Keo.co.za
22 May 2013
Willie le Roux and Lappies Labuschagne have finally been rewarded with spots in the Springbok training group. They are two of eight that are first timers in Springbok training groups this year. The others are Gio Aplon, Trevor Nyakane, JJ Engelbrecht, Lionel Mapoe, Wiehahn Herbst and Demetri Catrakilis. The group of players will assemble in Durban for the second training camp of the year, before the final squad for the Incoming Tours is selected. Players not considered due to injury include: JP Pietersen, Jaco Taute, Frans Steyn, Johan Goosen, Duane Vermeulen, Pat Cilliers and Frans Malherbe. ... Read Article22 May 2013
Ryno Benjamin brought in ahead of Raymond Rhule for Port Elizabeth clash. Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has kept the rest of his team unchanged, hoping the momentum from the Reds victory will lead them to a win against the Kings. That does mean that Burton Francis remains out of the match 22, Elgar Watts continuing ahead of Riaan Smit, who is on the bench yet again. Willie le Roux and Lappies Labuschagne will use this match to show why they have been included in the Springbok training squad. Both will be pushing hard to be among the final names for the upcoming Incoming tours against Italy, ... Read Article25 Apr 2013
Jan Serfontein, the player of last year's under 20 World Championship, will head the baby Boks defence in France. Serfontein and Kings wing Sergeal Petersen are two Super Rugby regulars to make Dawie Theron's squad and brilliant flyhalf Handre Pollard is another to play in a second successive tournament. Theron's squad lost a three-match series 2-1 to Argentina in Argentina. Serfontein, Petersen and Western Province's Cheslin Kolbe did not play in those matches. Bulls loose forward Ruan Steenkamp is captain. Serfontein and Pollard are the only two squad members from last year's ... Read Article14 May 2013
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has selected several uncapped Blues players in his training group. Hansen confirmed 38 names and this included many from the potent Blues backline. The Highlanders, despite only winning one match in this year's Super Rugby competition, have six players in the group. An obvious area of weakness is at hooker where Hansen has selected veterans Andrew Hore and Keven Mealamu and Canes Dane Coles. Options are limited and it certainly is a concern for New Zealanders. No overseas-based players were considered, as it is NZRFU policy. Among the uncapped players ... Read Article15 May 2013
French coach Philipe Saint-Andre has included three South African-born players for the three-Test series against the All Blacks in New Zealand. Racing Metro flank Bernard le Roux and Clermont prop Daniel Kotze join Antonie Claassen in a squad that includes eight new caps. Fijian-born Clermont winger Noa Nakaitaci is among the newcomers. Saint-Andre has rested flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc, but included Toulon's Frederic Michalak. France play world champions New Zealand on June 8, 15 and 22 in Auckland, Hamilton and New Plymouth respectively. French super club Toulon's foreign dominance ... Read Article5 Mar 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes the Varsity Cup in its first year rocked. Since then it's just another professional tournament. The Varsity Cup may have the innovation of doing a few things differently, but what was supposed to be a celebration of student rugby somehow just seems like another tournament, in which the traditional power houses remain the traditional strengths in the tournament. Much has been made of the Port Elizabeth-based Nelson Mandela University display this season and equally there has been bewilderment at how poor Shimlas have been. But it seems the old one two of Stellenbosch University ... Read Article12 May 2013
Marcus Watson scored in extra time to beat the Blitzbokke in the London World Series Sevens Cup quarter-finals. The teams were level 14-all at full time. Watson's try came four minutes into extra time. England won 19-14. England had the chance to win the match with the last play of the game in normal time. They were awarded a penalty and opted to take a drop kick for goal. It missed. Watson then rounded off a move after England had retained possession for two minutes. South Africa suffered further embarrassment when they lost for a second time in the tournament to the USA and were eliminated ... Read Article8 Jan 2013
Limpopo will play in the Vodacom Cup as a separate side for the first time this year. The region, which is a sub-union of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has been granted a place in the tournament in its own rights to help foster rugby in South Africa’s far north. They join the 14 provincial unions as well as the returning Pampas XV from Argentina in the tournament, which kicks off in the second week of March and concludes in mid-May. The Polokwane-based Limpopo team will play in the North Section of the competition, along with the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Griffons, Leopards, Pumas, Valke ... Read Article25 Feb 2006
Former Wallabies match winner Matt Burke turned back the clock with a seven penalty crusade to tame Leicester Tigers in English Premiership action.
Burke kicked seven penalties as the Newcastle Falcons won 24-16, while another former international, in New Zealand’s Justin Marshall, inspired Leeds Tykes’ sixth win in their last eight matches.
Leeds, with a third successive home win, beat Worcester 21-15 to ease relegation prospects.
keo has written 1899 articles.
