Tag: Rugby

The Sharks have confirmed that Sbu Nkosi will face a spell of eight to 12 weeks out after scans revealed a syndesmosis sprain on his left ankle.

Nkosi will miss the Sharks’ final regular season game against the Jaguares at Kings Park on Saturday and will be replaced by Kobus van Wyk in the starting line-up.

The Sharks need a win and hope that the Rebels slip up against the Highlanders – if they are to secure their progress to the Super Rugby play-offs.

22-year-old Nkosi shone in the recent Test series against England, having made his debut in the opening match and going on to play all three games from the start, grabbing two tries in the process.

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The Jaguares have made wholesale changes to their starting line-up for their final regular-season game of the campaign against the Sharks.

With a play-off spot already secured, head coach Mario Ledesma has rung the changes in order to rest his first-team ahead of next weekend.

Up front there is a new front-row as Javier Diaz, Santiago Medrano and Julian Montoya come in while second-row Tomas Lavanini, flank Marcos Kremer and number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamón are the other new faces in the pack.

The backline is also freshened up as Martin Landajo and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla are the half-backs, Bautista Ezcurra comes in at 12 while Sebastian Cancelliere is on the left wing, with Ramiro Moyano moving to full-back.

Jaguares: 15 Ramiro Moyano, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Sebastian Cancelliere, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Javier Diaz
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Emiliano Boffelli

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:15 local (16:15 BST, 15:15 GMT)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant Referees: Egon Seconds, Archie Sehlako
TMO: Willie Vos

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Australia have named their strongest squads for next week’s Rugby World Cup Sevens with several players shaking off injuries to make the trip to San Francisco.

The Aussie women have had a host of injury concerns in recent months but Ellia Green (knee), Emilee Cherry (hamstring), Alicia Quirk (knee), Sharni Williams (ankle) and Emma Tonegato (shoulder) have all been included in their squad.

Quirk, Green and Williams all missed the final World Series tournaments this season as their team-mates collected the World Series trophy in Paris and will be desperate to view for some silverware with the side in San Francisco.

Dom du Toit is the only big name missing through injury, with the youngster ruled out of the season with a broken collarbone, while Emma Sykes has missed selection after a shoulder concern hindered her progress.

Women’s coach John Manenti said the return of the experienced group was a major boost for the side ahead of the final 2018 tournament.

“Obviously being knockout, it’s really hard to plan,” he told Rugby Australia’s official website.

“You can have any number of teams depending on how you go and how they go.

“You can’t buy experience and the fact that most of the squad have been through it and done it over the years, and more recently in Paris last month, that will put them in good stead.

“There is sure to be close games in the World Cup and I think experience will help us through that when they come.”

For the men, Tom Connor is the unlucky man to miss out after the return of former Rebels speedster Henry Hutchison to the Sevens fold.

Veteran Jesse Parahi has won the race to be fit for the tournament after battling an ongoing knee concern that he picked up in Singapore.

Men’s coach Tim Walsh said his side had prepared as much as possible for the different format of the World Cup.

“We are used to playing six games over two days and not four games over three days, so in order to replicate the Rugby World Cup format we have adjusted our training and strategies to assist with our mental preparation,” he said.

“More so than ever our ‘Process driven and Performance based’ thinking, is relevant.

“Liam (McNamara) has had a tough run with injuries over the last while but really came back strong in Paris last month to force my hand. He’s a great ball player with awareness, time and composure so I’m looking forward to seeing him play to his potential.”

The Aussie men open their campaign against the winner of a preliminary match against France and Jamaica while the women take on Papua New Guinea.

The Sevens World Cup kicks off on Friday July 20, running until July 22.

Australia women’s Sevens squad: Lauren Brown, Charlotte Caslick, Emilee Cherry, Ellia Green, Demi Hayes, Page McGregor, Yasmin Meakes, Shannon Parry (cc), Evania Pelite, Alicia Quirk, Cassie Staples, Emma Tonegato, Sharni Williams (cc)

Australia men’s Sevens squad: Lachlan Anderson, Tim Anstee, Lewis Holland (c), Henry Hutchison, Boyd Killingworth, Maurice Longbottom, Tom Lucas, Liam McNamara, Sam Myers, Ben O’Donnell, Jesse Parahi, John Porch, Brandon Quinn

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The Crusaders will be aiming to finish the league phase of the competition on a high when they host the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday.

