List of School Easter Festival games

Kearsney

Date: Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April 2013

Participating schools: Boland Landbou, Dr EG Jansen, Framesby, Glenwood, Grey, Kearsney, Nico Malan, Outeniqua, Paarl Gym, Paul Roos, Selborne, Westville.

Saints

Date: Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April 2013

Participating schools: Bishops, Helpmekaar, Hilton, Pretoria BHS, SACS, St Alban’s, St Andrew’s, St Benedict’s, St Stithians, Schoonspruit, Windhoek, Wynberg

St John's

Date: Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April 2013

Participating schools: Daniël Pienaar, Filton (England), Golden Lions Invitation XV, Marais Viljoen, Nelspruit, New Orleans, Noordheuwel, Paarl Boys’ High, St John’s (Johannesburg), St John’s (Zimbabwe), Waterkloof, Windhoek Gym

King Edward VII School

Date: Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April 2013

Participating schools: Centurion, Eldoraigne, Garsfontein, Hudson Park, Invitation XV, KES, Kingswood, Lichtenburg, Marlow, Menlo Park, Parktown, Trinityhouse

Krugersdorp High

Date: 28 March - 1 April

Participating teams: Falcon College (Zimbabwe), Jabulani, Jeugland, Krugersdorp High, Rustenburg, St Charles, St David's (Inanda), St Georges (Zimbabwe), Standerton, Viadana (Italy)

Paarl Gim Under-16 Festival

Date: 29 March to 3 April

Partcipating schoiols: Affies, Boland Landbou, Centurion, Diamantveld, Dr EG Jansen, Framesby, Garsfontein, Glenwood, Grey Bloem, Kempton Park, Marlow, Michelhouse, Monnas, Oakdale, Oudshoorn,  Outeniqua, Paarl Boys High, Paarl Gim, Paarl XV, Paul Roos, Rustenburg, Waterkloof.

Paarl Boys' High Under-15 Festival

Date: 29 March to3 April

Participating schools: Boland Landbou, Framesby, Glenwood, Grey Bloem, Kempton Park, Menlopark, Monument (Krugersdorp), Oakdale, Paarl Boys' High, Paarl Gim, Paul Roos, Punt, Waterkloof, Westville.

Union High

Dates: 30 March to 1 April

Participating teams: Asherville, Cambridge, Charlie Hofmeyr, Cradock, Gill, Kingswood, Muir, Port Alfred, Spandau, Stirling, Stutterheim, Union, Volkskool of Graaff-Reinet

Maritzburg College 150th

Date: Saturday 30 March to Wednesday 3 April 2013.

Venue: Maritzburg College

Participating schools: Affies, Dale, DHS, Grey High, Jeppe, Maritzburg., Monument, Noord-Kaap, Queen's, Rondebosch

Oakdale

Date: 30 March to 3 April

Participating schools: Aliwal North, Augsburg, Bellville, Brackenfell, Bredasdorp, Diamantveld, Durbanville, Hermanus, HTS Louis Botha, Hugenote, Knysna, Langenhoven Gym,  Middelburg (Eastern Cape), Montagu, Monument Park, Oakdale, Oudtshoorn, Overberg, Pietersburg, Sentraal (Beaufort West), Sentraal (Bloemfontein), Stellenbosch, Strand,  Vredendal, Upington, Windhoek High.

Tony Stoops Rugby Festival

Venue: Hoërskool Tygerberg

Participating teams: Barrydale, Bellville South, Bosmansdam, Camps Bay, De Kuilen, Despatch, Dirkie Uys, Dollar Academy (Scotland), Edgemead, Emil Weder, Hawston, Hopefield, Hottentots Holland, HTS Newton, Jan Kriel, JG Meiring, Kirkwood, Klein Nederburg, Labori, Langeberg, Langenhoven High, Milnerton, Montana, Otto du Plessis, Pearson, Porterville, Sao Bras, Scottsdene, Swartland, Swellendam, Victoria Park, Vredenburg, Worcester Gym, York

Outeniqua Under-15 Rugby Week

Date:  30 March to 3 April

Participating teams: Affies, Boland Landbou, Diamantveld, Eldoraigne, Framesby, Grey Bloem, Langenhoven Gim, Monnas, Paarl Boys' High, Paarl Gim, Paul Roos, Rustenburg, Stellenberg, Upington, Waterkloof

