The Springboks might lose a few games next year in the run up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup, because the best team may not always be selected.

Experts at a media workshop in Johannesburg agreed that a number of standout players will have to be carefully managed in the next two years.

Springbok fitness and conditioning coach Neels Liebel and sports scientist Tim Noakes said this would be vital to ensure top players were are fit and in peak condition for the World Cup in New Zealand September 9 in 2011.

Noakes showed a series of graphs on how players used excessively in a season tended to either get injured or under-perform the following year.

Liebel agreed senior players like Victor Matfield, 32, Bakkies Botha, 30, and John Smit, 31, should still be available for the 2011 World Cup - but on condition that they were properly managed.

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The South African Rugby Union have entered their bid in Dublin on Thursday to host the Rugby World Cup in 2015 or 2019.

SARU president, Mr Oregan Hoskins, announced at a media conference in Johannesburg that positive discussions with Government had seen the last brick fall into place.

The Government has been very supportive and they have provided the financial backing to allow us to complete what we believe is a compelling case to bring the Rugby World Cup back home, said Mr Hoskins. South Africa in this day and age is set up to host the very biggest global sporting events and we believe we would offer Rugby an unrivalled showcase for the game.

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The match schedule for the Rugby World Cup 2011 was announced on Thursday with thirteen venues across New Zealand chosen.

Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 CEO Martin Snedden confirmed the Tournament will kick off at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday 9 September 2011 when New Zealand will play Tonga.

Auckland (Eden Park), Wellington and Christchurch have been allocated five pool matches each while North Shore, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Dunedin will each host three matches. Whangarei, Nelson, Palmerston North, Napier and Invercargill will host two matches.

“Our philosophy all along has been a Stadium of Four Million. We believe today’s announcement, building on the knock-out decisions announced last year, takes us further towards the fulfillment of that promise” said Mr Snedden.

“RNZ has worked very closely with Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) over the past few months to bring this to a reality. Our collective view is that the Match Schedule represents the best balance between ensuring a successful Tournament in New Zealand while also recognising its global standing”.

The quarter-final match-ups were also confirmed, with the top two teams in Pool A (featuring currently qualified teams New Zealand, France and Tonga) and Pool B (featuring Argentina, England and Scotland) playing off in Christchurch. Wellington will host quarter-finals featuring the winners and runners-up from Pool C (featuring Australia, Ireland and Italy) and Pool D (featuring South Africa, Wales and Fiji).

In addition, the dates for the final weekend, which coincides with Labour Day, were also confirmed with the Bronze Final to take place on Friday October 21 at Eden Park, followed by the Final on Sunday October 23 at the same venue.

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The South African Rugby Union’s bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup in South Africa got a major boost following meetings with the government on Tuesday.

A joint delegation from SARU and the International Rugby Board (IRB) met sports minister Mr Makhenkesi Stofile and deputy minister Mr Gert Oosthuizen in Cape Town as part of an information-sharing session. The IRB delegation included president Mr Bernard Lapasset and chief executive Mike Miller. SARU were represented by president Mr Oregan Hoskins, Mr Mark Alexander (deputy president) and Mr Rautie Rautenbach (vice president).

SARU is bidding to host either the 2015 or the 2019 Rugby World Cups and is seeking government support for the bid. Interested unions will make their presentations to the IRB in May and a decision on the hosting nations for both tournaments will be announced on July 28, 2009.

“We were delighted with the meeting and very pleased with the government’s expression of support for the South African Rugby union’s bid,” said Mr Lapasset. “A tournament of this size – the third-largest sporting event in the world – is not possible without a close partnership between the government and the rugby union and we were impressed with the enthusiasm and the support the government offered.”

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Springbok and Sharks star Francois Steyn could be lost to South African rugby within a couple of months.

According to a report in Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag, Steyn has emerged as the major target of French club Racing Metro on their trip to South Africa next month and has been offered “one of the biggest contracts ever in rugby history” to make the move to France.

Steyn has apparently not signed anything yet, but according to Sondag’s information he is the only Springbok who is still looking overseas after the recent contract offers from SA Rugby.

SA Rugby’s player of the year Jean de Villiers, has reportedly said no to a massive offer of almost R4 million per season from Irish province Munster. Steyn’s contract offer is said to be in the region of R4.5 million per season.

SA Rugby yesterday announced the names of 19 players who signed contracts, but confirmed that CJ van der Linde has not signed a contract by the deadline on Saturday.

Steyn’s agent Gerrie Swart meanwhile admitted the young utility back has been approached about the contract.

“He hasn’t signed anything yet and will look at the offer with the same careful consideration and the knowledge of both SA Rugby and the Sharks. Frans needs to discuss the offer in his own time with his family and must then take a decision that will have all the implications considered,” Swart said.

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Australia ended their end of year UK tour with a victory over the Barbarians. The Aussies won 18 - 11 at Wembley Stadium in an very exciting and action packed game.

“The Wallabies, with England referee Chris White seemingly in the festive season spirit already and very generous in his handling of the constant breaches of the law, simply tackled the BaaBaas into submission.

But it was the Australians’ greater enthusiasm and willingness to push the law to its utter limits in both defence and at the breakdown, that won them the day.

The victory was sealed only two minutes from time, by replacement Lachie Turner’s breakaway try after South Africa’s Francois Steyn, who also missed a number of goal-kicks, turned the ball over yet again.

The result meant Australia had won four of their six tour matches - also beating Italy, England and France, but losing to New Zealand, in Hong Kong, and Wales last weekend in Cardiff.

Australia took the Rugby Union gold medal in 1908 with a 32-3 victory over Great Britain, represented by the south-west English county of Cornwall.

