Toyota Cheetahs News

SA President’s XV side for Namibia match selected

2013-05-24

SA Presidentandrsquo;s XV side for Namibia match selected

The SA Presidentandrsquo;s XV will be captained by experienced Leopards lock Brendon Snyman when they face Namibia in Windhoek on Saturday in preparation of next monthandrsquo;s IRB Tblisi Cup in Georgia.

Only one of the 11 Steval Pumas in the squad, outside centre Jerome Pretorius, will start the match against Namibia after it was decided to rest his provincial team-mates, who finished runners up in the Vodacom Cup last weekend.

The SA Presidentandrsquo;s XV left for Windhoek early on Thursday morning. They will have a light training session on Thursday afternoon and a captainandrsquo;s practice on Friday afternoon and will return to South Africa on Sunday.

"The team has worked very hard on the training pitch and the guys are excited to put into practice what weandrsquo;ve worked on in Windhoek this weekend," said SA Presidentandrsquo;s XV coach Jimmy Stonehouse.

"The IRB Tblisi Cup will be a very tough tournament against Test playing nations and a strong Emerging Ireland team, but we canandrsquo;t wait to get going and test ourselves against these international stars."

Meanwhile, Steval Pumas lock Marius Coetzer has been replaced in the squad of 28 by his Mpumalanga team-mate Eduan van der Walt.

Coetzer has been called up to the DHL Stormers squad following a raft of injuries and his place on the plane to Georgia will now go to Van der Walt.

"Making changes to a squad is never ideal, but itandrsquo;s a great opportunity for Marius," said Stonehouse. "Luckily Eduan is very experienced and has slotted in well with the team during our preparations in Cape Town this week."

The SA Presidentandrsquo;s XV against Namibia is: Hoffman Maritz (Leopards), Joe Seerane (Border), Jerome Pretorius (Pumas), Adriaan Engelbrecht (Leopards), Alshaun Bock (SWD), Ricardo Croy (Boland), Inus Kritzinger (Griffons), Zandrandeacute; Jordaan (Boland), Vincent Gwavu (Falcons), Brian Shabangu (Border), Giant Mtyanda (SWD), Brendon Snyman (Leopards, captain), Martin Dreyer (Leopards), Ashton Constant (Boland), Kwezi Mkhafu (Border). Replacements: Frank Hearne (Pumas), Ivan Espag (Pumas), Uzair Cassiem (Pumas), Jaco Bouwer (Pumas), Sinovuyo Nyoka (Border), Carl Bezuidenhout (Pumas), Jacquin Jansen (Boland).

Additional squad members: Renaldo Bothma (Pumas), Ntando Kebe (Boland), Vincent Koch (Pumas), Wilmaure Louw (Pumas), Rosco Speckman (Pumas), Eduan van der Walt (Pumas).

Super Saturday Part II – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 15 Preview

2013-05-23

Super Saturday Part II andndash; Vodacom Super Rugby Round 15 Preview

For only the second time this season all five South African Vodacom Super Rugby franchises will be in action on one day, and with derbies scheduled for Port Elizabeth and Durban, Saturday promises to be super yet again.

All five played on Saturday 13 April (Round 9), and on that occasion the Southern Kings (over the Rebels in Melbourne), the DHL Stormers (over The Sharks in Cape Town) and the Vodacom Bulls (over the Toyota Cheetahs in Pretoria) were victorious.

From a local point of view, Saturdayandrsquo;s "Six Hours of Super" kicks off at 15h00 with the Southern Kingsandrsquo; home match against the Toyota Cheetahs, where the team from Port Elizabeth will be aiming for their first derby victory against the high-flyers from Bloemfontein.

At 17h05, the DHL Stormers are back at home against the 2011 champions, the Reds, where the team from Cape Town will be looking to consign an unsuccessful Australasian tour to history with a solid performance.

And at 19h10, The Sharks host the SA Conference-leading Vodacom Bulls in Durban.

The Vodacom Bullsandrsquo; replacement scrumhalf, Jano Vermaak, will earn his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby cap if he gets game time off the bench. He has played 11 times for the Cats, 62 times for the MTN Lions and 26 times for the team from Pretoria.

Note: The 2013 Vodacom Super Rugby Media Guide (size: 6.7Mb) can be downloaded in PDF-format by clicking here.

For all the South African team announcements, fixtures, results, logs, live score updates, top points and try scorers as well as and match summaries, click here.

Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs

Their third victory almost a fortnight ago over the Highlanders ensured the Southern Kings have the most successful Vodacom Super Rugby debut season (excluding the first season when there were 12 debutants) since the inception of the professional competition in 1996.

The Kings have thus far won three matches and are on 24 log points andndash; the same amount of victories the Rebels had in 2011, but already with four more log points.

In 1998, when South Africa went over to the franchise system, the Cats won two and lost nine matches for 15 log points.

And the Force, who joined the Vodacom Super Rugby fray in 2006, won one, drew two and lost 10 matches for a total of 12 points.

In 1996, by the way, the bottom-finishing Crusaders won only two matches, drew one and lost eight to finish on 12 points. They went on to win the competition seven times.

