While there was an expectation that some players may have been rested for the Boks’ final game, De Villiers resisted tinkering with the team, and was keen to ensure the momentum was kept from the victory at Loftus Versfeld last week.

Two players who went for scans necessitated the move, with Butch James ruled out of action after popping his shoulder while Flip van der Merwe’s neck strain was sufficient enough to let Danie Rossouw back into the starting line-up for the weekend’s game.

De Villiers was consistent in the Van der Merwe move as he started Flip two weeks ago against the All Blacks when Rossouw had a niggling injury.

Van der Merwe has been given extra time to rest, but has been cleared for the game.

“Butch will not be part of the Tri-Nations any further. He popped his shoulder and has been ruled out. The other guys have been cleared and will be part of the squad.”

De Villiers told SuperSport.com afterwards that James will head to Pretoria next week to consult a specialist, where the extent of the injury will be ascertained. Until then he didn’t want to make a guess on how long James would be out.

Gio Aplon comes in on the bench in James’s place which leaves Francois Steyn to cover flyhalf in case Morne Steyn gets injured this weekend.

Aplon joins Stormers teammates Juan de Jongh and Ricky Januarie on the bench.

De Villiers admitted the injury to Van der Merwe was a factor in the selection of Rossouw, but was thankful he could call on both players.

“That is one of the challenges of being a coach. You have to give and take to have the right players for your game plan. But what a privilege it is to have two players of this caliber at your disposal,” De Villiers said.

The team is:

Francois Steyn; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw; Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp
Reserves:Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Juan de Jongh, Gio Aplon.

Source: supersport.co.za

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Butch James, Juan de Jongh.

Australia: Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Salesi Ma’afu, Saia Faingaa, Benn Robinson.

Reserves: Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Ben McCalman, Scott Higginbotham, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Anthony Faingaa.

Those are the only changes to the starting line-up of the side that lost to the All Blacks at FNB Stadium last weekend.

On the bench Wynand Olivier makes way for De Jongh while Ryan Kankowski has been brought in as a replacement to add more pace to the pack. He replaces Francois Louw who is also no longer in the match-22.

Springbok team: Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp.

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Butch James, Juan de Jongh.

Source + Pic: timeslive.co.za

The operation, set to be performed on Tuesday afternoon, means Brüssow will be unavailable for selection for the Springbok tour to Europe in November.

Brüssow was assessed during the recent Springbok training camp in Johannesburg and it has been agreed that a second operation is needed in order to ensure that he is 100% fit and available for the 2011 season, which includes the Rugby World Cup.

Brüssow had surgery earlier this year after sustaining a severe knee injury in a Vodacom Super 14 match. The player ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, tore both the lateral and medial meniscus,and tore the Medial Collateral Ligament and medial capsule.

Surgery on the major structures of the knee was successful but Springbok and Cheetahs medical staff have agreed that a follow-up operation is required to guarantee Brüssow’s long-term recovery, and to prevent further risk to damaging the successfully reconstructed cruciate ligament.

Source: supersport.co.za

The surgery means Carter will be unavailable for the All Blacks final Tri-Nations match against Australia in Sydney on 11 September.

All Blacks doctor Deb Robinson said Carter had been troubled by niggling pain in his right ankle throughout the year but had still managed to play rugby to his typical high standard.

“However, it’s reached the point now where it is restricting his ankle flexibility and, in turn, affecting his calf muscle strength, so now is the right time to have surgery,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the surgery, which will take place in Christchurch on Tuesday, would involve removing loose material from the joint at the back of his ankle.  A bone spur would also be removed from the front of his ankle.

Carter said he was remaining positive about the need for surgery and the resulting layoff from the game.

“Given that movement in my foot is being affected, it’s obviously in my best interests to have the surgery now.  I’ve been in this situation before and understand what is involved so will get through the surgery and rehab and then look forward to getting back into rugby,” he said.

Robinson said Carter would initially be in a cast to allow the ankle joint to settle before he could resume training, with a recovery period of up to eight weeks required.

All Black coach Graham Henry said:  “Dan is the ultimate rugby professional when it comes to injury rehabilitation and, with the help of the All Blacks medical staff, he will be getting the best treatment possible and we look forward to his return to the game.”

Henry said if the rehabilitation timeframe went to plan Carter would be available for selection for the All Blacks end of year tour to Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

“Looking ahead to the Sydney Test, the selectors will look at a replacement player for Dan so we will be watching a bit of the NPC over the next two weekends and confirm the player in due course,” Henry added.

Source + Pic: rugby365.com

The Kiwis only needed a bonus point to make sure of their title, and they would have felt they had made sure of that when skipper Richie McCaw went in for a try on the corner flag with two and a half minutes remaining. Dan Carter missed the angled conversion to leave the teams level pegging, but at that stage it looked like the All Blacks were at least certain of the one point they needed.

