Super Rugby Preview: Week 7

Highlanders v Brumbies

Invercargill

01/04

08:35

Coming back from a bye has proven difficult in the tournament thus far. But the Highlanders will take confidence in their return game being at home against a slightly off form and injury hit Brumbies outfit. A big game for the Highlanders to prove that their strong start was not just a once off . Although the Brumbies look better on paper, backing the Highlanders for this one, just!

Highlanders by 3 – 7

by Mark Bates

Waratahs v Chiefs

Sydney

01/04

10:40

It's a bit of a mystery as to what has happened to the 'Tahs form over the last weeks. After starting off so strong they have seriously wilted . An interesting backline selection with Beale starting at 10, Ignoring Daniel Halangahu, showing clear intent to give the ball some air. This could be exactly what the Chiefs are hoping for, but inconstancy and inability to close out games sways me towards the Tahs

Warahtahs by 5 – 10

by Mark Bates

Blues v Cheetahs

Auckland

02/04

06:30

Eish...A long 80 minutes lie ahead for the Cheetahs in this fixture. Injuries have hit the Cheetahs hard and in a squad that was always going to have its depth tested the outcome does not look good for the beleaguered outfit. Looking at the teams sheets, and if the Blues forward pack give their lethal backs good go forward ball this could be a massacre in Auckland, that is however if the Blues turn up for this one, unfortunately for the Cheetahs though the Blues seem a much more polished side this season.

Blues by 20 plus

by Mark Bates

More to follow...

More questions than answers: PDV announces Springbok contracts

The manner in which the South African Union has gone about awarding Springbok contracts opens them up to more questions than answers. Coach Peter de Villiers announced all the players currently on contract and those awarded new contracts.


Most of the usual faces are there but surprisingly there are very few new players that have been contracted. If these players are going to make up the majority of the RWC squad, which seems likely, it does not make a very balanced squad. 


The contracted group contains two props, two hookers, four locks, three flankers (four if Danie Rossouw is included in that number), one eighth man, one scrum-half, one, fly-half, five centers, centres wingers and zero fullbacks. 


Overall it is a strong core group but the questions has to be asked whether certain players are there on their reputation or being the coaches favourite. I would like to specifically mention Adrian Jacobs who has enjoyed success in the Springbok jersey but due to injury has not been able to play much domestic rugby. He is slowly being eased back into Super Rugby but it does not mean that he will regain any form and the less said about his defensive capabilities the better.


Also of concern is that there is no specialist fullback as of yet. That can not instill much confidence in any of the local incumbents with the coach publicly stating once again his desire to retain the services of Frans Steyn at the Lions. That of course would not be a bad thing for South African rugby. How Steyn performs in a losing team is another question.


As mentioned before one has to assume that most of these players will be traveling to the world cup despite De Villiers' assertion to the contrary. If these players are not certain the go to the RWC , what is the point of awarding them contracts?


Who will fill up the final seven spots when there are already a few questionable inclusions five months out from the  RWC? (Assuming they take 30 players) The rugby loving public will now have to trust the Springbok management team to  select the form players and break away from those players who have not performed particularly well, and there is sure to be much more disagreement this time around compared to 2007. 


Peter de Villiers has shown himself, at least in public, to be a short sighted and stubborn coach who refuses to accept the obvious. 


One good thing to come out of this is that there is no Ricky Januarie, but that could all change come the big RWC announcement. 


Contracted Springbok players:


1.Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp (both new contracts)
2.Bismarck du Plessis (new contract), John Smit
3.Jannie du Plessis, CJ van der Linde (both new contracts)
4.Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw (new contract)
5.Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker (new contract)
6.Heinrich Brussow new contract), Schalk Burger
7.Juan Smith
8.Pierre Spies
9.Fourie Du Preez
10.Morne Steyn (new contract)
11.Bryan Habana
12.Jean de Villiers, Juan De Jongh, Wynand Olivier ( all three awarded new contracts)
13.Jaque Fourie, Adrian Jacobs (new contract)
14.JP Pietersen 
15. None selected so far. 

The Bok-o-meter: The Form Bok Team - 29 March 2011

This weeks Hospital Pass Bok-o-meter sees a few changes from last weeks team. It was not a pretty sight seeing last week's "bok" front row being dominated in a few scrums against the Crusaders. Let us know what you think of the selection.

Jannie Du Plessis struggled in particular. He is replaced by CJ Van Der Linde.

Patrick Lambie is shifted in favour of Peter Grant who has enjoyed an excellent season so far.

Jean De Villiers regains the no.12 jersey at the expense of Wynand Olivier after the Stormers rampaging victory over the Force.

Lionel Mapoe comes in for Gerhard Van Der Heever after a strong showing against the Bulls.

Hospital Pass XV.

1. Beast Mtawarira
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
3. CJ Van Der Linde
4. Steven Sykes
5. Andries Bekker
6. Heindrich Brussow
7. Willem Alberts
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Fourie Du Preez
10. Peter Grant
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Jean De Villiers
13. Doppies La Grange
14. Lionel Mapoe
15. Gio Aplon

Video: Possibly the greatest HAKA ever by the All Blacks

Springbok emblem moved for RWC

In a somewhat surprise move the Springbok emblem was shifted to the sleeve of the Springbok Rugby World Cup jersey. It was initially speculated that team kit sponsor Canterbury would move their logo to accomodate the Bok emblem on the front of the jersey.

Instead the jersey will now have to Rugby World Cup logo on the right and the national Protea sports emblem on the left. The Canterbury logo will sit in the middle underneath the collar.

The move is bound to cause some unhappiness amongst South African rugby supporters who are fiercely proud of the recognizable Springbok logo.

Due to IRB regulations the main team sponsor, ABSA, will not have their logo anywhere on the jersey.

Video:In BOD they trust - Brian O'Driscoll's record breaking twenty five 6Nations tries.

Opinion: Deon Malan - Déjá vu, or are the All Blacks about the repeat history?

The statistics don't lie and they make for very happy reading if you are a All Blacks supporter. Post 2007 Rugby World Cup New Zealand have played 43 matches, winning 36 and losing 7. That gives them a winning percentage of 83.72%. Scary stuff for sure, and when one looks back to the pre-2007 RWC stats they seem very similar. Played 43, won 38 and lost 5 equaling a 88.37% winning percentage.

Having said that we all know what happened in both those Rugby World Cups and we also know that the All Blacks went into those competitions as overwhelming favourites. The NZ public expected them to win and so did the rest of the rugby world.

The reasons I mention this should be fairly obvious. In light of what happened this weekend with the Crusaders against the Sharks at Twickenham some familiar memories came to the fore for me. I recall that before the last two RWC's New Zealand Rugby had never seemed stronger. They had most of the best players and still managed to fall short of the ultimate prize. The Crusaders made everything look so easy and the All Blacks did the same whenever they took to the field, and things seem pretty similar at the moment. The Crusaders play with such confidence, bordering on arrogance and a look I have seen before the previous two RWC's.

There is no denying that the All Backs have been the best team in the world for a very long time, but history has a funny way of repeating itself.

Don't be to surprised if we get to witness what would be the worlds biggest choke ever later this year.