“we mustn’t hoodwink rugby supporters that there’s … za vol 19, iss 21...volume 19, number...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 19 Number 2113 June 2019
ldquoWe mustnrsquot hoodwink rugby supporters that therersquos a plan in place to save South African rugby ndash the reality is that the essence of what we were about is gonerdquo ndash Jake White
Register to receive your own free weekly newsletter at wwwrugbyrsacoza
Nothing Left of SA Rugby to Save Jake
Last Friday SA Rugby announced its new contracting model overhaul with a whole lot of fanfare in Cape Town And the initial media reports on the event and the model were relatively positive ndash or at least guardedly neutral In his column on SARugbymagcoza Craig Lewis wrote that the SA Rugbyrsquos new contracting model signifies some proactive steps to combat the ever-challenging financial climate affecting the game
Meanwhile a news article by an unnamed writer in Sports24cozarsquos newsroom reported that it represented a ldquocreative overhaulrdquo that ldquowill lead to improved use of resources greater national and provincial alignment and improved succession planning at Springbok levelrdquo Presumably the quoted bits came from the SA Rugby media release on the subject
The PR-speak continues ldquoThe ground-breaking system was achieved through unprecedented co-operation between SA Rugby the rugby employers (the South African Rugby Employersrsquo Organisation SAREO) and the playersrsquo organisation (MyPlayers) For the first time since rugby turned professional in 1996 SA Rugby will no longer directly contract Springboks While in a second major change provincial unions have agreed to cap player budgetsrdquo
But not everyone is cock-a-hoop about the news Our editorrsquos old school chum Jake White reckons the SA Rugby horse has bolted and we should just sell up and move the Springboks to Dubai
ldquoWe mustnrsquot hoodwink rugby supporters that therersquos a plan in place to save South African rugby ndash the reality is that the essence of what we were about is gone Under the new contracting model SA Rugby is actively telling players to go overseas with no fear that it will affect their chances of playing for the Springboks
ldquoWersquore going to call Regulation 9 whenever the Test window opens while wersquore blooding juniors in South Africa on longer term contracts Itrsquos contradictory because all of the values wersquore going to be trying to instil in those youngsters donrsquot apply to the more senior players wersquove told to chase big contracts overseasrdquo
And as usual he has some pretty big points and as crazy as it sounds the column is well-worth the read But if yoursquod prefer to just watch the press conference you can do that too
KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Baby Boks Knock Out New ZealandSuperSport Rugby Challenge SurprisesCurrie Cup Gets New Teams Dates
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-OffLast Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Page 1
Page 2
Super Rugby Delivers Yet Another Draw
By the end of this past weekend Super Rugby 2019 had delivered seven draws which may seem a lot but statistically is not really So far this season a total of 113 matches have been played meaning that the seven draws represent a mere 62 of the total For context bookmakers operate on something a little less than 10 as the chance of a draw in rugby union
But that seventh draw last Friday was the Bullsrsquo secondon the New Zealand leg of their tour The second match that day was in Brisbane and ended 29-28 in favour of the home-town Reds over the Blues
Saturday dawned with a rugby exhibition as the Crusaders put the Rebels to the sword in Christchurch (66-0) Later that day in Sydney Waratahs took on their compatriots from Canberra and had a nightmare first half (3-28) which left them with far too much to do ndash a cause not aided by twice spilling the ball while trying to score a try Final score 24-35
But Saturday took a decided turn for the worst at the hands of one of SArsquos most useless referees Jaco Peyper He consistently allowed the Hurricanes to flood the breakdown from all sides ndash never through the gate and hardly ever showing daylight before competing for the ball This denied the Lions the quick ball on which they thrive So much for home ground advantage Final score was a depressing 17-37
Two more matches were played on Saturday with predictable results the Stormers failed to get a bonus point against the Sunwolves and the table-topping Jaguares did get a bonus point by thrashing the Sharks
Baby Boks Knock Out New Zealand
As we noted last week the annual World Rugby U20 Championship is currently on the go in Argentina and is arranged in three pools South Africa finds itself in a pool together with Georgia Scotland and New Zealand As we wrote last week the Baby Boks werenrsquot convincing against the Scots but they secured a bonus point win nevertheless
The second encounter was Georgia on Saturday and the first thirty-odd minutes were a real arm-wrestle Then the Baby Boks were handed a yellow card and promptly scored twice before half-time to lead 21-5 at the break A second yellow card was dished out in the second half and they scored while he was off the field too The final result was 48-18 and included another bonus point