The defending champions have, once again, been the pace-setters in the tournament and head into this match in a rich vein of form as they are currently on an 11-match winning streak.

The Crusaders have dominated this fixture in recent years as they have won their last seven games on the bounce against the Blues – a streak more than twice as long as any other by either team in the history of this fixture.

The Blues have not won an away match against the Crusaders since 2004 – losing 10 such fixtures in succession since that game – so it’s unsurprising the Crusaders head into this fixture as overwhelming favourites as they have won their last 16 home games in succession.

Although the Crusaders have rested several of their first-choice players, they still have game-breakers of the calibre of Richie Mo’unga, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg in their ranks while the Blues’ charge will be led by the likes of Rieko and Akira Ioane, their captain, Augustine Pulu and Jerome Kaino, who is playing in his final match for the Auckland-based outfit.

With this being their last match of the season, Blues head coach Tana Umaga wants his charges to focus on a quality performance against the best team in the competition.

“This game means a lot,” he said.

“We want to send Jerome off in the best possible fashion.

“We are going into a cauldron in Christchurch, but we have to go with eyes wide open and also take confidence from the game last week.

“We’ve worked on the areas that were pretty obvious in terms of our defence but there will be no lack of motivation to play against the Crusaders.

“Our forward effort was good last week but we know it needs to go another notch and I think some of the play by our backs, that in tough times they started to find their confidence.

“For us we have to do well on both sides of the ball. We had some individual lapses in defence and that’s something we’ve worked on.

“We need to stick to what we train. We need to be consistent in the execution of our plans and finish off opportunities when we create them. They are a quality side and have been for a long time but we are excited to get out there and do our best for us and for Jerome.”

The last time the teams met: The Crusaders claimed a hard-fought 32-24 win in a Round 14 encounter in Auckland during May. George Bridge, Quinten Strange, Matt Todd and Bryn Hall scored tries for the champions and Richie Mo’unga slotted three penalties and two conversions. For the Blues, Rieko Ioane scored a brace of tries and Matt Duffie and Michael Collins also dotted down. Their other points came via two conversions from Stephen Perofeta.

Players to watch:

For Crusaders: If the Crusaders forwards can provide good front-foot ball to their backs, expect Richie Mo’unga to dominate in the playmaking department. After making his Test debut for the All Blacks against France last month, Mo’unga hit the ground running when he returned to action for the Crusaders in last weekend’s win over the Highlanders and finished with a 25-point haul, courtesy of a try, four conversions and four penalties in that match. A similar performance this weekend is just what the Crusaders need ahead of the play-offs.

For Blues: This will be the last time that All Blacks enforcer Jerome Kaino runs out for the men from Auckland before he departs for France where he will further his career with Top 14 heavyweights Toulouse. Although he is in the twilight of his career, Kaino is renowned for his physicality and will want to make an impact in that facet of play. If he succeeds in doing that, it should help the Blues build some momentum.

Team news: Crusaders boss Scott Robertson has made six changes to his starting XV for this derby. Of the four changes in the forwards, the champions welcome the return of prop Tim Perry from the hamstring injury he sustained prior to the June international break.

At tighthead, Michael Alaalatoa moves from the bench to the starting side for this game. Quinten Strange will partner captain Sam Whitelock at lock, with Scott Barrett rested this week. In the loose forwards, Jordan Taufua will start in the number six jersey, and Pete Samu comes in to the reserves.

The only changes in the backs will see Mitchell Drummond wear the number nine jersey this week and Bryn Hall take a spot on the replacements bench. David Havili will also sit out this game, and has been replaced at full-back by Israel Dagg.

On the reserves bench, Otago hooker Sam Anderson-Heather joins the squad and could earn his first Crusaders cap this week. Anderson-Heather will provide cover for Andrew Makalio in the absence of Codie Taylor, who is another All Black rested for this match.

