Jaque Fourie appealed his suspension of four weeks for a dangerous spear tackle on Ma’a Nonu that happened in the Tri-Nations encounter between the All Blacks and the Springboks last weekend and the SANZAR Appeals Committee comprising of Terry Willis (Australia, Chairman), Bruce Squire QC (NZ) and Jannie Lubbe SC (South Africa) convened to discuss the matter.

The Committee, after hearing submissions from Aaron Lloyd, Counsel for the player, and reviewing all the available evidence, upheld the decision that the tackle in question was a lifting tackle and in breach of IRB Law 10.4 (i).

While upholding the decision as to the breach, the Committee found that in all the circumstances the penalty was inappropriate and amended the sanction so that the player was suspended from 14 September up to and including 3 October 2009.

Fourie will be unavailable for two Absa Currie Cup matches, on 26 September and 3 October.

Source: sarugby.co.za

Pic: zimbio.com

The Springboks arrived in Johannesburg on Monday to a thunderous welcome from adoring fans, including South African President Jacob Zuma. While hundreds of fans gave the Boks a noisy welcome, it was the message of Zuma that carried the most weight.

Having won the Tri-Nations title for the first time since 2004 - to go along with the whitewash of the All Blacks, World Cup, a B&I Lions series victory, the Mandela Challenge Plate (for a 2-1 series win against Australia) and the Freedom Cup (beating the All Blacks 3-0) - Zuma told Smit and his men they did the country proud.

Before speaking, Zuma was presented with a team blazer. He removed his own jacket and put it on.

Smit also presented him with a number three jersey - the captain’s number.

“They make us proud… those countries that come to play them think twice before any game,” Zuma said, proudly wearing his Springbok blazer.

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It’s been 2004 since the Springboks won their last Tri-Nations, but they came out top in Hamilton where they beat the All Blacks 32-29 on Saturday and were crowned 2009 Tri-Nations champions.

Fullback Francois Steyn kicked three prodigious first-half penalties - from 63, 59 and 52 metres - to lift his team to a 22-12 lead at halftime.

Flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked the conversion of a first-half try by scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and added two penalties and dropped goal as the Springboks deprived the All Blacks of the Tri-Nations title they had held for the past four years.

Scorers:
New Zealand - Tries: Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ritchie McCaw. Conversions: Daniel Carter (2). Penalties: Carter (5).
South Africa - Tries: Fourie Du Preez, Jean De Villiers . Conversions: Morne Styen (2). Penalties: Francois Steyn (3), M. Steyn (2). Drop Goal: M. Steyn.

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: sarugby.co.za

The Springboks could not seal the deal and win the Tri-Nations on Saturday against the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Boks lost 21 - 6.

Although the Boks might have quibbles over the refereeing of Englishman Wayne Barnes they cannot argue that they were well beaten by a quicker, fitter more focussed Wallaby side.

After a week in which they were lambasted by their media George Smith’s re-jigged combination turned up determined to match the Springboks’ physicality and succeeded admirably as they scored the only two tries of the match and kept the Sprinboks scoreless in the second half.

All the changes made by Robbie Deans — especially Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker, David Pocock on the flank and Berrick Barnes at inside centre — worked a treat as the Wallabies gave their Kiwi coach, who celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday, the perfect present.

For the Springboks it was a case of the chickens coming home to roost as the pessimists, who had cautioned against the unrestrained acclaim being heaped on John Smith’s team, received plenty of justification.

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Springbok centre Jean de Villiers‘ international career will be terminated after this year’s Tri-Nations tournament when he joins Munster in Ireland.

The Springbok inside centre was in sparkling form when South Africa opened the overseas leg of their Tri-Nations account with a five point, 32-25 win over Australia in Perth last week.

Bryan Habana praised the No.12’s performance for the first of his two tries, saying pressure from De Villiers on Australia’s defence from an up and under kick by scrumhalf Fourie du Preez had enabled him to snatch a loose ball and race through to score.

There has, however, been some conjecture over whether De Villiers would join Munster immediately after the Tri-Nations or at the end of the Currie Cup season.

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The Springboks had to make two changes due to injury to their match 22 to face the Wallabies in their Tri-Nations encounter at the Suncorpe Stadium in Brisbane this Saturday.

Coach Peter de Villiers announced today that Sharks wing Odwa Ndungane will take the place of his provincial team mate JP Pietersen in the starting line-up, whilst Vodacom Blue Bulls lock Danie Rossouw makes a return to the bench in the place of Vodacom Western Province’s Andries Bekker.

