Friday 20 May 2011
SPORTS REMAINS UN-PREDICTABLE: STORMERS WIN IN DYING MOMENTS...!
An injury-hit Stormers team have beaten the Blues in a rain-soaked Super Rugby match in Auckland on Friday.
The Stormers won 28-26 after trailling 19-3 at half-time.
The Stormers scored tries by centres Juan de Jongh and Johann Sadie and flank Schalk Burger. Flyhalf Lionel Cronje kicked a penalty and replacement Dewaldt Duvenage was successful with two conversions and two penalties.
The Blues replied with tries by scrumhalf Alby Mathewson and fullback Lachie Munro. Centre Luke McAlister was on target with both conversions as well as four penalties.
The Stormers picked up four points for their victory and extended their lead atop the South African Conference and stayed third in the overall standings.
The Blues left with a point for losing by seven or fewer points, and remained first and second in the New Zealand Conference and overall log respectively.
In next weekend's Round 15 action, the Blues have a bye while the Stormers travel to Canberra to face the Brumbies.
Teams:
Blues:
15 Lachie Munro, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Sherwin Stowers, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu (captain), 1 Tom McCartney
Substitutes: 16 Pauliasi Manu, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Chris Lowrey, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Winston Stanley, 22 Rene Ranger
Stormers:
15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw
Substitutes: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Steven Kitshoff, 19 Anton van Zyl, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Danie Poolman, 22 Nick Koster
Blues:
15 Lachie Munro, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Sherwin Stowers, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu (captain), 1 Tom McCartney
Substitutes: 16 Pauliasi Manu, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Chris Lowrey, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Winston Stanley, 22 Rene Ranger
Stormers:
15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw
Substitutes: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Steven Kitshoff, 19 Anton van Zyl, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Danie Poolman, 22 Nick Koster
STUNNED: RONALDO UP FOR SALE...!!
http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer
Madrid - Real Madrid are ready to stun the football world by putting Cristiano Ronaldo up for sale for a staggering £150 million.
According to the Daily Mail website, a major rift has developed between the star Portuguese forward and Madrid manager Jose Mourinho following a training-ground row, and club president Florentino Perez is reluctantly willing to listen to offers.
Madrid paid a world-record fee of £80m to Manchester United in 2009 and Perez has said he would want to make a significant profit to appease the supporters for the sale of their best player. Ronaldo, after all, was seen as Madrid’s answer to the dominance of Barcelona.
While there would be numerous suitors for his signature, even top clubs will balk at the astronomical fee and the player’s wages. It might take a net weekly wage in excess of £300 000 to prise him away from Spain.
Manchester City, whose Abu Dhabi owners could easily afford the world-record sum demanded, have declared they do not plan a summer transfer splurge, leaving the former United player’s options decidedly limited.
Ronaldo, who has scored an astonishing 38 goals in La Liga this season, courted a move to the Santiago Bernabeu throughout the final year of his time in England.
He said on his arrival in Spain: 'The great players cost a lot of money and if you want them you have to pay it. I’m happy to be the most expensive player in the world.'
Thursday 19 May 2011
WARNE CALLING IT A DAY AFTER FRIDAY...!!
http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/IPL/Warne-bows-out-on-a-low-20110519
Shane Warne bows out of professional cricket on Friday after a frustrating final Indian Premier League season replete with rows, fines and other off-field distractions.
Shane Warne bows out of professional cricket on Friday after a frustrating final Indian Premier League season replete with rows, fines and other off-field distractions.
The Australian legend announced earlier this month that he would retire as a player after the tournament, making Friday's clash between his Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians the last performance of an extraordinary 15-year career.
"I've had a great time - but it's time to say goodbye to IPL," the Aussie superstar wrote on Twitter on May 6, announcing the end of his association with the tournament that offered the last chance to watch him in action.
The 41-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best bowlers of all time, retired from international cricket in 2007 after resurrecting the art of leg-spin and becoming the first player to take 700 Test wickets.
Friday's game will be the last for the Rajasthan Royals after a poor run that has seen them fail to qualify for the playoffs despite starting as one of the favourites.
