Super Rugby News
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@stargazer thats disappointing...I have the Jaguares to win by less haha
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Probably the best 40 mins I've ever seen the Jaguares play.
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After missing the gutsy 27-21 victory over the Blues in Auckland two Fridays back, lock Brodie Retallick (poke in the eye at training) and first five-eighth/fullback back Marty McKenzie (concussion) are both fit to face the Bulls in Hamilton on Friday night, but that's the only good news coach Colin Cooper had to report pre-training on Monday afternoon.
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Thwaites played for the Chiefs Dev team but I know little about him. He did start for BOP last year.
Based on who is available Ross and Ta'avao will start with Tu'inukuafe and Thwaites on the bench. SA teams are always a good test in the scrum so Hoeft will be working hard this week.
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The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd is close to bankruptcy and struggling to repay the Blue Bulls Rugby Union after receiving unauthorised loans worth millions.
According to Rapport newspaper, BBRU president Gert Wessels allegedly made several unauthorised loan transfers from the union’s funds to the company, but the payments are in arrears. The company is close to being declared bankrupt and is surviving on more loans and favours.
An initial loan worth R8.43-million from the union to the BBC was supposed to be paid off by February 2017 but the company has failed to do so. Despite the non-payment, the union’s CEO Eugene Hare approved another unauthorised loan of R5-million to the BBC, while also signing as a surety for R7.5-million of the company’s other outstanding debt.
The unions’ clubs have now tabled a motion of no confidence in Wessels, stating that he recklessly acted outside his mandate and ruined the union financially.
‘We are of the opinion that he [Wessels] did not put the BBRU’s interests first and we feel he can’t stay on in the position as president,’ said BBRU vice-president Henri van Aswegen.
But according to BBC CEO Barend van Graan, financial difficulty is not exclusive to the Bulls' business arm, but rather the entire South African rugby industry.
‘We are under pressure financially because of the teams’ underachievements, rising costs, low income and dwindling [crowd] attendance. The company will repay these loans as soon as we start making profit again,’ said Van Graan.
After being requested from the BBRU to resign, Wessels reportedly said he’ll only do so if the union nominates him for a position on the SA Rugby executive committee.
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@tim said in Super Rugby News:
After missing the gutsy 27-21 victory over the Blues in Auckland two Fridays back, lock Brodie Retallick (poke in the eye at training) and first five-eighth/fullback back Marty McKenzie (concussion) are both fit to face the Bulls in Hamilton on Friday night, but that's the only good news coach Colin Cooper had to report pre-training on Monday afternoon.
If it was up to me, I'd keep MMac out of the 23 and keep Falcon in. Give the lad as much game time as possible. If they want Dmac to play 80 minutes, they can always move him to fullback (assuming they won't start him there).
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Newshub has a little more detail on the Chiefs' injuries:
Lock Dominic Bird is consulting a specialist and may undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, while All Black Charlie Ngatai remains sidelined for at least another two weeks due to his knee injury.
Test prop Kane Hames, suffering from concussion symptoms, could also miss this week's clash with the Bulls in Hamilton.
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The Chiefs have had by far and away the highest injury toll over the last few years. Surely questions must be asked about how their players are conditioned. It seems that NZ squads are also suffering a hell of a lot more serious injuries than the Aussie and South African teams. I wonder why this is. The argument that our Conference is faster and more brutal dioesn't explain the high toll as it's only been three weeks into the season.
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They had their full contingent on deck on Tuesday, although Dermody confirmed flanker Dan Pryor (hamstring) was unlikely to be fit to play the Crusaders, alongside James Lentjes (shoulder), utility Richard Buckman (neck) and midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen (shoulder).
Flanker Elliot Dixon, who took a head knock at training last week, is still going through the concussion protocol but is on track to return.
