The All Blacks will be relying heavily on motivation to fuel their performance against the Springboks in Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test at Newlands.
SA coach Peter de Villiers has handed the number 15 jersey to fullback Percy Montgomery for Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks.
Prop Tony Woodcock scored two tries as an invigorated New Zealand beat Australia 39-10 in a Tri-Nations rugby Test on Saturday.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes the crop of newcomers in his team is a prime reason why they savoured an emphatic victory over New Zealand.
Australia coach Robbie Deans is under no illusions about his side’s trip to Auckland despite the fact they comprehensively outplayed New Zealand.
Australia maintained their unbeaten run under new coach Robbie Deans with a 34-19 victory over New Zealand in the Tri-Nations on Saturday.
The Robbie Deans factor has given Australian rugby fans hope the Wallabies can upset the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.
The Wallabies have been warned that despite SA enjoying their first win in New Zealand in 10 years, the Springboks will not be putting their feet up.
Adriaan Strauss was summoned to replace the suspended Bismarck du Plessis on Sunday as SA announced John Smit was sidelined for the Tri-Nations.
Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been suspended for three weeks following an incident in Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test in Dunedin.
Halfback Ricky Januarie scored a try four minutes from full-time to give a 14-man South African team a 30-28 win over New Zealand on Saturday.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers labelled former All Black Craig Dowd ”stupid” on Friday for criticism made about the Boks’ new mentor.
Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test between New Zealand and South Africa marks 100 years of Test rugby at Carisbrook, aptly named the House of Pain.
Springboks and All Blacks coaches are to meet Matt Goddard before Saturday’s clash in an attempt to stop a war of words spilling on to the field.
Injured Springbok captain John Smit returned home to SA on Wednesday angered over the one-match suspension handed to All Black lock Brad Thorn.
The All Blacks have made two changes to their starting line-up for their second Tri-Nations Test against South Africa in Dunedin on Saturday.
Springbok captain John Smit will not play in the remaining away Tri-Nations Tests against New Zealand and Australia because of a groin strain.
It’s been 10 years since Nick Mallett’s Springboks, captained by Gary Teichmann, beat their greatest rivals in Wellington by 13 to 3.
Two of rugby’s most passionate rivals, the All Blacks and Springboks, launch the Tri-Nations series in Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday.
Former SA captain Corne Krige has been publicly rebuked by current skipper John Smit for questioning the credentials of All Black Rodney So’oialo.
All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan has been ordered to stop drinking alcohol or face the sack after attending a misconduct hearing on Tuesday.
New Zealand cops were expected to speak to four English rugby players on Thursday about an allegation over an incident in a hotel room, a report said.
Police in New Zealand are investigating a ”serious allegation” against four England rugby players over an incident in an Auckland hotel room.
England and the All Blacks have both made major changes for their second rugby Test on Saturday.
New Zealand flyhalf Daniel Carter overcame an erratic performance to guide the All Blacks to a 21-11 victory over Ireland at a rain-soaked Railyards Stadium on Saturday.
The All Blacks and Ireland have been forced to hastily rejig their battle plans 48 hours before Saturday’s one-off rugby Test.
Fullback Leon MacDonald scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders booked a place in the Super 14 rugby final for the 10th time with a 33-22 win over the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday. MacDonald’s tries either side of halftime rewarded massive advantages of territory and possession and kept the Crusaders on target for their seventh championship title.
All Black coach Graham Henry is planning to stick with experienced players for next month’s Tests against Ireland and England despite the defection of some high profile candidates overseas. Henry also backed the New Zealand Rugby Union’s policy of picking only domestically-based players for the All Blacks.
Lack of game time, weak opposition and poor refereeing were all to blame for the All Blacks’ failure to win the Rugby World Cup last year, according to an independent review released on Thursday. The 47-page review detailed a catalogue of reasons why the team failed to live up to their billing as the world’s best.
The Sharks believe their efforts to remain unbeaten in the Super 14 became more difficult when their 10th-round opponents, the ACT Brumbies, announced midweek that coach Laurie Fisher would not be re-hired for 2009. Super 14 tradition suggests that teams whose coaches are dismissed in the course of any season respond with an immediate form improvement.
Sunderland manager and former Manchester United star Roy Keane plans to complete his coaching badges with the All Blacks. Keane is studying for his European Football Association pro-licence, which is an obligatory qualification for managers in the English Premier League. As part of the course, students are required to spend time in another sport.
South Africa’s Sevens team may have been beaten 26-12 by New Zealand in the final of the Hong Kong World Sevens on Sunday, but they showed they are closing the gap on the runaway leaders of the competition. New Zealand are now on 110 points after winning all five finals this season, while the Boks remain in second spot with 72 points.