3	John Smit	Sharks
4	Johann Muller	Sharks
5	Victor Matfield	Blue Bulls
6	Heinrich Brussouw	Cheetahs
7	Juan Smith	Cheetahs
8	Ryan Kankowski	Sharks
9	Fourie du Preez	Blue Bulls
10	Morne Steyn	Blue Bulls
11	Jongi Nokwe	Cheetahs
12	Wynand Olivier	Blue Bulls
13	Jaque Fourie	Lions
14	Odwa Ndungane	Sharks
15	Zane Kirchner	Blue Bulls
16	Bismarck du Plessis	Sharks
17	Gurthro Steenkamp	Blue Bulls
18	Deon Carstens	Sharks
19	Steven Sykes	Sharks
20	Pierre Spies	Blue Bulls
21	Ruan Pienaar	Sharks
22	Francois Steyn	Sharks

British & Irish Lions Team that faced South Africa on 04 July 2009:

1. Andrew Sheridan
2. Matthew Rees
3. Phil Vickery
4. Simon Shaw
5. Paul O'Connell Captain
6. Joe Worsley
7. Martyn Williams
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Mike Phillips
10. Stephen Jones
11. Shane Williams
12. Riki Flutey
13. Tommy Bowe
14. Ugo Monye
15. Rob Kearney

Replacements:

16. Ross Ford
17. John Hayes
18. Alun-Wyn Jones
19. David Wallace
20. Tom Croft
21. Harry Ellis
22. James Hook

From Mahala.co.za

2009-07-04T00:22:00.003+08:00

An interesting article I saw by Andy Davis of www.mahala.co.za entitled:

Not The Most Amazing Coach

Let’s be honest for a minute here, Peter De Villiers is not a world class rugby coach. Yes, yes, pipe down all you new dispensation, upwards-managing, pro social engineering, politically-correct arselickers. And stop applauding over there you overzealous, unreformed white racist fucks. This is not about race. This is about talent. I’d love to see a black man, or woman, rise to the position of Springbok rugby coach on merit alone. Imagine a black rugby messiah, with the mental agility of Steve Biko, the oratory skills and diplomatic finesse of Mandela and the strategic nous and ruthless streak of Shaka Zulu… but let’s just admit that Peter De Villiers is not that guy. Hell Jake White wasn’t that guy either.

The truth is Peter De Villiers would struggle to land a job coaching a good Kiwi, French, Australian or British high provincial team. He might stand a chance of finding gainful employment in Canadian rugby, but he certainly should not be in charge of the most talented crop of rugby players to emerge in several generations of South African rugby. But he is, because of some misguided thinking that the vast majority of South Africans care more about the colour of the coach’s skin than winning test matches.

Now the trouble with piling into PDV, is that he seems like a nice bloke. A funny oom you’d dig to sink a few beers with around the braai and hear some of the inside stories. He commands neither respect nor authority. I have studied the man, his team selections, bizarre substitutions, PR gaffes, that sex scandal and those edge-of-your-seat-because-he’s-about-to-utter-something-both-stiltifyingly-stupid-and-outrageously-dof press conferences. I can safely opine that his only real qualification for the job is that he has the snor of a 1970s Rhodesian maths teacher. And while such things as carefully trimmed lip hair and the right skin-tone might substitute as qualification for the political brown-nosers who run SARU, I would just like to remind everyone that the whole point of sport is to choose those with the most skill and talent available and let them compete against the very best specimens that other nations can assemble. It’s a placebo for war. It’s fucking important. It saves us from running and massacring each other with bayonets. And the coach, the general, should be selected on the same criteria of excellence. In a coach we need someone to mold all these talents into a single-minded match winning machine. A leader able to pick the right players and strategy, deflect the media’s gaze, manage the conflicting political forces and galvanize and direct the nation’s discourse in support of the team. But somewhere along the arc of recent South African history something got lost in the transition and ‘representation’ became more important than merit. We won the World Cup in 1995 and the old boere sport unified the nation. All of a sudden sport was more important than winning, it was about representation and nation-building. Window dressing soon replaced substance. And then the whole thing got muddled as old white racists and new black racists started pursuing their agendas and using rugby players as pawns. Miraculously we seem to have come through this dark period with the brightest crop of Boks in the game’s history - many of them with higher levels of melanin in their skin - all chosen on merit. Wow. And then SARU foists upon us, and them, a great big token shaped mustachioed buffoon as the coach.
Now just in case you think I’m being unfair, let me state my case, in relation to this most remarkable Lions game last weekend.

1. How can you promote Schalk Burger back into the starting line-up when he has long since lost the form that propelled him to the IRB player of the year in 2006, at the expense of Heinrich Brussow, our most dangerous weapon at the breakdown and probably the best open side flanker in world rugby at the moment. And while we’re at it, let’s just destroy the myth that Schalk Burger is ‘an incredible talent’. He’s not. He’s a dirty shit who has slowly substituted his dynamic form for underhanded skullduggery and is still banking on his waning reputation from that incredible 2006 season. He was invisible for the 70 odd-minutes he played on Saturday, and he is just not the same player after breaking his neck against Scotland. And never again will be. Send him back to the wine farm with his 50 test caps and his self-congratulatory celebrity vintage.

2. The fact that Heinrich Brussow was only introduced into the side when reserve Danie ‘The Battering Horse’ Russouw staggered off on wobbly legs after clashing heads with Brian O’Driscoll. Who knows if or when Brussow would have been introduced had circumstance not forced De Villiers hand. The Boks would have lost. De Villiers is a chump. We just got lucky.

3. Adi Jacobs has been woeful all season, but our man with the moustache subbed inside centre Jean De Villiers for outside centre Jaque Fourie. All credit to Jaque Fourie for taking his opportunity, but it’s ridiculous that a player like Fourie can’t get into the starting line-up while Jacobs struggles with his form, and his defence, game after game.

4. Andries Bekker is not Bakkies Botha. No one offers the same kind of physicality as Bakkies. So swapping Bakkies for Bekker is like putting two Victor Matfield’s on the field. Only Bekker is not as good as Victor Matfield either.

5. Need I mention Ricky Januarie? What about that old one about the sex tape. And whatever happened to Luke Watson?

6. The fact that we’ve been winning test matches is a testament to how good our players are. This bunch of players have learned to win in spite of their coaches - not because of them.

Now while we can all revel in the fact that we smashed the British Lions in the most painful way possible, that we gave them hope of a win and then snuffed it out in the last second, that we won a game we really should have lost, that raw talent pipped steely logic. I am left to wonder, is this just what it’s like to support South African sports teams. Will our players always not only have to confront and overcome the opposition but their own coaching staff, the administrators and the politicians. Does that not make our victories, albeit rare, more incredible and enjoyable? Perhaps it does. There is certainly a part of me that wants to sit back and revel in this ad hoc and fortuitous victory. But another part of me yearns for the predictable, clockwork glory of the All Blacks, because we certainly have the players to win every rugby game for the next 5 years.
But it’s not as if PDV is oblivious, as he recently said, echoing Mohammed Ali, in a press conference.
“If I’m the weakest link then we are bloody strong. I’m a God-given talent. I am the best I can be. I know what I am and I don’t give a damn”.

I couldn't agree more. Well said, Andy!

Fall out of the Second Test

2009-07-03T22:34:00.003+08:00

British and Irish Lions Camp

Coach Ian McGeechan was left to rue another lost opportunity after his British and Irish Lions suffered a heartbreaking last-minute defeat at the hands of South Africa on Saturday. Having lost last week's opener by five points, the Lions looked set to level the three-match series when they deservedly led 19-8 with 17 minutes to play, only for the Springboks to hit back and triumph 28-25 with Morne Steyn's 80th-minute penalty from inside his own half.

"I've just said to the guys that I'm incredibly proud of them and that they did not deserve to be 2-0 down; today was a tremendous performance," McGeechan told a news conference.
"It was the same as last week -- another opportunity lost. We played some great rugby, especially in the first half. The injuries disrupted our second-half performance but I'm disappointed that we gave South Africa an opportunity."

The Lions will be without first-choice props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones for Saturday's final test against South Africa after both underwent surgery on injuries sustained in Saturday's defeat.
Lions doctor James Robson had a very long list of injuries and said that Brian O'Driscoll (concussion), Jamie Roberts (arm), Tommy Bowe (elbow) and Ronan O'Gara (cut eye) would all be monitored during the week before the team for the Ellis Park test is named on Thursday.

"It certainly was a fairly brutal game," Robson told journalists.
"As the casualty list goes it is not something I am happy with. To lose two of our most colourful characters in Gethin and Adam is distressing. Gethin has had a plastic plate inserted. The timescale for his recovery is six to eight weeks.
"We couldn't get Adam's shoulder to pop back in at the stadium and he was required to go to theatre. He will be subject to further investigation and specialist opinion.
"Brian is very much alert and conscious today but he is subject to the usual return to play protocol."

