Super Rugby 2018

Pitbull said:
More a thing like:

The US didn't want to foot the bill for their expensive holiday to the States. South African teams thinking they are important enough to demand the US foot the bill for their "warm-up" game.
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Lol, probably. "We'd like to grow the game in your country, but insist you pay for it!" :D
 
OT:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...ge-smith-arrested-punching-taxi-driver-tokyo/

Rugby star George Smith arrested for punching taxi driver in Tokyo

KYODO

JAN 17, 2018

Australian rugby legend George Smith was arrested by the Tokyo police on New Year’s Eve for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver after refusing to pay his fare, authorities said Wednesday.

According to the police, shortly after midnight on Dec. 31, the 37-year-old flanker, who played for Suntory Sungoliath in the most recent season of the Japanese Top League, fled without paying his ¥10,000 ($90) taxi fare and then injured the taxi driver who pursued him.

Smith, who punched the 58-year-old male driver in the face and chest, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident which occurred in the city of Fuchu in western Tokyo, the police said. A passerby called police upon witnessing the incident.

Smith denied the allegations and told the police he was drunk and could not remember what happened.

“We issue our heartfelt apology to the victim and those involved. We will make sure the victim is dealt with sincerely,” the Suntory Holdings Ltd. public relations office said in a statement.
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Ape.
 
Drunk ozzie punches someone. Must be a day ending in Y.
There are people i'd less want to be punched by, but Smith is still on the original list.
Imagine the little Japanese taxi driver running after him.
 
Three more players have signed up with the Sunwolves, one additional player has been pulled into their Super Rugby training squad:

SUNWOLVES:

PROP:

Shintaro Ishihara (Japanese - Suntory Goliath - Capped for Japan)

HOOKER:

Yusake Niwai (Japanese - Canon Eagles - Capped for Japan)

LOCK:

James Moore (Australian - Toshiba Brave Lupus - Uncapped)

TRAINING SQUAD:

SCRUM-HALF:

Kouki Arai (Japanese - Canon Eagles - Uncappped)
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...ggle-to-balance-eating-and-looking-good-study

Super Rugby players struggle to balance eating and looking good: study

Some Super Rugby players are suffering from body image anxiety and some borderline eating disorders, research shows.

Researchers at the University of Otago have found some Super Rugby players are battling to balance the need to train, eat and look good.

Lead author Katherine Black told Radio New Zealand that a small percentage of professional rugby players were trying to control their body image in unhealthy ways, such as binge eating or making themselves sick.

"We're sort of getting up to, not clinical eating disorders, but borderline potential problems, in terms of the way that they're eating - so binge-eating or thinking about making themselves sick to control the amount that they're eating."

...
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:whistle:
 
https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/pocock-to-miss-start-of-super-rugby-season-20180121

Pocock to miss start of Super Rugby season

Cape Town - Brumbies are set to be without David Pocock for the start of the 2018 Super Rugby season after the flanker underwent surgery for a knee complaint.

The flanker has been on a year-long sabbatical from Australian rugby duties but played for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan between August and January.

He featured in the Top League final as the Wild Knights went down 12-8 to Suntory Sungoliath in the final, but returned to Australia with an injury.

“Upon David Pocock’s return from playing in Japan he sought advice for a complaint with his knee,” A Brumbies’ statement said.

“Following consultation with his orthopaedic surgeon, the Brumbies and David were informed that it would be in the best interest of both parties that he underwent a minor operative procedure.

“The surgery took place yesterday, Saturday 20 January, and identified damage to his meniscus. His timeline for return to play is up to three months. After appropriate post-operative rehabilitation, David is expected to make a full recovery.”
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Ugh... I wonder if we'll ever see Pocock at his best again.

Brumbies are talking up their hopes of a good season with Hawera/Lealiifano/Kuridrani/Speight making up part of a decent backline, but I don't know. They have solid tight forwards in Alexander, Arnold and Alaalatoa, but the loosies, the fringe backs and their depth isn't convincing me. Can't wait to hear the commentators have a go at Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin if he gets a run-on.
 
