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Wednesday's rugby wrap

Wednesday's rugby wrap
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01 Oct 2014

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01 Oct 2014

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01 Oct 2014

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01 Oct 2014

JOHN MITCHELL BACKED FOR JAKE WHITE'S JOB

Former Golden Lions and All Blacks coach, John Mitchell, has been installed as the favourite to take over from Jake White as Director of Rugby at the Sharks.

According to leading SA bookmakers, sportingbet, Mitchell has been installed as a 15/8 favourite to succeed White who sensationally stepped down from the role on Monday.

Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett is next in line at 5/2, followed by Gary Gold and Brendan Venter at 5/1.

Former Sharks stalwart Dick Muir can be backed at 7/1.

CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

VIDEO: Five Facts: Jean de Villiers

Springbok captain Jean de Villiers chats about family life, quality time, his favourite car and secret talents in today's featured video.

CLICK HERE to watch the interview with the Bok captain

01 Oct 2014

BOKS KEEP THEIR 'TURBO BENCH'

Springbok starting players will have to hit their straps fast and then sustain intensity to stay on the park against the All Blacks, says our chief writer Rob Houwing.

CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

Sharks fans will be happy to see that lock Stephan Lewies and prop Thomas du Toit have returned to the Sharks' starting team for their Currie Cup clash against the Golden Lions at Kings Park on Friday night.
CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

SHARKS TEAM NAMED

Sharks coach Brad-MacLeod-Henderson has named his team to face the Golden Lions in their Currie Cup clash at Kings Park in Durban on Friday (19:10 kick-off):

Teams:

Sharks:

15. SP Marais, 14. S'bura Sithole, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Andre Esterhuizen, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Lionel Cronje, 9. Cameron Wright, 8. Tera Mtembu (captain), 7. Etienne Oosthuizen, 6. Jacques Botes, 5. Marco Wentzel, 4. Stephan Lewies, 3. Lourens Adriaanse, 2. Kyle Cooper/Monde Hadebe, 1. Thomas du Toit

Substitutes: 16. Monde Hadebe/Franco Marais, 17. Dale Chadwick, 18. Matt Stevens, 19. JC Astle, 20. Khaya Majola, 21. Conrad Hoffmann, 22. Fred Zeilinga

Golden Lions:

15. Andries Coetzee, 14. Ruan Combrinck, 13. Lionel Mapoe (captain), 12. Stokkies Hanekom, 11. Courtnall Skosan, 10. Marnitz Boshoff, 9. Ross Cronje, 8. Willie Britz, 7. Warwick Tecklenburg, 6. Jaco Kriel, 5. Franco Mostert, 4. Martin Muller, 3. Ruan Dreyer, 2. Robbie Coetzee, 1. Schalk van der Merwe

Substitutes: 16. Armand van der Merwe, 17. Julian Redelinghuys, 18. Jacques van Rooyen, 19. Derick Minnie, 20. Kwagga Smith, 21. Mark Richards, 22. Howard Mnisi

01 Oct 2014

TACTICAL KICKING VITAL FOR BOKS

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer says tactical kicking will be of utmost importance in Saturday's Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.

"I have no doubt that whoever wins the tactical-kicking battle this Saturday will win the match," Meyer told SA Rugbymag.

"You can’t expect to beat the All Blacks unless you handle their kicking game. History shows that when you are the best tactical-kicking side in the world, you are the best team in the world.

"Look at when the Boks beat the All Blacks in 2008 and 2009, they had the best kicking unit on the planet. The All Blacks took note of that, and have made some remarkable improvements in that area since. Right now, they are difficult to beat because they have it all."

CLICK HERE to read the full story on SA Rugbymag

01 Oct 2014

Only the Sharks, Griquas and Western Province Currie Cup teams are yet to be named for this weekend's action.

CLICK HERE to visit our Currie Cup weekend teams section

01 Oct 2014

CHEETAHS TEAM NAMED

Free State Cheetahs coach Rory Duncan has named his team to tackle Western Province in a Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday (14:00 kick-off):

Teams:

Free State Cheetahs:

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 JP Du Plessis,13 Francois Venter,12 Joubert Engelbrecht,11 Raymond Rhule,10 Willie du Plessis,9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Lappies Labuschagné,7 Neil Claassen,6 Tienie Burger,5 Francois Uys,4 Werner Lourens,3 George Marich,2 Torsten Van Jaarsveld (captain),1 Coenie Oosthuizen

Substitutes:16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen,19 Henco Venter,19 Vincent Jobo,20 Shaun Venter,21 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 22 AJ Coertzen

Western Province:

TBA

01 Oct 2014

Hooker Bismarck du Plessis is back in the Springbok starting team for Saturday's Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park (Gallo Images).
<strong><em>Hooker Bismarck du Plessis is back in the Springbok starting team for Saturday's Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park (Gallo Images).</em></strong><br />

01 Oct 2014

FORMER PLAYERS TURN TO REFEREEING

Former Western Province wing Egon Seconds and SA women's player Aimee Barrett have taken up the challenge of becoming referees.

CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

It's good to see Bismarck get a go against the All Blacks. I had a sneaky feeling it was always in coach Heyneke Meyer's plans to start him for this Test. His physicality will be exactly what is needed and he'll also be fired up after playing off the bench in the last few Tests...

01 Oct 2014

Vermeulen is recovering from a rib cartilage injury and if he doesn’t recover in time to face New Zealand, Schalk Burger will start in the No 8 jersey with Warren Whiteley coming onto the bench.
CLICK HERE to read the full story regarding the Bok team announcement

01 Oct 2014

No 8 Duane Vermeulen will be given as much time as possible to recover from injury while Bismarck du Plessis will start in place of Adriaan Strauss.

01 Oct 2014

BOK TEAM NAMED:

The Springbok team to face the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday has been named (17:05 kick-off):

South Africa:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 JP Pietersen

01 Oct 2014

SPRINGBOK TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

The Springbok team to play the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday will be announced at 11:30 today...

01 Oct 2014

BULLS "LIGHT-YEARS" BETTER NOW

Blue Bulls captain Deon Stegmann says there are "light-years" between where they are now compared to the beginning of the Currie Cup.

What's your take on the Bulls? Can they sneak into the semis?

Send your thoughts to: herman.mostert@sa.24.com

CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

BOKS LOW ON TIGHTHEADS

Former Springbok prop Balie Swart, in an interview with SA Rugbymag, says the Springboks are dangerously low on Test quality tighthead props.

Jannie du Plessis is the current incumbent tighthead in the Bok team, with Marcel van der Merwe his deputy.

But Swart, who won the World Cup with the Boks in 1995, is a worried man.

"I think we are well covered at loosehead, but we're still a bit short at tighthead," he said.

"Going into a World Cup year with only Jannie du Plessis as a Test level tighthead is a concern. We need to start developing players in every position, so that you have three or four backups that can come in if he gets injured. Right now we don't even have one (at tighthead prop)."

CLICK HERE to read the full story on SA Rugbymag

01 Oct 2014

In rather interesting news, Springbok loose forward Schalk Burger has talked about how shocked he was by the pace at which the game is played in Japan.

Burger, 31, left Western Province earlier this year to play for Suntory Sungoliath.

"The pace at which games are decided is staggering. Your conditioning has to be good to be able to keep it up there. You run a lot more during a game there than what you're used to over here. If you tackle a guy over there, then it also has to be around his legs in order to stop him."

CLICK HERE to read the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

HIGHLANDERS SIGN SA PROP

South African prop Ross Geldenhuys has signed a deal with New Zealand Super Rugby franchise, the Highlanders.

Geldenhuys, 31, is one of seven new signings made by the Dunedin-based franchise.

They signed four new prop forwards, clearly stating their intent to bulk up. With their dangerous backs they reached the Super Rugby playoffs this year and almost upset the Sharks in Durban. It was only a dominant Sharks scrum which saved the Durbanites on the day...

With a stronger pack, the Highlanders would be very dangerous next year. All Black centre Malakai Fekitoa was their success story this season!

CLICK HERE for the full story on Sport24

01 Oct 2014

WHERE IS JAKE WHITE HEADED?

OK, by now I'm sure you're all a bit fed up by all the Jake White news. But it has become pretty clear that Jake was told to leave the Sharks after he became unpopular among some of the senior players.

According to Beeld, players saw White as a school principal who dealt with them as though they were his pupils.

The Cape Times also reported that while White may not technically have been "fired" by the board of the Sharks, a stage had apparently been reached where White no longer headed a harmonious environment.

A source close to the White family revealed to Sport24 on Tuesday that the job at Maties may well be White's next destination. But how long will he stay there? We all know White wants to coach an international team.

My bet is he will be at next year's Rugby World Cup, be it as a coach or in an advisory capacity...

01 Oct 2014

ARGENTINA TEAM NAMED:

The Pumas were the first of the Rugby Championship teams to announce their side this week.

They tackle the Wallabies in Mendoza on Sunday morning (00:40 SA time):

Argentina team:

15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Horacio Agulla, 12 Juan Martin Hernandez, 11 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Benjamin Macome, 6 Rodrigo Baez, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Mariano Galarza, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza

Substitutes: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Bruno Postiglioni, 18 Ramiro Herrera, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Thomas Cubelli, 22 Marcelo Bosch, 23 Jeronimo De la Fuente

CLICK HERE to read the full Argentina team story

01 Oct 2014

We'll aim to give you all the latest rugby news, from team announcements, injuries to any major new signings, mixed with a little bit of opinion...

01 Oct 2014

Welcome to Sport24's breaking news and opinion of all the latest happenings on the local and international rugby front!

Commentary by Sport24's Herman Mostert

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