The Schalk Burger incident and the furore that blew up because of it has incensed the British and Irish Lions, but they have promised that it will have no bearing on their approach to the final test against the Springboks at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

“We were upset by the Springbok coach’s comments as they were crass and there’s absolutely no place in the game for eye gouging,” said Rowntree at a press conference in Johannesburg on Moday.
“How a player can think he could get away with that is beyond me. I don’t know what make a guy want to do that. That said, we have a highly professional squad. As far as we are concerned, the issue is done and dusted, and our frustrations won’t spill over into the match.”

When it was suggested that De Villiers might just have been standing by his player, which most coaches would do, Rowntree responded that what Burger did was indefensible.
While the Lions won’t be going out to rough up the Boks physically, they remain committed to beating the Boks, even though the chances of doing what they came to South Africa to do, win the series, are gone. “We are battered and bruised physically and emotionally but we must go on,” he said. “We probably don’t deserve to be 2-0 down in this series, and we were gutted last week that it had to go to uncontested scrums. But while it may be true that we are held together by elastoplasts at the moment, we feel we still have plenty in the tank and would like to end this tour with a win.”

Springbok Camp

Even without the Burger incident, there were several other occasions in the game where it got, to put mildly, quite tempestuous at Loftus, and the hard, physical nature of the Springbok approach was partly blamed afterwards for the high injury count on the Lions side. At the same time, the Lions were not angelic in their approach either, and loosehead prop Andy Sheridan was fortunate not face censure for his blatant attack on Andries Bekker's groin area.

Both teams may have reason to allow the testosterone to dominate in the build-up, but Lions forwards coach Graham Rowntree says a desire to exact revenge by responding in kind will not feature in the Lions build-up to the last game of this ten-match tour.

South Africa rugby coach Peter de Villiers refused to change his outspoken ways but said on Thursday he would walk into the Lions changing room and congratulate rival Ian McGeechan if the Springboks lost the final test.
But De Villiers has angered the Lions by apparently condoning Schalk Burger's eye-gouging of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald in last Saturday's series-clinching 28-25 Springboks victory in Pretoria. The flanker was sent to the sinbin and wound up with an eight-week suspension.

Although he and South Africa's Rugby Union later issued an apology and said eye-gouging should not be part of the game, he then said that if rough play were taken out of rugby, it would resemble a ballet performance.
"There was a lot said. I think it was too much," De Villiers said on Thursday. "I think we must move on to the next test."

Moron, or Savant? Misunderstood or the drunken uncle that should preferably be kept in the outhouse when folks come round for tea?

There has also been a dispute, however, over whether McGeechan congratulated De Villiers after Saturday's game at Loftus Versfeld.
According to the Lions, their head coach offered his congratulations after Saturday's game but the South African media reported De Villiers as saying it didn't happen.
"It's our word against theirs," he said at Thursday's team announcement.
"The South African media have already made me out to be a liar. Let's see who wins the third test and, if they do, I'll go in to their changing room and give Ian McGeechan my congratulations."

De Villiers, who is non-white and has campaigned strongly to get more non-white players into a Springbok team dominated by white players, was a controversial choice to succeed World Cup-winning coach Jake White in January 2008 and has made headlines with some of his outspoken comments.
"I won't change my style," he said. "If I change my style I change Peter de Villiers and I go back to God and say 'you made a bad job."'

De Villiers said that he had reacted to some of the "negative" media from Britain.
"What I learned is that, if they can't beat you they try and assert their superiority in other ways," he said in reference to the British and Irish media following the Lions tour.
"I won't change myself. What I will do is keep my feet on the ground, be humble and be a good servant of this game."

Well, they can always fire him. But I doubt we'd be that lucky...

While the Schalk Burger incident has hogged the headlines this entire week, the disciplinary hearing ruling that the Boks were really angered by was the one on Botha. The big lock was banned for two weeks for dangerous play following what looked like a hard but regular and lawful clean-out at a ruck during the 28-25 win over the British and Irish Lions in the second test.

“We’re angry with the outcome of the appeal. I just hope and pray that Bakkies has been victimised (in this instance), and that this is not the way the game is going,” said Smit.
“The players are happy to stand against a ruling like this and I’ve had calls from a few referees saying we must stand against it. We’ve been supported by the Lions management and players an also by players around the world. A ruling like this has the potential to set a precedent to ruin this great game of ours. It’s ludicrous.
“We have to believe Bakkies has been victimised. Otherwise you could take 15 to 20 clips from every test and ban guys for clearing from the ruck. It’s a scary scenario.”

Smit reiterated the general view that Botha’s clean-out was legal and even a text-book example of how it should be done.
“Bakkies has come from behind the gate and used his arms to clear Jones away. It’s unfortunate that Jones’s arm was stuck in the ruck and he got injured. A moment earlier Matthew Rees cleared Bakkies away in similar fashion. We accept that this is the nature of the game.”

Second Test: B&I Lions Vs Springboks - 27 June 2009

2009-07-03T21:57:00.003+08:00

Morné Steyn kicked a penalty from his own half to secure not only victory in the second test but also the series for the Springboks over the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. But this was only after the Springboks mounted a phenomenal fightback in the last quarter of an amazing test match. Steyn’s kick, from 53.7 metres and right in front, gave John Smit’s men a 28-25 victory that for a long time seemed out of their reach. Once again, a test win due to the caliber of the players, and not the head coach or the selectors who almost conspired to give it all away.

The tourists’ scrum woes of Durban were but a distant memory and, with Brian O’Driscoll their conductor, set out to play a varied and expansive game to exploit the Springboks’ defensive frailties that they had shown up in the first test. The Lions brought to bear the full repertoire of tactics, taking it wide, then applying the pick-and-go, then sniping around the fringes, then kicking tactically and O’Driscoll constantly had the Boks chasing the game with his ability to draw players onto him, set up others or suddenly make the play himself.
Burger’s moment of madness at the first riotous clash seemed to set the tone for a match that had it all -- from stunning tries, bone-jarring collisions, angry confrontations, horrible injuries to uncontested scrums. Burger, whether it was the large blotches of scarlet in the Loftus ramparts or simple determination to, in his 50th test, make the kind of impact he was selected to do, not only threw his teammates out of kilter but probably ended his involvement in the series when the red mist descended. Burger’s momentary derangement occurred in the 32nd second and it meant the Boks were down to 14 men and under the gun from the start.
The Lions, taking full advantage of Burger's untimely and costly absence, made all the psychological statements of intent and also demonstrated that if it was to be physical they were up for that too. The Boks were just not in it. The swarming defence of the Jake White years was nowhere to be seen as they constantly allowed Lions to make too many yards, they were slow to the breakdown, they missed first-time tackles, lost control of the ball in contact, failed to clean out the ever-present red-shirted loiterers, had more retreat than go-forward and were too quick to put boot to ball -- and then not very effectively either.

Ruan Pienaar missed two penalty attempts and the restive crowed were beginning to chant for the introduction of Morné Steyn -- especially when the darling of Loftus was seen to get up from the bench along with Jaque Fourie. The Boks coaches, however, resisted bringing on the goal-kicker, or Heinrich Brüssow, and inexplicably instead sent on Andries Bekker and Danie Rossouw for Botha and Smith. And the pair had hardly jogged into position or another bizarre occurrence resulted which would work in favour of the Boks. O’Driscoll and Rossouw crashed head on, like mountain goats, and the big Springbok was left reeling like a prize fighter who had taken a punch to the jaw. It was clear that Rossuw, who had been on for just three minutes, could not continue and off the bench came Free State’s pocket battleship Brüssow.
However none of the trio had a hand in the next skirmish that holed the Lions below the waterline. A scrum (uncontested) went down with the Boks putting the ball in, Pierre Spies exploded off the back, Du Preez drifted to take his pass and Bryan Habana flashed in and straight through and under posts for his 33rd test try -- the Boks being lucky not to be blown up for crossing. Steyn’s conversion would be his first points in the Springbok jersey, making the score 15-19, and before the final whistle sounded he would be in double figures.

Because this was such an unbelievable test, here's the blow by blow run of play:

1 Jones starts the match for the Lions. Matfield gathers the ball just outside his 22 and the Boks immediately launch a maul upfield.
1 Schalk Burger Yellow Card - Burger is called out for eye-gouging and is sent off with a yellow.
3 Stephen Jones Penalty - The Boks concede two penalties in quick succession. Jones slots the second one and the visitors have the early lead.
5 O `Driscoll starts a little dust-up with Matfield and a number of players quickly join. No clear blows can be seen, and a penalty to the Boks is enough to end the silly stuff.
7 Robert (Rob) Kearney Try - Bryan Habana predictably goes for an intercept on defence. He misses and the Lions have three players clear on the right. Kearney steps past Steyn and scores the opening try.
8 Stephen Jones Conversion - Jones adds the conversion.
12 JP Pietersen Try - The Boks win quick lineout ball and Pietersen joins the line at an angle. He is straight through to score next to the uprights.
13 Ruan Pienaar Missed Conversion - Pienaar misses from almost right in front.
16 Stephen Jones Penalty - The Boks are offside at a defensive ruck and Jones has another easy shot at goal. He adds the three.
18 The Boks feed the first scrum of the match just five short of the line. The Lions scrum gets the Bok frontrow to pop and win a penalty. It's all Lions at this stage.
23 Francois Steyn Missed Penalty - Shaw lands a high tackle on Smit. Steyn lines up the resulting penalty from 52 metres out. He strikes the ball well, but it misses to the right.
26 Robert (Rob) Kearney Missed Drop Goal - Kearney attempts a drop from inside his half. His kick is short and to the right.
36 Stephen Jones Drop Goal - The Lions take the ball through more than a dozen phases but can't breach the Bok defence. Jones hangs back a bit and slots a drop.

