Super Rugby 2017

Rohan set for long stint on sidelines
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/rohan-set-for-long-stint-on-sidelines-20170418

Cape Town - Lions centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg is set for an extended period on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury at the weekend.

The Springbok centre left the field in the fifth minute of his side’s 29-16 Super Rugby win over the Stormers at Newlands.

According to IOL Sport, Janse van Rensburg tore the collateral ligament in his right knee and also damaged the posterior lateral corner in the same knee.

He will be assessed by a knee specialist this week but is expected to miss a large part of the 2017 season.

The 22-year-old was one of the star performers for the Lions over the past two seasons and made his Springbok debut against Wales in Cardiff last year.

The Lions will take some solace from the fact that his replacement on Saturday, Harold Vorster, produced a man-of-the-match performance which included a spectacular solo try.
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:(

Let's hope he fully recover, knee injuries is terrible news.
 
The Sunwolves touring squad in New Zealand is already imploding under limited depth. Liaki Moli is returning to Japan as the concussion he had picked up against the Crusaders may side-line him up to 3-4 weeks. There are other players in the touring squad which may also return to Japan, and missing out on the tour to Argentina. The only ‘good’ news they have is Willie Britz returning to the team, going directly to New Zealand to add depth to the squad.

The only other ‘available’ Sunwolves are on the road with the Brave Blossoms to the Asia Rugby Championship. This tour is about to get harder… Then again, they did manage to win the Bulls with a more so Japanese team.

They are still not as strong as they can be, they need to be capable and competitive to win two more 'home' games, the Sharks and the Cheetahs, and maybe the Jaguares, but not with the current depth.
 
Solitude said:
Like anyone believes anything you write.
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It is up to the reader to make their own comprehension. All I’m saying is that the Sharks and the Cheetahs may still be targeted by the Sunwolves, it is two (well, one) away games on which the Sunwolves may capitalise. They may target the Jaguares, but that home crowd may be too tough to handle. The question is whether they will be at strength at that time?

These Sunwolves,

- Yutaka Nagare
- Jumpei Ogura
- Ryohei Yamanaka
- Takeshi Hino
- Kazuhiko Usami
- Yo****aka Tokunaga
- Atsushi Sakate
- Kohei Asahori
- Naohiro Kotaki
- Takahiro Ogawa

are all partaking in the Asia Rugby Championship with Japan, and will be unable to provide depth to the Sunwolves on tour in New Zealand and to Argentina.

In Japan, they are reluctant to mention why players are withdrawn, but Liaki Moli has admitted publicly to him being withdrawn due to concussion and Shota Emi had surgery. Riaan is somewhere, but not in any training squad, and Ataata Moeakiola which is signed to the Sunwolves has nowhere been seen in 2017. There are more cases like these… this squad has 54 players. Where is Shota Horie, Harumichi Tatekawa, Michael Bond... and these are only backline players, Horie being the exception.

I don't care what people believe, I only publish here as to what I may gather through their rugby pundits.

Nobody believed me when I called Japan to beat the Springboks. Rather go ask the Blue Bulls Rugby Union why they were unable to beat a near 3rd string Sunwolves team. It is not like the Sunwolves played any good rugby on that day. Yes, I did pick the Sunwolves to win the Blue Bulls, changing my pick would not have changed anything and I did say this.
 
Two scores. After I said the Sunwolves will probably beat the Bulls you told us that the Bulls will win by two scores and then you go and pick the Sunwolves. Deceitful.

So yes, we did trust what you wrote until that post. All trust went out the window.

Two scores.

Sies.
 
Solitude said:
Two scores. After I said the Sunwolves will probably beat the Bulls you told us that the Bulls will win by two scores and then you go and pick the Sunwolves. Deceitful.

So yes, we did trust what you wrote until that post. All trust went out the window.

Two scores.

Sies.
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I do apologise, but come on I really didn't believe the Sunwolves to win that game. It was when they called the team when I decided against them, but my picks were already made by then and I didn't really care at the moment. Rely on your gut.
 
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/170419/Serfontein_lost_to_SA

Serfontein lost to SA

Springbok midfielder Jan Serfontein may be the latest player lost to South Africa after he turned down a dual deal with the Vodacom Bulls and SA Rugby this week.

Serfontein, who has already been linked with offers from Toulon, Montpellier and Northampton, was offered a “tripartite deal” where SA Rugby and the Bulls would each pay a part of his salary to try and keep him in South Africa.

But both parties confirmed to Supersport.com that Serfontein turned them down and asked for permission to negotiate an offer abroad, making him the latest South African to head overseas.

The Bulls have been trying hard to keep him in South Africa and along with the Springboks are known to have made a very competitive offer for the midfielder.
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http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Supe...-rugby-solution-to-super-rugby-poser-20170419

McKeever offers SA Rugby solution to Super Rugby poser

McKeever agrees that the Cheetahs and Kings should be dropped from the tournament, but has proposed the idea of entering the two franchises into Europe’s PRO12 competition - which runs from September to May.

“With the size of the current Currie Cup and Super Rugby squads, both the Cheetahs and EP Rugby could easily accommodate this schedule and start playing in September 2017,” the former Eastern Cape rugby boss said in an exclusive discussion with Sport24.

The PRO12 is an annual competition involving 12 professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

McKeever says SA Rugby needs to “accept the news and the fact that two teams are certainly going to be cut and move on, like right now.

“I have already engaged the PRO12 CEO Martin Anayi and proposed he take these two teams and rebrand this as PRO14 and let the Cheetahs and Eastern Province Rugby be a part of this tournament, which starts in September.