Anyone who thought though that the Kiwis would be content to play safely in the final seconds to make sure of the draw was mistaken. Instead of kicking the ball back into Bok territory they did what they had done for most of the match, they probed for an opening — and it came.

Big Ma’a Nonu was the man who surged through the gap, and with Dagg at his side the All Blacks had a two on one situation — and the solitary Bok defender in their way was the diminutive Gio Aplon. It was an easy try, celebrated in spectacular style by an All Black team that showed in this match that in addition to their great skills, they also have massive ticker.

To come back like they did at this venue and in front of a 90 000 mostly Bok supporting fans was a magnificent achievement and it underlined that this All Black side has championship qualities. That they made it difficult for themselves by making mistakes in the face of the Bok defensive onslaught should only make the taste of victory that much sweeter for McCaw’s men.

New Zealand scored three tries to one, and though the winning score came late, the try tally did just about sum up the All Black advantage over the 80 minutes.

SMIT 100

That is not to say though that the Boks were not a huge improvement on what they had been in New Zealand and Australia. As you would anticipate in a home match and on the occasion of skipper John Smit’s 100th match, the pride in the jersey and the passion that was questioned on the overseas leg was very much back.

Unfortunately that is not enough at this level, and while the Boks will feel they came so close, the reality is that had Carter not had an uncharacteristically off-night with his goalkicking, the All Blacks would not have needed to rely on a last gasp try. One of Carter’s kicks was from almost dead in front when his team trailed 22-17 with six minutes to go.

Schalk Burger was immense as he strove to prevent McCaw from stamping his mark on the match as he had overseas, and for the most part he succeeded. Juan Smith also showed how much he has been missed, while Pierre Spies is always a much better player on the Highveld, particularly when he is operating behind a pack that is relatively stable.

Perhaps the biggest revelation for the Boks though was Francois Hougaard. The young Bull has been mentored by Fourie du Preez, and at times you needed to shake yourself to be sure that it was Hougaard on the field and not the senior player.

His high kicks and his little snipes around the breaks were a huge improvement on what the Boks had in that position in New Zealand, and perhaps it was questionable that the coaches should bring Ricky Januarie on for those fateful final minutes.

But it was not Januarie who lost the game for the Boks, or even Bryan Habana, who came off his line again to allow McCaw in for the second try, but rather their inferior fitness. From about 25 minutes out from the final hooter it was clear several Boks were out on their feet, and you got the impression that had this match had another 10 minutes to run, the Kiwis would have won by 20.

PHYSICAL BOKS

For long periods of the first half though it seemed that the All Blacks might pay for what appeared to be the folly of running too much ball back at the Boks instead of kicking it. At altitude the ball just travels so much higher and further from the boot, and the All Blacks just weren’t able to get as much distance from running it.

With the Boks so much more physical at the breakdown and making the first time tackles they missed in Australasia, it looked like the All Blacks were committing suicide. Indeed, even though the All Blacks scored a try on the break to bring them back to two points behind, the view at half-time was that the match had been reminiscent of what we saw in last year’s Tri-Nations, when the All Blacks were severely punished for their ball in hand approach.

The All Blacks drew first blood through a penalty in the first five minutes, but two Steyn penalties took the Boks into the lead and they were not headed again until on the final hooter. Although Carter drew the All Blacks back with another kick of his own, he also hit the post from near halfway.

It was in the middle stages of the first half that the All Blacks, determined to avoid contact whenever possible, signalled that it might be a long afternoon for the Boks, and only determined defence repelled the visitors. Yet it was the Boks who scored the first try, which came thanks to some quick thinking which saw them take a tap penalty instead of kicking for goal and Burger dotted down as his team surged over the line in the 25th minute.

The All Blacks struck back just short of half-time with a try that took a long time in coming given the threat they appeared to mount when they did have ball in hand and were able to spread the play.

It was sparked by Joe Rocokoco running the ball back after Mils Muliaina had failed to hold onto a kick, with Brad Thorne making the all important surge through the Bok defence before the play was spread to the right with the Boks having run out of defenders.

The Boks led 16-14 at the break, the first time in a long while that the All Blacks have been headed at the halfway point. But sadly for the hosts they had 75 minutes of defence in them, and not the necessary 80.

Scorers:

South Africa - Try: Schalk Burger. Conversion: Morne Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (5).
New Zealand – Tries: Tony Woodcock, Richie McCaw, Israel Dagg. Conversion: Dan Carter. Penalties: Carter (4).

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: sport24.co.za

Castle Lager, an associate sponsor of the South African rugby team, will ensure that all spectators aged 18 years and older are able to enjoy a free round of beer to toast with John Smit after the game during his post-match interview.