40 Francois Steyn Penalty - Steyn lines up another long kick at goal. This time he gets it over and the halftime whistle goes.
45 The Boks take the ball through more than five phases for the first time in the match. The defence starts to show cracks when the Boks lose the ball in contact. It's not much, but the Boks can take some heart from this.
49 Ruan Pienaar Missed Penalty - The Boks win a penalty after a high tackle on Burger. Pienaar lines up this one and misses it to the right again. The Boks can't afford to miss kicks like this.
53 Ruan Pienaar Missed Penalty - Pienaar misses his third kick of the match. The Boks could have been in the lead by now. Time to bring on Morne Steyn?
61 Stephen Jones Penalty - John Smit plays a ball that he believes is out of a ruck. He is blown up and Jones will have a go at goal. He slots it comfortably.
63 Habana Try - The Boks win a scrum on the 22 and again a clever move bringing the blindside wing in works. This time it is Habana who goes over for the try.
64 Morné Steyn Conversion - Morne Steyn scores his first test points.
68 Morné Steyn Penalty
70 Stephen Jones Penalty - Burger is caught offside and Jones slots another easy penalty.
74 Jaque Fourie Try - The Boks take the ball wide and beat the charging Lions defence. Fourie gets on the right wing and bumps off two tackles before dotting down right in the corner. A brilliant try, and the tmo agrees!
75 Morné Steyn Conversion - Steyn adds the conversion from the touchline. The Boks lead by three.
77 Stephen Jones Penalty - Jones stands up from an injury to slot another difficult penalty attempt. The scores are level with two minutes left on the clock.
79 Morné Steyn Missed Drop Goal
80 Steyn Penalty
80 Steyn has a kick from five metres within his own half to win the series. He strikes it well and Loftus erupts as the ball flies over the crossbar. The final whistle goes and the Boks win the series!

It's amazing how with the edition of Morne Steyn, Heinrich Brussouw and Jaques Fourie the entire game changed. Interesting that these were three of the four players (Zane Kirchner being the other one) that critics and supporters alike had been baying for weeks to be included in the starting line-up.
Fact is, PDV almost cost the Boks the test. Had it not been for some interesting injuries the Boks may very well not have pulled it off.

The Springbok team for the second Test against the British & Irish Lions is (Test caps in brackets):

15. Frans Steyn (28)
14. JP Pietersen (25)
13. Adi Jacobs (22)
12. Jean de Villiers (47)
11. Bryan Habana (47)
10. Ruan Pienaar (28)
9. Fourie du Preez (44)
8. Pierre Spies (20)
7. Juan Smith (55)
6. Schalk Burger (49)
5. Victor Matfield (81)
4. Bakkies Botha (56)
3. John Smit (82) – Captain
2. Bismarck du Plessis (22)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (11)

Reserves:
16. Chiliboy Ralepelle (3)
17. Deon Carstens (8)
18. Andries Bekker (14)
19. Danie Rossouw (37)
20. Heinrich Brüssow (2)
21. Jaque Fourie (43)
22. Morné Steyn (1)

Scorers were:

South Africa (8) 28: Tries by JP Pietersen (11 min), Bryan Habana (62 min), Jaque Fourie (73 min). Francois Steyn kicked a penalty and Morné Steyn two conversions and two penalties.

B&I Lions (16) 25: Try by Rob Kearney (6 min). Stephen Jones kicked a conversion, five penalties and a dropped goal.

B&I Lions vs Emerging Springboks - 23 June 2009

2009-06-25T15:32:00.002+08:00

A magnificent try by Danwel Demas on the stroke of fulltime and a touchline conversion in pelting rain by Willem de Waal gave the Emerging Springboks a thrilling 13-13 draw against the Lions at Newlands on Tuesday night. The Emerging Boks had trailed the whole way. 10-0 after 15 minutes; 10-3 at halftime; 10-6 after 49 minutes, but a penalty by James Hook, in an uncanny replay of the sequence that gave the tourists a win over Western Province, in the 77th minute seemed to secure the Lions’ 100% record outside the test matches. However, the up-and-coming Springboks showed that they are made from the same stuff as their older brothers as they mounted a big effort to snatch a share of the spoils.

The Boks moved the ball from deep and were awarded a penalty when the Lions joined a maul off-sides. Earl Rose won a superb touch five metres from the Lions line on the left-hand side of the field and the Lions were unable to stop the next compelling bid for glory. Tiaan Liebenberg threw the ball deep to Duane Vermeulen who spun and fed Franco van der Merwe on the loop. The replacement lock was stopped to the left of the posts and when the ball came back Heini Adams fed Werner Kruger and Jacques Botes to drive in unison and when the ball emerged again Adams let De Waal have it and the flyhalf spun a beautiful skip-pass to his right to send Demas hurtling over the line. The try was scored in 79:51 right in the corner and De Waal’s conversion, already wide out and difficult, was made even harder when he was hit by a rain squall as he was placing the ball. But the 31-year-old former Cheetah, who these days plies his trade at Newlands, focused hard and put the purest of strikes on the ball to send it securely between the uprights to secure a moment which will be savoured by his young teammates for the rest of their careers.

Scorers were:

Emerging Springboks (3) 13: Try by Danwel Demas (80 min). Earl Rose kicked two penalties and Willem de Waal a conversion.

British Lions (10) 13: Try by Keith Earls (14 min). Ronan O’Gara kicked a conversion and a penalty and James Hook a penalty.

The Bok side for the second test has been announced and looks as follows:

Team | Springboks vs B&I Lions - 27 June

Replacements
Pos	Player	Team
1	Tendai Mtawarira	Sharks
2	Bismarck du Plessis	Sharks
3	John Smit	Sharks
4	Bakkies Botha	Blue Bulls
5	Victor Matfield	Blue Bulls
6	Schalk Burger	Western Province
7	Juan Smith	Cheetahs
8	Pierre Spies	Blue Bulls
9	Fourie du Preez	Blue Bulls
10	Ruan Pienaar	Sharks
11	Bryan Habana	Blue Bulls
12	Jean de Villiers	Western Province
13	Adrian Jacobs	Sharks
14	JP Pietersen	Sharks
15	Frans Steyn	Sharks
16	Chiliboy Ralepelle	Blue Bulls
17	Deon Carstens	Sharks
18	Andries Bekker	Western Province
19	Danie Rossouw	Blue Bulls
20	Heinrich Brussow	Cheetahs
21	Jaque Fourie	Lions
22	Morne Steyn	Blue Bulls

Interestingliy, and rightly so, Januarie has been left out. But what I find baffling is that only two backs have been included on the bench and that a just back from injury Burger is in the starting line-up. Sure, on form he's a great player, but wouldn't it have been better to start him as a sub? And how the hell is Adrian Jacobs still starting ahead of Jacques Fourie?

First Test: B&I Lions Vs Springboks - 20 June 2009

2009-06-25T15:00:00.004+08:00

The Springboks did enough in an impressive first 50 minutes to claim the all-important first test victory, 26-21, over the Lions in Durban on Saturday, but came close to throwing it away in an alarming final quarter. But this sort of thing is becoming typical of the PDV era, and I expect it's only a matter of time before the players can't carry his ineptitude anymore. Unless of course you count the loss of the Tri-Nations in 2008, that the Boks really should have won. And I can't help but shake the feeling that this year's Tri-Nations is going to go very badly for South Africa.

The Boks led 26-7 after 47 minutes as they made the Lions look ordinary but then the South African coaches seemed intent on committing hara-kiri as they sent on a slew of replacements that had the effect of completely changing the tide of the game. It started with Peter de Villiers drawing the thorn from the Lions’ paws in the shape of Heinrich Brüssow and replacing him with a completely different type of player in Danie Rossouw. Rossouw for Brüssow and then in quick succession Jaque Fourie replaced Jean de Villiers (instead of the seemingly obvious change for Adi Jacobs) and Andries Bekker for Bakkies Botha. There was the immediate shock of the Boks struggling at a scrum for the first time in the game and instead of responding to the warning signs the Boks started to clear the bench -- taking off Mtawarira and, of all people, captain John Smit and also pulling off Fourie de Preez to roll out Ricky Januarie. And in an inkling the go forward was gone as the Lions mounted a valiant effort to try to claw back the 19-point deficit.

Small wonder the Lions, far from being despondent, afterwards spoke confidently of their chances of squaring the series in Pretoria next week.

But on a positive note, the first 50 minutes was awesome. Brüssow’s try soon after the re-start seemed to end the contest before Messrs De Villiers, Muir and Gold conspired to nearly give it all away. The Springbok forwards, while the starting pack were on the field and their lungs were filled with air, were superb. The Beast destroyed seasoned campaigner Vickery, and the set-pieces were completely dominated by the Bok forwards.