The Toyota Cheetahs will be aiming for only their seventh away win in their 21st local derby. Earlier this season they beat The Sharks in Durban and if they can win in Port Elizabeth, it will be the first time since 2006 that they have won away from Bloemfontein twice in one season against a fellow South African franchise.

"We see this as a real opportunity, bearing in mind that the Cheetahs are a side that are lying second in the South African conference at the moment and challenging very strongly for a playoff position," said the Kingsandrsquo; Director of Rugby, Alan Solomons.

"I think the important thing is that when you play against a team like the Cheetahs you have to cut your error rate. They will capitalise on the mistakes that you make, so they are certainly a side you have to be careful about and cut your errors.

Solomons added it was also important to remain "defensively sharp" against the Toyota Cheetahs, who can score tries from anywhere on the field.

"Theyandrsquo;re a side that likes to play a tempo game and move the ball about, so I think you have to have your wits about you defensively when you play against them," said Solomons.

The teams are:

Southern Kings: SP Marais, Siyanda Grey, Ronnie Cooke, Andries Strauss, Marcello Sampson, Demetri Catrakilis, Shaun Venter, Cornell du Preez, Luke Watson (captain), Wimpie van der Walt, David Bulbring, Steven Sykes, Kevin Buys, Bandise Maku, Schalk Ferreira. Replacements: Virgile Lacombe, Grant Kemp, Rynier Bernardo, Jacques Engelbrecht, Nicolas Vergallo, Shane Gates, George Whitehead.

Toyota Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Rayno Benjamin, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Willie le Roux, Elgar Watts, Piet van Zyl, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagnandeacute;, Heinrich Branduuml;ssow, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Coenie Oosthuizen. Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Trevor Nyakane, Ligtoring Landman, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Riaan Smit, Raymond Rhule.

Head to head (since 2013)

Southern Kings

Toyota Cheetahs

0

Won

1

1

Lost

0

0

Drawn

0

12

Points for

26

26

Points against

12

0

Tries scored

3

3

Tries conceded

0

12

Average score

26

Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs

Date: Saturday, 25 May

SA Time: 15h00

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)

Television match official: Johann Meuwessen (South Africa)

DHL Stormers v Reds

Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will become the most-experienced skipper in the history of DHL Stormers rugby when he leads out the side for the 53rd time at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, against the Reds.

Only nine players andndash; two of them South African andndash; have more Vodacom Super Rugby captaincy experience than De Villiers.

The two South Africans ahead of De Villiers on the list are Victor Matfield, who captained the Vodacom Bulls 75 times and is second on the overall list, and John Smit, who lead The Sharks out on 67 occasions (joint-fourth overall). Both also captained the Springboks.

De Villiers is currently level on 52 matches as DHL Stormers captain with another former Springbok captain, Cornandeacute; Krige.

Because of an injury to his Springbok midfield-partner Juan de Jongh, De Villiers has been moved to outside centre for this match, with Damian De Allende coming in at inside centre.

"Weandrsquo;ve been hit really hard by injuries, but weandrsquo;re looking forward to (new) players bringing in new energy this weekend," said DHL Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee.

"As a coach you make do with what you have and remain positive about the (next) fixture, but the reality is that weand#39;re currently sitting with 15 players that are unavailable. Having said that, Iandrsquo;m excited about the new players in our team andndash; all of whom have a chance to lay down a marker and all of whom brought plenty of energy and enthusiasm to training this week."

Speaking about facing the Reds, the 2011 Vodacom Super Rugby champions, Coetzee said: "The Reds are a challenging team. They beat us at DHL Newlands two years ago and I expect the same (from them) from a tactical point of view.

"Theyandrsquo;re probably disappointed at losing (to the Cheetahs) last week and theyandrsquo;ll probably be chasing a four-try bonus point. Weandrsquo;re confident in our defence, however, and hopefully we can make our opportunities on attack count."

The teams are:

DHL Stormers: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Jean de Villiers (captain), Damian De Allende, Bryan Habana, Elton Jantjies, Louis Schreuder, Nizaam Carr, Don Armand, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Gerbrandt Grobler, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Martin Bezuidenhout, Chris Heiberg, Marius Coetzer, Rohan Kitshoff, Dewaldt Duvenage, Gary van Aswegen, Gerhard van den Heever.

Reds: TBC

Head to head (since 1998)

DHL Stormers

Reds

9

Won

6

6

Lost

9

0

Drawn

0

368

Points for

352

352

Points against

368

41

Tries scored

38

38

Tries conceded

41

25

Average score

23

DHL Stormers v Reds

Date: Saturday, 25 May

SA Time: 17h05

Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman (South Africa), Marc van Zyl (South Africa)

Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

The Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

The Sharksandrsquo; Springbok flyhalf Pat Lambie needs 17 points to become only the fifth player in South African rugby history to achieve 500 Vodacom Super Rugby points.

Lambie, who has amassed 139 points in his 12 matches for The Sharks this season, will follow in the footsteps of four other Springboks if he can reach the magical mark of 500 points.

His direct opponent on Saturday, the Vodacom Bullsandrsquo; Mornandeacute; Steyn, is the leading South African pointsandrsquo; scorer in Vodacom Super Rugby on 1,364 (and second overall behind Dan Carter).

