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
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5 Jan 2011, 06:59 am
@sharks_lover : Thanks and the same to you.
5 Jan 2011, 07:03 am
@sharks_lover :
Interesting, the Lions boys must be really peeved off…and a little stupid to fail on keeping the boys last year and ‘payback’/getting Beast this year!
5 Jan 2011, 07:05 am
@Slartibartfast : lol boete fact is sharks did do the things by the book , thus they won every battle
lions can be peeved off , shows you how poorly they are managed though , and they do not know the laws
5 Jan 2011, 07:08 am
@sharks_lover :
Except the one for Mapoe…in the long run I think they will be happy they lost that one and the only province happy will be FS.
But yes, they thought money will fix everything but they forgot there are no medication for stupidity.
5 Jan 2011, 07:10 am
@Slartibartfast : true ur right
im just glad its over and the sharks and beast can move on and concentrate on rugby
5 Jan 2011, 07:13 am
@Slartibartfast : trust me club rugby in lions country is not healthy
they should start working on that instead of the way they are going about it
atleast sharks stormers and bulls have their house in order
as we saw how well the stormers did in all comps , natal club won club champs etc , bulls super 14
5 Jan 2011, 07:14 am
@sharks_lover :
I hope your team does well this year, very strong squad on paper…but we know rugby is played on grass!
5 Jan 2011, 07:17 am
@sharks_lover :
You can’t buy a team or a cup but they will learn the hard way. I maintain Mitchell is a one season wonder and if they don’t do it this year they can drop him. Of course they wont…
5 Jan 2011, 07:18 am
@Slartibartfast : very true and thanks mate
when hearing about Beast yesterday , i was also told the sharks are look hungry at training , excuse the pun
players are all fit and raring to go
5 Jan 2011, 07:19 am
@Slartibartfast : look he is a good coach , but he not the messiah so to say
and ur only as good as you players as a coach
but again ur right , they will learn the hard way
5 Jan 2011, 07:24 am
@sharks_lover :
Well, lets hope they pull it through then.
I have heard he tend to lose interest after a while and is more interested in dopping with his mate than coaching….happened with the AB and Force. Can’t see this time being different.
5 Jan 2011, 07:28 am
@Slartibartfast : guess time will tell
see most truelly succesful coaches stay long at a team they coach and they love that team
plumtree is such a person as he played for the sharks too
mitchell to me is not such a person
5 Jan 2011, 07:34 am
@sharks_lover :
Well, coaches do come and go and sometimes you need some fresh blood to change things. He should do fine this season but the key will be next season for him and his team.
Eish, wish the Cheetahs did not have a coach that loves them so much…
5 Jan 2011, 07:34 am
guess keo journo’s will write about this when its old news , then try make it a scoop
i know of a certain journo that on twitter said only yesterday how beast will be a lion
, how big is that egg on his face?? 
5 Jan 2011, 07:36 am
@sharks_lover :
Only way to identify the egg on the face will be because it is fresh…
5 Jan 2011, 07:41 am
@Slartibartfast :
5 Jan 2011, 07:52 am
i am pleased the bok and shark front row will be kept intact. The beast,bissy,jannie front row were awesome on eoyt, and playing together in super 15 will only make it better for boks come eoyt.
The r 14 m the lions were looking to entice beast across to joeys can be better spent on getting bj,frans steyn, butch james back….perhaps even a frans rautenbach, while i see cobus versagie in this mornings beeld doing a big song and dance for petrus du plessis, the saracens tighthead.
The SA franchises must stop the rape and pillage of each others local teams…plenty of class saffas that we can fetch out of europe as opposed to nailing each other here back home.
5 Jan 2011, 08:10 am
@grant10 : gd grant and HNY to you old chap
5 Jan 2011, 08:12 am
England 467/6 – tough day at the office with Bell now on 109!
Lead 189…
5 Jan 2011, 08:12 am
@sharks_lover : H NY TO you too.
5 Jan 2011, 08:13 am
poms must turn the knife…..
5 Jan 2011, 08:18 am
They are Grant, Prior on 45 of 48 balls…
5 Jan 2011, 08:19 am
Time to drop Clarke, Katich (although injured), Ponting, Hussey (although in good form)
Get in new blood
5 Jan 2011, 08:21 am
Bowling of Aussie sub-standard – however no one better or challenging for a place in the team
5 Jan 2011, 08:22 am
@Mighty Horua :
Who to replace them, they don’t have any. Besides Hussey has been the leading run scorer by some margin, why drop him now?
5 Jan 2011, 08:26 am
@Slartibartfast :
they should try something atleast
Bring in Warner (although another Boom Boom), Callum Ferguson, Cameron White
or any player 25 and younger!