Meanwhile, Blues head coach Tana Umaga has made just one alteration to his starting line-up.

The only change from the pack which lost to the Hurricanes in Wellington last week is a start for Ben Nee-Nee after an injury to Matiaha Martin ruled him out, while the backline remains the same.

The Blues will aim to give long-serving star Jerome Kaino a fitting send-off in his final game for the Auckland-based club. Kaino, who heads to France after the season, will play his 139th game for the Blues, to sit second on the all-time Blues list behind Keven Mealamu.

Form: The Crusaders are the tournament’s form team at the moment as they have won 11 matches on the trot, with their last defeat registered on March 17 when they suffered a 25-17 loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin. Last weekend, the champions returned to action – after the June Test break – and gained revenge against the Highlanders as they beat them 45-22 in Christchurch. They have won 13 out of 15 matches so far this season.

The Blues have won four and lost 11 of their matches this season and are in second last position in the overall standings and bringing up the rear in the New Zealand Conference. They have battled to build momentum this year and won just once from their last five matches – a 39-16 triumph against the Reds in Auckland in Round 17.

Prediction: The champions will have little trouble in taking this one. Crusaders to win by 10 points.

Previous results:

2018: Crusaders won 32-24 in Auckland
2017: Crusaders won 33-24 in Christchurch
2016: Crusaders won 26-21 in Auckland
2016: Crusaders won 28-13 in Christchurch
2015: Crusaders won 34-11 in Auckland
2015: Crusaders won 29-15 in Christchurch
2014: Crusaders won 21-13 in Christchurch
2014: Blues won 24-35 in Auckland

The teams:

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (c), 4 Quinten Strange, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Tim Perry
Replacements: 16 Sam Anderson-Heather, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Donald Brighouse, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Blues: 15 Matt Duffie, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Rieko Ioane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Augustine Pulu (c), 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Blake Gibson, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ben Nee-Nee, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 Matt Moulds, 1 Alex Hodgman
Replacements: 16 Ross Wright, 17 Pauliasi Manu, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Jacob Pierce, 20 Murphy Taramai, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Bryn Gatland, 23 Tamati Tua

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Referees: Jamie Nutbrown, Mike Fraser
TMO: Shane McDermott

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The Melbourne Rebels can secure qualification for the quarter-finals with victory over the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday.

The Highlanders have won five of their previous six games against the Rebels, including their last three on the bounce and a fixture-record 39-point win in their last meeting.

Though that win was only last year, the Rebels have rapidly improved since then. However, it remains to be seen whether they have the big-match temperament to rise to the occasion in what is a vital game on Saturday if they are to advance to the play-offs.

The Rebels will know last weekend was a huge missed opportunity to seal their qualification and a prime example of choking when it mattered most – especially with their closest rivals the Sharks having slipped up against the Stormers. Now, they have the unenviable task of having to do the job against the mighty Highlanders.

The Sharks know that a loss for the Rebels in Dunedin and a win for them – against the Jaguares in Durban – will see the latter team advancing to the knockout stage.

But Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger doesn’t seem to be taking this game too seriously, making numerous changes as he gives plenty of youngsters a chance in something of a dead rubber for his side, as they have already qualified for the play-offs. Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Elliot Dixon, Ash Dixon and Rob Thompson have all been rested.

The Otago outfit have won their last nine games on the bounce when hosting teams from Australia, last losing such a fixture in Round Five, 2014 against the Force (31-29).

The Rebels, meanwhile, will need to improve their penalty count as they are the worst-disciplined side in Super Rugby, while they have the second worst tackle efficiency. The Highlanders are an archetypal Kiwi side, in that they are so effective at capitalising on opposition mistakes. So the Rebels can ill-afford to be erroneous on the day.

The last time the teams met: The Highlanders cruised to a 51-12 victory in Dunedin in 2017, thanks to tries from Luke Whitelock, Richard Buckman, Gareth Evans, Greg Pleasants-Tate and a brace from Malakai Fekitoa, which proved far too much for the Rebels, who scored through Tom English and Reece Hodge. It was also a flawless kicking display off the tee from Marty Banks, who notched up five conversions and three penalties from as many attempts.