The DHL Stormersandrsquo; Peter Grant is second on the list with 819 points, followed by Andrandeacute; Pretorius (Cats, MTN Lions andndash; 661) and current Springbok kicking consultant Louis Koen (DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, Cats andndash; 555).

Looking ahead to the game, Sharks coach John Plumtree reiterated the importance of Saturdayandrsquo;s derby. His team won last weekend, but before that a bad run of five consecutive defeats put their playoff aspirations at serious risk.

"This is a big game for both teams," said Plumtree. "The Bulls have been playing really well lately, their forwards have dominated and theyandrsquo;re enjoying momentum. Theyandrsquo;ve also dominated territory through their kicking game, theyandrsquo;ve dominated upfront and we know itandrsquo;s going to be a really tough game for us.

"Although our preparation this week has been quite short, we have trained well, and weandrsquo;re looking forward to putting our plans into place and the boys can go out there and enjoy the massive clash that this game is.

"Itandrsquo;s great to be back home, to play at our stadium and hopefully weandrsquo;ll get a really nice crowd on Saturday."

Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said his team realised pulling off an away victory in Durban will not be easy, but it will significantly boost their chances of winning the SA conference.

"It is a vital game for us," said Ludeke. "The Sharks are fresh and back at home and we know they are going to have a huge go at us, so itandrsquo;s vital for us to be at our best."

As the captain last year when the Vodacom Bulls got a big hiding in Durban, by 32-10, Pierre Spies knows Saturdayandrsquo;s game will be no walk in the park, despite The Sharks struggling to get good results in the last month or so.

"Itandrsquo;s always tough against the Sharks. They scored a vital last win on tour to get their campaign back on track, while itandrsquo;s always difficult to play them in Durban," said Spies.

Vodacom Bulls wing Bjorn Basson will earn his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap in Durban on Saturday andndash; he has played nine for the Toyota Cheetahs and 40 for the team from Pretoria.

The teams are:

The Sharks: Riaan Viljoen, Odwa Ndungane, Piet Lindeque, Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Pat Lambie, Charl McLeod, Keegan Daniel (captain), Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Franco van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jannie du Plessis, Kyle Cooper, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Monde Hadebe, Wiehahn Herbst, Jandrandeacute; Marais, Jean Deysel, Lubabalo Mtembu, Tian Meyer, Sean Robinson.

Vodacom Bulls: Janduuml;rgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson, Mornandeacute; Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (captain), Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandrandeacute; Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Frik Kirsten, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Willie Wepener, Werner Kruger, Grant Hattingh, Arno Botha, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouchandeacute; / Jan Serfontein, Lionel Mapoe.

Head to head (since 1998)

The Sharks

Vodacom Bulls

8

Won

9

9

Lost

8

1

Drawn

1

391

Points for

357

357

Points against

391

42

Tries scored

27

27

Tries conceded

42

22

Average score

18

The Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

Date: Saturday, 25 May

SA Time: 19h10

Venue: Kings Park, Durban

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)

Television match official: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)

Other fixtures (SA times):

Friday, 24 May:

09h35: Chiefs v Crusaders (Hamilton)

11h40: Rebels v Waratahs (Melbourne)

Saturday, 25 May:

09h35: Blues v Brumbies (Auckland)

11h40: Force v Highlanders (Perth)

Bye: Hurricanes

Note to editors: Media are thanked for observing the correct naming conventions and others are reminded that the correct name of the competition is Vodacom Super Rugby and the use of numbers in the title is factually incorrect.

Toyota Cheetah Chat

2013-05-23

Click below to listen to the Toyota Cheetah Chase sound bite!

Toyota Cheetahs Team announced

2013-05-22

The Toyota Cheetah Head Coach, Naka Drotske, has named his starting XV to play the Kings on Saturday, 25 May 2013 at 17:05 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Changes to the team from last week:

Raymond Rhule has been moved to the bench and is replaced by Willie le Roux on left wing. Rayno Benjamin will start on right wing.

TOYOTA CHEETAHS vs KINGS

NELSON MANDELABAY STADIUM, PORT ELIZABETH

KICK-OFF: 15:00

No.

toyota cheetahs

1

OOSTHUIZEN COENIE

2

STRAUSS ADRIAAN ( c )

3

ADRIAANSE LOURENS

4

DE JAGER LODEWYK

5

UYS FRANCOIS

6

BRUSSOW HEINRICH

7

LAPPIES LABUSCHAGNE

8

VAN DER WALT PHILIP

9

VAN ZYL PIET

10

WATTS ELGAR

11

LE ROUX WILLIE

12

EBERSOHN ROBERT (vc)

13

SADIE JOHANN

14

BENJAMIN RYNO

15

DANILLER HENNIE

16

BARNES RYNO (FR)

17

NYAKANE TREVOR (FR)

18

LANDMAN LIGTORING

19

PRINSLOO BOOM

20

PRETORIUS SAREL

21

RIAAN SMIT

22

RHULE RAYMOND

Springbok training squad for Durban camp named

2013-05-22

A group of 38 players, featuring eight players who were not part of the first camp, will assemble in Durban for the second Springbok training camp before the final squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series is named early next month.