Outeniqua Under-14 Rugby Week

Date:  30 March to 3 April

Participating teams: Bellville, Daniël Pienaar, Diamantveld, Eldoraigne, Garsfontein,  Hudson Park, Outeniqua, Piketberg, Rustenburg, St John's, Selborne, Stellenberg, Upington, Windhoek Gym

Wildeklawer

Date: Thursday 2 May and Saturday 4 May 2013

Venue: Maritzburg College

Participating schools: Affies, Boland Landbou, Diamantveld, Drostdy, Framesby, Glenwood, Grey), Grey High, Invitation XV, Maritzburg, Monument, Noord-Kaap, Oakdale, Outeniqua, Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gim, Paul Roos, Waterkloof

Cape Schools Week

Dates: 21 - 26 June

Venue: Paarl Gim

Jake White right for Wallabies: Eddie Jones

Former Australia coach Eddie Jones has hailed Jake White to be the next man at the Wallabies' helm.

Jones wrote in his News Ltd column on Saturday that the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) could not re-signRobbie Deans once the New Zealander's contract expired at the end of 2013 because the Kiwi "has had six seasons as Wallabies coach for a winning record of less than 20 per cent against the All Blacks, the barometer for all Australians".

Jones suggested the contest to succeed Deans was a race in two between Brumbies coach White and outgoing Queensland Reds director of coaching Ewen McKenzie, writing in his column that "the next Wallabies coach has to meet that important criteria of success against the All Blacks". McKenzie enjoyed success against New Zealand both as a player and an assistant to Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen, while White enjoyed victories in charge of the Springboks.

McKenzie announced recently that he will leave the Reds at the end of the Super Rugby, and he has made no bones about his ambition to coach the Wallabies. He denies his decision to leave the Reds was announced to pressure the ARU with regard to the Wallabies position, but Jones believes the coach "has raised his hand and said he will apply".

Jones believes, however, that White must take the Wallabies to the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup, with McKenzie to succeed the South African in charge of the campaign for the 2019 tournament.

Jones, who coached the Wallabies to the 2003 IRB Rugby World Cup final, which they lost to England in extra-time, and whom White appointed as a technical adviser for South Africa's winning campaign in France four years later, wrote in his column that "the big question as to who coaches the Wallabies after Deans is straightforward".

"For the two-year countdown to the 2015 World Cup in England, White is the man. He is disciplined, focused and has the desire. Like Ewen, I know Jake has the aspiration of coaching the Wallabies. McKenzie is the man for the 2019 edition. He is a planner and is patient. Ewen is 47 so there is plenty of time for him to coach a Test side abroad and come back into the Australian system to guide the Wallabies." ESPN Scrum

Here is our top 15 Superugby players from the weekend

Here is our top 15 player from the weekend. Laat ons weet wat jy dink of stink?

15. Jesse Mogg (Brumbies)

Dragged after 57 minutes due to injury, but still comfortably did enough to earn back-to-back jumpers: one try, one linebreak and 83 running metres; what more do you want? Clearly has the front-running for the Wallabies jumper on this season's form.

14. Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)

The Chiefs winger was Man of the Match in Port Elizabeth, making four linebreaks as he ran for 145 metres and scored a hat-trick of tries. You can't ask for more from an outside back.

13. Conrad Smith (Hurricanes)

The All Blacks star produced his best game of the season, damaging the Highlanders at every turn either with ball in hand or in defence. Made 13 runs for 85 metres and two linebreaks, and he was at the heart of everything good in yellow.

12. Robbie Fruean (Crusaders)

Robbie Fruean made a shaky start to the game against the Bulls, but he finished the fixture having shown form to suggest he will be pushing for All Blacks honours before the Rugby Championship.

11. Raymond Rhule (Cheetahs)

The Cheetahs flyer enjoyed a day out against New South Wales Waratahs, making two linebreaks and scoring two tries including the match-winner in a hugely influential display.

10. Dan Carter (Crusaders)

Directed the Crusaders brilliantly against the Bulls, and finished the match having played a leading hand in three of the Crusaders' tries and showing just why he is the best No.10 in the world.

9. Alby Mathewson (Western Force)

The New Zealander was Man of the Match against Queensland Reds, making two scything linebreaks - one to set up a score, and one that should have. A key influence in the shock result.

8. Fota Auelua (Brumbies)

Man of the Match against the Sharks, his direct running in the first half setting up two tries as he twice drew three defenders to create an overlap. Just edged the worthy Kieran Read for the jumper.

