Thomas Rooney | Ahead of their final Rugby Championship match against New Zealand this weekend, South Africa have announced an unchanged side. (more…)
Month: September 2012
Steyn axed for Goosen as Bok team named
Heyneke Meyer has dropped out-of-form Morné Steyn from the matchday 22 to face Australia at Loftus on Saturday. He is replaced by Johan Goosen, while Elton Jantjies provides flyhalf cover off the bench.
Frans Steyn is named with Jaco Taute at inside centre, but his participation depends on a full recovery from the ankle injury picked up during training. Taute will make his Bok debut at outside centre if Steyn fails to recover, with Jean de Villiers moving to number 12.
Eben Etzebeth returns from suspension to join Andries Bekker in the second-row, while Coenie Oosthuizen returns from a neck injury to replace the suspended Dean Greyling.
Zane Kirchner is retained at fullback giving Pat Lambie another potential 75 minutes on the bench.
Boks by 15
Springbok team
15. Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)
14. Bryan Habana (Western Province)
13. Jean de Villiers (captain, Western Province)
12. Frans Steyn (Sharks) / Jaco Taute (Lions)
11. Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls)
10. Johan Goosen (Cheetahs)
09. Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland)
08. Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
07. Willem Alberts (Sharks)
06. Francois Louw (Bath)
05. Andries Bekker (Stormers)
04. Eben Etzebeth (Stormers)
03. Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
02. Adriaan Strauss (vice-captain, FS Cheetahs)
01. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
Replacements
16. Tiaan Liebenberg (Western Province)
17. Coenie Oosthuizen
18. Flip van der Merwe (Bulls)
19. Marcell Coetzee (Sharks)
20. Elton Jantjies (Lions)
21. Juan de Jongh (Stormers) / Jaco Taute (Lions)
22. Pat Lambie (Sharks)
2012 Rugby Championship round 5 predictions
| Game 5 of 5 Sunday 30 September 01h10 Argentina vs New Zealand (La Plata) | |||||
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Argentina
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New Zealand
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Rob (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 10 James (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 21 Bet.coza: New Zealand (0.16 / 5.50) Ben (The Bounce): New Zealand by 8 Tank (FRG): New Zealand by 12 |
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2012 Currie Cup round 8 predictions
| Game 4 of 5 Saturday 29 September 19h15 Western Province v Golden Lions | ||
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Western Province
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Lions
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Rob (Ou Grote): WP by 3 James (Ou Grote): Lions by 3 Bet.coza: WP (0.46 / 2.35) Rob (Sharksworld): WP by 3 Gareth (KEO): WP by 5 Tank (FRG): WP by 7 |
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2012 Rugby Championship round 5 predictions
| Game 3 of 5 Saturday 29 September 17h00 South Africa vs Australia (Pretoria) | |||||
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Springboks
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Wallabies
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Rob (Ou Grote): Springboks by 15 James (Ou Grote): Springboks by 1 Bet.coza: Springboks (0.42 / 2.35) Jon (Keo): Springboks by 10 Ben (The Bounce): Springboks by 23 Tank (FRG): Springboks by 5 |
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2012 Currie Cup round 8 predictions
| Game 2 of 5 Saturday 29 September 14h00 Free State Cheetahs v Griquas | ||
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Free State Cheetahs
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Griquas
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Rob (Ou Grote): Cheetahs by 5 James (Ou Grote): Cheetahs by 7 Bet.coza: Cheetahs (0.42 / 2.40) Rob (Sharksworld): Cheetahs by 5 Gareth (KEO): Cheetahs by 10 Tank (FRG): Cheetahs by 9 |
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2012 Currie Cup round 8 predictions
| Game 1 of 5 Friday 28 September 19h10 Natal Sharks v Blue Bulls | ||
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Natal Sharks
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Blue Bulls
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Rob (Ou Grote): Sharks by 3 James (Ou Grote): Sharks by 7 Bet.coza: Sharks (0.57 / 1.70) Rob (Sharksworld): Sharks by 8 Gareth (KEO): Sharks by 8 Tank (FRG): Sharks by 7 |
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I find Cricinfo to be a rather interesting website. Preaching to a sub-continental power base that is obsessed with betting and stats has pushed cricket’s leading website towards the cool, cold and brilliant world of sport statistics. Cricket is far more susceptible to mathematical dissemination than rugby, but South African rugby and South African rugby fans would do well to take a peek behind the curtain of numbers – sadly they will not like what they find.
Flippie van der Merwe and Hennie Bekker were part of the Springbok team that took on New Zealand in Wellington on 12th September 1981. Almost exactly 31 years later when Andries Bekker ran on to join Flip van der Merwe on the field in the 53rd minute of Saturday’s test against New Zealand in Dunedin, the circle was complete.
Hennie was a Western Province stalwart of the 80’s, played 2 tests away against New Zealand (both losses) scoring a try, and was named SA Rugby Player of the Year in 1983.
Flippie senior is still one of the biggest men ever to play prop for South Africa at 196cm and 133kg, and played 6 tests for the Boks (winning 4) up until the 1989 match
against a World XV at Newlands.