Players to watch:

For Highlanders: With boss Aaron Mauger having rested so many key players, the Highlanders will need the big names that are left in the side to stand up; most notably Liam Squire and Waisake Naholo, with the former particularly pivotal to his side at the breakdown and on defence. Squire leads by example with his commitment to the cause and never-say-die attitude and will relish the physical confrontation with the likes of Amanaki Mafi on Saturday.

For Rebels: Amanaki Mafi has consistently been at the top of the charts for the past couple of years in terms of ball-carrying. The one-man wrecking ball offers his side so much go-forward. Mafi has made 238 carries, almost 65 more than anyone else as well as the most metres in the competition (1279). Meanwhile, the Japan international will be looking to add to his tally of five tries for the season on Saturday.

Team news: Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger has made numerous changes to his starting line-up.

Wellingtonian youngster Thomas Umaga-Jensen has been named to make his Super Rugby debut in the midfield alongside Josh Ioane, who will start for the first time at full-back.

Kayne Hammington comes into the starting number nine jersey and Tevita Li returns to the left wing.

In the forwards, veteran lock Alex Ainley returns to the starting team and joins with new All Blacks, Jackson Hemopo and Shannon Frizell, while James Lentjes captains the team from the openside flank.

Liam Squire moves to the back of the scrum to replace Luke Whitelock, who earns a well-deserved rest along with Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Rob Thompson.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Rebels head coach Dave Wessels has made four changes to his starting side.

This is a crucial game for the Rebels as they aim to secure the club’s first-ever Super Rugby play-off berth.

Injuries to full-back Dane Haylett-Petty (knee) and lock Geoff Parling (shoulder) have forced positional and personnel changes from last week’s match against the Reds. Meanwhile props Fereti Sa’aga and Sam Talakai earn starting spots in the Rebels’ pack in place of Tetera Faulkner and Jermaine Ainsley, who have moved to the bench.

Ross Haylett-Petty earns his first start since the Rebels’ Round 10 match against the Bulls, while Jack Maddocks shifts to full-back and Sefa Naivalu moves off the bench and onto the right wing.

Sam Jeffries and Lopeti Timani also make their returns to the matchday 23, as the Rebels opt for a 6-2 bench split.

Captain Adam Coleman (adductor) and scrum-half Will Genia (arm) will spend one more week on the sidelines, however reserve hooker Nathan Charles has shaken off any concussion concerns and will line up on the reserves bench.

Form: The Highlanders are on a poor run of form since returning from the international break and find themselves in danger of losing three games on the bounce for the first time since the end of the 2014 season. Those two defeats have come against the Crusaders and Chiefs, having beaten the Hurricanes in the last game prior to the hiatus.

Like the Highlanders, the Rebels have also lost two games on the bounce to their compatriots – those defeats coming on successive weekends against the Waratahs and Reds respectively. The Rebels won their opening three, before losing six of their next seven. They then bounced back with another three-game winning streak from since when they have suffered those two losses.

Prediction: The inexperience of this Highlanders side to allow the Rebels in for an historic victory. Rebels by 7.

Previous results:

2017: Highlanders won 51-12 in Dunedin
2016: Highlanders won 27-3 in Melbourne
2014: Highlanders won 33-30 in Dunedin
2013: Rebels won 38-37 in Melbourne
2012: Highlanders won 43-12 in Dunedin
2011: Highlanders won 40-18 in Melbourne

The teams:

Highlanders: 15 Josh Ioane, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Thomas Umaga-Jensen, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Kayne Hammington, 8 Liam Squire, 7 James Lentjes (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Jackson Hemopo, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Aki Seuili
Replacements: 16 Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Kalolo Tuiloma, 19 Tom Franklin, 20 Dillon Hunt, 21 Josh Renton, 22 Matt Faddes, 23 Josh McKay

Rebels: 15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Tom English (c), 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Reece Hodge, 9 Michael Ruru, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Colby Fainga’a, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Ross Haylett-Petty, 4 Matt Philip, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Fereti Sa’aga
Replacements: 16 Nathan Charles, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Sam Jeffries, 20 Richard Hardwick, 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Lopeti Timani

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Kick-off: 17:15 local (06:15 BST, 05:15 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams, Brendon Pickerill
TMO: Chris Hart

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World Rugby have announced that the Stade Delort in Marseille, France will be the venue for the Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage tournament.

