The News Review:
- Getting a head start on rugby
- Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool D | Namibia – ITV Sport
- Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool B | Canada – ITV Sport
- Blood clot rules Wallaby Lyons out of NZ rugby clash
- Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool B | Wales – ITV Sport
- Tri Nations Rugby – All Blacks Wallabies & Springboks Rugby
Getting a head start on rugby
Boston Globe – Jul 19, 2007
The first thing one notices though is what looks like a pink-purple bruise on the inside of his left forearm. You figure there has to be some really cool rugby war story behind the mark maybe him being at the bottom of a scrum and some guy putting him in some kind of wrestling move or digging cleats into his arm. So you ask because you think that whatever he says he’ll produce an answer justifying rugby as “elegant violence” or as football for “real men.
Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool D | Namibia – ITV Sport
ITV.com – Jul 19, 2007
Players such as Jan Ellis and Percy Montgomery who were born in Namibia have since gone on to represent their neighbours South Africa and the country finds it hard to keep promising talent. Despite suffering lopsided reverses to Canada Fiji and France in 1999 they showed they were no pushovers early on against Les Bleus scoring an early try and keeping the score level for 20 minutes. Sadly a lack of competitive matches has taken its toll on the team with the ridiculous 142-0 defeat at the hands of Australia four years ago causing outrage in rugby circles. They defeated Morocco with ease to qualify for this year’s tournament; however coach Johan Venter will be hard pressed to inspire his mostly amateur side to much greater heights despite an impressive pack including talented prop Kees Lensing.
Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool B | Canada – ITV Sport
ITV.com – Jul 19, 2007
However a creditable performance in their recent 59-23 reverse at the hands of the All Blacks suggests that they could give Wales and Fiji a run for their money. Bedford wing James Pritchard’s kicking prowess is well known and he will need to slot over with unerring accuracy to lay the foundation for the hard-working pack and backs to shine. The Canucks have appeared in every Rugby World Cup since its inception in 1987 and reached the quarter-finals in the 1991 tournament eventually losing to the All Blacks 29-13 in Lille. Canada’s sole win four years ago was a 24-7 victory over Tonga and they clinched their qualification for this year’s tournament with a 56-7 win over the USA.
Blood clot rules Wallaby Lyons out of NZ rugby clash
Turkish Press – Jul 19, 2007
Team doctor Martin Raferty diagnosed a blood clot in Lyons’s left calf after the 27-year-old experienced swelling following a training session in Auckland where the Wallabies will meet the All Blacks on Saturday night. “David had experienced some minor swelling in the calf at training earlier in the week but it hadn’t settled down as we’d hoped it would” Raferty said. “After it happened again today we decided to conduct some further investigations” he said. Raferty said that while all cases of DVT must be treated seriously the position of the clot in Lyons’s leg made his case less threatening.
Rugby World Cup | Teams | Pool B | Wales – ITV Sport
ITV.com – Jul 19, 2007
The mixed warm-up display against Argentina came in between heavy humblings at the hands of England and France. Jenkins faces a difficult decision whether to take a risk on his big-name players. The Welsh open their campaign against Canada on 9th September before taking on Australia in a crucial clash. Number eight Ryan Jones has already been ruled out; however there are plenty of options in the pack to replace him with the front eight more than capable of holding their own when the going gets tough.
Tri Nations Rugby – All Blacks Wallabies & Springboks Rugby
Tri Nations Rugby – Jul 19, 2007
The announcement was made on the official Bulls website after it was uncertain whether their star player would bite the bullet and continue his rugby overseas. Matfield made his Provincial debut for the Blue Bulls in 1998 and played 77 Super Rugby matches for the Bulls (from 2001) – who were recently crowned Super 14 champions for the first time in the tournament’s history. The towering lock regarded the world’s best in his position was chosen to lead his country against New Zealand in the Tri-Nations encounter in Durban this year after regular skipper John Smit was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Even though the match was lost 21-26 Matfield took pride in becoming South Africa’s 52nd captain and the first lock to lead the country in 42 years.