Official Super Rugby 2016 Thread

[faniebraai]

 

[DanDango]

^lol

 

[ABCpt]

Most of the players seemed fresh and hungry after the break. Will have to see how well the coaches can rotate the players this year to keep them from tiring out.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Jaguares lock banned, misses Sharks game

Jaguares lock Tomas Lavanini has been suspended for one week after being found guilty of dangerous play in their Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

SANZAAR duty judicial officer Nigel Hampton has accepted a guilty plea from Lavanini for contravening Law 10.4 (g) - dangerous charging.

Lavanini has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including Saturday, March 5 - which rules him out of the Jaguares’ match against the Sharks in Durban.

The incident occurred in the 25th minute of the match at Toyota Stadium last Friday. The Jaguares emerged 34-33 victors.

Source:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/jaguares-lock-banned-misses-sharks-game-20160229

^ Glad this was picked up.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Highlanders wing out with broken leg

Defending Super Rugby champions the Highlanders suffered a double blow on Tuesday with confirmation international backline stars Waisake Naholo and Fumiaki Tanaka both face extended periods out injured.

The Dunedin-based club said All Blacks wing Naholo fractured his leg in the 33-31 opening round loss to the Blues on Friday and would be side-lined for six to eight weeks.

It added that Tanaka, half-back with the Japan national side, injured his calf at training, putting him out for four weeks.

Team doctor Greg Macleod said Naholo had suffered a new fracture in the same leg that he injured before last year's Rugby World Cup.

"While this is very unfortunate for Waisake, the positive news is that this injury is not as bad as his last fracture," he said.

The previous break was initially expected to rule Naholo out of the World Cup but he returned to his birthplace Fiji and sought out a traditional healer.

The unorthodox treatment, comprising an application made from a special leaf applied to the leg, appeared to work and Naholo was part of the squad that won the trophy at Twickenham.

The Highlanders said the winger would not be going to Fiji for another dose of traditional medicine and Macleod would oversee his recovery.

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph was philosophical about the injuries.

"To lose players for an extended period is always disappointing but you have to expect injuries to occur at some point," he said.

"As a group we simply deal with it and move on."

The Highlanders face the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday in a repeat of last year's title decider.

Source:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/highlanders-wing-out-with-broken-leg-20160301

 

[Cray]

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/kings-have-thrown-us-to-the-dogs-20160229

Cape Town - The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has stepped in with a financial injection that has allowed the Kings to field a Super Rugby team in 2016, but there remains a large group of players who are still waiting for payment from the broke Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU).

One of those is former Sharks fullback, SP Marais.

Just 26-years-old, Marais is currently unemployed and unsure what the future holds -

....
When I got to the Kings we literally only met once as a group. That was the only time I met some of the guys from the group ... it was amateur.

“The Kings in no way or form ever contacted anybody or tried to help anybody at any time.”

“I don’t think Cheeky realises what he’s done to players like us, and that’s just me saying it from my side,” said Marais.

“There are brilliant players like Tim Whitehead who also have nowhere to play. Our careers have been put on hold thanks to him and there’s no consideration for what he’s done to us.

“He’s basically just a selfish person just worrying about himself.

“We’ve been thrown to the dogs.”

 

[DanDango]

^

 

[OrbitalDawn]

SP Marais thrown lifeline by Bulls

Former Southern Kings and Sharks outside back SP Marais has agreed on a two-month contract pending a medical, at the Bulls.

Marais recently opted out of an EP Kings contract and has just recovered from a knee injury.

Should he be cleared, he will join the Bulls player roster for at least the next two months. The fullback/wing has 35 Super Rugby caps to his name.

This comes after Marais revealed his unhappiness to Sport24 about the way he was treated at the Kings, who were unable to pay his salary.

 

[Werner Harding]

SP Marais thrown lifeline by Bulls

They can take all the help they can get

 

[Stevi]

SP Marais thrown lifeline by Bulls

I liked him at the Sharks. Showed some potential before the injury

 

[ABCpt]

I really hope the Kings can get their house in order. Should make for better competition locally.

 

[MJ66]

I think it was quite an interesting first round and I am looking forward to this weekend for round 2...
Jaguares did excellent I think and I thought they might be one of the surprize packages this year... I am a staunch Bull supporter but my heart is even heavier about the rest of the season that it was before last weekend - though, I must admit that I have always been an admirer of the positive rugby the Stormers has been playing the last few seasons - well done guys!!!
Sharks outplayed the Kings which was to be expected after all the internal turmoil they had recently - I think the Sharks match-up against the Jaguares this weekend will be something to enjoy - with the Sharks edging it by a few...
Another one this weekend which should be good to watch is Brumbies and Waratahs - I think the Brumbies by a nose
Highlanders - Hurricanes should be good as well with both coming off a loss last weekend - my vote goes to the Highlanders...
And lastly - yes I said I was a Bull, so I do believe that we will do it against the Rebels if for no other reason than the game is to be played at Fort Loftus and it is the Rebels first touring game... Well, I can hope...

 

[DanDango]

Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnal Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith

Substitutes: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Fabian Booysen, 21 Jaco van der Walt, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg


Jacques van Rooyen, Lourens Erasmus,Dillon Smit, I feel would make the bench better.

 

[Spizz]

A few tight ones this week I think. Blues at Crusaders and Rebels at the Bulls are especially tough ones to call.

 

[Agent_Smith]

A few tight ones this week I think. Blues at Crusaders and Rebels at the Bulls are especially tough ones to call.

I think the Bulls should be favourites as the Rebels has suffered injuries to two of their main players. But you never know...

 

[Fulcrum29]

I think the Bulls should be favourites as the Rebels has suffered injuries to two of their main players. But you never know...

Jesse Kriel is also out...

 

[Agent_Smith]

Jesse Kriel is also out...

Really?! First Pollard, now Kriel... Jeez.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Really?! First Pollard, now Kriel... Jeez.

Only one game, he had a concussion yesterday in training.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Only one game, he had a concussion yesterday in training.

Oh ok good. Yeah, they going to need all hands on deck this year. Injuries to key players (Kriel being one of them) is going to do their prospects no good.

 

[Fulcrum29]

An update on the Bulls hospital team,

http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/injury-curse-hits-bulls-1992744

The explosive Kriel hit his head against a teammate during Wednesday morning’s training session and was ruled out of contention for the game leaving the Bulls thin on experience in the middle of the park.

Springbok centre Jan Serfontein will now move to outside centre and the abrasive Burger Odendaal will make his first start of the season at inside centre with Dries Swanepoel in line to make his Super Rugby debut off the bench.

Kriel becomes the eighth player after Grant Hattingh, Deon Stegmann, Handre Pollard, Duncan Matthews, Lappies Labuschagne, Bandise Maku and Lizo Gqoboka to suffer a freak accident on the training field and even though Kriel will only miss this weekend’s game against the Rebels, his absence will be a big blow to the Bulls.

Lock Hattingh also suffered a training ground injury to his neck on Tuesday afternoon and a final decision on whether he will be eligible to play will be made Thursday.

Hattingh will have his medical review today... When is SP Marais eligible to play?

Also, is it only me or are there something wrong with the Bulls conditioning program?