Mitchell flexing is muscles already

Bulls shock with Paige omission

Springbok scrumhalf Rudy Paige’s future remains uncertain after he was left out of the Vodacom Bulls’ squad on Monday.

The team, announced at Loftus Versfeld by coach John Mitchell sees no place for Paige, veteran midfielder Dries Swanepoel and flanker Shaun Adendorff among the 38 players named.

As expected midfielder Burger Odendaal was named as captain along with Nick de Jager, even though the latter may find it difficult to justify his spot in a loose trio that will see a lot of competition.

With a relatively strong Springbok contingent, which includes Warrick Gelant, Jamba Ulengo, Handre Pollard, Jesse Kriel and Lood de Jager, the 38 players are made up of 21 forwards and 17 backs, with Springbok Sevens player Tim Agaba joining the team at the end of the two weeks in Australasia with the Bok Sevens. Also in the group is former Springbok captain Adriaan Strauss.

But there is no spot for Paige, who was on the Springbok tour, with his absence likely to raise several eyebrows among the Loftus faithful and peak the interest of the other Super Rugby squads. While there have been rumours for a while that Paige and Mitchell don’t see eye to eye, the halfback had a groin operation on 5 January and was expected to be in the squad in some form or other.

Instead the Bulls have decided to back the young trio of Ivan van Zyl, Andre Warner and SA under-20 halfback Embrose Papier.

Speculation will be rife as to Paige’s future, and it won’t be impossible to see a move to another franchise on the horizon for the Bulls halfback.
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More here
 
peak the interest of the other Super Rugby squads.
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any team lacking an average scrummie that will fall over themselves for him, I can't think of any atm
 
nitpick: the correct term is 'pique the interest', not peak, although it's not difficult to see how that mistake is made.

As for Rudy Paige... first off, I rate John Mitchell as one of the best coaches out there and I think we'll see a big improvement in the Bulls' results this season. There may or may not be bad blood between them, but Mitchell's explained the omission as being partly injury, partly wanting new blood in (Embrose Papier), and partly because Paige, just married, has 'a lot on his plate'. I'm not sure about all of that, but we only have speculation at this stage. I don't rate Paige, personally, but the rugby bigwigs would probably like to see Paige stay. Who knows, maybe Papier will emerge as a new superstar.
 
Lions Team to play the Bulls in the warm up on Saturday:

15 Gianni Lombard, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Manny Rass, 12 Howard Mnisi (captain), 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 PJ Steenkamp, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Corné Fourie, 1 Sti Sithole.
Bench: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Cohen Kiewit, 18 Pikkie de Villiers, 19 James Venter, 20 Len Massyn, 21 Christiaan Meyer, 22 Shaun Reynolds, 23 Louritz van der Schyff, 24 Wandisile Simelane.

Good move to convert Corné Fourie to hooker, good player off the ball in the rucks and mauls. Good at driver the ball up but terrible at scrum time.
 
I see that Courtnal Skosan has been ruled out for the entire SR season with a knee injury.
 
Massive blow for Lions as Skosan tears ACL
https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/massive-blow-for-lions-as-skosan-injures-knee-20180123

Cape Town - With the 2018 Super Rugby competition just a few weeks away, the Lions have been dealt an huge blow with news that Springbok wing, Courtnall Skosan has suffered a serious knee injury.

Skosan, who had a stellar campaign in last year's Super Rugby season where the Lions lost 25-17 to the Crusaders in the final at Ellis Park, suffered the injury at a practice on Monday.