Those who questioned the qualifications of Ricky Januarie to even be in the group received plenty of ammunition -- the scrumhalf contributing to a few anxious moments for Morné Steyn during the few minutes that represented the Bulls flyhalf’s Springbok debut. The first pass Steyn ever received as a Bok was while standing one metre from his own dead-ball line as the Boks were defending their own line and he had to scoop the ball up off the ground as Du Preez’s pass was impeded and the next time was when he reached high to take a dreadful, looped pass from Januarie.

Scorers:
South Africa - Tries: John Smit, Heindrich Brussow. Conevrsions: Ruan Pienaar (2). Penalties: Pienaar (3), Francois Steyn..
British & Irish Lions - Tries: Thomas Croft (2), Michael Phillips. Conversiosn: Stephen Jones (3).

Sadly, after the match the B&I Lions bitching started.
Baffled by decisions they believe helped the Springboks to a 26-21 victory at Kings Park on Saturday, the Lions will this week talk to referees to find out why prop forward Phil Vickery, one of the most experience front rows in the game, continually got whistled by New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence and gave Boks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar repeated kicks at goal.
The Lions took Vickery off, partly because he was being outshoved by Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira and partly because referee Lawrence was penalising him in what appeared yet another case of interpretation of the rules.

"He was saying that Phil was constantly going in," said Lions captain and lock forward Paul O'Connell, whose team now needs to win next week's second test at Pretoria to level the series ahead of the final game at Johannesburg July 4. "I didn't think so. It's hard to see how Phil, a very experienced prop who has played rugby a long time at the top of the game, could be making the same mistake four or five times is beyond me. Every time he seemed to be reffing us and not them."

Honestly, the were well beaten in the forwards, regardless of how much they want to bitch about refs and rules. If I was them I'd look at the real issue. Jacobs is out of his depth and the (IMHO) the Lions have a better center pairing and should use it to break through the backline. Put pressure on the Bok centers and eventually the tries will come. De Villiers can't cover his side and Jacobs the entire game. But as a Bok fan I hope they don't figure that one out.

TEAMS

Springboks: Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Adrian Jacobs, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Beast Mtwarira.

Replacements: Gurthro Steenkamp, Deon Carstens, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ricky Januarie, Morne Steyn, Jaque Fourie.

British and Irish Lions: Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Jamie Roberts, Ugo Monye, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace, Tom Croft, Paul O’Connell (captain), Alun-Wyn Jones, Phil Vickery, Lee Mears, Gethin Jenkins.

Replacements: Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Donncha O’Callaghan, Martyn Williams, Harry Ellis, Ronan O’Gara, Rob Kearney.

Referee: Bryce Lawrence.

B&I Lions vs Southern Kings - 16 June 2009

2009-06-25T14:50:00.002+08:00

The Southern Kings gave the Lions a right royal shake-up as they went down 8-20 to the British & Irish tourists in their match at the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. Which was completely the opposite of what I thought would happen.

The Kings might have been drawn from all corners of the country, indeed from the world, and had little time to prepare but they responded to the gauntlet thrown down by the Lions, when they named a macro pack in their effort to grind out a sixth successive win, with gusto. There was an edginess reminiscent of the old days at Boet Erasmus Stadium as blood flowed and players went down bruised as the Kings climbed in with disregard to their own physical well-being. Gordon D’Arcy was flattened by Frikkie Welsh in the third minute, leaving the tackled man shaken and the tackler bleeding, a cut appeared on the cheek of Nathan Hines and the tourists were forced to make two replacements within 12 minutes with prop Adam Jones coming on for Euan Murray and Ronan O’Gara substituting James Hook.

Scorers were:

Southern Kings (3) : Try by Mpho Mbiyozo (71 min). Jaco van der Westhuyzen kicked a penalty.

Lions (3) 20: Try by Ugo Monye (50 min), Penalty Try (69 min). Ronan O’Gara kicked two penalties and two conversions.

British And Irish Lions Tour to South Africa 2009

2009-06-16T14:38:00.002+08:00

Well, part of why I've been so lax in posting since the Super 14 Semi Finals is the B&I Lions. I have fantasy league teams and tipping to do, not once, but twice a week! Great fun, but takes a bit of time away from other things like blogging. Another reasons I wouldn't mind doing this for a living!

Ok, so here's a summary of the results so far with video I've managed to find on Youtube. Enjoy.

30 May 2009 - Royal XV 25 vs 37 B&I Lions

3 June 2009 - Xerox Golden Lions 10 vs 74 B&I Lions

6 June 2009 - Cheetahs 24 vs 26 B&I Lions

10 June 2009 - Sharks 3 vs 39 B&I Lions

13 June 2009 - Vodacom Western Province 23 vs 26 B&I Lions

The next game is tonight at 9pm (GMT+8), or 3pm local South African time. The teams are as follows:

SOUTHERN KINGS: Tiger Mangweni; Wylie Human, Frikkie Welsh, De Wet Barry (v-capt), Matthew Turner; Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Francois Hougaard; Darron Nell, Mpho Mbiyozo, Solly Tyibilika, Marco Wentzel, Ross Skeate, Ruan Vermeulen, Derrick Kuün (capt), Jaco Engels.

Reserves: Delarey du Preez, Dean Greyling, Lungelo Payi, Dries van Schalkwyk, Josh Fowles, Bevin Fortuin, Mzwandile Stick.

BRITISH LIONS: Keith Earls; Shane Williams, Riki Flutey, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; James Hook, Mike Blair; Andy Powell, Joe Worsley, Nathan Hines, Donncha O’Callaghan (capt), Simon Shaw, Euan Murray, Ross Ford, Andrew Sheridan.

Reserves: Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Tom Croft, David Wallace, Harry Ellis, Ronan O’Gara, Ugo Monye.

The only quality players in the Southern Kings line-up are British wing Matt Turner, Tiger Mangweni, Mzwandile Stick, Derick Kuun and Jaco Engels. The rest are all has beens and never weres trying to prop up a very flimsy bid for a sixth South African team in the Super 14. If the Lions don't route this lot by a huge margin they're going to be up against it in the first test.
A sixth South African team in the Super 14 is such a laughable concept with three out of five sides perrenially in the bottom six (with at least one or two SA sides always right at the bottom), and this hodge podge side of players who should only see the inside of a rugby stadium from the stands only serves to underline that fact.

But what do I know? Perhaps the Kings will be King tonight. But if that happens I reckon I'm still in with a shot to marry Jessica Biel.

Revisting my Super 14 All Black and Wallaby Squads

2009-06-16T13:50:00.006+08:00

Remember the squads I put up from players I thought did best over the course of the Super 14 and who should make their respective national sides?

Super 14 All Black XV

1 Chris King (Highlanders)
2 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs)
3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes)
4 Jeremy Thrush (Hurricanes)
5 Jason Eaton (Hurricanes)
6 Liam Messam (Chiefs)
7 Adam Thomson (Highlanders)
8 Thomas Waldrom (Crusaders)
9 Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders)
10 Daniel Bowden (Highlanders)
11 Tamati Ellison (Hurricanes)
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 Isaia Toeava (Blues)
14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)
15 Mils Muliaina (Chiefs)

This was my All Black side. The selectors decided to go with this side to face France in the first test. Score: France 27 -22 All Blacks.

New Zealand vs France - Dunedin 2009

All Blacks vs France:

1-Tony Woodcock, 2-Andrew Hore, 3-Neemia Tialata, 4-Brad Thorn, 5-Isaac Ross, 6-Kieran Read, 7-Adam Thomson, 8-Liam Messam, 9-Jimmy Cowan, 10-Stephen Donald, 11-Cory Jane, 12-Ma'a Nonu, 13-Isaia Toeava, 14-Joe Rokocoko, 15-Mils Muliaina (captain)

Reserves: 16-Keven Mealamu, 17-John Afoa, 18-Bryn Evans, 19-Tanerau Latimer, 20-Piri Weepu, 21-Luke McAlister, 22-Leila Masaga

Differences to my selection marked in italics. The All Blacks looked very skittish, and to quote a New Zealand mate I was watching the game with, "They seem a bit undercooked..."
I dunno, perhaps they should've gone with my team!

This is the team (with four changes) for the second test:

All Blacks vs France; Second Test - 15-Mils Muliaina (captain), 14-Cory Jane, 13-Conrad Smith, 12-Ma'a Nonu, 11-Joe Rokocoko, 10-Stephen Donald, 9-Jimmy Cowan, 8-Kieran Read, 7-Tanerau Latimer, 6-Jerome Kaino, 5-Isaac Ross, 4-Brad Thorn, 3-Neemia Tialata, 2-Keven Mealamu, 1-Tony Woodcock.

Replacements: 16-Aled de Malmanche, 17-John Afoa, 18-Bryn Evans, 19-George Whitelock, 20-Piri Weepu, 21-Luke McAlister, 22-Isaia Toeava

Well, at least Aled de Malmanche has come onto the bench. I think the second test will go the All Blacks way. The first test of the season is always a tough one, and I think the Aussies have a better season starting with the Barbarians and the Italy. Starting against France is a tough ask.