7. George Smith (Brumbies)

Produced another masterclass at the breakdown against the Sharks, and rampaged in the loose for 73 metres from 11 runs, to show why Robbie Deans and the Australian Rugby Union must move heaven and earth to get him involved against the British & Irish Lions.

6. George Whitelock (Crusaders)

The eldest of the Whitelock brothers produced a masterful performance against the Bulls, making 99 metres from 16 runs and impressing with his strength when he reefed the ball from rag-tagged Wynand Olivier to lay the foundation for another try.

5. Hugh McMeniman (Western Force)

Had a lot to prove returning to the state of his birth with Western Force, and boy did he prove it. May yet play his way into Wallabies contention.

4. Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)

Produced a dominant performance in the lineout against the masters from Pretoria, and was hugely visible with his runs and work in the loose.

3. Owen Franks (Crusaders)

Wyatt Crockett grabbed the headline with a try, but Owen Franks rumbled strongly and was among the key men who laid a foundation for his steam's improved effort.

2. Hika Elliot (Chiefs)

Busy throughout against the Cheetahs, impressing with work in the set pieces and also his running in the loose.

1. Ben Franks (Hurricanes)

How can you not pick him after he dropped a shoulder and produced a Jonah Lomu-esque Maori sidestep to run over Ben Smith to score a try in the opening match of the round?

ESPN

Nou will Jake White ons spelers ook steel!

Durban - Jake White has launched a Canberra University scholarship to recruit talented South African rugby players to play for the Brumbies.

The Brumbies, as part of their new partnership with the University of Canberra, have issued the following press release ahead of the Brumbies game against the Sharks in Durban:

"A high-performing South African student will receive a chance to study in Australia under a new scholarship announced today.

The University of Canberra Brumbies Scholarship for General Excellence, known as the ‘Jake White Scholarship’, includes University of Canberra tuition fees, subsidised accommodation and an internship with the University of Canberra Brumbies Super Rugby side.

Students who are South African citizens with a strong academic and sporting records are eligible for the scholarship.

University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker joined Jake White to launch the scholarship after the University of Canberra Brumbies Captain’s Run in Durban.

“An international outlook and sports teaching and research are major parts of life at the University of Canberra,” Professor Parker said.

“South Africans and Australians have a lot in common: we both love rugby and we both value education. I hope by giving a young South African rugby player an opportunity to study in Australia we can strengthen the links between our nations.

“University of Canberra is proud of its professional education, applied research and community links in all areas, but especially in sport. Our partnership with the Brumbies is innovative and unlike any other sponsorship arrangement in professional sport, the mutual benefits are significant and the potential is huge.”

The Brumbies will soon relocate to the University of Canberra campus as part of a unique multimillion dollar ‘sports hub’.

Jake White, who is an adjunct professor with the University, welcomed the Scholarship.

“For many students, this scholarship will be 100 per cent life changing. UC has a proven track record of placing students in good jobs and it’s exciting to think that South Africans are now able to enjoy that system too,” he said.

“I’m constantly amazed at the amount of South Africans who ask me about how they can get their own children into the University of Canberra once they’ve finished school. Emails, phone calls and letters, you name it, people are contacting me saying that they want their children to be given the best education possible.

“It’s fantastic to be making the announcement of the Jake White Scholarship today and I look forward to seeing plenty of South African students take on the challenge of living and studying in Canberra in the future.”


About the scholarship

Selection will be based on a written statement which outlines the applicant’s academic and sporting achievements.
The scholarship includes

• A fully funded full-time degree at the University of Canberra (up to a maximum of three years).
• A one-off reimbursement of $1,500 to assist with relocation costs.
• Subsidised on campus accommodation at the University of Canberra
• Access to internship opportunities with Brumbies Rugby. (of at least 10 hours per week during semester)

Our Six Nations Round Five Preview

As the 2013 RBS Six Nations reaches its final weekend, Harry Hawkins casts his eye over Super Saturday that will see a champion crowned and possibly a Grand Slam winner too.

Italy vs Ireland

The final round of Six Nations fixtures kicks off in Rome, with Ireland hunting just their second victory of the championship. Declan Kidney’s men have not had the tournament they hoped for; having shown such promise against Wales in round one, they have slumped to three consecutive winless games. There is still much for the Irish to play for, however, not least with Lions selection less than six weeks away.Italy will have no shortage of motivation themselves, having never beaten the visitors before in their history. After a combative and much improved performance against England, Italy should feel confident of giving Ireland a good game.