After scripting a title triumph with a rag-tag team in the first edition of the Twenty20 IPL competition in 2008, Warne's final season in charge of Rajasthan did not offer the fairy-tale end he would have wished for.
He started well on the pitch, initially managing to fox batsmen with his turn and flight, but gradually lost his rhythm as even inexperienced youngsters began hitting him for sixes with ease and regularity.
His returns from the tournament have been unimpressive - 12 wickets from as many games while giving away 267 runs for an average of 22.25.
Off-field troubles have also spoiled his valedictory season.
Monday 16 May 2011
MAN CITY ON HIGH AFTER FA-CUP SUCCESS...
Roberto Mancini believes Manchester City's FA Cup triumph could be the launchpad for an assault on next season's Premier League.
City ended their 35-year trophy drought on Saturday afterdowning Stoke 1-0 at Wembley to clinch a major trophy for the first time since 1976.
The victory was the first tangible return City's owners have been able to enjoy since their 2008 takeover and the subsequent lavish spending on players which has topped £300 million to date.
But while City's players and fans celebrated, Mancini was already looking to future challenges, with next season's Premier League at the top of the list.
"We want to try for the title next year," Mancini said.
"I think this year it was important to start to win. In one week we qualified for the Champions League which was our first target. And we won the FA Cup.
"I think we improved a lot this season, like a team. But I think we need to improve more. We need another step. But it was important that we start to win, because once you start to win, it gets easier."
Mancini believes that City might even have challenged for the title this season had it not been for a fixture congestion which saw them fall away towards the end of the season.
"For two months, we were close to the top. We stayed on the top for four or five weeks. We were very close with Chelsea, United and Arsenal.
NAAS SHOCKED TO HEAR ABOUT JOOST...
It’s a shock and a wake-up call.
That is the words of Naas Botha, former Springbok and current rugby commentator about the news that Joost van der Westhuizen has been diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
Botha, who is currently participating in the SuperSport Shootout in Knysna, says that “Joost van der Westhuizen” was the big talking point on everyone’s lips on Saturday.
“It’s shocking news. Everyone’s despondent and sad. Were all asking questions, because we don’t even know exactly what it means to have this disease. It’s still sinking in. But it’s all were talking about.”
Botha says that everyone (at the SuperSport shootout) agrees that “people are so intertwined in their own humanness that a wake-up call like this rocks you to your core.
“Joost van der Westhuizen was one of the greats of South African rugby. To be interred in the International Rugby Hall of Fame, is an acknowledgement for his tremendous quality as a rugby player.
“To now be suffering from a disease like this is very bad.
“It just shows that illness does not choose age. Illness is also not something we could choose. We’re all just human.
Botha says South Africa’s rugby role-players will “for sure” be present in Van der Westhuizen’s life in future.
“As soon as we know more facts, we will lend our help and support.”
Francois Pienaar, the Spingboks’ 1995 World Cup winning captain, told Rapport through an SMS that he has already talked to Van der Westhuizen, but wants to keep their conversation private. “My heart goes out to Joost and his family. I fully support him during this time.”
Rudolph Straeuli, another member of the 1995 World Cup winning group and former Springbok coach, says Joost is a rugby legend in South Africa.
“We are all very shocked at this news. But, he is a man who won’t lie down easily. That’s what he’s always being known for – a big fighter. We will stand by him and help him through the fight and pain.
“I don’t know what his prospects are, but he is sure to receive help from all of us.”
THE LATEST SUPER 15 LOG - Crusaders go DOWN vs CHEETAHS...!
| Rank | Team | P | W | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Cheetahs caused the upset of the weekend with a 33-20 win over the Crusaders in their Super Rugby clash in Bloemfontein.
The Bloemfontein franchise secured their third ever consecutive win over one of the competition’s log leaders with flyhalf Sias Ebersohn playing a pivotal role in the famous victory.
The Cheetahs did well from the outset to close Crusaders centre Sonny Bill Williams’ space down, giving the Crusaders' playmaker little room to create magic on attack.