Four teams will compete in the round-robin format event to be played across three match days on Sunday 11 November, Saturday 17 November and Friday 23 November, 2018.

The repechage tournament is a new concept for Rugby World Cup (RWC) qualification and represents the last opportunity for a team to qualify for Japan 2019 with four nations fighting it out to secure the 20th and final place at the Rugby World Cup.

Last weekend Hong Kong confirmed their place in the repechage with a convincing 77-3 aggregate victory over the Cook Islands. They join Canada, who were confirmed in the repechage in February following their defeat to Uruguay in the Americas 2 play-off over two legs.

The third team will be decided when Germany face Samoa in Heidelberg on Saturday. The winner will qualify automatically for RWC 2019 as the play-off winner while the loser will enter the repechage. Samoa head in to the game in a strong position for automatic qualification following their 66-15 victory in the first-leg of the play-off in Apia.

The line-up will be completed on 18 August when the Rugby Africa Gold Cup comes to a conclusion with the champions qualifying directly for Japan 2019, and the runners-up entering the repechage.

The winner of the repechage will slot into Pool B at RWC 2019 alongside defending champions New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and the Africa 1 qualifier.

The Stade Delort in Marseille is a 5,000 capacity venue which has previously hosted rugby and major sports events in France’s second largest city in the Provence region.

The announcement follows hot on the heels of the French Rugby Federation’s successful hosting of the record-breaking World Rugby U20 Championships across three venues in southern France last month and comes ahead of France’s hosting of Rugby World Cup 2023.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The repechage tournament is going to be a very hotly-contested event with the ultimate prize of a place at the Rugby World Cup at stake.

“Marseille can look forward to three match days of thrilling rugby between nations from four different continents.

“Following the outstanding success of the recent World Rugby U20 Championship in southern France, we are delighted to partner with the French Rugby Federation again to deliver this important tournament as France continues to advance its preparations for hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023.”

French Rugby Federation (FFR) President Bernard Laporte said: “I am delighted that France will be hosting the repechage tournament for Rugby World Cup 2019.

“It’s a very important event because four teams will compete in Marseille to get the last spot for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“By hosting this tournament, the FFR reinforces it’s commitment to help developing rugby worldwide. It’s also a pretty glimpse to the Rugby World Cup 2023. I wish to thank SMUC Rugby who partners with the FFR for the success of such an event.”

With thanks to World Rugby

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Springbok lock RG Snyman will lead the Bulls when they take on the Lions in their final Super Rugby clash of the season in Johannesburg.

Bulls boss John Mitchell has named Snyman as captain as a number of injuries hampered selection, ruling out regular captain Burger Odendaal and stand-in, Handre Pollard.

Winger Travis Ismaiel is fit again and return to the team though, with Divan Rossouw moving to the bench.

Mitchell has also tweaked the pack following their win over the Jaguares last weekend, with Jannes Kirsten moving to lock and Thembelani Bholi coming in at flank. Ruben van Heerden drops out of the matchday squad.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok and Ivan van Zyl will form the halfback combination. Three youngsters are set to be blooded in the competition as Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Ruan Nortje (lock) and Boeta Hamman (flyhalf) are all included on the bench and could make their tournament and Bulls debuts should they take to the field.

Finally, Mitchell challenged the squad to deliver one more performance to be proud of in this Jukskei derby.

“I asked the team for an extraordinary performance to close the season out. The other option is to just settle for an easy way to end the season, but that is not who we are as a team,” he said.

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman (c), 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Mornay Smit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nick de Jager, 21 5 Embrose Papier, 22 Boeta Hamman, 23 Divan Rossouw

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs, Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Christie du Preez

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With the regular Super Rugby season in its final round, we take a look at the best bets from three key games which take place on Saturday.

