Bulls centre JP Nel has been suspended from rugby for four weeks following his citing for a dangerous tackle on Sharks fullback Stefan Terblanche.
It looks like the closely fought endgame of the Super 14 might turn Saturday’s announcement of the 45-man Springbok squad into something of a damp squib. Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will want to avoid disrupting the semifinal preparations of the Sharks and Stormers and will postpone naming players from those squads.
The Sharks moved up to second in the Super 14 after a pair of second-half tries secured a 22-10 victory over the Queensland Reds on Saturday. The South Africans touched down in the 63rd and 67th minutes, breaking a determined Reds defence that was put under relentless pressure.
After a flying start to the season, the powerful Canterbury Crusaders are giving key players a breather for their Super 14 match against tail enders the Cheetahs on Saturday. Despite making six changes, the match remains crucial for the Crusaders with pressure on the regular bench-warmers to maintain the team’s unbeaten record.
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/ 17 February 2008
South Africa’s World Cup winner Bryan Habana picked up where he left off last season to help the Bulls make a successful start to the defence of their Super 14 title. Habana, who was named as the IRB’s world player of the year after a magical season in 2007, continued his fairytale run of form.
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/ 15 February 2008
Stefan Terblanche scored the try that sealed the Sharks’ 17-10 win over the Western Force in their Super 14 match in Durban on Friday. Fullback Terblanche, who was not in the 22 named for the match, was called into the team when French flyhalf Frederic Michalak withdrew with a calf injury.
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/ 13 October 2007
Like Australia and New Zealand in the World Cup last weekend, the Sharks somehow contrived to squander 30 minutes of total supremacy and then allowed the Golden Lions — who defended like Trojans in the second half — to score three unanswered tries against them and advance to the Currie Cup rugby final.