The new face of Super Rugby
20 Dec 2010
Find out everything you need to know about the expanded competition in the bumper 156-page issue of SA Rugby magazine.
We kick off our Super Rugby preview section with an idiot’s guide to the new format (if you still don’t know how it works after reading this, we can’t help you). That’s followed by three pages on each South African team (how they are shaping up, player signings/losses, fixtures, previous log finishes, numbers that matter etc) and one page on each of the Kiwi and Aussie sides.
Also in the new issue:
– The Springboks failed to make any progress on their end-of-year tour
– Is Victor Matfield too conservative to be Bok captain?
– The All Blacks capped off an outstanding 2010 with their third Grand Slam in five years
– The Wallabies were frustratingly inconsistent on their end-of-year tour
– If England are to seriously challenge for the World Cup, they will have to stand up to the big beasts of the game
– Behind the swagger lies a secret diary that is driving England wing Chris Ashton to new heights
– Why the Barbarians are still relevant in the professional era
– Yet again the World Cup schedule helps the big nations and hinders the smaller ones. Why can’t the IRB make rugby’s showpiece event fair to all?
– Plus: Why Stuart Abbott is back in SA, Tim Noakes on the Boks ‘doping’ controversy, Heinrich Brussow’s injury battle, SA players in Europe
Click here to subscribe to print edition
Click here to subscribe to digital edition
2,264 Comments
Pages: « 1 … 27 28 29 30 31 [32] 33 34 35 36 37 … 46 » Show All
3 Jan 2011, 18:06 pm
@I am a stormer :
My point in post 1534 was to S.A. getting the benefit of a clearly incorrect umpiring decision and not a SQUEAK of sound was made about it. But the next cricket or rugby decision that goes against S.A., you can lay your head on the block almost ALL and sundry will be stupidly howling here for weeks on end.
3 Jan 2011, 18:23 pm
@JL1 :
Smith favours his ‘inner circle’ which irritates the newer, younger players(and their are more of them in the ODIs).
One thing I have observed albeit only in the ODI format where Botha sometimes captains the national team, is that the players appear to respond better to his captaincy than that of the arrogant Smith.
He interacts with them more often and definitely, and visibly so, more genuinely. The team seems to be happier and doing more for each other in competition with Botha than Smith.
In the recent ODI series against Pakistan they lost an ODI with Smith as captain and convincingly one the next under Botha (as Smith injured himself apparently in th previous defeat). But it was the manner in which they performed their team duties that so stood out for me. It was a case of chalk and cheese.
But Botha also does this at his franchise in the longer format of the game.
3 Jan 2011, 18:42 pm
At lunch today the main topic of the lads conversation (after our amazing performance in Aus in the Ashes series) was Kallis amazing ‘new’ head of hair!!
3 Jan 2011, 18:52 pm
@carol :
But he’ll never be able to flick his kuif again. He’ll probably put his back out trying to do so.
3 Jan 2011, 19:00 pm
@I am a stormer : Sorry I do not know what a ‘Kuif’ actually is, please explain!
3 Jan 2011, 19:07 pm
@carol :
Hi Carol
It’s your fringe. Used to be the “in’ thing years ago where guys grew a long fringe so that they could flick it to the back of their head.
3 Jan 2011, 19:36 pm
@I am a stormer : Sounds very 80′s !! lol
Just look what Graham Gooch started with the hair replacement thing with cricketers. Shane Warne is now ‘reaping the benefits’ !! Hahahhah
3 Jan 2011, 20:29 pm
@carol :
Morne Morkel said that Kallis lost his hair after all those years of running in and bowling into the wind.
3 Jan 2011, 22:04 pm
@JL1 : 1550 yeah Tahir is bloody quota!
3 Jan 2011, 22:36 pm
@Transformation : So they still do have quotas the Proteas?
3 Jan 2011, 22:59 pm
@JL1 : yes, mark boucher, harro all bloody quotas!
3 Jan 2011, 23:03 pm
@Transformation : I am sure he was selected on his form and his first cap had nothing to with his skin colour way back when his career started
He has lost form but that stil cannot make him a quota, now can it?
3 Jan 2011, 23:11 pm
Someone is trying to be funny…….
1)The All Blacks won’t win the World Cup
This raises the tricky question of who does win the Webb Ellis, but that’s not the point. Picking the All Blacks to win the World Cup is regarded in many circles as a wicked plot by a snarling media to bring our brave lads down. Picking them to win is apparently a crime that ranks alongside peaking too early.
The All Blacks have been disasters in the professional era, failing to even make a World Cup final since the ruling classes decided that rugby players could enjoy the delights of paying taxes and have more time to play golf. Only a crazy fool would pick the All Blacks to win on past tournament form.