The Barbarians, in honour of that match, all wore yellow Cornwall socks as they departed from their usual tradition of players wearing their club socks.

BaaBaas try-scorer Jerry Collins, who last year played for Cornish side Barnstaple, even dyed his hair yellow.

The Barbarians were 6-13 behind with just under 30 minutes left when they got back into the game with a superb try.

Australia fullback James O’Connor’s poor kick out of defence gave possession back to the Barbarians and Steyn, playing at flyhalf, threw a long cut-out pass to Welsh wing Shane Williams, the newly-crowned International Rugby Board Player of the Year.

Williams, on as a half-time replacement for Percy Montgomery, sprinted clear down the touchline.

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Vodacom Western Province stumbled and fumbled their way to a 9-3 (halftime 6-0) victory over the Free State Cheetahs in a dreary ABSA Currie Cup match in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.Persistent rain earlier in the day made for waterlogged conditions and sporadic showers during the match only added to the tally of handling errors.

Flyhalf Willem de Waal again carried the load for Western Province, scoring all his team’s points with three successful penalty-kicks. The Cheetahs managed to goal a single penalty in three attempts by flyhalf Chris Rossouw.

The highlight of a tiresome match was the home team’s accurate lineout, as Western Province won 14 of 18 attempts at the set piece. The Cheetahs only claimed six of their 10 lineout throws, thanks in most part to the spoiling work of WP locks Ross Skeate and Adriaan Fondse.

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Bob Skinstad has announced his retirement from all forms of rugby with immediate effect. This means the controversial player will not tour with the Springbok squad that faces Wales and the Barbarians. Skinstad was also linked to possible moves to French club, Perpignan, or returning to the Stormers, where he made a massive impact during the late 1990’s. Skinstad played a minimal role at the World Cup, only starting the game against Tonga and he sat on the benchfor the semi-final against Argentina.

All the speculation has come to an end, it is official. Jake White has resigned as the Springbok coach and the end of year tour to Wales will be his last as coach. The game against the Barbarians on the 1st of December will be his last game in charge.

At a news conference in Cape Town White thanked the players and staff that he has been involved with over the last 4 years and he said that his time in charge has been ‘a wonderfull honour’.

White has been unhappy with the way SARU handled the situation surrounding the coaching position and at the press conference he again stated that his contract contains a clause that stipulates that SARU was supposed to talk to him first before any applications was considered. White went on to say that “I walk away with no regrets, but plenty of sadness.”

South Africa have been crowned rugby world champions after they convincingly beat England 15-6 in a tense and hard foughts Final at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday.

It’s an unbelievable experience. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” coach Jake White said. “To see the president of our country (Thabo Mbeki) sitting on the players’ shoulders holding the World Cup, it doesn’t get much better than that.

“It’s a massive thing for our country, it doesn’t get bigger than that in the context of where we come from.”

England had the better of territory and possession, but South Africa took their scoring chances and got points when it mattered.

Steyn’s 62nd-minute penalty gave the Springboks a nine-point cushion and they relied on their obdurate defence to see them home.

“I always said defences win World Cups,” added White.

“It’s amazing how history repeats itself. There were no tries in 1995, two tries in the 2003 final and no tries here.

“It just shows important defence is. All credit to my Springboks.

“We were defending so well and we never really felt that they were asking questions of our line.

“When we were two scores ahead and we turned their line-out over, we knew they would have to chase it. We slowed the game down and we have learned that over the past four years.”

White paid tribute to a valiant effort by England, who failed in their bid to keep hold of their crown.

“I think it would be wrong not to compliment England,” he added.

People wrote them off. People talk about pride, passion and teamwork, and they have proved they will not go out without a fight.

“They gave everything they had, but winning back-to-back World Cups is always difficult.”

Captain John Smit poured lavish praise on full-back Montgomery, who was flawless with the boot tonight in kicking four from four.

He also showed a superb positional sense and played the last section of the match injured after being shoved into an off-field camera by England replacement Toby Flood.

“Percy deserves the most accolades out of the group,” said Smit.

“He is the most-capped player in the history of South African rugby and he has copped a lot of criticism.

“But he is the perfect example of a professional. You can’t fault him for the fact that he is brave, he took high balls, kicked the penalties right over and shoulder-charged a camera.

“It must be horrible for the people who have ridiculed him for his looks, his hair and his highlights - they must be disappointed he has won the World Cup for us.”

Smit added: “Twelve years ago, I sat watching the final at Ellis Park and wondered whether it was possible to do it again. Dreams come true.

“I can’t put it into words what it feels like. It’s something that has taken four years and many experiences.

“We have carried the hopes of a nation on our shoulders and now we are taking the trophy back.

“Jake’s words four years ago were that we were going to win the World Cup. He is not a liar.

“We have lost a lot of sleep over the last seven weeks over that little cup.

“The guys said it was hard to get it off me after the match - I said to them I wanted to hold on to it for the rest of my life.”

Moment of the Match: The telling moment was Danie Rossouw’s desperate dive that did just enough to keep Mark Cueto from scoring a try which may well have won the World Cup.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Pens: Montgomery 4, Steyn

For England:
Pen: Wilkinson 2

South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Johannes Muller, 19 Wikus van Heerden, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 André Pretorius, 22 Wynand Olivier.

England: 15 Jason Robinson, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Mike Catt, 11 Mark Cueto , 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Andy Gomarsall, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Lewis Moody, 6 Martin Corry, 5 Ben Kay, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery (c), 2 Mark Regan, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 George Chuter, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Lawrence Dallaglio, 19 Joe Worsley, 20 Peter Richards, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Dan Hipkiss.

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Television match official: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

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