Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott might be heading for Western Province next season.
Mercury columnist Mike Greenaway indicated last week that the Sharks No 9 was in talks with Western Province with a view to joining them next year.
Given that his shares in Durban have fallen dramatically over the course of the 2010 season, the news may not come as a shock to fans. Charl McLeod has been Sharks coach John Plumtree’s preferred choice in the Currie Cup this season.
The Sharks have already lost the services of Ulster-bound Ruan Pienaar, and should Kockott leave too, the Durban-based outfit would find themselves short of options in the scrumhalf position with the inaugural Super 15 looming.
Source: sport24.co.za
Springbok centre Jean de Villiers has been signed by Western Province and Stormers and will be available for the Currie Cup this year already.
De Villiers spent the past year with the Irish outfit Munster but has decided to return to South Africa with the intention of securing a place in the Springbok squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The announcement was made by WP’s Senior Professional Coach Rassie Erasmus and MD of WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd Rob Wagner at the High Performance Centre in Bellville.
The other big scoop for the union was the acquisition of prop CJ van der Linde who has just returned to South Africa after a two-year stint in Ireland with Leinster.
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The Bulls’ victory in the Super 14 final in Soweto not only broke down all boundaries by becoming the biggest rugby game ever to take place in a township, but it broke all television records as well.
Figures released on Thursday by BMI Sport Info, South Africa’s leading independent sport and sponsorship Research Company, show that rugby made significant inroads into the black population, with black viewers accounting for almost 30 percent of the total viewing audience.
According to the latest AR viewership figures, a new record viewing audience of 2.9 million South Africans of 16 years and older watched the final between the Bulls and Stormers at Orlando Stadium on television this weekend.
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Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has named one change to his 22-man squad for Saturday’s Super 14 final against the Bulls at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Prop JC Kritzinger has been included on the bench at the expense of the Argentine-born Eusebio Guinazu. The 23-year-old Kritzinger made his debut for the WP Currie Cup team against the Bulls in 2008, and now he’s set to play in his first Super 14 final, also against the Bulls.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said it was always on the cards to recall Kritzinger to the match-day squad once he overcame a calf injury which sidelined him for the last four matches.
“JC came through a fitness test on Tuesday, so we’re pleased to be able to use him for the final,” said Coetzee.
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Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made only one change to his starting lineup to face the Stormers in the Super 14 final at Orlando Stadium.
Gerhard van den Heever, who has served his suspension for a dangerous tackle, returns on the wing in place of veteran Jaco van der Westhuyzen who drops to the bench in place of Stephan Dippenaar.
Ludeke has again decided to go with a 5-2 bench in stead of the traditional four forwards and three backs. This is made possible by the versatility of the backs where Jacques-Louis Potgieter can cover at flyhalf and centre and Van der Westhuyzen is at home at flyhalf, wing and fullback. Francois Hougaard will take over at scrumhalf if the need arises.
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The Wallaby coach Robbie Deans reckons the Bulls made a mistake by resting their top players last week.
That is one of the reasons why Deans, who won five Super rugby titles as coach of the Crusaders, believes the New Zealand side will beat the champions in this coming weekend’s Super 14 semifinal at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Deans believes that the Crusaders, who are now coached by Todd Blackadder, will also benefit from the Bulls’ move from Loftus Versfeld to the unknown Orlando Stadium.
He also has a sound reason for arguing that the Bulls erred with their decision.
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Team: P PD P
1. Vodacom Bulls – 12 119 47
2. Waratahs – 13 97 43
3. Crusaders – 13 93 41
4. Vodacom Stormers – 12 166 39
The Waratahs beat the Hurricanes 32-16 after leading 18-9 at halftime to secure their semi-final spot in the Super 14. The Crusaders also sent out a warning to fellow semi-finalists by comprehensively beating the Brumbies 40-22 in Christchurch on Friday
The Waratahs scored four tries through fullback Kurtley Beale (2) and wing Drew Mitchell (2). Flyhalf Berrick Barnes landed three conversions and two penalties.
The Hurricanes replied with a try by replacement wing David Smith. Scrumhalf Piri Weepu kicked a conversion and three penalties.
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Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki has payed the highest price for his blunder against the Sharks last week by being left out of the squad for Saturday’s game against the Bulls.
The Stormers wing produced an elementary error when he failed to pick up a ball that had been kicked into the Stormers’ ingoal area by Sharks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar, who came through and pounced on it to score the Durban team’s second try in their upset Super 14 win over the more favoured side.
The score came at a critical time as the outplayed Stormers had done well to limit the Sharks to a lead of just 7-0 up to that point. As a result of the “gift” try, the Sharks had a comfortable buffer at half-time and on a night where their own defensive game was outstanding, John Smit’s men just left the Stormers with too much to do in the second half.
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The return of Bryan Habana and Wicus Blaauw to the training camp of the Stormers should lift their spirits after the defeat to the Sharks over the weekend.
The Stormers defeat started in the scrums, where they were dominated by the Sharks front-row of Beast Mtawarira, John Smit and Jannie du Plessis, and the return of Blaauw after an absence of a month and a half should go a significant way towards recovering the destructive edge that has been missing from the set-piece since then.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee did not say whether Blaauw would start against the Bulls, but he made it clear on Monday at a press gathering in Bellville that Blaauw would be involved in the final league match.
“Wicus is over his injury and he has been missed during his absence so we will definitely involve him in the match against the Bulls,” said Coetzee.
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