Official Super Rugby 2014 Thread

http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/story/194803.html

Springboks captain Jean de Villiers has urged the South African Rugby Union to follow the lead of their rivals New Zealand and Australia in barring overseas-based players.
Speaking on the eve of his side's Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday, De Villiers has made the surprising and headline-grabbing demand, that would impact on the international careers of many of his team-mates this weekend, because he believes the strength of South Africa's Super Rugby sides is being eroded by the policy.
A flood of players have left South African franchises since the Super Rugby season wrapped up last month with Boks winger Bryan Habana, lock Juandre Kruger and fly-half Morne Steyn among the latest to have accepted lucrative offers to play their club rugby abroad - joining the likes of scrum-halves Ruan Pienaar and Fourie du Preez, flanker Francois Louw and prop Gurthro Steenkamp - all of whom are set to feature against the Pumas - who already ply their trade overseas.
A total of 10 of coach Heyneke Meyer's Rugby Championship squad will be playing in Europe, the United Kingdom or Japan following the conclusion of the competition. In contrast, both the All Blacks and the Wallabies refuse to select overseas-based players in a bid to maintain a depth of local talent. "It is a massive issue and a massive problem at this stage because without a doubt the Super Rugby sides will be weakened a hell of a lot," De Villiers told New Zealand's Radio Sport.
On the issue of a possible selection shake-up that would see such players barred from playing for the Springboks, he added: "It's something that South African rugby is looking into. We can't go on like this. We have to keep South African rugby strong. For now, they're selected from abroad but going into the future I can't see that happening."
De Villiers, who featured for the Springboks during his one-season spell with Munster in 2009-10, added that the policy could not be implemented immediately because so many Springbok players had left Super Rugby clubs in recent weeks that it would drastically weaken the team.

"These players know their chances of playing for South Africa in future cannot be guaranteed."

"You don't want to change the team going into the Rugby Championship and play essentially second stringers, to put it quite harshly," he said. "It's something they need to look at. You want to be able to pay your players good money, you want to be able to keep them in South Africa and I suppose getting the payments right is the key."
Earlier this month, SARU chief executive Jurie Roux suggested the number of overseas-based Springboks could well be limited in the future. "Yes, it's something we are considering. But within the context of a constantly changing industry that is fast developing into a global sport rather than just being a national sport in terms of opportunities offered,' he told Die Burger.
"Players playing locally will always get first consideration, provided that the selectors have faith in their abilities. However, we are in a unique current situation with six players [Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Jano Vermaak, Juandré Kruger and Chiliboy Ralepelle], who were part of the Bok squad this past year, now deciding to go overseas. You can't just replace so many players in the middle of the season. But these players know their chances of playing for South Africa in future cannot be guaranteed."
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Is Sailosi Tagicakibau still available on loan to the Stormers, why is he not playing a game or two, we could had used him against the Bulls?
 
sand_man said:
Right now you could pick an overseas Springbok XV that would give the current XV a run if not a hiding!!!

Help me.....

1. Guthro Steenkamp/Heinke Van der Merwe
2. Schalk Britz/Craig Burden/Chilliboy
3. Brian Mujati/Patrick Barnard
4. Bakkies Botha/Quintin Geldenhuys
5. Andries Bekker/Juandre Kruger/Johan Muller
6. Jacque Potgieter/Bernard Le Roux
7. Francois Louw/Jacques Cronje
8. Joe Van Niekerk/Juan Smith/Antonie Claasens
9. Rory Kockott/Ruan Pienaar/Fourie du Preez/Jano Vermaak!!
10. Johan Goosen/Morne Steyn
11. Bryan Habana
12. Bradley Barrit/Wynand Olivier/Meyer Bosman
13. Jacque Fourie
14. Wandile Mjekevu
15. Zane Kirschner

How well do you think the above team would do in the Super competition as SA's 6th franchise? A lot better than The Kings would!!!!!
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Problem with them is age. Just an extract of the above with their age in brackets. It looks like they going over for a nice retirement package.

1. Guthro Steenkamp (32)/Heinke Van der Merwe (29)
2. Schalk Britz (32)/Craig Burden (29)/Chilliboy (27)
3. Brian Mujati (29)/Patrick Barnard (32)
4. Bakkies Botha (34)/Quintin Geldenhuys (32)
 
Hurricanes v Highlanders
Crusaders v Cell C Sharks
Reds v Melbourne Rebels
DHL Stormers v Western Force
Toyota Cheetahs v Brumbies
Waratahs v Lions


By how much, no idea ......
 
Ag vok, Greg chose the Sharks ....... now I'm gonna have to be all friendly and buy him a beer and ****, pssssh
 
sand_man said:
Man, I'm pissed off right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You are using an awful lot of exclamation marks... :p

sand_man said:
http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/story/194803.html
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Still not quite sure how I feel about this. Can't see it really helping.

Players who might have stuck it out a bit longer might just leave earlier to be eligible for other countries' national teams. Ebersohn is hoping to play for the Wallabies and given the way him and Cooper are playing now it isn't outside the realm of possibility.

Bundee Aki is heading to Connacht with the aim of playing for Ireland, for example. I'm thinking players who feel they won't be picked, *cough* Brussow *cough*, will just head overseas earlier so as to make money and possibly even getting into a different international side.
 
McT said:
Sharks or Crusaders?
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I have gone sharks for 3 reasons:

(a) I maintain that the mutton-pounding sister-muffing cousin-marrying rat-milking mother-whoring cum buckets known as the crusaders are trading on name and simply not that good anymore. Make no mistake, they can turn a good game but they are far from the best.
(b) This year represents the best opportunity the sharks will ever have of taking the title and they know that. Their grip on the cup can only ever enter their imaginations with key tour wins. This is one of them.They have the upper hand - they just need to play it.
(c) To get free beer and **** from M_H
 
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