As a rugby nation we don’t actually have a recipe for success but that doesn’t stop us from trying to make new ones up. The key ingredient is a national mood of dire pessimism. The game plan goes like this – with long faces everywhere, Richie McCaw and the troops ride to the rescue after adopting full battle mode. In keeping with this well-grounded approach, we suggest the team’s vital pre-tournament swimming mission be conducted from the Onehunga wharf. But even the spectre of the old Mangere bridge may not be enough to save them. Fate has decreed we are sport’s most enduring chokers.
Our first prediction: the quarter-finals will involve Australia v Samoa, England v France, South Africa v Ireland and New Zealand v Argentina. France beat Australia and South Africa beat New Zealand in the semifinals.
The final prediction: South Africa beat France and Peter de Villiers makes a memorable speech (very confident about that one).
3 Jan 2011, 23:21 pm
@JL1 : we’re talking about NOW jl1, who cares what happened when he was first selected when boucher is kak now?
3 Jan 2011, 23:32 pm
i was there today….till tea time….too damn hot and although cricket is cool its not rugby!
My impressions….we have too long a tail….and that spinner of ours dont really seem to pose a threat…Boucher looks to be struggling for runs as well….
We may be in strife as kallis cannot play in test and will only bat if we need him too in 2 nd innings….we in trouble here imo.
I dont know enough about the fringe players…..but from thebits and pieces i have seen i would drop Harris and Boucher….bring in Morne Van wyk and Tahir….and with Kallis out bring in JP Duminy…..although i suppose the 50 over team is somewhat different from the test team.
To have a guy like Dale steyn batting at 7 is simply not good enough…..we seem to be missing a guy like shaun pollock real bad…
3 Jan 2011, 23:40 pm
Some rest for the Crusaders’ wicked
2011-01-03 13:30:03
Crusaders boss Todd Blackadder has been
instructed to rest two of his All Blacks
stars during the 2011 Super 15, but the
former New Zealand skipper is not overly
concerned about any prescribed resting
periods over the next few months.
After the spectacular failure of Graham
Henry’s much-maligned resting policy in
2007 – when no Kiwi team featured in the
Super 14 Final and the All Blacks bombed
out of the Rugby World Cup – there has
been plenty of speculation about what
Henry would do in 2011.
The Crusaders, of course, would be the
hardest-hit of the five New Zealand Super
15 franchises, with the likes of Richie
McCaw, Brad Thorn and Dan Carter – to name
just a few – all playing for the Red & Blacks
in 2011.
Blackadder seemed unfazed at the prospect
of having to rest some of his star players -
no doubt given the strength of his squad.
He would not, however, reveal who he had
been instructed to rest, but it would seem
logical that McCaw, Thorn and Carter would
be up there in terms of being wrapped in
cotton wool by New Zealand’s brainstrust.
“We actually manage our guys bloody well
anyway without even talking to the All Black
selectors,” Blackadder told New Zealand’s
Sunday News.
“Richie last year was given the first couple
of weeks off, and, as the competition went
on, Brad Thorn had a few weeks off, so did
Kieran Read. It’s basically just a continuation
of things we already do.”
Aside from McCaw, Thorn and Carter,
Blackadder is also able to call upon the likes
of Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and the
Franks brothers up front, whilst the
Crusaders have also been bolstered by the
acquisition of Sonny Bill Williams and Israel
Dagg out wide.
Looking ahead to the prospect of managing
his star players this season, Blackadder told
the Sunday News: “There are always
injuries, niggles, a bit of tiredness, so you
do those things regardless.
We’ll just manage them as we would all the
rest of our players,” he added.
“There are probably only two players that
we’ll go in with a bit of a set plan for,
otherwise it’s just a week-by-week, case-
by-case basis.”
The Crusaders are the most successful Super
Rugby franchise, having claimed seven
titles – five Super 12 triumphs and two
Super 14 wins.
Blackadder, who played in the second or
back row for the Crusaders, captained the
side to glory on three of those occasions.
4 Jan 2011, 00:23 am
@Transformation : Yes, sothat just makes him a poor performing player
My question was do the Proteas operate a colour biased selection?
4 Jan 2011, 00:41 am
A prosperous new year to you all. May all your wishes and dreams come true in 2011.
@John Galt : #1477
“Fastest SA spinner to 100 wickets.” (wrt Harris)
Not true. It took Hugh Tayfield just 22 matches to reach 100 wickets. He was an off spinner.
Paul Adams took 35 matches. One less than Harris.
No need to fib to promote your man.
4 Jan 2011, 00:53 am
@JL1 : no they don’t!