Key contest: Cittadini vs Healy. Martin Castrogiovanni, so often the cornerstone of the Italian pack, is a big loss for the hosts – if Italy are to notch a maiden victory over the visitors his replacement Lorenzo Cittadini must not take a backward step. For Ireland Cian Healy must match Cittadini’s scrummaging, as well as making himself prominent in open play. The Leinster loose-head must also be careful with regards to discipline – a frustrated stamp on the leg of Dan Cole earned him a ban earlier in the championship. Any further disciplinary matters this Saturday and he will be perceived as a liability for Ireland and – perhaps – for the Lions as well.

Wales vs England

All roads, however, lead to Cardiff on Saturday afternoon. It is at the Millennium Stadium where the fate of this season’s championship will be decided. Grand Slam chasing England enter with a marginal advantage of seven on points difference, but with Wales playing at home that slender lead will not offer them much comfort. Ryan Jones misses out on Welsh selection due to injury, with Sam Warburton – irrepressible last weekend – taking his position on the blindside and Gethin Jenkins taking over the captaincy. For England there are returns for Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Joe Marler and Tom Croft. This fixture, complete with Lions sub-plots strewn across the field, looks to be the game of the weekend.

Key contest: Warburton vs Croft. Sam Warburton returned to something approaching his best form last weekend in victory over Scotland. He will be a thorn in England’s side at the breakdown, particularly in conjunction with Justin Tipuric on the other flank. England must negate Warburton’s influence if their attacking game is to make any real headway. For England, Tom Croft completes a remarkable comeback from injury to regain the number 6 jersey opposite Warburton. As well as tending to his breakdown duties, Croft will be expected to dominate the lineout, both in attack and defence. Much will depend upon which flanker of the two can secure more possession for his team.

France vs Scotland

The tournament concludes in Paris where Scotland will look to heap woe on Philippe Saint Andre and his side, whose goal is now simply to avoid a first Wooden Spoon since 1957. A Scottish victory would round off a relatively successful tournament for the visitors, who may enjoy a rare finish in the top half of the table. Scott Johnson has recalled Alasdair Strokosch in the back row and handed a debut to Grant Gilchrist of Edinburgh, who replaces the injured Richie Gray in the second row. There are personnel changes for France too, with first international starts for Sebastien Vahaamahina and Antonie Claasen, as well as a recall for Mathieu Bastareaud in the centre.

Key contest: Michalak vs Weir. Michalak has become one of the main talking points within the French side. Having taken so much criticism for much of the tournament, he defied his critics to boot Les Bleus to a draw in Dublin. He continues at fly half where he will line up against Duncan Weir, who played a smart territorial game for much of Scotland’s clash with Wales, but failed to orchestrate a victory. Both fly halves have great potency outside them and it could be one of the most entertaining games of the championship if they can bring the best out of their respective backlines.

RugbyMedia

Brawling Kings Army rugby fans

Eastern Province Rugby has responded to a video of fans fighting in the stands during the match between the Sharks and the Kings on Saturday.

In the video, filmed at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, a disgreement over seating between fans escalates into a brawl, with numerous punches thrown.


Eastern Province Rugby interim CEO Charl Crous said that the incident was unfortunate, and explained that they will do everything they can to avoid similar occurences in the future.


"Eastern Province Rugby does not condone this type of behaviour and we are calling on all our spectators to please behave themselves in a respectable manner when attending a game. We want a day at the rugby to be a pleasant experience for everyone.


"With regards to the issue of security and police visibility, which has been raised following this video, we are working closely with Access Management to address these concerns," he said.


Crous explained that 43 people who were not able to behave themselves in an appropriate manner were removed from the stadium grounds on Saturday, and added that a zero tolerance policy will be adopted in future.


"We will also be lobbying police to assist with regards to more visible policing, and will be assisting Access Management with other initiatives such as education campaigns around encouraging people to sit in their reserved seats.


"We would also like to take this opportunity to say that it is unfortunately only a small minority of people who are responsible, and thank the majority for their ongoing support.


"We would like to encourage these people to assist us in routing out the bad apples by making use of the sms line, 0832045056, to report incidents on game day," said Crous.

Kry jou Branded Bul, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetah Rugby Braai

Ons het gedink hierdie is nogal cool! Jy kan dit online koop vir R449 en hul drop dit vir jou by die huis. Click op die foto of die link onder vir die een wat jy dink "die beste" gaan braai

Lions Charcoal Braai

Cheetahs Charcoal Braai

Stormers Charcoal Braai

Sharks Charcoal Braai

Blue Bulls Charcoal Braai

Bryan Habana out for 10 weeks

The Stormers victory over the Chiefs has come at a price as they have lost winger Bryan Habana to injury for 10 weeks.