Super 14 Wallaby XV

1 Benn Robinson (NSW)
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW)
3 Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
4 Nathan Sharpe (Force)
5 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
6 Phil Waugh (NSW)
7 George Smith (Brumbies)
8 Wycliff Palu (NSW)
9 Will Genia (Reds)
10 Matt Giteau (Force)
11 Lote Tuqiri (NSW)
12 Berrick Barnes (Reds)
13 Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies)
14 Cameron Shepherd (Force)
15 Mark Gerrard (Brumbies)

This was my Wallaby side, and here is the team that faced Italy. Wallabies 31 - 8 Italy.

Australia vs Italy - Canberra 2009

Wallabies vs Italy: 1 Benn Robinson, 2 Stephen Moore, 3 Al Baxter, 4 James Horwill , 5 Nathan Sharpe, 6 Dean Mumm, 7 George Smith, 8 Richard Brown, 9 Luke Burgess, 10 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 12 Berrick Barnes, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 14 Lachlan Turner, 15 James O'Connor

Seeing as the Wallabies thumped the Italians and James O'Connor scored a hat trick, didn't make a difference. Nine differences from my squad, but it's going to be interesting to see who they choose to face France. Some of my choices were on the bench, like Polota-Nau, and I was happy to see Moore, Mumm and Turner in the side.

Super 14 2009 Final

2009-06-16T13:29:00.004+08:00

I've been very lax in updating the blog having been pre-occupied with fantasy league and tipping sites regarding the twice weekly British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
The Super 14 final was as awesome (from a Saffa and Bulls point of view) as I thought it would be, multiplied by a hundred!
When the Chiefs scored the first try I was thinking, "Ah crap! That's it! They're going to run away with it!" And then Fourie Du Preez struck back! And the Bulls just kept on doing it over and over again leaving the Chiefs looking very shell shocked.

I have no doubts that had the Final been in New Zealand it would've been much closer and the result may very well have gone the other way, and this just serves to underline how important it is to get those log points and secure a home semi and a home final.

Semi Final one: Chiefs 14 - 10 Hurricanes

Semi-final Two: Bulls 36 - 23 Crusaders

Super 14 2009 Final: Bulls 61 - 17 Chiefs

And with that massive victory the Bulls scored not only the win but several records. The Bulls scored eight tries to two, they led 34-7 at half time, the game was effectively over when they led 21-7 after just 15 minutes. The eight tries was a record for a Super 14 decider, so was the winning margin of 44 points, which eclipsed the 30 the Brumbies won by when they beat the Sharks 36-6 in Canberra in 2001. Of course, it was also the first time any team had scored more than 50, and ultimately this was anything but the dour final that some might have been anticipating.

Scores

Bulls 61 – Tries: Fourie du Preez 2, Bryan Habana 2, Victor Matfield, Pierre Spies, Wynand Olivier and Danie Rossouw; Conversions: Morne Steyn 5 and Burton Francis; Penalties: Morne Steyn 2; Drop-goal: Morne Steyn.

Chiefs 17 – Tries: Leila Masanga and Mils Muliaina; Conversions: Stephen Donald 2; Penalty: Stephen Donald.

Super 14 Semi-finals - And then there were two.

2009-05-28T01:11:00.003+08:00

I thought it was an awesome two games of rugby. The Hurricanes vs Chiefs was more the bruising affair you expect between two South African sides and I expected more running with the ball. I was surprised that the Hurricanes didn't use their backs to greater effect, and I think that's what did them in in the end.

The Bulls vs Crusaders games was pure joy to watch. The Crusaders showed they are still very much a champion outfit, and I thought, very much deserving of a semi final spot. If not for Morne Steyn and some well placed drop goals the men in red and black could very have been in another final.

This year's final is going to be a massive game, but I'll be going away with the family for the weekend. I'll be back on Monday and I'll catch the game then.
So, here are my final teams for this year's Super 14. If I were a selector for the Wallabies, All Blacks or Springboks, these would be the lads I would select based on the last couple of months of rugby.

Super 14 Overall XV

1 Benn Robinson (NSW)
2 Keven Mealamu (Blues)
3 Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
4 Nathan Sharpe (Force)
5 Steven Sykes (Sharks)
6 Liam Messam (Chiefs)
7 Thomas Waldrom (Crusaders)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Rory Kockott (Sharks)
10 Morne Steyn (Bulls)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 Isaia Toeava (Blues)
14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)
15 Mark Gerrard (Brumbies)

If Sitiveni Sivivatu wasn't injured, he'd be my no.11, but on current form, and considering Sivi's injury, I have to go with Bryan. Mark Gerrard also edges out Digby Ioane who is also injured. Morne also edges out Matt Giteau on current form and largely log standing and points scored, but in reality, I'd be hard pressed not to select Giteau. On a reserve bench I'd definitely make place for Giteau, Aled de Malmanche, Adam Thomson, Israel Dagg and Rene Ranger.

Super 14 Springbok XV

1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
2 Derick Kuün (Bulls)
3 Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls - Captain)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
10 Morné Steyn (Bulls)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13 Jaque Fourie (Lions)
14 JP Pietersen (Sharks)
15 Joe Pieterson (Stormers)

16 Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
17 Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs)
18 Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
19 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
20 JP Nel (Bulls)
21 Ruan Pienaar (Sharks)
22 Hennie Daniller (Cheetahs)/Louis Ludik (Lions)

Here I chose Fourie du Preez instead of Kockott because I think Kockott still needs to learn a few tricks and Du Preez would be a better combination with Steyn.

Super 14 All Black XV

1 Chris King (Highlanders)
2 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs)
3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes)
4 Jeremy Thrush (Hurricanes)
5 Jason Eaton (Hurricanes)
6 Liam Messam (Chiefs)
7 Adam Thomson (Highlanders)
8 Thomas Waldrom (Crusaders)
9 Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders)
10 Daniel Bowden (Highlanders)
11 Tamati Ellison (Hurricanes)
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 Isaia Toeava (Blues)
14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)
15 Mils Muliaina (Chiefs)

Here I put De Malmanche ahead of Mealamu because I think he's the form player at the moment, whereas Mealamu has had a great season, which saw him into my overall team.

Super 14 Wallaby XV

1 Benn Robinson (NSW)
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW)
3 Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
4 Nathan Sharpe (Force)
5 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
6 Phil Waugh (NSW)
7 George Smith (Brumbies)
8 Wycliff Palu (NSW)
9 Will Genia (Reds)
10 Matt Giteau (Force)
11 Lote Tuqiri (NSW)
12 Berrick Barnes (Reds)
13 Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies)
14 Cameron Shepherd (Force)
15 Mark Gerrard (Brumbies)

It's going to be very interesting to see what the respective national selectors really come up with. I suspect my SA team will be markedly different (due to the "unique" selection policies of the country of my birth), but I think I may be very much on the money with the Wallabies and the All Blacks. The AB selectors will probably not select Bowden, Cowan and King to start (if at all), but that may have more to do with experience than anything else. I also suspect the ABs will include McCaw if he's available.

Super 14 - Week Fourteen - And then there were four...

2009-05-18T15:38:00.003+08:00

These are my selections for the final week of regular play. At the end of the finals weekend I'll put up a NZ, Aussie and SA team with players taken from my weekly selections and who are on form at the moment.
This weekend was pretty exciting, as we didn't know who would ultimately be the final four and who would have home semi-finals. Everything was up from grabs from the first match to the last. Kudos to the Crusaders who, despite having the odds stacked heavily against them, have played a massive season by qualifying for the semis.
My big disappointments were the fading performances by the Waratahs and the Sharks, who ultimately left too much to do too late in the competition after having started so well.
The Lions, Reds and Highlanders had some great games and several Cheetahs players were absolutely sterling throughout. I expect them to do much better next year if they can build on this year and get favorable draws.

My SA team for week thirteen is as follows:
1 Wikus Blaauw (Stormers)
2 Tiaan Liebenberg (Stormers)
3 Lawrence Sephaka (Lions)
4 David de Villiers (Cheetahs)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Deon Stegmann (Bulls)
8 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
9 Jano Vermaak(Lions)
10 Andre Pretorius (Lions)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
12 Doppies la Grange (Lions)
13 JP Nel (Bulls)
14 Akona Ndugane (Bulls)
15 Joe Pieterson (Stormers)

My overall team for week thirteen:
1 Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders)
2 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs)
3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes)
4 Dean Mumm (Waratahs)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Victor Vito (Hurricanes)
7 Phil Waugh (Waratahs)
8 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
9 Jano Vermaak (Lions)
10 Andre Pretorius (Lions)
11 Mark McLinden (Reds)

12 Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes)

13 Deon van Rensburg (Lions)
14 Ben Smith (Highlanders)
15 Joe Pieterson (Stormers)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Vodacom Bulls	13	10	0	3	338	271	67	37	33	6	46
2	Chiefs	13	9	0	4	338	236	102	43	30	9	45
3	Hurricanes	13	9	0	4	380	279	101	49	35	8	44
4	Crusaders	13	8	1	4	231	198	33	27	22	7	41
5	Waratahs	13	9	0	4	241	212	29	28	21	5	41
6	The Sharks	13	8	0	5	282	239	43	31	28	6	38
7	Brumbies	13	8	0	5	311	305	6	36	41	6	38
8	Western Force	13	6	1	6	328	275	53	42	33	10	36
9	Blues	13	5	0	8	339	369	-30	47	46	12	32
10	Vodacom Stormers	13	5	0	8	235	249	-14	28	29	7	27
11	Highlanders	13	4	0	9	254	269	-15	32	35	10	26
12	Auto & General Lions	13	4	0	9	294	419	-125	36	56	9	25
13	Reds	13	3	0	10	258	380	-122	36	49	7	19
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	13	2	0	11	213	341	-128	26	40	4	12