Both Pietersen (hamstring) and Bekker (shoulder) have returned to South Africa after sustaining injuries in the 32-25 win at the Subiaco Oval in Perth last week.

De Villiers also confirmed that concerns over minor ailments to Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana had eased and that both players would be ready to fill their places on Saturday. Botha was rested from practice on Tuesday but Habana took part in the session.

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After the departure of JP Pietersen and Andries Bekker from the Springbok camp due to injury, came the news that Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw and Bryan Habana are also battling injuries.

The trio of Bulls stars are busy working with doctor Craig Roberts on their rehabilitation, with Botha carrying a knee injury, Habana having a groin niggle and Rossouw working on his conditioning following a mild hamstring strain he suffered before coming to Australia.

But with coach Peter de Villiers needing to find replacements for Pietersen and Bekker in the match-day 22 for Saturday’s test in Brisbane, there is some trepidation in the camp.

“The Bakkies injury is more of a worry than anything else, especially since Danie is fit but hasn’t played for a while. We haven’t used him a lot and we’ll have to see whether he can be an 80-minute player,” De Villiers said on Monday.

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Springbok captain John Smit praised his team for a “job well done” after their 32-25 victory over the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday, which strengthened their grip on the 2009 Tri-Nations trophy.

Outscoring the Australians by four tries to three, despite having been branded as boring by their Australasian rivals in recent weeks, South Africa have taken a near unassailable lead in the competition.

With two more games - against the Aussies in Brisbane next week and New Zealand in Hamilton a week later, two more points will give the Boks their third Tri-Nations title.

But it was the clinical manner in which the Boks dismantled the Wallabies in the first half in Perth, taking a 23-6 lead at the break, that really impressed.

And becoming the first team this year to score a four-try bonus point also sent a strong message to their rivals.

The Bok captain, Smit, said his team got the result they wanted - five points on the standings from the game.

“We shortened our week [arriving in Perth in two shifts, on Monday and Tuesday] and we were fresh. We saw the energy in the first 50 [minutes],” Smit said in his post-match reaction.

He admitted that the Boks got into a bit of a “defensive mode” in the last 30.

“The one thing about the Aussies, they just keep coming for the 80 minutes, no matter what,” the Bok skipper added.

Asked about being the first team this year to score four tries in a Tri-Nations game, Smit said it was all part of the plan.

“We said all along that we will do whatever we need to win and tonight was a bit of running and a few tries and it did the job,” the Bok captain said.

He admitted that they were happy with their defensive effort, for most part, despite conceding two late tries - in the 75th and 79th minutes - to give the Aussies a bonus point.

“We spoke about it [defence] at half-time, about getting another half-a-metre, just getting on the referee’s good side.

“There was a lot of penetration coming and we just needed to stay organised,” he said.

He admitted that Bryan Habana’s 52nd minute try was the killer blow.

“Half-time [leading 23-6] there was big talk about putting just one more nail in just after the break and the boys listened for a change,” Smit added.

(via: Rugby 365)

The Springbok coach Peter de Villiers have named two changes to the Springbok team to face the Wallabies this Saturday in Perth in the Nelson Mandela Trophy / Tri-Nations encounter.

As expected Pienaar moves from the bench, where he started the previous Test against Australia at Newlands on August 8, to fullback in the place of Frans Steyn, who is amongst the replacements.

The other change sees Schalk Burger returning to the bench in the place of Danie Rossouw, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez will earn his 50th Test cap for South Africa on Saturday.

The decision to bring Pienaar into the side at the expense of Steyn in the No.15 jersey will be questioned by some and applauded by others.

The 24-year-old Pienaar has only started at fullback for the Boks twice before - against Tonga at the 2007 World Cup and Wales on the year-end tour in 2007.

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The Wallabies‘ Tri-Nations aspirations have been dealt a serious blow with both Nathan Sharpe and Berrick Barnes having been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with the Springboks.

Sharpe has failed to overcome a shoulder injury sustained in the loss to New Zealand last Saturday, while Barnes is still suffering concussion after taking a heavy knock in the one-point loss.

Bottom of the Tri-Nations table after three losses, the Wallabies’ odds of upsetting the Springboks have lengthened considerably following the loss of two key players.

Sharpe is regarded as one of the world’s best line-out exponents, while Barnes’ kicking game and composure in the midfield will be sorely missed.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is yet to make an announcement on replacements.

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