Habana was stretchered off the pitch in the 55th minute of the match after being tackled by Sam Cane and fell awkwardly.

The Stormers have revealed that they think he has injured his Medial collateral ligament (MCL) which is an injury to the ligament on the inner part of the knee and the ligament keeps the shin bone (tibia) in place.

Habana will be sent for scans but coach Allister Coetzee suspects that the 10 week prediction could be on the conservative side.

French club Toulon have signed Habana on a three-year deal which starts at the end of this Super Rugby season so if his injury takes longer than expected he could have played his last game for the Stormers.

Habana confirmed on his Twitter account that he has been for the scan and was hoping for the best, " Waiting on results from scan... "

"Hopefully not too serious!!!!" said Habana on Twitter.

More to follow.

Classic Currie Cup photos

More Photos like this at http://pinterest.com/curriecup/

More Photos like this at http://pinterest.com/curriecup/

Our Full Preview - Varsity Cup

The battle for semifinal spots in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International heats up on Monday with some key matches in the penultimate round of the regular season.

With six teams still in the running for a spot in the knock-out phase of the competition, the next two weeks will see an almighty scrap for a place in the top four.

Log-leaders FNB Maties can secure top spot - and home advantage in the play-offs - if they manage to continue their unbeaten streak when they take on the winless FNB Wits in Johannesburg, but it will be the two televised games that should have everyone on the edge of their seats.

In the first match to be televised live on Supersport One at 4.45pm, fifth-placed NWU-Pukke will face fourth-placed FNB NMMU in what is sure to be an intense clash in Potchefstroom as both sides look to put some pressure on the top three teams.

The Madibaz are riding high on confidence after their big victory over FNB UJ last week, but they are still searching for their first away win of the season, and will meet some stubborn resistance in the form of a NWU-Pukke side looking to bounce back from their loss to UFS-Shimlas in Bloemfontein.

The trans-Jukskei derby between UJ and defending champions FNB UP-Tuks in Johannesburg should be just as hard-fought with the two teams separated only by points-difference and with their sights set firmly on a home semifinal.

UP-Tuks got their campaign back on track last week with a resounding win against Wits, but they face a much sterner test in the form of a fired-up UJ outfit who will be hurting after their second defeat of the season last week.

In Bloemfontein, UFS-Shimlas will be out to keep their play-off hopes alive with a full-house of log points against FNB UCT who will be desperate to notch their first victory of what has been a frustrating season.

The Free State side showed what they are capable of in their convincing victory over NWU-Pukke last week, and they will want more of the same as they look for a late surge up the standings.

In the Varsity Shield front-runners FNB CUT will be out to continue their unbeaten streak this season when they face second-placed FNB UKZN in a table-topping clash in Bloemfontein.

The UKZN Impi will be desperate to cause an upset which will vastly improve their prospects of qualifying for their first-ever final.

In Pretoria FNB Fort Hare will want to put some pressure on the Impi by securing an away victory over the TUT Vikings which will see them move past FNB UWC who have a bye.

In the Varsity Young Guns competition defending champions UP-Tuks travel to Potchefstroom to take on NWU-Pukke in the early game. In Johannesburg UCT face UJ as both team try to put some pressure on the pool-topping Maties, whilst newcomers Wits will want to bounce back from two heavy defeats when they host UFS-Shimlas.

In the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championship, Steinhoff Cobras will want to build on their encouraging performance against Bastion last week when they travel to Bloemfontein to face the defending champions Vishuis, and in Potchefstroom Steinhoff Villagers will be up against UP-Tuks outfit Mopanie who are in search of their first victory. 

FNB Varsity Cup fixtures and team line-ups - Monday, March 11

FNB NWU-Pukke v FNB NMMU, Fanie du Toit Sports Ground - 4.45pm (Live on Supersport One)

NWU-Pukke: 15 Hoffman Maritz, 14 SW Oosthuizen, 13 Sylvian Mahuza, 12 Hennie Skorbinski, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Justin Botha, 9 Tiaan Dorfling, 8 SJ Niemand, 7 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 6 Molotsi Bouwer, 5 Victor Kruger (captain), 4 Danie Jordaan, 3 Martin Dreyer, 2 JC Oberholzer, 1 Arno Ebersohn.

