The Chiefs and Cheetahs played out a sub-standard 25-all draw that had more errors than highlights at Waikato Stadium on Friday night. The Reds' surge towards their first Super 14 finals campaign in nine years lifted another gear on Friday night when they grabbed a share of top spot on the ladder with a stunning 16-13 win over the red-hot Stormers at Suncorp Stadium. The Western Force pulled off an amazing upset when they fought back from 13-nil down at half-time to beat the top-of-the-table Crusaders for the first time ever 24-16 at ME Bank Stadium on Friday night. Ma'a Nonu smashed through the defence to score the match-winning try 10 minutes from the end as the Hurricanes beat the Highlanders 33-31 in their Super 14 rugby match at Carisbrook on Saturday night. The New South Wales Waratahs have dealt a serious blow to the ACT Brumbies' finals hopes after a gritty 19-12 Super 14 victory at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night. The Sharks kept their slim Super 14 play-off hopes alive thanks to a nervous 23-10 victory over the Blues in Durban. Apr 24, 2010 Highlanders 31 - 33 Hurricanes Waratahs 19 - 12 Brumbies Bulls 51 - 11 Lions Sharks 23 - 10 Blues Apr 23, 2010 Chiefs 25 - 25 Cheetahs Reds 16 - 13 Stormers Match pack Force 24 - 16 Crusaders
1 Bulls 39 2 Stormers 34 3 Crusaders 34 4 Reds 34 5 Waratahs 33 6 Brumbies 27 7 Hurricanes 27 8 Sharks 25 9 Blues 25 10 Chiefs 24 11 Force 14 12 Highlanders 13 13 Cheetahs 11 14 Lions 5 April 2010 Fri 30 Highlanders v Waratahs, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill 07:35 GMT, 19:35 Fri 30 Stormers v Crusaders, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town 17:10 GMT, 19:10 May 2010 Sat 1 Hurricanes v Chiefs, Westpac Stadium, Wellington 07:35 GMT, 19:35 local Sat 1 Brumbies v Reds, Canberra Stadium 09:40 GMT, 19:40 local Sat 1 Cheetahs v Blues, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 13:00 GMT, 15:00 local Sat 1 Lions v Force, Ellis Park, Johannesburg 15:05 GMT, 17:05 local Sat 1 Bulls v Sharks, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 17:10 GMT, 19:10 local
Good, old-fashioned driving play provided the platform when the Highlanders upset the Waratahs 26-10 in their Super 14 match in Invercargill on Friday. A brace of tries from centre Jaque Fourie added to 27 points from first five-eighths Peter Grant helped the Stormers take a massive step towards a home Super 14 semi-final with a crushing 42-14 victory over the Crusaders in Cape Town. The Hurricanes won a dramatic Super 14 match against the Chiefs 33-27 with late tries to Ma'a Nonu and Neemia Tialata keeping alive their play-off hopes for another week. The Brumbies have kept their season alive with a vital 29-12 bonus point win over the Queensland Reds in their round 12 Investec Super 14 clash at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night. The struggling Cheetahs secured a bonus-point 36-32 win in a high-scoring Super 14 encounter in Bloemfontein to all but end the Blues' play-off hopes. Reigning champions the Bulls produced a stirring second-half fightback to re-establish a five-point lead at the top of the Super 14 standings - and almost certainly clinch a place in the play-offs - after seeing off the Sharks 27-19. Western Force eventually found its try-scoring touch to inflict a 12th successive Super 14 12-33 defeat on the Lions. May 1, 2010 Hurricanes 33 - 27 Chiefs Brumbies 32 - 12 Reds Match pack Cheetahs 36 - 32 Blues Lions 12 - 33 Force Bulls 27 - 19 Sharks Apr 30, 2010 Highlanders 26 - 10 Waratahs Stormers 42 - 14 Crusaders
1 Bulls 43 2 Stormers 38 3 Crusaders 34 4 Reds 34 5 Waratahs 33 6 Brumbies 32 7 Hurricanes 32 8 Blues 27 9 Chiefs 26 10 Sharks 25 11 Force 18 12 Highlanders 17 13 Cheetahs 16 14 Lions 5 May 2010 Fri 7 Hurricanes v Reds, Westpac Stadium, Wellington 07:35 GMT, 19:35 local Fri 7 Bulls v Crusaders, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 17:10 GMT, 19:10 local Preview Sat 8 Chiefs v Waratahs, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 07:35 GMT, 19:35 local Sat 8 Brumbies v Highlanders, Canberra Stadium 09:40 GMT, 19:40 local Sat 8 Lions v Blues, Ellis Park, Johannesburg 13:00 GMT, 15:00 local Sat 8 Cheetahs v Force, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 15:05 GMT, 17:05 local Sat 8 Sharks v Stormers, Kings Park Stadium, Durban 17:10 GMT, 19:10 local