“Martin is a visionary and seeks to expand PRO12 into new markets and grow the PRO12 TV audiences and spectators. This is a perfect synergistic way to accomplish that with South African Rugby.”

According to McKeever, the Port Elizabeth team should compete as a new Eastern Province Rugby brand, because “the Kings brand is so tarnished and damaged beyond repair, like Chernobyl, that no sponsor or corporate would ever consider associating themselves with the Kings”.

McKeever continued: “This would rejuvenate the PRO12/14 tournament with excitement. The addition of two South African Super Rugby teams would increase TV viewership in Europe and South Africa and especially on-site spectator audiences coming to Bloemfontein and the (Nelson) Mandela Bay Stadium, to watch their teams play against teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy, in this exciting tournament. It would be like the Cheetahs and EP Rugby each hosting six home 'Tests' a year."

'Blow Super Rugby away'

Despite SA Rugby’s association with SANZAAR, an alliance with Europe is allowed, McKeever insists.

“By doing this, SA Rugby would send a potent message to SANZAAR - that they are not agonising over this and are the first of the ‘Big 3’ southern hemisphere teams to break ranks and go north and let that be a message to not mess with us anymore,” he said.

“Personally, I think the PRO14 TV ratings will blow Super Rugby away and you might very well see a reversal of the exodus of players from South Africa and rather to these two South African PRO14 teams.

“It is such an obvious solution to a decade old agonising conundrum that SA Rugby had to deal with and which has ripped the financial heart out of South African rugby.

“As the saying goes, ‘out of disruption, comes innovation’. This is the way of the future of rugby in South Africa and it is fitting that the Cheetahs and EP Rugby should be the pioneers for this evolution of the game, certainly Harold Verster (Cheetahs managing director) and Rory Duncan (Cheetahs director of rugby) think so as well,” McKeever said.
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It is a good idea, but I’m not completely sold on this. Less talking, more action. What I don’t see is the PRO14 TV ratings blowing Super Rugby away. They have an established competition, and deeply entrenched rights agreements, SA rugby will need to slice into a meagre sliced portion until the market is more proportional to us which may take years to accomplish. I do agree that we need to succeed the two axed teams to another market where PRO12 may be the right choice. This may also collapse onto us, the last thing we want are these two teams to be relegated in the PRO14… and they will have to play up North until it is viable to expand down South.
 
OT:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...tish-irish-rugby-union-new-zealand-all-blacks

Lions 2017 squad announcement: Warburton captain, no place for Hartley – live!

That British and Ireland Lions squad in full

Backs: Dan Biggar (Wales), Elliot Daly (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Owen Farrell (England), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Jonathan Joseph (England), Conor Murray (Ireland), George North (Wales), Jack Nowell (England), Jared Payne (Ireland), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Tommy Seymour (Scotland), Ben T’eo (England), Anthony Watson (England), Rhys Webb (Wales), Liam Williams (Wales), Ben Youngs (England)

Forwards: Rory Best (Ireland), Dan Cole (England), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Joe Marler (England), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Ross Moriarty (Wales), Sean O’Brien (Ireland), Peter O’Mahony (Ireland), Ken Owens (Wales), Kyle Sinckler (England), CJ Stander (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Billy Vunipola (England), Sam Warburton (Wales, capt).
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http://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...-face-some-familiar-faces-vs-highlanders.html

Rugby: Sunwolves name side to face some familiar faces vs Highlanders

Sunwolves coach Filo Tiatia rung the changes in naming his team Thursday to take on the Highlanders in Invercargill, New Zealand, this weekend.

Tiatia's run-on XV shows seven changes and one positional switch from the side that started last week's 50-3 loss to the Crusaders as the former All Black looks to get one up on Highlanders coach Tony Brown and his assistant Mark Hammett, who coached the Sunwolves in their inaugural season.

Brown will leave the 2015 Super Rugby champions at the end of the season to become assistant coach with the Japan national team and, having been part of the Brave Blossoms set-up during the November 2016 test matches, knows many of the Sunwolves well like Hammett.

...

"The game against the Crusaders was disappointing because we could not do what we wanted to do and execute our game plan," said Inagaki. "But we have learnt from it and understand our individual roles and if we execute properly we have a chance to win the game."

...

"The Highlanders and Sunwolves have a great connection and we know they are going to be well planned and prepared," said Tiatia. "But we are well prepared for the challenge."
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I didn't say it.
 
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/2017/04/20/Pollard-blow-for-Bulls-and-Boks1

Pollard blow for Bulls and Boks

As if things couldn't get any worse for the Bulls‚ flyhalf Handré Pollard suffered a freak accident at training on Thursday and will be out of rugby for 8-10 weeks.

Pollard suffered an ankle (syndesmosis) injury at training and will require surgery. The Bulls will issue an update when they have a clearer picture of the injury‚ but it’s a blow to the team after just two wins in seven matches.

The 23-year-old Springbok has had a slow start to the 2017 Super Rugby campaign following nearly a year on the sidelines after sustaining torn knee ligaments in early 2016.

But last week‚ against the Jaguares‚ the talented Junior World Championship winner showed encouraging signs that he was on an upward curve.
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SA rugby is cursed at 10!

Pollard, Lambie, Goosen... When they all fit and firing we have such incredible depth at 10, but they seldom fit and firing....
 
sand_man said:
SA rugby is cursed at 10!

Pollard, Lambie, Goosen... When they all fit and firing we have such incredible depth at 10, but they seldom fit and firing....
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You could add Jantjies to the list. He's fit and firing except when he dons the green jersey, then he's only fit.
 
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