Replacements: 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Mashudu Mafela, 18 Solly Sotsaka, 19 Robey Labuschagne, 20 Jaco Grobler, 21 Rowayne Beukman, 22 Wynand Olivier, 23 Herman Basson.

NMMU: 15 Jarred Buys, 14 Logan Basson, 13 Hermanus van Lill, 12 Xolani Mnisi, 11 Gerhardus Smith, 10 Justin Van Staden, 9 Dwayne Kelly, 8 Timothy Agaba, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Albertus de Swardt, 5 Mzwanale Zito, 4 Louis Fourie, 3 Gareth Hartley, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Roy Godfrey (captain).    

Replacements: 16 Francois Coetzer, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Ferdinand Gerber, 19 Ulrich Pretorius, 20 Simphiwe Shabangu, 21 Devon Lailvaux, 22 Lesley-Dean Luiters, 23 Dexter Fahey.

Referee: Quinton Immelman

FNB UJ v FNB UP-Tuks, UJ Stadium - 7pm (Live on Supersport One)

UP-Tuks: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Vainon Willis, 13 Piet Lindeque, 12 Handre Pollard, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Danie Faasen, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Mike Williams, 3 Basil Short, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Christoph Gouws, 18 Schalk Van Heerden, 19 Wesley Kotze, 20 Emile Temperman, 21 Christopher Bosch, 22 Riaan Britz, 23 Sabelo Nhlapo.

UJ: TBC

Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge

FNB Shimlas v FNB UCT, Xerox Shimla Park - 7pm

UFS-Shimlas: 15 Nico Scheepers, 14 Maphutha Dolo, 13 Robbie van Schalkwyk, 12 Stephan van der Merwe, 11 Divandre Strydom, 10 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 9 Renier Botha, 8 Erik le Roux, 7 Teboho Mohoje (captain), 6 Henco Venter, 5 JC Astle, 4 Fanie van der Walt, 3 Carl van Heerden, 2 Elandre Hugget, 1 Charles Marais.

Replacements: 16 JC van Wyk, 17 Nick Schonert, 18 Lebo Zietsman, 19 Freddie Ngoza, 20 Hlanlha Hlongwane, 21 Sethu Tom, 22 Francois du Toit, 23 Luan de Bruin.

UCT: 15 Ross Jones-Davies, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Dylan Sage, 12 Liam Bax, 11 Lihleli Xoli, 10 Dillyn Leyds, 9 Liam Slatem (captain), 8 Joshua Katzen, 7 Jason Klaasen, 6 Derek Asbun, 5  James Kilroe, 4 Kyle Kriel, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Oliver Kebble.

Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Johannes de Klerk, 19 Bradley Bosman, 20 Rick Schroeder, 21 Paul Cohen, 22 Justin Coles, 23 Digby Webb. 

Referee: Lusanda Jam

FNB Wits v FNB Maties, Wits Rugby Stadium - 7pm

Wits: 15 Michael Sephton-Poultney, 14 Jacques Erasmus, 13 Kayde Fisher, 12 Mandla Dube, 11 Riaan Arends, 10 Kyle Peyper, 9 Mathew Torrance, 8 Jason Fraser, 7 Rinus Bothma, 6 Carel Greef, 5 Charles Baggot, 4 Devin Montgomery (captain), 3 Phakamilu Zuma, 2 Katlego Kgame, 1 Ferdinand Kelly.

Replacements: 16 Rory Anderson, 17 Thato Mavundla, 18 Peter van Biljon, 19 Shai Korb, 20 Joshua Durbach, 21 Greg Blom, 22 Nkuli Gamede, 23 Hannes Ludik.

Maties: 15 Craig Barry, 14 Clearance Khumalo, 13 Mark Hodgkiss, 12 Ryan Nell, 11 JP Lewis, 10 Dean Grant, 9 Andries Truter, 8 Reniel Hugo, 7 Helmut Lehmann (captain), 6 Beyers de Villers, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Os Hamman, 2 Charl de Villiers, 1 Alister Vermaak.

Replacements: 16 Brianton Boysen, 17 Hein van der Merwe, 18 Jurg Streicher, 19 Lungelo Chonco, 20 James Alexander, 21 JH Potgieter, 22 Dean Hammond, 23 Brendan Pitzer.