The players who were not part of the first training camp in Cape Town in April are: Gio Aplon (DHL Stormers, wing/fullback), the Toyota Cheetahsandrsquo; trio of Trevor Nyakane (prop), Lappies Labuschagne (loose forward) and Willie le Roux (fullback/wing), Vodacom Bulls duo of JJ Engelbrecht (centre/wing) and Lionel Mapoe (wing/centre), Wiehahn Herbst (The Sharks, prop) and Demetri Catrakilis (Southern Kings, flyhalf).

Seven injured players, who were part of Springbok squads in 2012, were not considered for selection as they will not be fit to play in June. They are JP Pietersen, Jaco Taute, Frans Steyn, Johan Goosen, Duane Vermeulen, Pat Cilliers and Frans Malherbe. Furthermore Andries Bekker, who is not available due to club commitments later this season in Japan, wasnandrsquo;t considered for selection.

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said he was impressed with the form of a number of the countryandrsquo;s top players, despite concerns about the high number of injuries to key players.

"It looks like most of the guys are improving weekly and a few new players have put up their hands, which is good to see with the first Test only a few weeks away," said Meyer.

"Weandrsquo;ve also been very impressed with the form shown by a number of players since we were together in April. This camp will provide us with a great opportunity to work with these players before the squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series is finalised.

"Overseas-based players were not considered for this camp as some of them are still playing in their respective finals this coming weekend. They are at the end of their seasons and need a well-deserved break before the start of the Castle Lager Series."

The training squad will assemble in Durban on Sunday, a day after the highly anticipated Vodacom Super Rugby derby between The Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls at Kings Park. All five South African franchises are in action on Saturday, 25 May andndash; the Southern Kings host the Toyota Cheetahs in Port Elizabeth and the DHL Stormers take on the Reds in Cape Town.

Players invited to the second Springbok training camp of 2013:

Forwards (19): Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Jannie du Plessis, Coenie Oosthuizen, Wiehahn Herbst, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe, Juandrandeacute; Kruger, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski.

Backs (19): Jano Vermaak, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Mornandeacute; Steyn, Elton Jantjies, Demetri Catrakilis, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Jan Serfontein, Robert Ebersohn, JJ Engelbrecht, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Raymond Rhule, Lionel Mapoe, Bjorn Basson, Gio Aplon, Zane Kirchner, Willie le Roux.

Q & A met Lood de Jager

2013-05-21

Q and A met Lood de Jager

Q: The jump from u.21 to Super Rugby - is there a bigdifference?

A: No not really, ha ha just joking. The speed of the game is much faster and it is more physical. The margin for error is smaller.

Q: Israel Dagg (Crusaders) is your ultimate hero, any local heroes?

A: It has to be Willie Chippie le Roux andndash; heandrsquo;s always trying something fresh.

Q: We know that youandrsquo;re a back caught up in the body of a forward. If you could play any position what would it be?

A: Definitely 15 andndash; if I cut through the line with a "goose" or a step andndash; they will have to watch the reply in slow-motion to see what happened.

Q: How big are your feet?

A: Itandrsquo;s a UK 14. Iandrsquo;m the unofficial body surf champion of the southern hemisphere. Heinz (Heinrich Brussow) is probably second and Ligtoring (Rynard Landman) third.

Q: Kill one / Marry one/ Kiss one: Coenie Oosthuizen, Lourens Adriaanse, Trevor Nyakane

Kill, definitely Trol (Lourens). Marry,urgh maybe Shrek (Coenie), but no then I have to kiss Trevor. I donandrsquo;t knowandhellip;

Q: One guy you will take with you to war?

A: Lappies andndash; heandrsquo;s the "chosen one"! No, urgh sorry andndash;Cois (Francois Uys), he is my blood brother.

Q: We know about your special singing talents andndash; any other hidden talents?

A: Iandrsquo;m one of the top white rappers in the States. Iandrsquo;m also moderate to unbelievably good in FIFA 2000 andndash; 2013 (Playstation).

Q: You are a big Manchester United fan. Youandrsquo;re taking on Fergieandrsquo;s retirement?

A: He is a legend. As long as Wayne Rooney doesnandrsquo;t leave. He is my soccer hero.

Q: Bloem has some of the most beautiful girlsandndash; why are you still single?

A: At the moment there is no one andndash; but Iandrsquo;ve only been in Bloem for a short while and Iandrsquo;m a slow starter.

Q: Any advice for young guns?

A: The most important thing is to work hard and to enjoy your ruggas.

Q: Who scouted you for the Toyota Cheetahs?

A: Andre Tredoux andndash; he gave me an opportunity to train with the Super Rugby squad andndash; that was all I need.

Quickies:

Iphone/ Blackberry

PlayStation/ Xbox

Winter /Summer

Bier /Brandewyn

Blond/ Brunette

Vrystaat Rugby simpatiseer met Morning Live en familie van Vuyo Mbuli

2013-05-19

Vrystaat Rugby simpatiseer met Morning Live en familie van Vuyo Mbuli

Die President van die Vrystaatse Rugby-unie, Mnr. Lindsay Mould en Besturende Direkteur van die Vrystaat Cheetahs (Edms.) Bpk. Mnr. Harold Verster, bestuur, personeel en spelers betoon hiermee innige simpatie en medelye met die familie van Vuyo Mbuli en almal by Morning Live.