Super 14 - Week Thirteen

2009-05-15T02:02:00.003+08:00

It was an exciting weekend of rugby. I especially liked the way the Lions manned up to beat the Highlanders, and the Chiefs vs Hurricanes, as well as the Bulls vs Cheetahs matches were absolutely awesome to watch. The Sharks were just horrible and, to be honest, they've really dug their own graves. To get into the semis they'd have to beat the Bulls and thereby undo all SA chances of actually winning the competition, because I can't see anyone winning an away semi or final this year (so I guess the Kiwis will be hoping for a Sharks win).
Then again, if the chiefs win with a bonus point, because of points difference the Bulls would fall to second on the log (unless they win with a bonus point themselves), or they need to beat the Sharks by more than 30 odd points. Basically, to secure top spot, the Bulls need to do in the last match of week 14 what the Chiefs do in the first game.

And in between those two games, the fortunes of many a team will come and go. This has been one of the most exciting competitions to date and this weekend is going to be one hell of a rugby fest!
Enjoy!

My SA team for week thirteen is as follows:
1 Wian du Preez (Cheetahs)
2 Willie Wepener (Lions)
3 Kobus Calldo (Cheetahs)
4 Anton van Zyl (Lions)
5 David de Villiers (Cheetahs)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Jean Deysel (Sharks)
8 Willem Alberts (Lions)
9 Jano Vermaak (Lions)
10 Willem de Waal (Stormers)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
12 Doppies la Grange (Lions)
13 Deon van Rensburg (Lions)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers)

My overall team for week thirteen:
1 Benn Robinson (Waratahs)
2 Jason MacDonald (Crusaders)
3 Owen Franks (Crusaders)
4 Adam Byrnes (Reds)
5 Will Caldwell (Waratahs)
6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders)
7 Jean Deysel (Sharks)
8 Thomas Waldrom (Crusaders)
9 Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders)
10 Matt Giteau (Force)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)

12 Isaia Toeava (Blues)

13 Timana Tahu (Waratahs)
14 Rene Ranger (Blues)
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Vodacom Bulls	12	9	0	3	311	245	66	34	29	6	42
2	Chiefs	12	8	0	4	328	229	99	42	29	9	41
3	Hurricanes	12	8	0	4	343	251	92	44	31	7	39
4	Crusaders	12	7	1	4	216	185	31	27	21	7	37
5	Brumbies	12	8	0	4	304	295	9	35	40	5	37
6	The Sharks	12	8	0	4	256	212	44	27	25	4	36
7	Waratahs	12	8	0	4	203	179	24	23	18	4	36
8	Western Force	12	5	1	6	295	247	48	38	29	9	31
9	Blues	12	5	0	7	326	354	-28	46	46	11	31
10	Highlanders	12	4	0	8	226	236	-10	28	31	8	24
11	Auto & General Lions	12	4	0	8	261	381	-120	33	51	8	24
12	Vodacom Stormers	12	4	0	8	207	227	-20	25	26	7	23
13	Reds	12	3	0	9	230	343	-113	32	44	6	18
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	12	2	0	10	191	313	-122	23	37	3	11

New Springbok Rugby Jersey Unveiled

2009-05-09T22:41:00.002+08:00

After years of threatening supporters, players, Afrikaners and whites in general and making a complete political spectacle out of rugby in South Africa, the powers that be have finally changed the Springbok jersey.
The above jersey is the "old" Springbok jersey with the Bok emblem in pride of place on the left breast, with the Protea above the leaping Bok. Now, you have to be an absolute f***ing retarded blinder wearing ANC arse licker to see anything racist about that design. All I see is a RWC with 1995 and 2007 on the right sleeve. Don't remember Mandela and Mbeki (or their salivating witless followers) having much to say about it then.

Here's the new jersey. Bok moved to the right and the Protea ensemble on the left. If this looks familiar, well, perhaps you're thinking of this shirt:

And so, after more than a hundred years (it's inception comin 50 years before Apartheid) of tradition, the proud Bok jersey is reduced to a cricket look alike. All things considered, it doesn't look that bad. It certainly looks better than what they could have butchered it with, but it all just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm usually the first to shake my head at the ill advised waving of the old flag at international venues. Afterall, Apartheid was bad (and IMHO the old flag was really just an ugly arsed heraldic disaster) and we need to accpet and love our new national symbols. I can see how an argument can be made that the old flag represents racism, as it was the symbol of the NP government. But the Bok? It's just been a stick to beat the Afrikaner specifically and whites in general with. Rubbing the collective noses in it, if you will.
Afterall, does the Wallaby represent a Keep Australia White policy? Of course not! Does the English Rose represent the slaughter of indigenous peoples and colonialism? No! And it's ludicrous to think that it would. The point is, sports personalities like the Springboks and scores of athletes in their prime (of all races) in SA during the 60's, 70s and 80s were hard done by and would never have supported Apartheid. For an athlete, the pinnacle of his/her sport is international competition and these men and women were denied Olympic competition, world championships and world cup competitions. If anything, our national sporting symbols, like the Bok, were victims of Apartheid policy.

Well, at least it still has the Bok. That one animal can be so beleagured...

Cape Town - Springbok captain John Smit and host of other contracted Boks wore the jersey recently at the recording for an advertisement for the Castle South Africa 2009 British and Irish Lions series which will be flighted on Saturday.
The redesign sees the jumping springbok move to the right of the jersey, the Canterbury logo to the middle and the national sports emblem, the King Protea, on the left.

"We decided to be proactive rather than reactive and not wait for the promulgation of the pending National Colours act," said Marinos.

"Our leaders met with government as we were fully aware that the King Protea is the national symbol and that it had to be properly incorporated into the Springbok jersey.

"Obviously, modifying something that has such strong emotional symbolism as the Springbok jersey generates a lot of emotion, but the team will still be known as the Springboks as we realise the importance and strength of the brand, both locally and abroad.

"Having seen the new jersey, we're actually very excited as it underlines the fact we are the team of all the people of South Africa."

Cuan Chelin, CEO of Super-Brands, the holding company of Canterbury SA, said earlier they are looking forward to revealing the new SA Rugby gear.

"We encourage fans to support the national team by purchasing these items in recognition of the values that the emblems symbolise as well as to display their affection for the game," said Chelin.

"The new rugby jerseys will be offered to supporters at highly competitive prices - in fact, the wholesale price of the supporter's jersey will be less than that of last year, despite rising raw material costs. We have catered for various levels of consumers and have avid fans that will be able to choose from a wide selection of SA Rugby apparel."

Article can be viewed here.

Super 14 - Week Twelve

2009-05-08T03:41:00.003+08:00

Once again, just the teams and the log. Still very busy at work and had my son's second birthday this week, so it's been running from one thing to the next. Quick note; I think the Sharks are really under performing of late and with all their injuries I'm starting to wonder if they're going to make it to the semi's. The way they're playing now, they'll be lucky if they do and I can't see them going further than that. This coming weekend? I'm very much looking forward to the Hurricanes vs Chiefs match!!

My SA team for week twelve is as follows:
1 Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers)
4 Steven Sykes (Sharks)
5 Anton van Zyl (Lions)
6 Johan van Deventer (Lions)
7 Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
8 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
9 Jano Vermaak (Lions)
10 Willem de Waal (Stormers)
11 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
12 Francois Steyn (Sharks)
13 Jaque Fourie (Lions)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Stefan Terblanche (Sharks)

My overall team for week twelve:
1 Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2 Keven Mealamu (Blues)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers)
4 Brad Thorn (Crusaders)
5 Peter Kimlin (Brumbies)
6 Liam Messam (Chiefs)
7 Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
8 Stephen Hoiles (Brumbies)
9 Will Genia (Reds)
10 Stephen Brett (Crusaders)
11 Joe Rokocoko (Blues)
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 Richard Kahui (Chiefs)
14 Rene Ranger (Blues)
15 Leon MacDonald (Crusaders)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Hurricanes	11	8	0	3	335	235	100	43	30	7	39
2	Chiefs	11	7	0	4	312	221	91	41	28	9	37
3	Vodacom Bulls	11	8	0	3	282	225	57	30	26	5	37
4	The Sharks	11	8	0	3	244	196	48	27	23	3	35
5	Waratahs	11	7	0	4	187	167	20	21	18	4	32
6	Crusaders	11	6	1	4	184	173	11	22	19	6	32
7	Brumbies	11	7	0	4	267	280	-13	30	38	4	32
8	Blues	11	5	0	6	311	317	-6	44	41	11	31
9	Western Force	11	5	1	5	271	222	49	35	26	8	30
10	Highlanders	11	4	0	7	204	209	-5	25	27	7	23
11	Vodacom Stormers	11	3	0	8	182	203	-21	22	23	7	19
12	Auto & General Lions	11	3	0	8	234	359	-125	29	48	7	19
13	Reds	11	3	0	8	218	311	-93	30	39	6	18
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	11	2	0	9	171	284	-113	20	33	3	11

Super 14 - Week Eleven

2009-05-01T02:20:00.003+08:00

It's not getting any less busy...