Referee: Lesego Legoete

FNB Varsity Shield fixtures - Monday, March 11

FNB TUT v FNB UFH, TUT Stadium - 7pm

FNB CUT v FNB UKZN, CUT Rugby Stadium - 7pm

Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championship fixtures - Monday, March 11

Steinhoff Villagers v Steinhoff Mopanie, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 3pm

Steinhoff Vishuis v Steinhoff Cobras, Xerox Shimla Park - 4.45pm

FNB Varsity Young Guns fixtures - Monday, March 11

FNB NWU-Pukke v FNB UP-Tuks, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 3pm

FNB UJ v FNB UCT, UJ Stadium - 4.45pm

FNB Wits v FNB Shimlas, Wits Rugby Stadium - 4.45pm

Blues v Bulls Super Rugby Preview

The Blues will go into their match this weekend against the Bulls on Sunday full of confidence as they have won both of their opening matches with bonus points.

The Blues will also know that in their last two meetings with the Bulls they have been the winners and out of the last five matches between the teams the Blues have won three.

Worryingly for the Bulls the Blues have been a vastly improved team this season and if they beat them last year in Pretoria the Bulls will have to take a massive step up to win this weekend.

The Blues have played the Bulls 14 times in Super Rugby since 1998 and the Blues have won 9 times or 64% of the matches. There have been no draws so the Blues have only lost five times to the Bulls.

The average score when the Blues play the Bulls is Blues 35 Bulls 26. When the Blues are at home the average score makes for painful reading for the Bulls as it changes to Blues 42 Bulls 19.

The Bulls have never beaten the Blues away from home. The Blues have played their home matches against the Bulls in Auckland, Albany and Pukekohe and in total they have won 7 out of 7 matches.

On average the Blues score five tries against the Bulls who only score two tries against the Blues in New Zealand so a four try bonus point seems unlikely as they have only done it once.

In contrast the Blues have won try bonus points in four of the seven matches. In 2002 and 2004 the Blues ran in 9 tries against the Bulls while in 2000 they scored 8 tries. The Bulls are really going to have to be on their toes this weekend.

The Bulls have made seven changes for this match but they still have a fairly strong team. The most glaring change is that of Francois Hougaard being dropped to the bench for Jano Vermaak.

The Blues have delayed naming their team until Friday as the match is on Sunday but massive changes would come as a surprise so a similar line up is expected to the one that beat the Crusaders. At the time of writing the Blues had not yet named their team.

The Bulls have a bad record against the Blues in New Zealand and this current Blues team are running hot so a Bulls victory seems unlikely. The Blues to win by 14.

This Match will be shown on TV in NZ, Aus, SA but not in the UK.

Average score: Blues 35 Bulls 26

Last five results 

10 Mar 2012 Blues v Bulls 29-23 Pretoria 

03 Apr 2010 Blues v Bulls 32-17 Auckland 

21 Feb 2009 Blues v Bulls 26-59 Pretoria 

29 Mar 2008 Blues v Bulls 23-21 Auckland 

27 Apr 2007 Blues v Bulls 19-40 Pretoria

Blues overall record against the Bulls

Played 14 , Wins 9, Losses 5 , Draws 0

Match No.22. : Blues v Bulls

Date : Sunday 10 March

Venue : Eden Park, Auckland

Kick Off local: 16:05

Referee: Garratt Williamson 

Assistant Ref 1:Mike Fraser

Assistant Ref 2:Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri

TMO : Ben Skeen

Teams

Blues

15. Charles Piutau,14. Frank Halai,13. Rene Ranger,12. Francis Saili,11. Waisake Naholo *,10. Baden Kerr,9. Piri Weepu,8. Steven Luatua,7. Luke Braid,6. Kane Barrett *,5. Ali Williams,4. Liaki Moli,3. Charlie Faumuina,2. Quentin MacDonald,1. Tim Perry *

Replacements :16. James Parsons,17. Angus Ta'avao,18. Ronald Raaymakers *,19. Brendon O'Connor ,20. Jamison Gibson-Park *,21. Marty McKenzie *,22. Albert Nikoro *

* Super Rugby debut

Bulls

Zane Kirchner , Akona Ndungane , JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Lionel Mapoe, Morne Steyn , Jano Vermaak , Pierre Spies ( c), Arno Botha, Deon Stegmann , Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Frik Kirsten , Willie Wepener, Morne Mellett.

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle , Werner Kruger, Grant Hattingh, Jacques Potgieter, Francois Hougaard, Louis Fouche, Jurgen Visser.

RugbyWeek

Southern Kings v Sharks Super Rugby Preview

The Southern Kings shocked the Western Force in their opening match so they can say that they are the only team in Super Rugby who have never lost a match.