22 May 2013
22 May 2013
Ryno Benjamin brought in ahead of Raymond Rhule for Port Elizabeth clash. Read More
Willie le Roux and Lappies Labuschagne have finally been rewarded with spots in the Springbok training group. They are two of eight that are first timers in Springbok training groups this year. Read More
The Rugby Football Union has turned down a proposal from their Welsh counterparts to stage the 2015 World Cup pool match between England and Wales in Cardiff. Read More
Marcus Watson scored in extra time to beat the Blitzbokke in the London World Series Sevens Cup quarter-finals. Read More
French coach Philipe Saint-Andre has included three South African-born players for the three-Test series against the All Blacks in New Zealand. Read More
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has selected several uncapped Blues players in his training group. Read More
15 Comments
25 Feb 2006, 14:32 pm
still wonder what the real reason was for McKenzie not renewing Burke’s contract
25 Feb 2006, 14:37 pm
there was probably a difference of opinion of what tactics should be used … or maybe something more sinister like McKenzie blames Burke for a few losses when they played together
25 Feb 2006, 14:42 pm
it was strange as Burke was still good enough to play for the wallabies.
25 Feb 2006, 15:04 pm
It is not as strange as anything in SA rugby
That said SA supporters are probably the eternal optimists when it comes to change being good – I mean Jake has been in charge for 2 years now and it is the most stability that we have had since Mallet was in charge …
25 Feb 2006, 15:09 pm
especially with the injury problems we have had on tour in the NH, Burke should have been on call, much easier than sending a guy across from Aussie who is on holiday. A few years ago Roff played on the tour while contracted to Biarritz.
During the Ashes series the selectors refused to add Hussey to the squad and he was in Durham at the time, bizarre.
25 Feb 2006, 15:14 pm
It sounds like the Aussie administrators have been smoking the same ‘weed’ that our own Rudi Staueli, Bryan van Rooyen, Maarkgraff, etc have been smoking … its all very insular thinking from administrators who are normally adept at thinking outside the box.
There again maybe his contract did not allow for him to play test match rugby …
25 Feb 2006, 15:21 pm
NSWRU have made plenty of daft decisions over recent times (and they nearly went bankrupt). O’Neill bailed them out and they were responsible for him leaving. The Aussie admin has gone downhill fast since O’Neill and his people quit (now they are running soccer in Oz and doing a great job). You can’t let great administrators go as they are hard to find. The guy is lost to rugby and is the CEO that the IRB need desperately.
25 Feb 2006, 15:27 pm
Unfortunately in SA it is the administrators who are immovable objects, especially when they are making ‘****-up’s – there is no accountability to go with the responsibility.
I mean when ever the boks have a bad run, the administrators fire the coach … the question that is always asked is who hired the coach in the first place?
Anyway we now have a new CEO / President / Puppet and we wait with bated breath as to how the next 2 years will go …
25 Feb 2006, 15:40 pm
the coach should only be sacked in the right circumstances (if his record deteiorates over a period of time, like eddie’s did). The ARU appointed Rob Clarke , the ex-Brumbies CEO who was responsible for sacking Nucifora in ’04 to the board. Killed any chances he had of getting the wallabies job.
25 Feb 2006, 15:41 pm
Well maybe just maybe your CEO’s has been smoking the same weed the BvR has been smoking for the last couple … he he
25 Feb 2006, 15:48 pm
At the moment, Clarke’s decision is looking spot on as Nucifora can’t fit it a culture. Hasn’t been able to gel the strong Blues squad into a proper team.
26 Feb 2006, 10:24 am
And didn’t Gregan, Larkahm, etc as vote him out as coach of the Brumbies immediately after he won the S12 title. I think there is something there similar to the McKenzie Burke thing …
As for not being able to gel the blues team, he did pretty well last year and I think the blues will get better now that they have their first win. I think they have just been believing their own press about how good they are and not realising that you actually have to put in that same effort every week on the field.
26 Feb 2006, 11:12 am
Cubiczirconia,
The Brumbies voted Nucifora out midway through the season, way before they even won the S12 title.
26 Feb 2006, 11:43 am
Oki doki regards Nucifora being voted out but he must have had some influence over team selections, tactics, etc even if his contract was not going to be renewed.
The one thing that has to be applauded in the ARU is that the players association has much greater power over who is coach both of State and National teams whereas in SA its left to the administrators to decide …
28 Feb 2006, 00:14 am
Coaching the Blues wouldn’t be a walk in the park. There’s a bit of elitism up that way (not as bad maybe as it was a few years back), and a lot of competition/rivalry between the two main franchises there.
I think a neutral guy like Nucifora could really accomplish something. Plus I (gulp!) think it’s healthy for NZ rugby to have a coach in the mix from outside the circle.
Plus I hate to see player power win. Someone needs to be boss, and it should be the coach.
Murray Mexted had Nucifora coaching at his Academy and spoke very well of him.
And won’t he SO want to beat the Brumbies?!?
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