The hosts opened the scoring with Ebersohn slotting over a penalty a few moments after the start of the match.
Crusaders flyhalf Dan Carter missed in his attempt at the posts moments later, but soon afterwards the visitors scored the first try of the match.
The Cheetahs defense held strongly until the ninth minute when Robbie Freuen broke through the line to load off to Crusaders fullback Zac Guildford on his outside, with Guyildford going over for the try.
Carter converted the try to give the Crusaders a four point lead.
Despite a strong attacking performance in the opening moments of the match the Cheetahs lost too many balls at the contact area.
The Cheetahs, however, got onto the front foot from a Riaan Viljoen kick which was fielded by Sarel Pretorius.
The hosts secured quick ball from the breakdown with Ashley Johnson sending a long pass to Robert Ebersohn who stepped inside to score.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
IPL CHEERLEADER FROM SA SENT HOME AFTER REVEALING TOO MUCH...?
An Indian Premier League cheerleader from Pietermaritzburg who was blogging about the fun - and flirting - behind the scenes in India was sent home after her identity as a secret blogger was revealed.
South African cheerleader Gabriella Pasqualotto (22) was soaking up the glitz, glamour and parties of the cricket hype that is IPL. She was dressed to the nines and drinking champagne when she wasn’t the focus of millions of adoring fans.
Pasqualotto was one of 40 local women chosen for the IPL cheerleading squad that went to India at the beginning of April.
She was chosen to cheer for the prestigious Mumbai Indians team. But last week she was sent home in shame. As IPL cheerleader, she wrote harmless chit-chat about her lifestyle, but she also alluded to the fact that cricketers are not so innocent at the match after-parties.
Her blogging comments allegedly caused “privacy concerns” among cricketers.
But Pasqualotto said this week the whole issue is hypocritical. She said that on arrival in India the girls were warned to behave and to adhere to certain team rules. They were told not to fraternise with the cricketers because it could affect their game performance.
But she said quite a few of the cheerleaders were known to have been “intimate” with some of the cricketers and celebrity sponsors. She told The Witness that she is angry and disappointed at the way she was treated by the IPL.
“On Tuesday last week I was sent home as if I was a criminal. I was treated as if I had taken drugs or done something awful, and I was never offered an opportunity to give my side of the story.”
Pasqualotto was put on the first flight out of India and she is still reeling. When she began the tour, she began to tweet comments about her experience. She was approached by a website -www.alternativecricket.com - whose editors asked her to blog for them.
After two blogs a fellow cheerleader tipped off the cricketers in the Mumbai Indians team and another cricketer went straight to the chairperson of the IPL, who gave a direct order to Pasqualotto’s manager that she must be sent home. She had no time to cash traveller’s cheques or even buy a phone card.
“It’s a joke. There were cameras everywhere at these after-parties watching what they got up to. The guys treated us like pieces of meat.
We couldn’t go anywhere without the crowds mobbing us and many of the girls did not behave. But nothing I wrote was directed at any one person. I think the cricketer [an Aussie] who complained had a guilty conscience.”
In her blog, which she was forced to remove, she wrote: “The men see your face, then your boobs, then your butt, then your boobs again! As we walk all you hear is IPL, IPL with a little head jingle.
“Ol Graeme Smith will flirt with anything while his girlfriend walks behind him. The Aussies are naughty, a certain someone played kissing catches with three girls known to me and had a girlfriend back home. He told them: ‘Come back to my room, I want to cuddle!’
“These cricketers are the most loose and mischievious I have come across. I have a long while still here so I must remember my tip list: Beware of the cricketers!”
She lost a month worth of earnings, almost R8 000, and feels betrayed by her fellow cheerleaders, who she says she could easily have named for breaking the rules.
“One day I am treated like a mini celebrity. People think you are like handmaidens to the ‘cricket-gods’, and then I am thrown out for a silly blog.”
She has received masses of support from followers of Twitter who believe the cricketers should behave and she should be compensated.