May 8, 2010 Chiefs 19 - 46 Waratahs Brumbies 31 - 3 Highlanders Lions 14 - 56 Blues Cheetahs 29 - 14 Force Sharks 20 - 14 Stormers May 7, 2010 Hurricanes 44 - 21 Reds Bulls 40 - 35 Crusaders 1 Bulls 47 2 Stormers 39 3 Waratahs 38 4 Brumbies 37 5 Hurricanes 37 6 Crusaders 36 7 Reds 34 8 Blues 32 9 Sharks 29 10 Chiefs 26 11 Cheetahs 21 12 Force 18 13 Highlanders 17 14 Lions 5 May 2010 Fri 14 Crusaders v Brumbies, Lancaster Park, Christchurch 07:35 GMT, 19:35 local Preview Fri 14 Waratahs v Hurricanes, Sydney Football Stadium 09:40 GMT, 19:40 local Fri 14 Sharks v Force, Kings Park Stadium, Durban 17:10 GMT, 19:10 local Sat 15 Blues v Chiefs, Eden Park, Auckland 07:35 GMT, 19:35 local Sat 15 Reds v Highlanders, Lang Park, Brisbane 09:40 GMT, 19:40 local Sat 15 Cheetahs v Lions, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 13:00 GMT, 15:00 local Sat 15 Stormers v Bulls, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town 15:05 GMT, 17:05 local
The Stormers secured a home Super 14 semi-final with a dominant 38-10 victory over a second-string Bulls team in Cape Town. The Cheetahs ended their season in style as they ran in nine tries to heap more misery on the Lions in a 52-10 result which sees them become the first team to lose every single match of a Super 14 campaign. The Queensland Reds defied a valiant second-half comeback from the Highlanders to register a sensational 38-36 win and end their season on a high in front of 26,700 passionate fans at Suncorp Stadium. All the disappointments of the Super 14 rugby season for the Blues and Chiefs ended on Saturday night when the Blues claimed northern region bragging rights with a 30-20 win at Eden Park. The Sharks signed off from their 2010 Super 14 campaign with a seventh victory in eight games after ending on the right side of a close contest against the Force in Durban. The Waratahs have progressed to the Super 14 semi-finals with a convincing 32-16 victory over the Hurricanes at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night. The Crusaders are through to the semi-finals of the Super 14 competition for the 12th time in its 15-year history with a 40-22 victory over the Brumbies at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Friday night. May 15, 2010 Blues 30 - 20 Chiefs Reds 38 - 36 Highlanders Cheetahs 59 - 10 Lions Stormers 38 - 10 Bulls May 14, 2010 Crusaders 40 - 22 Brumbies Match pack Waratahs 32 - 16 Hurricanes Sharks 27 - 22 Force
1 Bulls 47 2 Stormers 44 3 Waratahs 43 4 Crusaders 41 5 Reds 39 6 Brumbies 37 7 Blues 37 8 Hurricanes 37 9 Sharks 33 10 Cheetahs 26 11 Chiefs 26 12 Highlanders 19 13 Force 19 14 Lions 5 Sat 22 Semi final: Bulls v Crusaders 15:05 GMT, 17:05 local Sat 22 Semi final: Stormers v Waratahs, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town 16:10 GMT, 18:10 local Sat 29 Final: TBC v TBC
Bulls outclass Crusaders Defending champions the Bulls booked their place in the Super 14 final with a 39-24 victory over the Crusaders in Soweto on Sunday. Both sides scored three tries apiece but the kicking of first five-eighths Morne Steyn, who contributed 24 points for the hosts, proved the difference. And in truth the South Africans never looked like losing control of the game from the moment Pierre Spies' try gave them a third-minute lead. The Bulls finished the regular season top of the table, with their opponents in fourth, and were quick to assert their superiority. Spies capitalised on some quick turnover ball to touch down under the posts. Steyn added the conversion to put the Crusaders on the back foot. The No. 10 slotted over a penalty as the Bulls moved 10-0 in front, but New Zealand captain Richie McCaw dragged the visitors back into the game. McCaw merged from a maul with the ball and crossed the whitewash with Dan Carter adding the extras. Within three minutes, though, the Bulls had their second try, full-back Zane Kirchner kicking ahead to dot down after the visitors had failed to deal with his high ball. Steyn's accuracy with the boot continued as he slotted over the conversion and a second penalty to put the home side 20-7 in front after 19 minutes. Carter slotted over a penalty of his own but hooked a long-range attempt to the left of the posts before Steyn kicked his third penalty of the half from almost 60 metres to restore the Bulls' 13-point advantage. The Springbok playmaker missed for the first time on the stroke of half-time, though, and Sean Maitland scored the Crusaders' second try of the match following a well-executed scrum move. Carter's conversion closing the gap to six points. Steyn added another penalty to take the Bulls' advantage beyond a converted try, missing a monster drop goal attempt three minutes later. Carter missed with another penalty attempt and, in the 63rd minute, halfback Fourie du Preez broke around the blindside and went over in the corner to all but seal the victory for the Bulls. Steyn added the conversion and two more penalties to take the score to 39-17. Lock Sam Whitelock touched down for the Crusaders' third try in the 79th minute, and Carter added the conversion, but the Bulls had already wrapped up their place in the final. Scorers: Bulls: Tries: Spies, du Preez, Kirchner Con: Steyn 3 Pen: Steyn 6 Crusaders: Tries: Whitelock, McCaw, Maitland Con: Carter 3 Pen: Carter