The final pool game was against New Zealand this past Wednesday evening as we were closing off the newsletter And the Baby Boks just never looked like losing it The only question was whether the kiwis could get close enough to slip into the semifinals with a bonus point They couldnrsquot
The six yellow cards in three matches are a worry one of which resulted in a penalty try Discipline is a problem for the Baby Boks and it could still cost them if the coaching staff donrsquot take steps to address the problem Fast
The results mean the Baby Boks are in the semifinals with Argentina France and Australia Thats on Monday and wersquoll probably play France but that is yet to be confirmed
Page 3
Page 4
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Surprises
As we noted last week this weekendrsquos fixtures were make-or-break for a couple of teams But before we go there a number of other matches were played last weekend that were making up the numbers so to speak
On Friday Blue Bulls thrashed Leopards (63-36) at Loftus to jump into third place on the North table but it was too little too late as only the top two go through to the semifinals On Saturday EP Elephants dispatched Zimbabwe Academy (43-15) comfortably Valke did the same to Namibiarsquos Welwitchias (56-12) and Pumas maintained their unbeaten run intact by defeating Griffons (48-33)
Among the more critical matches of the weekend in the northern group the Golden Lions had to beat Griquas in Kimberley to qualify Unfortunately for Lions fans they failed dismally going down 45-26
In the southern group Free State Cheetahs had to first despatch Border Bulldogs which they did comfortably (82-7) And then wait until Sunday in the hope that Western Province would defeat Boland Cavaliers
Cheetahs players would have been on the edge of their seats as Boland took a 19-10 lead into half-time After the break and as they did last week against the selfsame Cheetahs Western Province benefited from dodgy refereeing decisions to fight back In the end Boland hung on to triumph by a single point (22-21) thereby leapfroging Cheetahs into second position on the table and into the semifinals The matches scheduled for this weekend are as follows
Pumas vs Boland Cavaliers in NelspruitWestern Province vs Griquas in Cape Town
Currie Cup Gets New Teams Dates
Wersquore not sure how we missed this given that we had been checking for news regularly but somehow it slipped through the cracks At the beginning of April SA Rugby announced a new slot for the Currie Cup ndash and a few new teams as well
But first the new teams The Currie Cup in 2019 will have a strong international flavour with the return of an Argentinian XV as well as a full-strength Namibian team participating
The international teams will contest the First Division this year and itrsquos likely that one of them ndash probably the Argentinians ndash will win and be promoted to the Premier Division next year But for this year at least the status quo will remain in the Premier Division with Blue Bulls Free State Cheetahs Golden Lions Griquas Pumas Sharks and Western Province competing for the title
In terms of the timing the competition has been moved to an earlier time slot in the season 13 July to 7 September This means that the Currie Cup will not overlap with the Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby will be long finished by then For the full fixture list check out Rugby365com
The PRO14 which usually begins late August early September is unlikely to do so in the 201920 season because of the World Cup ndash which runs from mid-September to 2 November But we were unable to confirm that as the fixtures have not yet been announced
Page 5
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 2
Super Rugby Delivers Yet Another Draw
By the end of this past weekend Super Rugby 2019 had delivered seven draws which may seem a lot but statistically is not really So far this season a total of 113 matches have been played meaning that the seven draws represent a mere 62 of the total For context bookmakers operate on something a little less than 10 as the chance of a draw in rugby union
But that seventh draw last Friday was the Bullsrsquo secondon the New Zealand leg of their tour The second match that day was in Brisbane and ended 29-28 in favour of the home-town Reds over the Blues
Saturday dawned with a rugby exhibition as the Crusaders put the Rebels to the sword in Christchurch (66-0) Later that day in Sydney Waratahs took on their compatriots from Canberra and had a nightmare first half (3-28) which left them with far too much to do ndash a cause not aided by twice spilling the ball while trying to score a try Final score 24-35
But Saturday took a decided turn for the worst at the hands of one of SArsquos most useless referees Jaco Peyper He consistently allowed the Hurricanes to flood the breakdown from all sides ndash never through the gate and hardly ever showing daylight before competing for the ball This denied the Lions the quick ball on which they thrive So much for home ground advantage Final score was a depressing 17-37
Two more matches were played on Saturday with predictable results the Stormers failed to get a bonus point against the Sunwolves and the table-topping Jaguares did get a bonus point by thrashing the Sharks
Baby Boks Knock Out New Zealand
As we noted last week the annual World Rugby U20 Championship is currently on the go in Argentina and is arranged in three pools South Africa finds itself in a pool together with Georgia Scotland and New Zealand As we wrote last week the Baby Boks werenrsquot convincing against the Scots but they secured a bonus point win nevertheless