Ons het groot waardering vir die vinnige optrede van Clini Sport Event Emergency Care en Drs. Jan Marias en Jaco Neser wat onmiddellik daar was om hom te help.

Vuyo Mbuli was andlsquo;n aanbieder van die program Morning Live op SABC en was Saterdagaand andlsquo;n gas in die Presidentlosie in die Vrystaat-stadion waar hy na die Vodacom Super Rugby wedstryd tussen die Toyota Cheetahs en Red gekyk het toe hy flou geword het. Nadat hy op toneel behandel is, is hy is na die Bloemfontein Medi-Clinic gehaas waar hy skynbaar aan andlsquo;n hartaanval oorlede is.

Ons wens sy familie sterkte toe in hierdie moeilike tyd.

Free State Rugby sympathize with Morning Live and the family of Vuyo Mbuli

The President of the Free State Rugby Union, Mr. Lindsay Mould and Managing Director of the Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd., Mr. Harold Verster, management, staff and players herewith convey our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Vuyo Mbuli and everyone at Morning Live.

We greatly appreciate the quick response of Clini Sport Event Emergency Care and Drs. Jan Marais and Jaco Neser who were there immediately to help him.

Vuyo Mbuli was a host of Morning Live on SABC and on Saturday night he was a guest in the Presidential Suite at the Free State Stadium where he watched the Vodacom Super Rugby match between Toyota Cheetahs and Red when he fainted. After being treated on scene, he was rushed to the Bloemfontein Medi-Clinic where he apparently died of a heart attack.

We wish his family the best in this difficult time.

National Clubs Round-up: Cell C Community Cup race heats up

2013-05-17

For fixtures, results and logs from premier leagues in all provinces, visit www.sarugby.co.za and click on the Club Rugby link, or follow @saclubrugby on Twitter.

The race to qualify for SARUand#39;s elite tournament for non-university clubs, the 2014 Cell C Community Cup, is heating up in a number of provinces as the various premier leagues continue to produce surprise results.

There are no guarantees that the 20 open clubs that competed in the inaugural Community Cup will return again next year, with only champions GAP Despatch assured of taking part in the second edition of the World Cup-style club tournament that saw 52 matches being played across the country over six weeks earlier this year.

Champion clubs in a number of provinces have found the going tough since the start of the provincial leagues, with their rejuvenated rivals all keen to get in on the action and secure one of the 15 automatic qualifying slots available for the 2014 tournament.

In the Blue Bullsand#39; Carlton League, defending champions Pretoria Police have it all to do after suffering a surprise 27-23 defeat to Centurion last week. The Carlton has been shortened to a single round of seven matches this season to accommodate the much-anticipated new cross-border Predator league, involving the top clubs from the Bulls, Lions, Valke and Leopards, in the second half of the season.

What this means is that the Bobbies, with 15 points from their four matches, have just three rounds remaining to reel in leaders Tukkies and Centurion, who both have 17. Making life more difficult for Police is the fact that they must still play the Varsity Cup champions next week, albeit at home, while Centurion have already met the Pretoria students and came away with an invaluable 26-all draw in the process.

This weekend sees Police away to seventh-placed TUT, while Centurion will look to move one step closer to possible Community Cup qualification when they host another resurgent and ambitious club in fifth-placed Oostelike Eagles on Friday night.

Things are just as tight in, amongst others, the Golden Lionsand#39; Pirates Grand Challenge, Griquas Super League, Mpumalanga Buscor League, SWD Premier League, Eastern Province Grand Challenge and Western Province Super League A.

Just five points separate the top five sides in the Pirates Grand Challenge, with Wits and Roodepoort ahead on 15 points, followed by Community Cup wild cards Raiders on 14, Randfontein on 11 and Pirates on 10.

The results of this weekend might go a long way towards deciding who will represent the Lions in the 2014 Community Cup, with Roodepoort travelling to Randfontein and Pirates, who turn 125 years old this year, hosting Raiders at their Greenside base.

Just a single point separates Upington, Aveng Moolmans Sishen and Kimberley Police in Griquas, with champions Sishen hosting Upington in a top-of-the-table clash in Kathu this Saturday and Police at home to fourth-placed Kuruman, who have struggled of late and will want to make up some lost ground.

Middelburg and Witbank Ferroand#39;s look to be the teams to beat in Pumas country this year, with Community Cup side White River finding themselves at the bottom of the seven-team log at the halfway point. Middelburg, a regular presence at the old Club Championships, will look to increase their lead in the standings when they host third-placed Malelane on Saturday, while fourth-placed Nelspruit will look to stay in semi-final contention when they host White River.

Barbarians have come out blazing in the SWD Premier League, the Mossel Bay side leading the 12-team log with 31 points after six wins and a draw in their opening seven matches. Pacaltsdorp Evergreens, who finished eighth in the Community Cup, are also unbeaten but trail Barbarians by five points having played one match fewer.

Community Cup champions GAP Despatch have carried their rich run of form into the EP Grand Challenge, where they are unbeaten at the top of the log with 30 points after six matches to hold an eight-point advantage over their nearest open club rivals, Crusaders. NMMU Madibaz and African Bombers both have 21 points.