Stormers win sets up all African final Peter Grant kicked 20 points to help the Stormers book their place in their first ever Super 14 final after a convincing 25-6 victory over the Waratahs in Cape Town. Allister Coetzee's team, who will now face defending champions the Bulls in an all-South African final, were on top for most of the 80 minutes at Newlands, but its only try came in the form of Juan de Jongh's 25th minute effort. Despite the best efforts of the Australian side to get back in the game it lacked the required possession and made too many mistakes, leaving it with a grand total of 12 points from its two encounters against the Stormers this season. For the Stormers, semi-finalists in 1999 and 2004, it set up a rematch with their up-country rivals and defending champions in Soweto. They could have been behind early on when the Waratahs had a chance to put points on the board, but Berrick Barnes dragged his penalty wide. Grant made no mistake with his first attempt at goal, slotting over after nine minutes to put the home side ahead when the visitors were caught offside. He had his second chance not long after - as Phil Waugh made an illegal entry into the ruck - and doubled the lead. A dangerous tackle from lock Andries Bekker presented Barnes with another chance to get the Waratahs on the board, which the Australia international this time duly took. The game then settled down with errors at key moments preventing either side from adding further points. That was until the 24th minute when halfback Luke Burgess spotted Barnes in space, allowing his partner to send over a drop goal to level the scores. But any joy from that kick was short-lived with the first try of the game arriving from the subsequent kick-off. De Jongh, who collected a flat pass from Grant, cleverly side-stepped two defenders and his momentum carried him over for the line. Grant added the conversion from right in front to make it 13-6 and another long-range penalty miss from Barnes meant the score remained the same at half-time. After the restart, Grant uncharacteristically missed a penalty chance - dragging his 40-metre effort to the left - but made amends with a similar kick that extended the lead to 10 points with 50 minutes on the clock. The Stormers No. 10 then added three further three-pointers - the last of which was from over 50 metres - as the hosts sealed an easy victory. Scorers: Stormers Tries: De Jongh Con: Grant Pen: Grant 6 Waratahs Pen: Barnes Dropped goal: Barnes
http://www.scrum.com/super14/rugby/story/116426.html Superb Bulls secure back-to-back titles Date/Time: May 29, 2010, 15:05 GMT, 17:05 Local Venue: Orlando Stadium, Soweto Bulls 25 - 17 Stormers Half-time: 16 - 3 Tries: Hougaard Cons: Steyn Pens: Steyn 6 Tries: Habana, Januarie Cons: Grant 2 Pens: Grant The Bulls secured their third Super 14 title in four seasons with a thrilling 25-17 victory over the Stormers at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday. The all-South African final was again taken down the road to Soweto by the Bulls and their decision was rewarded, as it was in the semi-final against the Crusaders, by the vocal, colourful backing of their fans and local supporters of the Orlando Pirates. The on-field battle was soundtracked by the deafening roar of the crowd's vuvuzelas, which will soon provide raucous backing for football's leading lights when the FIFA World Cup arrives in South Africa in June. The stars of the Association code could learn a thing or two about kicking from Bulls pivot Morne Steyn, whose record-breaking boot was again the reason for the Bulls' victory. The Stormers punctured the Bulls' aggressive defence twice for tries, to former Loftus favourite Bryan Habana and scrum-half Ricky Januarie, but were unable to pull clear as Steyn slotted six penalties and converted Francois Hougaard's superb first-half try for a personal haul of 20 points. The big-game experience of the home side told over the