Start afresh
5 Jan 2011, 08:28 am
Give Usman the captaincy
5 Jan 2011, 08:29 am
huge day at newlands today! Proteas must get lead of at least 260….then game on i reckon! Harris has a golden opportunity to do the deal on the 5 th day….if he doesent i reckon he cant complain if the axe is swung.
My birthday tomorrow…..so come on proteas….give me something to celebrate boys!
5 Jan 2011, 08:31 am
The problem with Aus statecricket is that they sit with the likes of Andy Bichel, Lehman, wonder if Gillespie is still playing and age old hasbeen occupying starting spots
5 Jan 2011, 08:35 am
@Mighty Horua :
They both retired at least two seasons ago so I am not sure what your point is. Lehman now coaches Qld.
Warner is useless in multi day games, Ferguson had a go and failed and White must be 30+
5 Jan 2011, 08:37 am
seriously….fark the aussies….lets fix our s hit 1 st!
5 Jan 2011, 08:41 am
Seriously Grant, there is so little sport to talk about and now you want to limit it further?
5 Jan 2011, 08:44 am
Nothing wrong with our cricket. Good balance of experience with youth. Boucher and Prince at the end of the road but no probl replacing them. We have some great young talent coming through. Tahir in the mix is also a bonus.
5 Jan 2011, 08:46 am
@sharks_lover :
He was never really going to go lets face it. When provincial contracts are up for renewal for boks there is always a mad scramble for their signature.
He was after a raise and why the hell not. Nothing like a bit of uncertainty to add a few extra zeros on your paycheck.
I remember a few years back where it was rumuored Bakkies and Habana were coming down to the Sharks. That was never going to happen either.
Beast is part of a young champion side now, why would he want to start all over again with the Lions. Albeit a really young and hungry looking Lions side.
5 Jan 2011, 08:48 am
@stormer in a teacup :
Yip, pointing fingers at the team is also doing a disservice to the Indians and how well they are currently playing and how good a team they are.
Boucher has probably overstayed his welcome and he should be looking at retirement but he is not in the pathetic class yet.
5 Jan 2011, 09:02 am
@Slartibartfast : LOL
Okay…i get your point!
Boucher is an issue….as is Harris imo…maybe he redeems himself in india last innings….and we seem a batsman light!
5 Jan 2011, 09:03 am
indians are a bloody brilliant team….showing huge resolve and ‘ gees ‘…very impressed with them
5 Jan 2011, 09:04 am
the key will be harris….the stage is set for a Lazurus like comeback….the Tackler will be on a knifes edge watching his favorite son….hope Harris does the business for us!
5 Jan 2011, 09:10 am
I’ll rather let John Smit bowl on the 5th day than Paul Harris
John will at least bring some aura to the party
5 Jan 2011, 09:10 am
@grant10 :
Long before that we need some runs, at least another 250 to lead by 300. Then we need Steyn to topple one or two and Morkel to chip in with 1 and THEN Harris can do his thing…
Tackles just wants to say ‘I told you so’…he has been so wrong with his rugby predictions that he now is desperate for a small vistory in cricket!
5 Jan 2011, 09:11 am
“the key will be harris”
But who will turn the Key?
5 Jan 2011, 09:13 am
Hahahaha Grant would also prefer him to bowl, anything to keep him away from rugby!
Right, one serious thunderstorm building so I am off…till later!
5 Jan 2011, 09:14 am
@Mighty Horua :
Not Harris, he turns nothing…
Nou loop ek rerig!
5 Jan 2011, 09:15 am
@Slartibartfast :
5 Jan 2011, 09:16 am
I wonder if he can turn around and walk into another direction
5 Jan 2011, 09:18 am
I think the big question today is how comfortable Kallis will be at the crease, if or when, he comes out to bat. And whether he decides to use a runner or not.
There is already talk of him possibly missing the first two ODI’s.
5 Jan 2011, 09:19 am
@Mighty Horua : LOL
Farken classic!
5 Jan 2011, 09:22 am
talking of smit….with the beast staying and plum saying smit will be considered as a loosehead as opposed to hooker…..interesting times…
That eugene van staden a very good prop as well….sharks got depth
1…beast…van staden….smit
2 bissy…burden
3 jannie…herbst…
5 Jan 2011, 09:22 am
Morning all, Happy New Year and best wished for the year ahead, sporting and otherwise. I look forward to some insightfull comments, some good natured verbal jousting and an overall successfull year for South Africa in the Sporting arena! I hope we’ve all returned safely after the festivities with nothing more than sunburn and a few festive kilos to show for it.
Well done Sharks on securing beast for another 3 years, Grant is right, those 3 with a hopefully fully fit and invigorated JS will form the backbone of the Springbok front row this year, and it’s important to keep them together if at all possible.
5 Jan 2011, 09:24 am
@stormersboy : HNY mate
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