My SA team for week eleven is as follows:
1 Guthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
2 Derick Kuün (Bulls)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
10 Morné Steyn (Bulls)
11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13 JP Nel (Bulls)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Hennie Daniller (Cheetahs)

My overall team for week eleven:
1 Ben May (Chiefs)
2 Andrew Hore (Hurricanes)
3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes)
4 Nathan Sharpe (Force)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
8 Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes)
9 Will Genia (Reds)
10 Matt Giteau (Force)
11 Zac Guildford (Hurricanes) - Wrong side, but I think he had an awesome game.
12 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 David Smith (Hurricanes)
14 Scott Staniforth (Force)
15 Hennie Daniller (Cheetahs)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Hurricanes	10	7	0	3	290	208	82	37	26	6	34
2	Vodacom Bulls	10	7	0	3	250	196	54	27	22	5	33
3	Chiefs	10	6	0	4	284	207	77	37	26	8	32
4	The Sharks	10	7	0	3	221	181	40	25	21	3	31
5	Blues	10	5	0	5	284	272	12	40	35	10	30
6	Western Force	10	5	1	4	242	190	52	31	23	6	28
7	Waratahs	10	6	0	4	169	157	12	19	17	4	28
8	Crusaders	10	5	1	4	152	153	-1	18	16	5	27
9	Brumbies	10	6	0	4	215	267	-52	23	36	3	27
10	Highlanders	10	4	0	6	189	186	3	23	25	7	23
11	Vodacom Stormers	10	3	0	7	168	175	-7	20	19	7	19
12	Auto & General Lions	10	3	0	7	214	327	-113	26	44	7	19
13	Reds	10	3	0	7	205	259	-54	28	32	6	18
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	10	2	0	8	161	266	-105	19	31	3	11

Super 14 - Week Ten

2009-04-24T00:53:00.002+08:00

Again, a very busy week, and there are too many things I'd like to say about the last weekend's games. But, for me, the major one was this: The Cheetahs were robbed. Make no mistake.

My SA team for week ten is as follows:
1. Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
2 Willie Wepener (Lions)
3 Werner Kruger (Bulls)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls)/Wayne van Heerden (Cheetahs)
5 Johann Muller (Sharks)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Ernst Joubert (Lions)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
10 André Pretorius (Lions)
11 Henno Mentz (Lions)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13 Adi Jacobs (Sharks)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Earl Rose (Lions)

My overall team for week ten:
1 Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2 Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
3 Werner Kruger (Bulls)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
5 Isaac Ross (Crusaders)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Andy Ellis (Crusaders)
10 Jimmy Gopperth (Hurricanes)
11 Henno Mentz (Lions)
12 Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes)
13 Conrad Smith (Hurricanes)
14 Joe Rokocoko (Blues)
15 Leon MacDonald (Crusaders)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	Chiefs	9	6	0	3	257	174	83	34	23	7	31
2	The Sharks	10	7	0	3	221	181	40	25	21	3	31
3	Vodacom Bulls	9	6	0	3	217	169	48	24	19	5	29
4	Hurricanes	9	6	0	3	234	201	33	29	25	5	29
5	Blues	9	5	0	4	260	241	19	36	31	8	28
6	Waratahs	10	6	0	4	169	157	12	19	17	4	28
7	Brumbies	9	6	0	3	208	211	-3	22	28	3	27
8	Crusaders	9	5	1	3	139	133	6	17	14	4	26
9	Western Force	9	4	1	4	187	176	11	23	21	5	23
10	Highlanders	9	4	0	5	178	168	10	22	23	6	22
11	Auto & General Lions	9	3	0	6	200	272	-72	24	36	7	19
12	Vodacom Stormers	9	2	0	7	150	164	-14	18	18	7	15
13	Reds	9	2	0	7	174	235	-61	24	28	5	13
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	9	1	0	8	141	253	-112	17	30	3	7

Super 14 - Week Nine

2009-04-17T00:33:00.002+08:00

This week has been very busy with work and family so I haven't had time to update the blog for week nine. But here are my two weekly teams and the log.

Blues 32 - 12 Lions
Force 27 - 28 Hurricanes
Highlanders 24 - 19 Reds
Brumbies 17 - 10 Stormers
Waratahs 6 - 20 Bulls
Cheetahs 31 - 6 Sharks (Biggest upset of the season, let alone the weekend!!!)

My SA team for week nine is as follows:
1. Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
2. Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs)
3. Werner Kruger (Bulls)
4. Wayne van Heerden (Cheetahs)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Cheetahs)
11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13 Jaque Fourie (Lions)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Stefan Terblanche (Sharks)

My overall team for week nine:
1 Jamie Mackintosh (Highlanders)
2 David Hall (Highlanders)
3 Clint Newland (Highlanders)
4 Hugh McMeniman (Reds)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
8 Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Cheetahs)
11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13 Ryan Cross (Force)
14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15 Mark Gerrard (Brumbies)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	The Sharks	9	7	0	2	211	168	43	24	20	2	30
2	Chiefs	8	5	0	3	229	164	65	31	22	7	27
3	Vodacom Bulls	8	6	0	2	186	137	49	20	15	3	27
4	Waratahs	9	6	0	3	155	142	13	18	15	3	27
5	Hurricanes	8	5	0	3	200	190	10	25	24	4	24
6	Blues	8	4	0	4	234	235	-1	32	31	7	23
7	Highlanders	8	4	0	4	172	142	30	22	19	6	22
8	Crusaders	8	4	1	3	126	123	3	16	13	4	22
9	Brumbies	8	5	0	3	176	180	-4	18	24	2	22
10	Western Force	8	3	1	4	172	162	10	21	20	5	19
11	Vodacom Stormers	8	2	0	6	139	130	9	17	14	7	15
12	Auto & General Lions	8	2	0	6	169	252	-83	20	33	6	14
13	Reds	8	2	0	6	154	204	-50	21	24	5	13
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	8	1	0	7	131	225	-94	16	27	3	7

Super 14 - Week Eight

2009-04-02T23:00:00.003+08:00

One thing I'd like to mention before I talk about the rugby is Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay. Unfortunately he passed away over the weekend. Terribly sad news.

ACT Brumbies player Shawn Mackay died in a Durban hospital from a heart attack a week after suffering critical injuries when he was hit by a car, a spokesman for the Super 14 rugby team said Monday. "After his surgery Shawn contracted an infection in his bloodstream," Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said.
"He deteriorated rapidly and suffered a cardiac arrest from which he didn't recover."
"When we recruited Macca to the Brumbies we did so for his character as much as for his outstanding rugby skills. He was generous, he was warm, he was funny and an enthusiastic player."

My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and team mates.

FRIDAY

Crusaders 16 v 13 Bulls, Christchurch

This was the match I was anticipating all week, and I fully expected the Bulls to make amends for the disaster against the Highlanders. Unfortunately, the Crusaders managed to keep out another SA assault and look to extend their home record of no defeats by SA sides in Christchurch to 14 years.
I thought it was a great game, and the Crusaders played bravely and defended well, although the Bulls really should have won. Especially with two tries to won, but it seemed to me that they conspired in their own demise. For the second week in a row they played really well on occasion, and those occasions led to two tries. But for the most part the aimlessly kicked away possession and were completely outplayed in the loose conceding way too many turn overs. When they did run the ball they scored or looked very dangerous, and I can't help but think if they continued with that strategy instead of giving the Saders all their ball the result may very well have been dramatically different.

“There’s pace all over the pace here, you just wonder why they don’t use it more often?” -- Grant Nisbett asking a telling question of the Bulls.

Scorers were:

Crusaders (10) 16: Try by Isaac Ross (4 min). Stephen Brett kicked two conversions, a penalty and a dropped goal.

Bulls (5) 13: Tries by Akona Ndungane (33 min & 55 min). Morné Steyn kicked a penalty.

Western Force 39 v 7 Reds, Perth

I thought this match was a bit of a snooze fest. Perhaps I expected something more dramatic from the Reds, and I certainly expected a tighter score. As some news reports said, the Reds looked very predictable. In fact, the entire game seemed that way.

Scorers:

Western Force 39 – Tries: James O’Connor, Drew Mitchell, Tamaiti Horua, Ryan Cross and Haig Sare; Conversions: Matt Giteau 4; Penalties: Matt Giteau 2.

Reds 7 – Try: Blair Connor; Conversion: Brendan McKibben.

SATURDAY

Chiefs 36 v 29 Lions, Hamilton

This was my game of the weekend. For the first 60 minutes it looked as if the chiefs were going to be well beaten and the Lions had awoken from the slumber they've been in since Transvaal won the Super 10 back in 1994. Several players did outstanding jobs and a stand out for me was Jaque Fourie and Jano Vermaak. But in the end they were outdone by an excellent Chiefs attacking back line and particularly Dwayne Sweeney.