Highlanders v Rebels

Melbourne Rebels know they can wrap up their progression to the play-offs with victory over a much-changed Highlanders outfit this weekend. The Dunedin side have decided to rest the likes of Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Elliot Dixon, Ash Dixon and Rob Thompson, which will have given the Rebels extra belief they can deprive the Sharks and Brumbies of the final spot in the qualifiers. It could well happen.

The Rebels look the stronger side on paper and with so much more to play for the 74/17 odds with Sportpesa to win seems a decent bet while BetVictor has them at 8/1 to win this on the half-time/full-time. Alternatively the safety net of the 12 point handicap is superb at 10/11.

Waratahs v Brumbies

Over in Sydney a few hours after the above game the Waratahs and Brumbies face off in a derby that could see the former secure home comforts for a possible semi-final. Currently they are three points ahead of the chasing Lions, who play host to the Bulls in Johannesburg later on.

The ‘Tahs are heavy 9/20 favourites with Marathon Bet while the Brumbies, who have slim hopes of making the play-offs are 41/20 with UniBet. On the try market Taqele Naiyaravaro has been in great form and is 9/1 with Bet365 to cross first, as is Israel Folau. What also intrigues us is what happens if the Brumbies know their fate is sealed by the Rebels, which is why the ‘Tahs by 15 or more at 11/5 with Bet Stars is tempting.

Sharks v Jaguares

Last up on Saturday is the game in Durban where the Sharks will hope the Highlanders did them a favour earlier in the day to give them a chance of sneaking through. They are 1/2 with Betway to beat a much-changed Jaguares side, who are 5/2 with SpreadEx to claim the victory.

It’s hard to look past the Sharks here as the Jaguares have little to play for ahead of next week’s game so the half-time/full-time option at 15/13 with 10Bet is tempting. They won’t need to win by any kind of margin so the Sharks by 1-12 points at 2/1 with the likes of Coral and Ladbrokes looks a decent punt. However, should you fancy the Sharks to run away with things at Kings Park, 13 or more is 19/10 with Betway.

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World Rugby have named the match official appointments for this year’s Rugby Championship which starts at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on August 18.

Eighteen match officials and six TMOs from across seven unions will take charge of the twelve matches and Bledisloe Cup in the coming months.

The competition runs between August and October and kicks off with Jaco Peyper officiating the opening game when Australia host current title holders New Zealand in Sydney.

With just over one year to go until Rugby World Cup 2019, the Rugby Championship will play a fundamental role in continued development and assessment of elite match officials.

View the full match official appointment list here

World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Chairman Anthony Buchanan said: “With the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, we are striving to ensure that, once again, we have a top-class group of experienced officials ready to perform at the highest level in Japan 2019.

“The Rugby Championship is an exciting tournament that brings with it a suitable environment for reviewing match official performances as they officiate high pressure and intense Test rugby matches.

“An experienced group of match officials and TMOs have been appointed for this year’s Championship with the focus on clear and consistent decision-making from officials as teams compete for the coveted Rugby Championship title.”

The match official appointment process identifies and rewards the top performing match officials. All match official performances are closely reviewed to ensure clear and consistent decision-making from match officials.

World Rugby also holds regular consultations with team coaches, with feedback taken into consideration as part of selection appointments.

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The Lions will be looking to secure a home play-off when they meet local rivals the Bulls in a Super Rugby derby at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions, who will be fresh coming off a bye week, have won the last three encounters between the sides. They must win or hope the Jaguares lose or draw at the Sharks, with the Argentine side three points behind the Lions and breathing down their neck.

In fact, the Lions have the Bulls to thank for beating the Jaguares last weekend and preventing them from rising to the summit of the South African Conference while the Lions were taking a break.

The Bulls have won 33 percent of games against all opposition in total this season but have fared much better against those in their conference, boasting a 75 percent win record against South African opposition and seem to rise to the occasion of a local derby with relish.

Handre Pollard will be a big miss, however, with a lot of responsibility placed on Manie Libbok’s shoulders but at least Travis Ismaiel has returned from injury to take up his position on the right wing.

Meanwhile, surprisingly Aphiwe Dyantyi has been dropped at the benefit of Courtnall Skosan for the Lions, while Nic Groom is preferred over Ross Cronje in the number nine jersey. Dyantyi is the man in possession of the Bok shirt once owned by Skosan so it is an intriguing tweak.