And in the WP Super League A, UCT, who endured a forgettable Varsity Cup campaign, lead the standings as the league approaches the halfway mark, the in-form Cape Town students, with 27 points from seven matches, lying two ahead of Victorians and three ahead of Maties. Leading the charge of the open clubs are a familiar trio of Community Cup sides Durbanville-Bellville and SK Walmers as well as 2009 national club champs Hamiltons andndash; three quality sides playing for the single automatic place on offer for 2014.

This weekend sees a number of intriguing tussles, with the Ikeys at home to sixth-placed SK Walmers and Vics hosting fifth-placed Hammies, while dark horses Belhar, currently in seventh, welcome fourth-placed Durbell in what is a crucial encounter for the northern suburbs side, who have been inconsistent since finishing the Community Cup on a high last month with a fifth-place finish.

Big encounters loom in Pretoria and Bloem – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 14 Preview

2013-05-17

The two local franchises in action on Saturday andndash; the Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs andndash; may be facing teams from opposite ends of the Vodacom Super Rugby log, but they will both have their work cut out for them.

On Friday, the DHL Stormers and The Sharks will want to finish their disappointing Australasian tours on a high.

The Capetonians are in Melbourne, where they play the Rebels on Friday morning andndash; a team that have never tasted success against any South African side.

On Friday afternoon, The Sharks will be looking to extend their six-match winning streak over the Force when they meet in Perth.

The Vodacom Bulls have the ominous task of hosting their least-favourite New Zealand team, the Highlanders, at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon, when Pierre Spies will become the 21st member of the South African Club 100 when he runs out for this 100th Vodacom Super Rugby match.

And capping off the weekend will be the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloem against the Reds andndash; the last Australian team to win in the Free State capital, and that was more than three years ago.

The Southern Kings have a bye this weekend.

The full list of South African Vodacom Super Rugby centurions:

125: AJ Venter (Cats 19, Sharks 96, Stormers 10) and John Smit (Sharks)

124: Victor Matfield (Cats 8, Bulls 116)

122: Stefan Terblanche (Sharks)

116: Danie Rossouw (Bulls), Mornandeacute; Steyn (Bulls)

113: Pedrie Wannenburg (Bulls), Adi Jacobs (Bulls 21, Cats 4, Sharks 88)

112: Fourie du Preez (Bulls), Bryan Habana (Bulls 61, Stormers 51)

111: Jacques Botes (Sharks)

109: Jannie du Plessis (Cheetahs 26, Sharks 83)

108: Ollie le Roux (Natal 24, Sharks 60, Cats 3, Cheetahs 21), Wynand Olivier (Bulls)

105: Meyer Bosman (Cheetahs 61, Sharks 44)

104: Andries Bekker (Stormers)

102: Albert van den Berg (Cats 7, Sharks 95)

100: Bakkies Botha (Bulls), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Odwa Ndungane (Bulls 10, Sharks 90)

Note: The 2013 Vodacom Super Rugby Media Guide (size: 6.7Mb) can be downloaded in PDF-format by clicking here.

For all the South African team announcements, fixtures, results, logs, live score updates, top points and try scorers as well as and match summaries, click here.

Melbourne Rebels v DHL Stormers

The DHL Stormers will be working hard on cutting down their error rate when they finish their Australasian tour for 2013 in Melbourneandrsquo;s AAMI Park against the Rebels on Friday morning (SA time).

The Rebels are still aiming for that elusive first win over a South African team in Vodacom Super Rugby andndash; theyandrsquo;ve now lost 11 straight against teams from the Republic since joining the competition in 2011.

Out of those 11, they lost twice against the DHL Stormers. Overall, South African teams boast a comfortable 39-21 average score over the Rebels, but back in Melbourne, this score changes to 36-25.

The DHL Stormers, on the back of two narrow defeats, will be looking at getting back to winning ways in Melbourne this weekend.

Said DHL Stormers captain Jean de Villiers: "Weand#39;ve lost two games we couldandrsquo;ve won, but didnandrsquo;t. More than anything we need to win this game on Friday.

"The individual errors weandrsquo;ve been making are not acceptable at this level. The coaches have done more than enough to put structures in place and give us an effective game plan, but we, as players, need to go and execute it and hold onto the ball.

"I think our defence was solid (against the Waratahs), even though we did concede two tries, and we created chances for ourselves, which, of course, we did not take."

Allister Coetzee, coach of the DHL Stormers, said they need to put the defeats behind them and get a tick in the win column on the log for a change.

"Winning a conference or talking about play-off chances is looking too far ahead," said Coetzee. "Itandrsquo;s all about this weekend andndash; getting the points and getting back to winning ways again."

The teams are:

Rebels: Jason Woodward, Tom English, Mitch Inman, Rory Sidey, Lachlan Mitchell, Bryce Hegarty, Nic Stirzaker, Scott Higginbotham (captain), Scott Fuglistaller, Jarrod Saffy, Cadeyrn Neville, Hugh Pyle, Laurie Weeks, Ged Robinson, Nic Henderson. Replacements: Shota Horie, Paul Alo-Emile, Luke Jones, Gareth Delve, Jordy Reid, Nick Phipps, Kimami Sitauti.