Michael Owen-Smith, media officer for Cricket South Africa, said that all South African cricketers are committed to a code of conduct and are expected to follow it whether they are playing at home or abroad.
He declined to comment on the issue, saying it was an IPL matter.
One can follow the discussions on Twitter: IPL girl.
Craig Livingstone, agent for Graeme Smith, said there is no reason to comment on the matter as there were no allegations that Smith was misbehaving.
Sonny Bill Williams WILL be Exposed...?
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers believes Sonny Bill Williams’s game is "high risk" and "against rugby principles".
When De Villiers announced his 51-man Rugby World Cup planning squad earlier this month, he said he wasn’t worried about Williams, despite the impressive form the player has displayed with the Crusaders this season.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers believes Sonny Bill Williams’s game is "high risk" and "against rugby principles".
When De Villiers announced his 51-man Rugby World Cup planning squad earlier this month, he said he wasn’t worried about Williams, despite the impressive form the player has displayed with the Crusaders this season.
Williams was instrumental in helping an injury-depleted Crusaders team beat the Stormers 20-14 in their Super Rugby clash at Newlands last Saturday.
"As soon as somebody works him out, he won’t be as much a factor," De Villiers said in Wellington last month.
"I’m looking forward to seeing Sonny Bill against a Jean de Villiers and a Jaque Fourie, who can cut down his space, and on the inside you’ve got big, hard tackles coming in from a Schalk Burger. Then we will see if the boxer can box, and if the dancer can dance," De Villiers added.
Speaking to Union Sports Mag, De Villiers said Williams will be exposed at Test level.
"Now why is Sonny Bill Williams in my mind not the best? He’s been sensational and playing good rugby. He has matured in his game," said De Villiers.
"But he’s doing everything wrong (according) to what rugby principles acquires (sic) of you. Back-end passes shouldn’t be the norm, but it has become the norm. Now everybody wants to do that kind of nonsense and they forget about the basic principles of the game.
"Like last week, he made four mistakes with those kind of non-rugby stuff. If it comes off, it’s brilliant. But do you have control of those kind of things? If you get to international level when people work you out so easy (sic), then you have to be in control of what you are doing.
"If you get a little boy who is watching this Super Rugby and he wants to do things like that, he’ll spend hours and hours focusing on those things that are not important and never master the most important things of rugby."
When asked if he has worked Williams out, De Villiers replied: "If you close down his spaces, put pressure on him and hit him hard; if you don’t dance around like he does, then he’s nowhere."
Tuesday 3 May 2011
SMITH WILL LEAD BOKS AT WC 2011...RASSIE WILL BE IN NZ TOO!
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby
With the re-appointment of John Smit and Victor Matfield as captain and vice-captain respectively being expected, the biggest step forward from the Springboks at the two day planning session that has just ended in Cape Town was the announcement that Rassie Erasmus will be joining the management.
Indeed, if you consider that the biggest short-fall for the Boks last year was the absence of heavyweight expertise in the technical/strategy department, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that Erasmus’ secondment to the Boks is the biggest step forward taken by the Boks since Peter de Villiers took over at the start of 2008 and immediately re-engaged Smit from French club Toulon.
Erasmus will take up the position of technical adviser, with Derik Coetzee, Jake White’s fitness adviser at the previous World Cup in 2007, is the other new addition to the management. Coetzee will work alongside Neels Liebel. Erasmus’ appointment is on a temporary basis as he is still under contract to Western Province until the end of next year.
The appointment of Erasmus was supposed to happen before the last end of year tour but was held up because there wasn’t enough time for contractual issues to be cleared up between Erasmus, his WP employers and the South African Rugby Union.
It is understood that his position will enable Erasmus to play a key role in determining strategy, and if that is the case, and Erasmus and the sometimes volatile De Villiers can establish an easy working relationship, then the Boks will have plugged the biggest weakness that has held them back and prevented them from playing to their full potential for most of the past four years.