The second encounter was Georgia on Saturday and the first thirty-odd minutes were a real arm-wrestle Then the Baby Boks were handed a yellow card and promptly scored twice before half-time to lead 21-5 at the break A second yellow card was dished out in the second half and they scored while he was off the field too The final result was 48-18 and included another bonus point
The final pool game was against New Zealand this past Wednesday evening as we were closing off the newsletter And the Baby Boks just never looked like losing it The only question was whether the kiwis could get close enough to slip into the semifinals with a bonus point They couldnrsquot
The six yellow cards in three matches are a worry one of which resulted in a penalty try Discipline is a problem for the Baby Boks and it could still cost them if the coaching staff donrsquot take steps to address the problem Fast
The results mean the Baby Boks are in the semifinals with Argentina France and Australia Thats on Monday and wersquoll probably play France but that is yet to be confirmed
Page 3
Page 4
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Surprises
As we noted last week this weekendrsquos fixtures were make-or-break for a couple of teams But before we go there a number of other matches were played last weekend that were making up the numbers so to speak
On Friday Blue Bulls thrashed Leopards (63-36) at Loftus to jump into third place on the North table but it was too little too late as only the top two go through to the semifinals On Saturday EP Elephants dispatched Zimbabwe Academy (43-15) comfortably Valke did the same to Namibiarsquos Welwitchias (56-12) and Pumas maintained their unbeaten run intact by defeating Griffons (48-33)
Among the more critical matches of the weekend in the northern group the Golden Lions had to beat Griquas in Kimberley to qualify Unfortunately for Lions fans they failed dismally going down 45-26
In the southern group Free State Cheetahs had to first despatch Border Bulldogs which they did comfortably (82-7) And then wait until Sunday in the hope that Western Province would defeat Boland Cavaliers
Cheetahs players would have been on the edge of their seats as Boland took a 19-10 lead into half-time After the break and as they did last week against the selfsame Cheetahs Western Province benefited from dodgy refereeing decisions to fight back In the end Boland hung on to triumph by a single point (22-21) thereby leapfroging Cheetahs into second position on the table and into the semifinals The matches scheduled for this weekend are as follows
Pumas vs Boland Cavaliers in NelspruitWestern Province vs Griquas in Cape Town
Currie Cup Gets New Teams Dates
Wersquore not sure how we missed this given that we had been checking for news regularly but somehow it slipped through the cracks At the beginning of April SA Rugby announced a new slot for the Currie Cup ndash and a few new teams as well
But first the new teams The Currie Cup in 2019 will have a strong international flavour with the return of an Argentinian XV as well as a full-strength Namibian team participating
The international teams will contest the First Division this year and itrsquos likely that one of them ndash probably the Argentinians ndash will win and be promoted to the Premier Division next year But for this year at least the status quo will remain in the Premier Division with Blue Bulls Free State Cheetahs Golden Lions Griquas Pumas Sharks and Western Province competing for the title
In terms of the timing the competition has been moved to an earlier time slot in the season 13 July to 7 September This means that the Currie Cup will not overlap with the Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby will be long finished by then For the full fixture list check out Rugby365com
The PRO14 which usually begins late August early September is unlikely to do so in the 201920 season because of the World Cup ndash which runs from mid-September to 2 November But we were unable to confirm that as the fixtures have not yet been announced
Page 5
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 3
Page 4
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Surprises
As we noted last week this weekendrsquos fixtures were make-or-break for a couple of teams But before we go there a number of other matches were played last weekend that were making up the numbers so to speak
On Friday Blue Bulls thrashed Leopards (63-36) at Loftus to jump into third place on the North table but it was too little too late as only the top two go through to the semifinals On Saturday EP Elephants dispatched Zimbabwe Academy (43-15) comfortably Valke did the same to Namibiarsquos Welwitchias (56-12) and Pumas maintained their unbeaten run intact by defeating Griffons (48-33)
Among the more critical matches of the weekend in the northern group the Golden Lions had to beat Griquas in Kimberley to qualify Unfortunately for Lions fans they failed dismally going down 45-26
In the southern group Free State Cheetahs had to first despatch Border Bulldogs which they did comfortably (82-7) And then wait until Sunday in the hope that Western Province would defeat Boland Cavaliers
