The All Blacks insisted on Sunday that errant lock Brad Thorn did not have a disciplinary problem after a second yellow card of the season.
Injured Springbok captain John Smit returned home to SA on Wednesday angered over the one-match suspension handed to All Black lock Brad Thorn.
New Zealand’s emphatic 19-8 victory over world champions South Africa was marred by the one-game suspension handed down to lock Brad Thorn.
New Zealand named a revamped side on Tuesday for their opening rugby Test of the season against Ireland, selecting only six of the team who lost last year’s World Cup quarterfinal to France. Winger Anthony Tuitavake is the only new cap in the starting line-up, with three more new faces on the reserves bench.
The Canterbury Crusaders won the Super 14 title on Saturday with a 20-12 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in Christchurch, New Zealand. Trailing by a point at half-time, the Crusaders stormed home on the boot of All Black flyhalf Dan Carter, who kicked four penalties and a drop goal for a personal tally of 15 points.
All-conquering Super 14 leaders the Canterbury Crusaders shrugged off wholesale changes to their line-up to thrash bottom-placed Golden Lions 31-6 in Christchurch on Saturday. With their novices to the fore, the unbeaten Crusaders took maximum points as they reversed a 3-6 deficit at half-time.
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/ 15 February 2008
The Canterbury Crusaders moved straight into top gear as they started the new Super 14 season with a convincing 34-3 win over the ACT Brumbies on Friday. The four-try effort ensured maximum points for the perennial favourites, who have won the championship six times.
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/ 14 February 2008
The new Super 14 season, which begins on Friday, could help determine whether South Africa’s dominance of world rugby was a one-year wonder. South Africa provided both teams in last year’s Super 14 final — the Bulls beat the Sharks — and the Springboks went on to win the sixth World Cup in France.