Entering the stadium, spectators 18 years and older will be issued with a voucher that they will be able to redeem from the moment John Smit takes the field.

“Our main objective here is to bring the nation together to celebrate John Smit and his commitment to the game. We also want to encourage everyone who will be watching at home to join in the celebration and be part of this amazing experience as we prove to the world that South Africa is a united nation,” says Alastair Hewitt, General Manger Castle Lager.

Celebrating Smit’s century match follows Castle Lager’s continued support and commitment to bringing the nation together through sport.

This is not the first time that Castle Lager has celebrated the achievements of a local sports hero. In the recent past, the brand bought a round of beer for cricket spectators in celebration of Protea, Makhaya Ntini’s 100th Test match, as well as hailed Bafana captain, Aaron Mokoena for achieving his 100th cap.

“Castle Lager has been behind South African sport for more than 100 years. We want to continue showing our commitment by celebrating major achievements of players with the rest of the nation,” says Hewitt,

Castle Lager is SAB’s flagship brand and in addition to its association with the Springboks; sponsors Bafana Bafana and the South African Test Cricket team.

Source: sport24.co.za

The day, already steeped in history, will now also be marked with a record attempt to get the most flags flying in a single stadium in the first test match to be played in Soweto.

An expected 92 000 fans are expected to descend on the stadium, where the recent FIFA World Cup football final was held, to make it one of the biggest rugby crowds in South Africa’s history.

The game was a sell-out within hours and will also mark a unique milestone in Springbok captain John Smit’s career as he runs out to celebrate his 100th Test cap for the World Champions. Ironically his adversary, Richie McCaw will lead out the All Blacks for a record equalling 51st time – putting him on par with All Black legend Sean Fitzpatrick.

The world record attempt is set to happen at the half-time break of the game, where fans will be asked to wave their South African national flags in unison – an event which will be recorded and sent for verification as a World record.

The attempt, which was started by the Keep Flyin initiative, and has been partnered by competition sponsors Vodacom and the Lead SA campaign, is part of the campaign to continue the massive wave of patriotism that emerged during the Football World Cup.

According to the organisers, the day will start with a 20 metre flag being released into the crowd before the game, and the world record attempt will be at half-time. Spectators have been asked to bring along South African national flags to fly on the day.

“This is truly a historic day in the sporting history of our nation,” Enzo Scarcella, marketing executive, Vodacom said.

“Whenever these two great teams play against each other, there is a sense of occasion, a massive test match that the rest of the world stops to take notice.

“We want to make the day extra special. This test is extra special – while it will have all the drama and intrigue of a magnificent rugby battle, it is also a test match with many firsts.

Scarcella said the Guinness Book of Records attempt would enhance the already massive Vodacom Tri-Nations event.

“Just over a month ago we showed the world what a vibrant, amazing nation we are and how we can achieve the impossible, by working together,” Scarcella explained.

“We wanted to continue that momentum, let the world take notice again of the spirit of South Africa and mark the day as another exceptional one in our sporting tapestry. There could have been no better hallmarks than through the passion and commitment of our Player 23’s.”

The day will also mark another first – the Vodacom Fan Cam – a 360 degree HD image that will photograph the entire stadium and every spectator in it. The concept was recently trialled by SuperSport at the Super 14 final with much success.

Source: supersport.co.za

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

Thus far though, the All Blacks are on top of the tournament log after two wins against the World Champion Springboks. Online gambling fans are having a hard time picking their teams this year considering the All Blacks’ performance so far and the fact that the Springboks are the 2009 Tri-Nations Champions.

The All Blacks are aiming to be the undisputed no. 1 team in the world and this goal seems to be well within reach under head coach Graham Henry. The New Zealanders have taken their level of play to a new level and they have shown great rhythm in the first two Tri-Nations against the Springboks.

Although the All Blacks are no.1 team on the IRB World Rankings, one cannot help wonder if the All Blacks have indeed stepped up their level of play or rather if the Springboks have performed poorly.

Two wins on home soil over the Sprinboks might not be everything, but it certainly is a step up to last year’s Tri Nations, when they lost all three games against the South Africans.

In the meantime, South Africa is ranked second in the IRB rankings and desperately trying to improve their discipline in order to maintain this position.
The yellow cards received by the Springbok players in games against the All Blacks could be the main reasons for their defeats. This is why Victor Matfield said that the player who receives a yellow card in the game against Australia should be penalized, which could certainly be seen as a sign of desperation.

However, I think it’s too early to create so much expectation. Let’s wait to see how the things go for these two teams during the rest of this tournament, and if South Africa can fight for its 4th title in this competition.