That could change on Saturday though as the Sharks used Port Elizabeth as a secondary base in the late 1990s, and have never lost there.

The Sharks only played there twice and won both matches, against the Chiefs in 1998 and the Brumbies in 1999.

This weeekend will be a very tough baptism to the harsh world of South African derbies for the Kings, who only have a handful of players in their squad who have experienced the intensity of these encounters before.

One of these is midfielder Andries Strauss, who started his Super Rugby career at The Sharks in 2006 and is now the Kings' vice-captain.

Strauss said the Kings realise they will have to lift their intensity from the Force match if they are going to give The Sharks a run for their money.

"As a team we have set ourselves goals, and winning one game doesn't mean we've really achieved anything yet," said Strauss.

"If we want to win more games in this competition, we are going to have to improve on that performance. There is no better way than to take on a side with a bunch of Springboks and showing the world once again that we can play this game."

Kings head coach, Matt Sexton, said: "We will definitely be looking at improving our level of ball retention."

"If you consider that during the Western Force game we made in excess of a hundred tackles in the first half of the game, which, if you have to take those sort of statistics into every game, sooner or later you're going to run out of petrol, so we want to make sure we retrieve the ball and hold onto it."

The Sharks started the season very well, with good wins over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein and the Stormers in Durban.

But John Plumtree, their coach, admitted they were still not 100% happy with all aspects of their game.

"We were not entirely happy with what we did on the weekend in terms of our attack," said Plumtree.

"In saying that, looking at the Kings, their set-piece and defence stats are right up there at Super Rugby standard. That just shows that they are certainly capable.

"I don't think the Force expected it and they got it, good on the Kings. If you look at their side, there are a lot of seasoned campaigners, some young guys who are pretty enthusiastic, they put it all together and came up with a good performance.

"I also thought (flyhalf) Demetri Catrakilis was really good, played well and controlled the game and I thought their setpiece functioned really well - their lineouts and scrummaging. "

"I like their fullback, SP Marais, he looked really good and reminded me of an Israel Dagg while they have a solid midfield with Andries Strauss and Ronnie Cooke. They're a capable side, definitely, they should do alright."

Apart from Strauss, who played 22 Super Rugby matches for The Sharks, the Kings boast another former KZN stalwart in Steven Sykes, who featured in 69 matches at this level for the Durbanites between 2007 and 2012.

Unfortunately injury has robbed a third former Shark, Luke Watson, of the opportunity to lead his new team against the side for whom he made his Super Rugby debut as a fresh-faced 19-year-old way back in 2003. He will start on the bench.

The Bookies have given the S. Kings a 19 point start for this Match - The Sharks won't let the home fans intimidate them like the Force did and they should be too organised for the Southern Kings. The Sharks should win by 15.

This Match will be shown on TV in NZ, Aus, SA and in the UK on Sky Sports Website.

Average score:Southern Kings 0 Sharks 0

Last five results 

0

Kings overall record against the Sharks 

0

Match No.: 21. Kings v Sharks

Date : Saturday 9 March

Venue : Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth 

Kick Off local: 19:10

Referee: Jason Jaftha 

Assistant Ref 1:Lourens van der Merwe

Assistant Ref 2:Christie du Preez

TMO : Johann Meuwessen

Teams

Southern Kings

SP Marais, Marcello Sampson, Ronnie Cooke, Andries Strauss, Sergeal Petersen, Demetri Catrakilis, Shaun Venter, Schalk Ferreira, Bandise Maku, Kevin Buys, Cornell du Preez, Darron Nell (captain), Steven Sykes, Wimpie van der Walt, Jacques Engelbrecht.

Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle, Jaco Engels, David Bulbring, Luke Watson, Nicolas Vergallo, George Whitehead, Hadleigh Parkes.

Sharks

1. Tendai Mtawarira , 2. Craig Burden , 3. Jannie du Plessis , 4. Anton Bresler , 5. Franco van der Merwe , 6. Marcell Coetzee , 7. Jean Deysel , 8. Ryan Kankowski , 9. Cobus Reinach , 10. Patrick Lambie , 11. Lwazi Mvovo , 12. Francois Steyn (Captain) , 13. Paul Jordaan , 14. JP Pietersen , 15. Louis Ludik

Replacements: 16. Kyle Cooper , 17. Wiehahn Herbst , 18. Pieter-Steph du Toit , 19. Jacques Botes , 20. Charl McLeod , 21. Meyer Bosman , 22. Odwa Ndungane

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