4 Jan 2011, 01:01 am
@JL1 : @ 1563
You and Rat-tue, truly, deserve each other.
Bless.
4 Jan 2011, 01:09 am
@John Galt
Since moving back to his preferred position at 6 in the batting line up, Ashwell Prince scored 363 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.3.
0; 1; 23; 57; 16*; 9; 78; 1; 32; 47*; 13; 39* 47.
Why do want to drop someone who averages 40.3?
Granted, he owe us a big one to cement his place even further but for now he is getting back to be consistent and dependable again. Like he was before they experimented with him at the top of the order.
4 Jan 2011, 01:12 am
Also, Prince is still 33 years old. Still has a good three years left in him at this level, I think.
4 Jan 2011, 01:20 am
@Black Panther : Just scroll past, kapisch?
4 Jan 2011, 01:32 am
@JL1 : Capisce. It’s Italian. Italians aren’t very big on the letters K or J or W.
4 Jan 2011, 01:36 am
@nama1 : All the same, Harris deserves to be ranked amongst the very best SA spin bowlers of all time. His averages prove it beyond any doubt.
4 Jan 2011, 01:41 am
@JL1 : If you’re not white you are ALWAYS a quota. Regardless of how good you are.
The quota is based on race, not merit.
So, until you can alter your race and you’re not white, you’re destined forever to be called a quota — and rightly so.
Get used to it. You invented it. Live with it.
4 Jan 2011, 02:05 am
@TheTackler : 1575
Not a hell of a lot to choose from, is there? What with SA’s preference for fast bowlers over the years. That makes him one of SA’s best spinners by default.
Since readmission, we had Symcox, Adams, Boje and Harris for spinners. Since he is better that Symcox and Boje, it means that he is the second best since readmission. Also the fact that he is one of only FOUR spin bowlers to take more than 100 wickets in test matches, makes him one of the best SA spin bowlers. I agree with you there.
It still does not mean that he is a good spin bowler if you compare him to spinners from other countries though. He is still average.
He may prove me wrong of course by bowling India out on day 5 of the current test to win the test for SA.
4 Jan 2011, 04:36 am
Not a lot to choose from? Xenophon Balaskas, Aubrey Faulkner, Hugh Tayfield, Denys Hobson, Pat Symcox, Nicky Boje, Graham Chevalier, Atholl McKinnon, Gogga Adams… I could go on and on , but the point has been made.
And there’s really no merit in the “since re-admission” gate-keeper. Using SA’s re-admission as the sole yardstick date for comparisons, you’d laugh off the achievements of Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Adcock, Heine, Peter Pollock, the Nourses etc and — casting the net globally — even those of Lillee, Thomson, Tyson, Hadlee, Viv Richards, Sobers, Wes Hall … even WG Grace and the peerless Bradman!
Cricket and its great icons of achievement really DO pre-date those figures who only appear in the Wisden annals after South Africa’s post-apartheid re-admission, you know?
Harris is at the top — or very near the top — of ALL these SA slow bowlers. One can’t legitimately make an condemnatory argument that he isn’t a Warne or a Murali or even a Vettori — after all, he’s not Australian or a Lankan or a Kiwi. His accomplishments can only be stacked up against those of South African bowlers and, in particular, SA spin bowlers. Harris is South African, playing for SA against what is currently the world’s best. And he’s done such a damned fine job of it that his test record impresses in the ALL TIME annals of South African spin bowling.
Not ordinary. Pretty extraordinary, in fact. Exceptional, even.
Average? Not on your life! Looks at the scoreboard, pilgrim!
4 Jan 2011, 06:23 am
As for the “why defend Harris” ignorami — in the early 80s there were identical calls to “drop Naas”.
Naas Botha couldn’t pass.
Naas really couldn’t tackle for toffee.
Naas couldn’t sidestep, feint or jink.
Naas was almost utterly zero-dimensional in a wholly one-dimensional Buurman van Zyl-coached Blue Bulls team.
So, why wasn’t Naas dropped?
Naas could kick.
That’s all.
The one-trick pony’s one-and-only trick.
But, what a mighty fine trick it was!
So they kept him. Good job too. The kid became a legend.
4 Jan 2011, 06:38 am
I SEE IN bEELD THE sHARKS HAVE APPROACHED bEASTS CHURCH SO THAT THEY MIGHT USE THE cHURCHS INFLUENCE TO CONVINCE bEAST TO STAY IN dURBAN !
4 Jan 2011, 06:38 am
Sorry caps
4 Jan 2011, 06:49 am
A NEW YEAR
A New Challenge
A New Goal
A New Optimism
A New Aproach
A New Mission
A New Resolution
Wishng all the keo muppits a very happy New Year!