DHL Stormers: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (captain), Bryan Habana, Elton Jantjies, Louis Schreuder, Nizaam Carr, Siya Kolisi, Deon Fourie, Andries Bekker, Eben Etzebeth, Pat Cilliers, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Martin Bezuidenhout, Frans Malherbe, Gerbrandt Grobler, Don Armand, Nic Groom, Gary van Aswegen, Gerhard van den Heever.

Head to head (since 2011)

Rebels

DHL Stormers

0

Won

2

2

Lost

0

0

Drawn

0

24

Points for

66

66

Points against

24

3

Tries scored

7

7

Tries conceded

3

12

Average score

33

Rebels v DHL Stormers

Date: Friday, 17 May

SA Time: 11h40

Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne

Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia), Ed Martin (Australia)

Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)

Force v The Sharks

The number six will be of significance when the Western Force host The Sharks in their final Vodacom Super Rugby tour match of 2013 at the NIB Stadium in Perth on Friday afternoon (SA time).

The Sharks will be aiming for their sixth consecutive victory over the Western Australians, while at the same time trying to avoid a sixth successive defeat this season.

Itandrsquo;s also six years ago that the Force won their first andndash; and to date only andndash; match against The Sharks. In 2007, the team from Perth not only beat the KwaZulu-Natalians at home, but also upset the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria, making them the only team to beat both finalists from that season during the league phase of the competition.

Only three Sharks players who will feature on Friday were part of their team that lost in Perth in 2007 andndash; JP Pietersen and Odwa Ndungane both started on the wing that day, while Keegan Daniel was on the bench.

Forward four years, to 2011, the last time The Sharks played in Perth. They bossed the Force around on that day and won easily, by 39-12. This time around, though, it wonandrsquo;t be as easy for John Plumtree and his team.

The Sharks are with their backs to the wall, which makes them a dangerous opponent, as they will be hell bent on getting out of their current rut.

Plumtree realises it will be a tough ask against a Force team that has only been given one proper beating thus far this season, when they lost 41-7 to the Brumbies in Round 11. Last week the Western Australians lost by one point against the defending champion Chiefs in New Zealand (21-22), a week before that they drew 11-11 with the 2011 champions, the Reds, in Perth, where they beat the seven-time champion Crusaders by 16-14 a month ago.

"They beat the Crusaders and lost by only one point to the Chiefs, the defending champions," said Plumtree of the Force.

"With those results, they will have some belief going into this game. Itandrsquo;s going to be a tough game andndash; they are a side thatandrsquo;s clearly working very hard for each other and we know it is going to be a really tough task from our side."

The teams are:

Force: TBC

The Sharks: Riaan Viljoen, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Pat Lambie, Charl McLeod, Keegan Daniel (captain), Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Kyle Cooper, JC Janse van Rensburg. Replacements: Monde Hadebe, Wiehahn Herbst, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Derick Minnie / Lubabalo Mtembu, Jean Deysel, Tian Meyer, Piet Lindeque.

Head to head (since 2006)

Force

The Sharks

1

Won

6

6

Lost

1

0

Drawn

0

112

Points for

211

211

Points against

112

9

Tries scored

25

25

Tries conceded

9

16

Average score

30

Force v The Sharks

Date: Friday, 17 May

SA Time: 13h45

Venue: NIB Stadium, Perth

Referee: James Leckie (Australia)

Assistant referees: Ian Smith (Australia), Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)

Television match official: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)

Vodacom Bulls v Highlanders

The Vodacom Bulls host their New Zealand bogey team, the Highlanders, at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Out of all the Kiwi teams in Vodacom Super Rugby, the Pretoriansandrsquo; worst winning record is against the men from Otago. Over the years, theyandrsquo;ve played each other 15 times and the Vodacom Bulls have only won four of those andndash; or 26.7%.

Their best winning percentage against New Zealand opposition is against the Hurricanes (53.3%), followed by the Chiefs (43.8%), Blues (40%) and Crusaders (33.3%).

And with four wins and one draw from their eight previous visits to Loftus Versfeld andndash; including a 35-28 win in 2011, the last time they came to Pretoria andndash; the Highlanders also boast the best record of any New Zealand team in South Africa against the Vodacom Bulls (50%).

The Hurricanes are also on 50%, but theyandrsquo;ve won four and lost four. The Crusaders (36.4%), Blues (28.6%) and Chiefs (25%) all lose more than they win at Loftus.

Which is probably why Vodacom Bulls captain Pierre Spies doesnandrsquo;t want to focus on special milestones, like his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby match.

"These milestones are special, but there is a place for that," said Spies.

"My focus and that of the team is fully set on the Highlanders and what we need to do to beat them. We did very well against the Hurricanes two weeks ago, had a weekandrsquo;s break and now need to find that rhythm and momentum again."

Apart from Spiesandrsquo; milestone, Mornandeacute; Steyn will become the most capped Vodacom Bulls player in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby when he plays in his 117th match for the franchise. He will move past Victor Matfield (whose total of 124 matches includes eight for the Cats) and Danie Rossouwandrsquo;s 116 match mark.