It was no secret last year that a number of coaches were approached by SARU and by De Villiers, but if Erasmus was the only outsider prepared to join the current set-up then, as it turns out, De Villiers and his employers have hit bulls eye for outside of maybe Heyneke Meyer there is no other rugby brain in this country to challenge that of Erasmus.
It became clear on the end of year tour that the players, once they had been canvassed on the subject, were eager for Erasmus’ tactical acumen to be added to a management staff that had been badly caught out last year by the tactical innovations made by the other Tri-Nations teams.
By having Erasmus in the set-up the Boks will be able to draw on the expertise of a coach who has been active in the Super Rugby season. Although Allister Coetzee is the Stormers coach and calls the shots in selection, Erasmus has become directly involved in the management and formulation of strategy again after taking a hiatus during last year’s Currie Cup.
He is therefore at the coal-face as a coach and few of his contemporaries or adversaries can match his ability to quickly pick up and anticipate the change in trends when they happen. Perhaps one of his most unpublicized strengths though is his apparent complete lack of ego, something that perhaps emanates from the fact that unlike most other coaches he enjoyed a celebrated playing career.
If there is any rugby strategist who is content to work in the background and let others take credit for his work it is Erasmus, and that is one of the reasons why an alliance between the current Springbok coach and Erasmus might not be the disaster some are predicting it will be.
De Villiers, whose own level of planning for the new season appears to have been superior to previous seasons, appears delighted to have Erasmus on board. And skipper Smit spoke favourably of the appointment.
“From a technical point of view, Rassie’s attention to detail is sublime. With the kind of detail he brings, we can see how we can improve on ourselves,” said Smit.
“Four years ago he did the same thing and gave some great input but it only lasted for two weeks as he then signed for Western Province and couldn’t go on for the whole ride.”
With Erasmus joining the Bok think-tank, which over previous years has included senior players in addition to De Villiers and his assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold, the chances are good that the Boks will be able to find the balance to their approach that was missing on the last end of year tour, where they were criticized for being too conservative.
Although De Villiers paid lip-service to stand-in captain Victor Matfield’s support for the percentage game, the Bok coach is now sold on the Stormers style of play, which may be him paving the way for the role that Erasmus will probably play.
Of course, there are some thorny challenges ahead, not the least of those being the question of what level of input Erasmus would have on selection (the assistant coaches currently have little or none, with the senior players having far more influence on De Villiers), but the move to bring in Erasmus is a massive step forward in the World Cup challenge.
LATEST SUPER RUGBY LOGS...!
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Super15
PAST WEEK-ENDS RESULTS: Stormers Changing gears...
LATEST LOG STANDINGS:
PAST WEEK-ENDS RESULTS: Stormers Changing gears...
| April 2011 | |||
LATEST LOG STANDINGS:
| Overall Super Rugby table and standings | ||||||||||||
Conference leaders. | ||||||||||||
Team | Nation | P | W | L | D | B | PF | PA | PD | Bp | Ttl | |
| 1. | ( ) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 271 | 204 | 67 | 5 | 43 | |
| 2. | ( ) | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 219 | 122 | 97 | 2 | 42 | |
| 3. | ( ) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 285 | 190 | 95 | 4 | 40 | |
Wild card teams | ||||||||||||
| 4. | () | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 316 | 165 | 151 | 6 | 40 | |
| 5. | () | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 217 | 204 | 13 | 3 | 35 | |
| 6. | () | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 245 | 199 | 46 | 6 | 34 | |
| 7. | Waratahs | () | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 237 | 162 | 75 | 4 | 32 |
| 8. | () | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 240 | 257 | -17 | 3 | 27 | |
| 9. | () | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 212 | 279 | -67 | 5 | 23 | |
| 10. | () | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 201 | 273 | -72 | 6 | 22 | |
| 11. | () | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 218 | 245 | -27 | 5 | 21 | |
| 12. | () | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 208 | 287 | -79 | 2 | 20 | |
| 13. | () | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 235 | 278 | -43 | 8 | 20 | |
| 14. | () | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 188 | 350 | -162 | 3 | 19 | |
| 15. | () | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 208 | 285 | -77 | 6 | 14 | |
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