Scans later confirmed that the he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The Lions are set to host the Bulls in a pre-season encounter on Saturday at Ellis Park at 15:00 while their Super Rugby campaign gets underway on at home against the Sharks on February 17.
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Bulls to play the Lions: Ulrich Beyers, Irvin Ali, Dries Swanepoel, Heino Bezuidenhout, Andell Loubser, Tony Jantjies, Ginter Smuts, Boom Prinsloo (c), Rickert Korff, Shaun Adendorff, Abongile Nonkontwana, Ewan Coetzee, Matthys Basson, Edgar Marutlulle, Dewald Maritz.
Replacements: Nqoba Mxoli, John-Roy Jenkinson, Simphiwe Matanzima, Thomas Meyer, Pieter Diergaardt, Adre Smit, Oderich Mouton, Vaughen Isaacs, Lian du Toit, Garrick Matthews, Jerome Bossr, Christiaan Strydom, Earll Douwrie, Gareth Heidtmann.

Bulls to play the Sharks: Divan Rossouw, Travis Ismaiel, Johnny Kotze, Burger Odendaal (c), Jade Stighling, Manie Libbok, Embrose Papier, Hanro Liebenberg, Thembelani Bholi, Marco van Staden, Aston Fortuin, Ruben van Heerden, Frans van Wyk, Adriaan Strauss, Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Pierre Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Eli Snyman, Jano Venter, Roelof Smit, Andre Warner, Marnitz Boshoff, Franco Naude, Jamba Ulengo, Duncan Matthews.
 
The Sunwolves named 5 more players and added 2 more players to their training squad:

PROP:

Takuma Asahara* (Japanese - Toshiba Brave Lupus - Capped for Japan)

HOOKER:

Takeshi Hino* (Japanese - Yahama Jubilo - Capped for Japan)

LOCK:

Shinya Makabe (Japanese - Suntory Sungoliath - Capped for Japan)

FLANKER:

Pieter Lappies Labuschagne (South African - Kubota Spears - Uncapped)

NO. 8:

Yo****aka Tokunaga (Japanese - Toshiba Brave Lupus - Capped for Japan)

SCRUM-HALF:

Keisuke Uchida (Japanese - Panasonic Wild Knights - Capped for Japan)

CENTRE:

Ryoto Nakamura** (Japanese – Suntory Sungoliath - Uncapped)

* Sunwolves Super Rugby pre-season training squad
** First Super Rugby season

Good to see more Japanese being named. Strange to see Asahara and Hino only in the pre-season camp but is likely to be signed. Great to see Ryoto Nakamura in the team, he is a better Top League player now being exposed to Super Rugby. Still many missing ‘capable’ Japanese names… All in all these are good signings, Makabe and Tokunaga deserve to play Super Rugby in their respective positions as those two positions are regarded in Japan to be more suited for foreigners.

I didn't expect more Japanese players to be named, they are still to announce their so-called two world-class signings... I do hope to see Shota Emi and Jumpei Ogura to be signed.

So, Lappies wants to play for Japan in 2019.
 
2018 Sharks Super Rugby squad:

Props: Coenie Oosthuizen, Beast Mtawarira, Mzamo Majola, Juan Schoeman, Khuta Mchunu, Ross Geldenhuys, John-Hubert Meyer, Thomas du Toit

Hookers: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Akker van der Merwe, Franco Marais, Kerron van Vuuren

Locks: Ruan Botha (Captain), Gideon Koegelenberg, Stephan Lewies, Tyler Paul, Hyron Andrews, Jean Droste

Loose Forwards: Daniel du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Keegan Daniel, Philip van der Walt, Tera Mtembu, Wian Vosloo, Jacques Vermeulen

Scrumhalves: Louis Schreuder, Cameron Wright, Michael Claassens, Grant Williams

Flyhalves: Robert du Preez, Curwin Bosch, Garth April

Centres: Marius Louw, Jeremy Ward, Andre Esterhuizen, Luhanyo Am, Tristan Blewett, Johan Deysel

Wings: Leolin Zas, Sbusiso Nkosi, Kobus van Wyk, Makezole Mapimpi

Fullbacks: Lwazi Mvovo, Courtney Winnaar, Rhyno Smith
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Squad announced, now it's time to start looking forward to the season proper :)
 
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