Joe van Niekerk was the surprise selection in the South African team for the Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.
JP Pietersen’s lack of form in the Super 14 season has cost him a place in the Springbok squad that was named in Somerset West on Wednesday. The Sharks’ World Cup-winning wing failed to score a try in the 2008 series after he finished the 2007 Super 14 season as the leading try scorer.
Isma-eel Dollie as one of a few lesser surprises in the Springbok training squad of 42 members that was named on Saturday night. The new Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, has included a number of players who are not regulars for their Super 14 franchises or who had limited opportunities because of injury this season.
The Stormers beat the Lions 22-13 after a late rally in a thrilling, if not always good, Super 14 match at Ellis Park on Saturday. However, their inability to score five tries meant that only one of either the Stormers or the Sharks, who were playing the Chiefs later on Saturday, could still make the semifinals.
The Hurricanes continued their strong finish to the Super 14 season when they thrashed the Johannesburg-based Lions 38-12 in Wellington on Saturday. Leading 26-7 at halftime, the Hurricanes scored five tries to their opponents two to overwhelm the disappointing Lions.
The Reds scored a converted try in the dying seconds of their Super 14 match against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday to snatch a lucky 24-all draw. The result meant that no South African side could win a match in this weekend’s round of matches. The visitors came back from an 11-point deficit to take two points from the match.
A glaring error by referee Kelvin Deaker cost the Lions seven points in the Super 14 match which they eventually lost 18-16 to the Western Force at Ellis Park on Friday night. The call forced the Lions to play catch-up after a Cameron Shepherd penalty had put the visitors ahead with a long-range penalty.
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/ 13 February 2008
South Africa’s five Super 14 teams will have to produce some of their best rugby yet if they are to retain the title they so famously won, for the first time, last year. After years of being denied the title by the Australian and New Zealand teams, South Africa’s Northern Bulls finally went all the way in 2007.
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/ 4 November 2007
SA Rugby has confirmed the names of the finalists in the main categories of the 2007 Absa SA rugby player of the year awards. The awards banquet, which will be attended by the Springbok squad, takes place on November 7 at the Sandton Convention Centre.