final 80 minutes of Super 14 rugby before expansion next year and the Stormers, despite boasting the meanest defence in this year's tournament, were unable to prevent them from joining the Blues and Crusaders in winning back-to-back Super Rugby titles. Steyn's opening penalty followed a dominant scrummage close to the Stormers' line and was just reward for a bright opening. There was space for Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies in the opening exchanges as the Bulls blended heads-up rugby with their typical belligerence on the gain line. They also defied convention by keeping the ball in hand where possible and Steyn was constantly on hand with an arsenal of high kicks to bail them out under pressure. The fly-half slotted a second penalty as the play remained camped in Stormers territory and the visitors' defence took on an increasingly ragged look as the toll began to tell. Subscribing to the old cliché that attack is the best form of defence almost brought an immediate response from the Cape Town side though, and it was their skipper Schalk Burger who was denied by the TMO. Francois Louw, who will win his first Springbok cap against Wales next weekend, took a leaf out of Spies' book with a massive midfield burst and good pressure close to the Bulls' line led to the ball crossing the whitewash, but after a double movement. Steyn rubbed salt in the wounds with his third penalty and the seemingly omnipresent du Preez soon carved open the Stormers for the opening try. Hougaard drifted infield from his wing and popped up in midfield, where his scrum-half supplied a wonderful pop pass for the youngster to race clear and round Joe Pietersen for the score. Grant got the visitors on the board with a 30th minute penalty but they had to wait until the opening moments of the second half to bring their fans to their feet. Dewaldt Duvenhage picked off a loose Bulls pass and sparked his side into life, breaking away with strong support. Grant carried well and Tiaan Liebenberg rumbled on, but once the Bulls had recovered their composure their fire was quickly doused. Jaque Fourie and Pietersen fought gamely to drag the Stormers back into contention but it was a moment of fortune that turned the tide. Just outside the Bulls 22 Steyn sent a languid pass straight into the waiting arms of Habana, who trotted clear to score under the sticks. The World Cup-winning wing, the only Stormers player to have previously played in a final, also notched a personal milestone with his score, having now picked up a try in all three of his final appearances. Grant's conversion made it a six-point game with 25 minutes remaining. Having kicked the wasps' nest the Stormers were forced to defend for their lives and again it was Habana who led from the front. The winger attacked his work with frenzied determination but was unable to stop the Bulls setting up field position for Steyn to chip over another three pointer to extend their lead back out to nine. The Stormers regrouped and set about testing the Bulls in their own territory, but again felt the sting after failing to break down their structured defence. Andries Bekker's stupid charge at a ruck saw a kickable penalty reversed and the Bulls marched to the other end where Steyn landed his fifth kick. His sixth followed in quick succession as JC Kritzinger was pinged at the scrum but Januarie then provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors. From the kick-off the Stormers tore upfield with Louw again conspicuous with a couple of big carries. Januarie directed play well before reaching out for the line, with referee Craig Joubert awarding the try despite the ball appearing to have been grounded short. There was to be no fairytale for Burger and his men though, as the Bulls showed all of their composure to wind the clock down, suffocating any advances before the final whistle confirmed their place in the history books as the last winners of the Super 14.
SANZAR has agreed to let the Argies into the Tri Nations, but there is still a problem because SANZAR want all of Argentina's top players to be involved. Unfortunately over 200 Argies play in Europe making it difficult for them to be released for the tournament. It looks like the IRB have stepped into revolve the issue. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hNsfqzgP0eYkA3JlaPHznSGM6DtQ As far as the Super 15 we may have to wait a while longer on that one. However I believe the Argentina Jaguars (Argentina A side) will be competing in the Vodacom Cup at first.