Cheetahs players would have been on the edge of their seats as Boland took a 19-10 lead into half-time After the break and as they did last week against the selfsame Cheetahs Western Province benefited from dodgy refereeing decisions to fight back In the end Boland hung on to triumph by a single point (22-21) thereby leapfroging Cheetahs into second position on the table and into the semifinals The matches scheduled for this weekend are as follows
Pumas vs Boland Cavaliers in NelspruitWestern Province vs Griquas in Cape Town
Currie Cup Gets New Teams Dates
Wersquore not sure how we missed this given that we had been checking for news regularly but somehow it slipped through the cracks At the beginning of April SA Rugby announced a new slot for the Currie Cup ndash and a few new teams as well
But first the new teams The Currie Cup in 2019 will have a strong international flavour with the return of an Argentinian XV as well as a full-strength Namibian team participating
The international teams will contest the First Division this year and itrsquos likely that one of them ndash probably the Argentinians ndash will win and be promoted to the Premier Division next year But for this year at least the status quo will remain in the Premier Division with Blue Bulls Free State Cheetahs Golden Lions Griquas Pumas Sharks and Western Province competing for the title
In terms of the timing the competition has been moved to an earlier time slot in the season 13 July to 7 September This means that the Currie Cup will not overlap with the Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby will be long finished by then For the full fixture list check out Rugby365com
The PRO14 which usually begins late August early September is unlikely to do so in the 201920 season because of the World Cup ndash which runs from mid-September to 2 November But we were unable to confirm that as the fixtures have not yet been announced
Page 5
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 4
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Surprises
As we noted last week this weekendrsquos fixtures were make-or-break for a couple of teams But before we go there a number of other matches were played last weekend that were making up the numbers so to speak
On Friday Blue Bulls thrashed Leopards (63-36) at Loftus to jump into third place on the North table but it was too little too late as only the top two go through to the semifinals On Saturday EP Elephants dispatched Zimbabwe Academy (43-15) comfortably Valke did the same to Namibiarsquos Welwitchias (56-12) and Pumas maintained their unbeaten run intact by defeating Griffons (48-33)
Among the more critical matches of the weekend in the northern group the Golden Lions had to beat Griquas in Kimberley to qualify Unfortunately for Lions fans they failed dismally going down 45-26
In the southern group Free State Cheetahs had to first despatch Border Bulldogs which they did comfortably (82-7) And then wait until Sunday in the hope that Western Province would defeat Boland Cavaliers
Cheetahs players would have been on the edge of their seats as Boland took a 19-10 lead into half-time After the break and as they did last week against the selfsame Cheetahs Western Province benefited from dodgy refereeing decisions to fight back In the end Boland hung on to triumph by a single point (22-21) thereby leapfroging Cheetahs into second position on the table and into the semifinals The matches scheduled for this weekend are as follows
Pumas vs Boland Cavaliers in NelspruitWestern Province vs Griquas in Cape Town
Currie Cup Gets New Teams Dates
Wersquore not sure how we missed this given that we had been checking for news regularly but somehow it slipped through the cracks At the beginning of April SA Rugby announced a new slot for the Currie Cup ndash and a few new teams as well
But first the new teams The Currie Cup in 2019 will have a strong international flavour with the return of an Argentinian XV as well as a full-strength Namibian team participating
The international teams will contest the First Division this year and itrsquos likely that one of them ndash probably the Argentinians ndash will win and be promoted to the Premier Division next year But for this year at least the status quo will remain in the Premier Division with Blue Bulls Free State Cheetahs Golden Lions Griquas Pumas Sharks and Western Province competing for the title
In terms of the timing the competition has been moved to an earlier time slot in the season 13 July to 7 September This means that the Currie Cup will not overlap with the Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby will be long finished by then For the full fixture list check out Rugby365com
The PRO14 which usually begins late August early September is unlikely to do so in the 201920 season because of the World Cup ndash which runs from mid-September to 2 November But we were unable to confirm that as the fixtures have not yet been announced
Page 5
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 5
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 6
Annual Youth Rugby Weeks Kick-Off
It will be ladies first as SA Rugbyrsquos annual Youth Weeks series ndash where close to 3000 players will showcase their skills in six tournaments across four venues around the country ndash kick off next week with the U16 and U18 Girls Week tournaments in Johannesburg
The fixtures for the two Girls Weeks as well as the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week will trigger a thrilling three-week spectacle of junior rugby The two Girls Weeks will run concurrently at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June while the LSEN Week takes place at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein from 17 to 20 June
