All Black coach Graham Henry fired a parting shot at retiring flanker Jerry Collins, saying the tough loose forward was in poor form and would not have made the first New Zealand squad of the season. Henry named a 25-man squad on Tuesday to begin preparations for mid-season Tests, excluding players from the Crusaders.
All Blacks enforcer Jerry Collins announced his retirement from New Zealand rugby Monday but said he had made no decision on joining the exodus of top players overseas. The announcement had been widely expected, with rumours circulating the 109kg Samoan-born flanker was destined to join the nine other All Blacks from last year’s World Cup who have signed for foreign clubs.
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.
Injuries, coaching concerns and travel fatigue loom as significant factors in the Super 14 rugby semifinals when the Crusaders, Waratahs, Sharks and Hurricanes front up on Saturday. Competition leaders the Crusaders are at home to the Hurricanes in the first knock-out match, followed by the second-placed Waratahs hosting the Sharks in Sydney.
The Wellington Hurricanes and Auckland Blues kick off a climactic final Super 14 round on Friday in which six teams have a chance of joining the Canterbury Crusaders in the final four. The make-up of the semifinalists is unlikely to be decided until the final match of the weekend when the Sharks play the Chiefs.
Stormers flanker Schalk Burger is a greater threat than ever to the Stormers’ Super 14 opponents, says Jerry Collins, star loose forward of the Hurricanes. The tough All Black, who will oppose the Springbok star at Newlands on Saturday, has been impressed by the way Burger and Luke Watson combine, reports RugbyHeaven website.
An early four-try scoring blitz fashioned a 50-22 Super 14 triumph for Wellington Hurricanes over title holders Northern Bulls on Saturday. ”We were shocking,” was the blunt assessment of scrumhalf and captain Fourie du Preez as the Bulls returned to their home ground after a dismal four-match Australasia tour.
The Wellington Hurricanes withstood a ferocious late fightback from the Otago Highlanders to win their Super 14 clash 10-6 at Dunedin on Friday. The Hurricanes spent most of the second half camped in their own quarter but defended superbly against waves of attacks from the Highlanders.
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/ 29 February 2008
The Wellington Hurricanes beat the Waikato Chiefs 39-19 with a six-try blitz in their Super 14 rugby clash on Friday. The Hurricanes finally played to their potential as they eliminated the errors that had plagued their opening two matches. They started with a roar and their wide running game ensured the bonus-point fourth try within 25 minutes.
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/ 27 November 2007
Johan Ackermann joined South Africa on Monday as cover in case injured lock Bakkies Botha was unavailable for the Springboks’ season finale against the Barbarians this weekend. Botha hurt his ankle in the Boks’ 34-12 win over Wales at Cardiff on Saturday.
France upset the odds in dramatic style to come from behind and beat tournament favourites New Zealand 20-18 in the World Cup quarterfinal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. For the All Blacks, 13-0 up as early as the 30th minute, defeat was arguably as devastating as their equally unexpected 43-31 loss to France in the 1999 World Cup semifinal at Twickenham.
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/ 29 September 2007
New Zealand finished the World Cup pool stage in style with a spectacular demonstration of running and passing to demolish Romania 85-8 on Saturday. The All Blacks racked up 13 tries, three coming from flying winger Joe Rokocoko, as they blew away their opponents with some dazzling rugby to the delight of the packed crowd at the Stade Toulouse.
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/ 17 September 2007
If outspoken former Wallaby winger David Campese had his way, the likes of Georgia, Namibia and Portugal wouldn’t be at the Rugby World Cup. Yet the underdogs have shamed their critics by scaring some of the fancied teams and proving they do deserve places at the game’s biggest event.
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/ 15 September 2007
Odds-on World Cup favourites New Zealand brushed aside a spirited but hopelessly outclassed Portugal 108-13 in a Pool C game on Saturday, but it was not all plain sailing for the All Blacks. Portugal, the last of the 20 teams to qualify for the World Cup and with only three professionals in the match-day squad of 22, never gave up in the blistering heat at Stade Gerland.
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/ 14 September 2007
All Black coach Graham Henry on Friday called for consistency from the International Rugby Board (IRB) when it dealt with incidents of foul play after a severe clampdown in the opening games of the World Cup. With the tournament barely into its second week, the IRB has sent out a firm message to the teams that foul play will not be tolerated.
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/ 13 September 2007
The citings and subsequent bans of both Schalk Burger and England captain Phil Vickery have raised a worrying trend at the Rugby World Cup in France.
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/ 13 September 2007
The Rugby World Cup appeal committee on Thursday reduced Springbok flanker Schalk Burger’s four-match suspension to two matches. This was announced following an appeal hearing by the committee into the incident where Burger tackled a Samoan player in the air during the Boks’ opening match on Sunday.
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/ 8 September 2007
Hot tournament favourites New Zealand got their World Cup campaign off to the ideal start at the Stade Velodrome with a scintillating 76-14 rout of rivals Italy. The contest was dead and buried after the first 20 breathless minutes, during which the All Blacks scored five converted tries against an Italian team shown up to be woefully inept in their early defensive alignment.