If the Bulls are to thwart the Lions, they will need to nullify their threat at the breakdown. The Lions have won 8.4 turnovers per game this season, more than any other team in the competition.

The Bulls have made the most kicks out of hand per game this season, while the Lions are on the opposite end of the scale. But the Bulls are unlikely to kick as much ball away as they will be wary of a dangerous Lions backline.

The last time the teams met: The Lions got on the scoresheet through tries from Ruan Dreyer, Jacques van Rooyen, Marvin Orie, Malcolm Marx, Sylvian Mahuza, Ross Cronje while Elton Jantjies kicked all six conversions with a flawless performance off the tee in a 49-35 win earlier this year. The Bulls scored through tries from Jonny Kotze, Handre Pollard, Lizo Gqoboka and Travis Ismaiel.

Players to watch:

For Lions: As mentioned above, the Lions are the best pilferers of ball in the competition, effecting 8.4 turnovers per game, the most of any team in the competition and Malcolm Marx has won the most turnovers of anyone in the Lions side. On top of that, he has scored seven tries while he boasts the highest line-out throwing percentage in the competition (89 percent).

For Bulls: In the absence of regular inside centre and captain Burger Odendaal, Jonny Kotze has come off the wing to do a wonderful job at 12 for the men from Pretoria. He has a low centre of gravity and hits the line hard, which makes him difficult to bring down. Kotze also has that ability to create space for his team-mates with a clever pass or offload.

Team news: The Lions have been boosted by the return from injury of wing Courtnall Skosan.

Skosan plays his first match this Super Rugby season and takes the place of Aphiwe Dyantyi, who this week moves to the replacements bench.

Head coach Swys de Bruin has also included Nic Groom at scrum-half while Jacques van Rooyen comes in at loosehead as the Lions look for a victory that would secure top spot in the South African Conference. They could however still finish top if the Jaguares lose at the Sharks.

Meanwhile, Springbok lock RG Snyman will lead the Bulls. Bulls boss John Mitchell has named Snyman as captain as a number of injuries hampered selection, ruling out regular captain Burger Odendaal and deputy Handre Pollard.

Winger Travis Ismaiel is fit again and return to the team though, with Divan Rossouw moving to the bench.

Mitchell has also tweaked the pack following their win over the Jaguares last weekend, with Jannes Kirsten moving to lock and Thembelani Bholi coming in at flank. Ruben van Heerden drops out of the matchday squad.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok and Ivan van Zyl will form the half-back combination. Three youngsters are set to be blooded in the competition as Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Ruan Nortje (lock) and Boeta Hamman (fly-half) are all included on the bench and could make their tournament and Bulls debuts should they take to the field.

Finally, Mitchell challenged the squad to deliver one more performance to be proud of in this Jukskei derby.

“I asked the team for an extraordinary performance to close the season out. The other option is to just settle for an easy way to end the season, but that is not who we are as a team.”

Form: The Lions are on their worst run of form since 2015, having lost four of their previous six, including a 31-24 defeat to the Sharks in their last fixture a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, the Bulls had lost their last three against the Jaguares, Brumbies and Sunwolves before avenging that defeat to the Argentine side with a 43-34 victory last weekend in Pretoria.

Prediction: The hosts to send off their faithful on a positive note. Lions by 10.

Previous results:

2018: Lions won 49-35 in Pretoria
2017: Lions won 51-14 in Johannesburg
2016: Lions won 56-20 in Pretoria
2015: Bulls won 35-33 in Pretoria
2015: Lions won 22-18 in Johannesburg
2014: Lions won 32-21 in Johannesburg
2014: Bulls won 25-17 in Pretoria
2012: Bulls won 32-18 in Johannesburg

The teams:

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Johannes Jonker, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman/Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Ross Cronjé, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 23 Howard Mnisi/Shaun Reynolds

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman (c), 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Mornay Smit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nick de Jager, 21 5 Embrose Papier, 22 Boeta Hamman, 23 Divan Rossouw

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs, Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Christie du Preez

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