No don’t worry, I did not waste my holidays to come up with it, was a simple copy and paste job…!
I see the slack arses at keo did not bother to give us a simple new heading a day…or even a week to post under but just expected us to carry on, on the last one they did before they all rushed out for the Christmas party…hopefully they all used the time off to brush up on their rugby knowledge which showed some serious holes in the last 12 months!
And Tackles, still dipping into the leftover eggnog I see, maybe you should not have put it in the sun…
4 Jan 2011, 06:52 am
@grant10 :
Howzit Grantie, where is he off too?
4 Jan 2011, 06:56 am
Ahh Jobeg I see…
4 Jan 2011, 07:11 am
Today would be a nice time for Harris to start getting amongst the wickets.
So far in this series, the other South African bowlers have taken more wickets or more been more economical:
Steyn 16 Ave 17,5
Morkel 12 Ave 22.91
Tsotsobe 6 Ave 43.16
Kallis 3 Ave 41.33
Harris 3 Ave 61.66
And 4 Indian bowlers have also taken more wickets than Harris so far in this series.
For Harris’s sake, I hope the table above looks decidedly different at the conclusion of this match.
4 Jan 2011, 07:14 am
@Slartibartfast : hi there….persistent rumours of beast going to lions
4 Jan 2011, 07:17 am
going to be 34 degrees today in CT….we better get early wickets!
4 Jan 2011, 07:23 am
@grant10 :
Thanks Grant, I read the article now and saw the reference. I hope all the exited Lions supporters realise that if they don’t win the S15 this year they never will. John Mitchell is very much a one season pony…so to speak!
4 Jan 2011, 07:25 am
@grant10 :
34 degrees, Indians must be loving it!
Any idea or reason why Steyn was slightly off the pace yesterday?
4 Jan 2011, 07:28 am
@I am a stormer :
Not very flash numbers for Harris, what exactly is the love affair between him and Smith?
4 Jan 2011, 07:36 am
@Slartibartfast :
If you read above, I think Tackles is more in love with Harris than Smith is.
But with Kallis injured and unable to bowl, Harris must step up to the plate.
And a pakistani-born, Imran Tahir, a leg-spinner has recently qualified to play for South Africa.
4 Jan 2011, 07:46 am
Poms 124/2
4 Jan 2011, 07:46 am
@Slartibartfast : not sure….thought he bowled okay….but hell i was dissapointed with our batting….that tail too long….dale at 7 ?? Crazy stuff.
4 Jan 2011, 07:47 am
and we dropping catches like there is no tomorrow….not good enough!
4 Jan 2011, 07:55 am
@I am a stormer :
Must be the eggnog, since his true love Warne is no more he is desperate…
@grant10 :
Speed gun just had him in the low 130 kays… But the tail is getting alarmingly long these days, specially if the top order don’t score big as we saw in the second test.
4 Jan 2011, 07:55 am
@grant10 :
Hi G10
Mark Boucher – 1 part of the problem – His unwillingness to retire is hurting the test team
Secondly – Harris, unable to do his primary job, so what do you expect with bat in hand?
Thirdly – Selfishness of AB de Villiers – thinking about himself and not about the need of the team
No4 – ET stated it nicely – the Graeme Smith MAFIA
4 Jan 2011, 08:05 am
@Mighty Horua : hi bud….i am no fundi but really the long tail is clearly a problem….dont know too much about the proteas team dynamics but it seems to be a common trait in our national teams that favoritism seems to play a part….not cool imo….Harris, Boucher must be on thin ice ….as i said as well, Dale Steyn at 7 is a travesty…..he should be at 9 !
4 Jan 2011, 08:13 am
Way back the Proteas had
Pollock
Klusener
Boje/Symcox (Both with Test centuries)
Hall
All of them contributed
4 Jan 2011, 08:16 am
@grant10 :
The motto of the national cricket team has always been that it is harder to be dropped once you in than it is to get in, in the first place. The theory is that the gulf between provincial cricket and test cricket is vast and not many can take the step up. Averages over a long period of time should be above average before you get a look in but if you make it you can stay there for a long time based on a few good performances.
Cricket players are also notorious for not wanting to retire until pushed, Boucher for one falls into that category now. Besides his poor scoring of late, his wicket keeping is also poor. As for Harris, who knows if there is anyone better at this time. Botha? The brand new Saffa…? Dunno, will have to wait and see.
But your point about Steyn is spot on, he is our strike bowler and I will be happy for him to bat at 11. He should never be at 7 where you expect him to make runs, not his job!
4 Jan 2011, 08:17 am
1600!?
Pages: « 1 … 27 28 29 30 31 [32] 33 34 35 36 37 … 46 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.