The teams are:

Vodacom Bulls: Janduuml;rgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Lionel Mapoe, Mornandeacute; Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (captain), Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandrandeacute; Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Frik Kirsten, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Mornandeacute; Mellett. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Werner Kruger, Grant Hattingh, Arno Botha, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouchandeacute;, Bjorn Basson.

Highlanders: TBC

Head to head (since 1998)

Vodacom Bulls

Highlanders

4

Won

10

10

Lost

4

1

Drawn

1

347

Points for

460

460

Points against

347

39

Tries scored

55

55

Tries conceded

39

23

Average score

31

Vodacom Bulls v Waratahs

Date: Saturday 18 May

SA Time: 17h05

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Attie Buitendag (South Africa)

Television match official: Johan Greeff (South Africa)

Toyota Cheetahs v Reds

Itandrsquo;s been more than three years since the Toyota Cheetahs last lost at home against an Australian Vodacom Super Rugby team, but their visitors this weekend, the Reds, were ironically the last side from Oz to win at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

That happened on 26 March 2010, when the Queenslanders beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 31-10.

Since that day, the team from Central South Africa have beaten the Rebels twice (2011 and 2013), Force twice (2012 and 2010), the Waratahs (2012) and the Brumbies (2011) in Bloemfontein.

In fact, apart from their win in 2010, the Reds have lost on both their other visits to the Free State Stadium andndash; 10-6 in 2006 and 29-14 in 2008. Since then, the Reds have improved considerable and have gone on the win Vodacom Super Rugby in 2011.

They are currently second in the Australian Conference, one point behind the Brumbies, and have arrived in Bloemfontein confident after a solid win over The Sharks in Brisbane last weekend.

"The Reds are a quality team," said Toyota Cheetahs coach Naka Drotskandeacute;.

"They are one of the front runners in the competition and probably one of the favourites to win the title. In players like Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Digby Ioane they have a bunch of very exciting backs who are difficult to play against.

"Itandrsquo;s happened in the past that when a team has such a great backline, their pack isnandrsquo;t as good, but that is not true for the Reds andndash; they have a very good scrum and line-out and strong ball carriers upfront.

"Although they struggled against the Force recently, it will be tough to beat them and our defence will have to be up for it. But we always give ourselves a chance in Bloem."

The teams are:

Toyota Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Elgar Watts, Piet van Zyl, Phillip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Heinrich Branduuml;ssow, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Coenie Oosthuizen. Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Trevor Nyakane, Ligtoring Landman, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Riaan Smit, Ryno Benjamin.

Reds: Jono Lance, Rod Davies, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Anthony Faingaa, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia (captain), Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Eddie Quirk, Ed Oandrsquo;Donoghue, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, Greg Holmes. Replacements: James Hanson, Albert Anae, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Jarrad Butler, Beau Robinson, Ben Lucas, Ben Tapuai.

Head to head (since 2006)

Toyota Cheetahs

Reds

2

Won

4

4

Lost

2

0

Drawn

0

73

Points for

137

137

Points against

73

8

Tries scored

16

16

Tries conceded

8

12

Average score

23

Toyota Cheetahs v Reds

Date: Saturday, 18 May

SA Time: 19h10

Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Ben Crouse (South Africa)

Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Other fixtures (SA times):

Friday, 17 May:

09h35: Hurricanes v Chiefs (Wellington)

Saturday, 11 May:

09h35: Crusaders v Blues (Christchurch)

11h40: Waratahs v Brumbies (Sydney)

Bye: Southern Kings

Watts to start for Toyota Cheetahs

2013-05-16

Flyhalf Elgar Watts will get his first start for the Toyota Cheetahs this season after being included in the starting line-up for the sideand#39;s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Reds on Saturday.

Watts played a big role as an impact player in the Toyota Cheetahsand#39; loss to the Hurricanes last week, looking fresh on attack and kicking accurately at goal, something that Burton Francis had been struggling with the last couple of weeks.

Francis was left out altogether when Toyota Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske named his team on Wednesday, with Riaan Smit coming in as back-up on the replacements bench.

"In the pre-season, Elgar was actually our number two at flyhalf behind Johan Goosen, with Riaan Smit our third choice," Drotske said.

"Burton got his chance when there was a lot of injuries and he did a really good job.

"At this stage weand#39;ve decided to go for the more attacking option which is definitely Elgar. With Johan Goosen out he is our best attacking flyhalf."

The Toyota Cheetahs were holding out for flanker Lappies Labuschagne, who was included in the side pending a fitness test later in the week, after he picked up an elbow injury against the Kings three weeks ago.

Frans Viljoen, who started against the Hurricanes, was left out of the squad this week, with Boom Prinsloo added to the bench.

"Lappies has been practising but there wasnand#39;t a lot of contact involved," Drotske said.

"We are going to give him time to see how his elbow reacts and will only make a final decision on his availability at the captainand#39;s practice on Friday.

"If Lappies is not fit to play, Boom will move into the starting line-up and Frans will come in on the bench."

Toyota Cheetahs team: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Elgar Watts, Piet van Zyl, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Heinrich Brussow, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (capt), Coenie Oosthuizen.

Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Trevor Nyakane, Ligtoring Landman, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Riaan Smit, Rayno Benjamin.