Scorers:

Chiefs - Tries: Dwayne Sweeney (3), Jackson Willison, Hikawera Elliott. Conversions: Stephen Donald (4). Penalty: Donald.

Lions - Tries: Jano Vermaak, Jaque Fourie (2), Earl Rose. Conversions: Andrè Pretorius (3). Drop goal: Pretorius.

Waratahs v Stormers, Sydney

Once again, all rugby is forgotten and after this match (despite the Stormers going down to a very average looking Waratahs) all the SA writers go on about is Watson this and Watson that. More here, if you're interested. As far as I'm concerned, he's a very average player (at best) with a mouth that rambles on without being edited by his brain, with a crowd of cheerleaders amongst the SA media and particularly in the Cape. In my opinion, there's no way he can even be compared to the likes of Spies, Pedrie Wannenberg, Burger, Brussouw, Jacques Botes, Kankowski, Juan Smith, Jean Deysel, Duane Vermeulen and Keegan Daniel. He's no where near their league, and it astonishes me how quickly his supporters forget how useless he was in the token tests he played (as the altimate political selection), and how aimlessly he drifted around the park in those games.

And how the hell the Stormers managed to devise a defeat from Saturdays game is beyond me. They have a dearth of great players on paper, but they can't seem to engineer a win even when it's handed to them. The Waratahs were certainly nowhere near their best (with the possible exception of Lachlan Turner), and the game looked like a contest between two sides who didn't really want to play at all, let alone win. The Aussie commentators said it best, "This game is woeful. No one wants to play rugby. No one wants to run."
And this also sums up the Stormers, in my opinion. Good on the 'Tahs (or rather Lachie Turner) for eking one out.

Scorers:

Waratahs 12 – Tries: Lachlan Turner 2 (6th minute and 76th); Daniel Halangahu conversion.

Stormers 6 – Penalties: Peter Grant 2.

Cheetahs 27 v 40 Brumbies, Bloemfontein

I thought this may be the big upset of the weekend. The only upset, as it turns out, was that the Brumbies didn't score more tries. I don't even want to comment on this game because I find it highly disconcerting that this is the best we have to offer (Cheetahs, Stormers and most weekends, the Lions - although the Stormers and Lions do sometimes win) and the SA rugby bosses are insisting we add a sixth SA side to the competition. Look at the log - Three SA sides out of four at the bottom. What do they want? Four out of four?

Scorers:

Cheetahs:
Tries - Jongi Nokwe, Danwell Demas, Wayne van Heerden. Conversions - Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3). Penalties - Potgieter (2)

Brumbies:
Tries - Christian Lealiifano, Mark Gerrard, Peter Kimlin, Joshua Holmes. Conversions - Stirling Mortlock (4). Penalties - Mortlock (2). Dropped Goal - Lealiifano, Gerrard.

The Sharks 33 v 17 Hurricanes, Durban

The Sharks are really the only SA side at the moment that are exuding class and who actually look dangerous and able of winning this tournament. In fact, at the moment the Sharks and the Chiefs are the only two sides that look great. Even without Pietersen, the Sharks scored through Vulindlu, who looked great on debut. Steyn performed well at fly-half and Stefan did well to anchor the backs at full back, with Kockott playing a great game off the outstanding Sharks backs. Well done lads!

Scorers:

Sharks 33 – Tries: Luzuko Vulindlu, Frans Steyn and Chris Jordaan; Conversions: Rory Kockott 3; Penalties: Rory Kockott 3; Drop-goal: Frans Steyn.

Hurricanes 17 – Tries: Faifili Levave, Zac Guildford; Conversions: Piri Weepu 2; Penalty: Piri Weepu.

My SA team for week eight is as follows:
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
3. John Smit (Sharks)
4. Stephen Sykes (Sharks)
5. Johann Muller (Sharks)
6. Jacques Botes (Sharks)
7. Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
8. Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
9. Rory Kockott (Sharks)
10. Francois Steyn (Sharks)
11. Luzuko Vulindlu (Sharks)
12. Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13. Jaque Fourie (Lions)
14. Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
15. Louis Ludik (Lions)

My overall team for week eight:
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
3. Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders)
4. Stephen Sykes (Sharks)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Force)
6. Thomas Waldrom (Crusaders)
7. Tanerau Latimer (Chiefs)
8. Wycliff Palu (Waratahs) tied with David Pocock (Force)
9. Luke Burgess (Waratahs)
10. Francois Steyn (Sharks)
11. Dwayne Sweeney (Chiefs)
12. Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
13. Jaque Fourie (Lions)
14. Lachlan Turner (Waratahs)
15. Mark Gerrard (Brumbies)

Vodacom Super 14 | Log

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	BPts	Pts
1	The Sharks	8	7	0	1	205	137	68	24	16	2	30
2	Chiefs	8	5	0	3	229	164	65	31	22	7	27
3	Waratahs	8	6	0	2	149	122	27	18	13	3	27
4	Vodacom Bulls	7	5	0	2	166	131	35	18	15	3	23
5	Crusaders	8	4	1	3	126	123	3	16	13	4	22
6	Hurricanes	7	4	0	3	172	163	9	22	20	4	20
7	Highlanders	7	3	0	4	148	123	25	19	16	6	18
8	Brumbies	7	4	0	3	159	170	-11	17	23	2	18
9	Blues	7	3	0	4	198	223	-25	26	29	6	18
10	Western Force	7	3	1	3	145	134	11	17	17	3	17
11	Vodacom Stormers	7	2	0	5	129	113	16	16	13	6	14
12	Auto & General Lions	7	2	0	5	157	216	-59	18	27	6	14
13	Reds	7	2	0	5	135	180	-45	18	21	4	12
14	Vodacom Cheetahs	7	0	0	7	100	219	-119	12	27	2	2

Blog Comment Settings

2009-04-02T19:27:00.001+08:00

I noticed that the blog setting didn't allow anonymous comments. I changed it, so all and anyone can comment now. Feel free to have your say.

Update on ELVs

2009-04-01T14:57:00.002+08:00

Some of the most unpopular Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) that have been in operation in various forms throughout the rugby world in the past few seasons were dumped at an IRB meeting held in London on Monday and Tuesday.

The good and great of the game, described as “senior stakeholders from the international rugby community, including a number of the world’s top coaches, referees and administrators,” met to review the ELV programme to consider the effect of the experiments and make recommendations at which should be adopted into law.

The London meeting recommended that the following ELVs be accepted.

Law 6 – Assistant referees allowed

Law 19 – Kicking directly into touch from ball played back into 22 equals no gain in ground

Law 19 – Quick throw-in permitted in any direction except forward

Law 19 – Positioning of player in opposition to the player throwing-in to be two metres away from lineout and the line of touch

Law 19 – Pre-gripping of lineout jumpers allowed

Law 19 – Lifting in the lineout allowed

Law 19 – Positioning of receiver must be two metres away from lineout

Law 20 – Five-metre offside line at the scrum

Law 20 - Scrum half offside line at the scrum

Law 22 – Corner posts no longer touch in goal

It was also recommended that the following ELVs be scrapped.

Law 17 - Maul - Head and shoulders not to be lower than hips

Law 17 - Maul - Pulling Down the Maul

Law 19 – Freedom for each team to determine lineout numbers

The full article can be viewed at Superrugby; Problem ELVs bite the dust (written by Dan Retief)

Update on Brumbie's lock Shawn MacKay

2009-04-01T14:54:00.001+08:00

This story is from Superrugby.

ACT Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay will undergo more spinal surgery and will not be brought out of a medically-induced coma for at least another 24 hours, his Super 14 team said on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Mackay was hit by a motor vehicle in Durban in the early hours of Sunday and was placed in a coma in St Augustine's Hospital.

"Shawn was originally going to be brought out of the coma tonight or tomorrow morning but he will remain sedated and in a coma because he has to undergo further surgery on his spine on Wednesday," Brumbies media and communications manager Nick Smith told Reuters from Bloemfontein.

MacKay sustained a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula, and multiple fractures and lacerations when he was hit by an armoured security response vehicle as he crossed a road after leaving a nightclub with team mates.

The Brumbies were in Durban to play the Natal Sharks on Saturday, with Mackay featuring in the match as a replacement. The Australians lost 35-14.

Acting Brumbies skipper George Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald: "Shawn is a very popular member of the squad and we are all in shock at seeing him go through such a horrific ordeal. We understand that Shawn's situation is a very serious one and that any progress from now is likely to be a slow process and take time."

The Witness, a KwaZulu-Natal newspaper, reported the Sharks' team doctor, Craig Springate, as saying it was too early to know the outcome of the injuries.

"He has suffered multiple injuries and fractures which can be classified as serious," Springate told the newspaper. "There is some concern about paralysis but we will only know when he recovers from the anaesthetic. The spinal cord is intact but there is some swelling."

Mackay underwent emergency surgery early on Sunday and was placed on a ventilator for 48 hours.

"Shawn has received first-class medical treatment from the time of the accident and will receive on-going treatment," team doctor Warren McDonald said in a Brumbies statement.

The Brumbies will play the Central Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.