These tournaments will be followed by the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week a week later at Rob Ferreira High School in White River
The final week of the popular schools rugby showcase will see the top Under-18 players in the country take to the field at Grey College in Bloemfontein in the flagship event the U18 SA Rugby Craven Week and the SA Rugby Academy Week which will play out from Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July
This year will be the second that the U16 and U18 SA Rugby Girls Weeks will be hosted at Jeppe High School The action will continue throughout the week with the U16 teams battling it out on Monday Wednesday and Friday and the U16 teams on Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Similarly to their male counterparts the top teams in each age group will be drawn in the final match of the respective tournaments where they will battle it out for top honours
Last Chance Saloon in Super Rugby 2019
This weekend is the last of the regular season of Super Rugby in 2019 Around 7pm on Saturday night wersquoll know who has made it into the last eight where they will play their quarter-final match and against whom As it stands the top four are settled and cannot be caught
Crusaders Jaguares Brumbies and Hurricanes will all be hosting quarter-final fixtures next weekend But below that only the Bulls are certain of a place in the quarter-finals while the Lions Stormers Rebels Sharks Chiefs and Highlanders are all battling it out for the three remaining spots
Therersquos a useful breakdown on UltimateRugbycom which lays it out team by team ndash although they omit the Highlanders from the analysis Wersquore not so sure The team from Dunedin play at home against the Waratahs on Friday and five points from that match could put them in the mix level with the Bulls
But nevertheless itrsquos an interesting assessment of what each of the teams needs to do to secure a top eight spot
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Getting a Real Kick out of Rugby
Therersquos rather humorous column running this week on GoodForTheGamecoza that takes more than a few well-aimed punts at kicking in rugby The piece is penned by Couch Critic HD (aka Hein Diemont) and though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal or at least wildly inaccurate it is at least worth a good chuckle or two [With apologies to the inimitable and sadly late Douglas Adams ndash Ed]
ldquoThink of kicking in rugby and your mind goes to Naas Botha hoofing the ball miles into the air or the Heyneke Meyer liefling strategy whereby Derick Hougaard used his right foot at nauseum Whilst times might have changed it does not mean there is no place for boot to ball in modern rugby and Week 17 of Super Rugby proved this in no small measure
ldquoSo on this note lets briefly explore the phenomenon that is the attacking tactical kick by looking at the different modern day kicks ndash I promise it will give you a kickrdquo
He describes each of the different types of kicks frequently used in rugby and illustrates the description with an actual incident from Super Rugby over this past weekend
Consider his thoroughly amusing anecdote concerning the up-and-under or Gary Owen kick ldquoThe Jaguares caught Rod dup junior day dreaming about how he was going to pull chicks in England next season as Bofelli grabbed the ball from right under his nose after a well placed up-and-underrdquo
But Couch Critic HD doesnrsquot restrict himself to describing elements of the game He also has a fair amount to say about current affairs in the world of rugby For example
ldquoHow Daryl Gibson is still employed is beyond me Yes there has been the Folau issue as well as the problem of not really having a stable home base in Sydney but how a team can perform so poorly with such a large number of Wallabies at your disposal is pretty patheticrdquo
Itrsquos an interesting informative and amusing piece that reminds our editor of an old adage from his journalistic days of yore
ldquoPeople read for two reasons to be educated or to be entertainedrdquo he told us with a definite glint in his eye
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
For your weekend viewing pleasure
This Friday and Saturday sees the eighteenth and final round of Super Rugby before the knock-out stages (see schedule alongside) But our Ultimate Rugby app reveals that there is also some other rugby action this weekend
On Saturday the final of the French Top 14 will see Toulousse hosting Clermont Auvergne with the hosts chasing their 20th title and the visitors their third There are three South Africans involved for the home team Cheslin Kolbe Rynhardt Elstadt and Maks van Dyk
If the matches wersquove seen so far this season are anything to go by it should be a humdinger But back home in South Africa Sunday will see the SuperSport Rugby Challenge enter the semifinal stage ndash see page four Wersquore hoping for a Pumas vs Griquas final
And on Monday as noted on page two the Baby Boks are among the last four teams still with a change of lifting the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy next weekend We last won it in 2012 and our team will be wanting to improve on the bronze medal of the last two years Hope springs eternal
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8