Check out your 2011 Rugby World Cup Dashboard HERE
Super 15 fixtures so you never miss a game! Add all the fixtures for the 2012 Super 15 tournament to your Outlook or Gmail calendar automatically. (more…)
by Rob Cowie | While Springbok supporters have renewed hope that their team can retain the Rugby World Cup, any number of potential pitfalls – some avoidable and some not – could derail the campaign. The top ten:
1. Playing John Smit at prop
If Gary Gold persists with this folly, expect the Bok scrum to be back-pedalling all the way home to South Africa without any silverware.
by Rob Cowie | Allister Coetzee believes the Springboks are stronger than they were in 2007, when they won the World Cup in France. ‘There are a lot of guys in that side that know how to play winning rugby, that know how to get to a final. And there are more than enough leaders. Back then we had to develop leaders, whom are now hardened players. As long as all of them play in New Zealand, we should do well.’
While 18 of the 2007 World Cup winners have been retained in the 2011 team, are they as good as they were in 2007? Age seems to have caught up with a lot of them, but in a short once-off tournament surely they can lift themselves for one last hurrah? The biggest difference in class and skill is clearly to be found in the management staff where the 2007 team had a clear advantage, especially in the coaching, psych, space and attack departments. I have a feeling that this is the area where the 2011 tournamnet will be won and lost.
Check out the direct comparisons below. What do you think?
by William Taylor | Johnny Wilkinson has heaped praise on England team mate, Manu Tuilagi following his impressive try against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. The giant Samoan-born outside-centre powered his way through the Irish defences to give his side the perfect send-off ahead of their World Cup campaign.
MTN Golden Lions coach, John Mitchell, and DHL Western Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis were today named as the Absa Currie Cup Coach and Player of the Month for August.
Ou Grote Rugby presents an amazing opportunity for small businesses who do not necessarily have large marketing budgets, to get huge exposure during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Why should the tournament only benefit the bigwigs? Your company can reach almost 100,000 rugby-mad fans during the World Cup – from only R1,000!
We have developed a Rugby World Cup Dashboard which will be added to our site on Saturday 3 September. This online application gives the rugby fan a one page dashboard of information on the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Fixtures by date, fixtures by team, predictions, match reports, videos, stadium information, results and of course YOUR company’s advert – all on one convenient page. We will even create the advert for you free of charge!
Click on the image below to check it out.
Also, click HERE to view some statistics on Ou Grote Rugby.
How do you take this amazing opportunity?
Advertising slots will only be offered until 5pm on Friday 2 September on a first-come, first-served basis. E-mail us at info@ougrote.com indicating the codes (see the image above) of your preferred advert slot or slots. In each case give us your preferred 3 slots in order of preference. We will confirm with you based on availability.
Get e-mailing now to take advantage of this limited offer! info@ougrote.com
There are no easy paths to glory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Based on form and past results, this is what it will likely take for one of the four favourites for the title to win the cup:
South Africa (Pool D)
The Springboks have a fairly easy, though potentially bruising path through the pool stages. The biggest threat will be Wales, followed by the Samoans who like to match the Boks physically. The knock-out stages will require them to topple Ireland, New Zealand, and one of Australia or England to become the first side to retain the William Webb Ellis trophy.
11/09 Wales
17/09 Fiji
22/09 Namibia
30/09 Samoa
09/10 QF3 Ireland
16/10 SF2 New Zealand
23/10 FIN Australia\England
Australia (Pool C)
The Wallabies have a fairly straight-forward task to emerge top of Pool C, with the only real threat being Ireland – depending on which Irish side turns up. They should comfortably overcome Wales in the quarterfinals, then meet England in the semis. This will be a huge game given the result at the 2007 World Cup which saw England dominate the set phases and eliminate the Wallabies. If the Australians can beat the English this time round, they will face one of New Zealand or South Africa in the final. A victory will make them the only side to have won the tournament three times.
11/09 Italy
17/09 Ireland
23/90 USA
01/10 Russia
08/10 QF1 Wales
15/10 SF1 England
23/10 FIN New Zealand\South Africa
