Latest news with #MikeGreenaway
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Bulls, Sharks to serve another epic at Loftus
A BULLS v Sharks knockout/playoff clash will always be one for the ages and the United Rugby Championship semi-final between the two at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 6.15pm, is sure serve another epic storyline. Judging by the quarter-final scorelines, Bulls beat Edinburgh 42-33 while Sharks had to be clinical in the penalty shootout to go past Munster after a 24-24 extra time draw, there is no denying the home side a favourite's tag. The good news for South African rugby is that Mzansi already has a team in the final. Independent Newspapers rugbby writers Mike Greenaway and Leighton Koopman look at which side will win and why. WHY THE BULLS WILL WIN Leighton Koopman As South Africa's form side in the United Rugby Championship, boosted by home advantage and team that peaked at the right time of the year, the Bulls are in the inside lane to win the semi-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening. Their dominating scrum and physical forwards will give them the edge over the Sharks who had a thing of late to only arrive in the second half. While the competition at scrum time will be the perfect test of strength versus strength, it's the Bulls' overpowering scrum that will drive the visitors into submission. While there is an all-Bok front row for the Sharks too, tighthead Wilco Louw has been a destroyer up front and Nche will have a hard time keeping him in check. And on the other side, the young Jan-Hendrik Wessels will stand strong against veteran Vincent Koch. Then, the superiority of the Bulls in the lineout will outshine their opponents. Captain Ruan Nortjé will lick his lips at poaching balls but also securing them longside JF van Heerden and Cobus Wiese. The Sharks losing Eben Etzebeth and Jason Jenkins will be music to the ears of the Bulls' lineout. It is a risk bringing Johan Goosen back from injury and dropping him straight into the starting side, but he can pull the strings to set the backline running. Along with fullback Willie le Roux, they can open the gaps to set the likes of Canan Moodie and Sebastian de Klerk away. De Klerk and Moodie's prowess under the high kicks, and there will be plenty up and unders coming from Goosen and scrumhalf Embrose Papier. The Bulls' overall gameplan, they vary their tactics way better than the Sharks, should see them be too strong for their visitors, and they will progress to another final. WHY THE SHARKS WILL WIN Mike Greenaway The Sharks are a team tailor-made for high-pressure knockout games. John Plumtree has created a culture where the team loves to triumph over adversity. The Sharks have won their last six games without reaching anywhere near their potential. They are a dogged side that enjoys pulling the contest down into the trenches for unarmed combat. It won't worry them in the slightest that they are not scoring tries. Any way to the winner's podium will do, and if that means leaving the cork in the champagne rugby approach, so be it. The Bulls have been scoring an average of five tries per game at Loftus as their impressive backs cash in on the sparkling possession coming their way, but semi-finals and finals are different beasts. The pressure cranks up; defences get tighter; the aerial game is preferred to adventurous attack. All of this suits the Sharks and their street-fighter approach. They will drag the Bulls into an arm wrestle. This is the way the Sharks have been playing all season. In a sense, they have been playing finals rugby for most of the URC. There is also the significant fact that they have seven double World Cup-winning Springboks in their team, including four in their pack. Even without Etzebeth and Jenkins, this is a Sharks pack that can stand up to the Bulls. Leading them is Siya Kolisi. The Springbok captain's experience of making good decisions in the heat of battle will stand the Sharks in good stead, while his inspired move from flank to No 8 allows for Plumtree to pick a genuine fetcher in James Venter and an exceptional blindside flank in Vincent Tshituka, who was recently called up to the Springbok squad. It means the Sharks have an underrated loose trio to go with a solid tight five, so the Sharks' backs will get their fair share of decent possession. There is also the nagging suspicion that the Sharks' backline could click when it matters most. There are too many superstars in that back division for cohesion to evade them much longer.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Bulls, Sharks to serve another epic at Loftus
THE Loftus crowd will add colour to the epic semi-final clash between the Bulls and the Sharks. | BACKPAGEPIX A BULLS v Sharks knockout/playoff clash will always be one for the ages and the United Rugby Championship semi-final between the two at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 6.15pm, is sure serve another epic storyline. Judging by the quarter-final scorelines, Bulls beat Edinburgh 42-33 while Sharks had to be clinical in the penalty shootout to go past Munster after a 24-24 extra time draw, there is no denying the home side a favourite's tag. The good news for South African rugby is that Mzansi already has a team in the final. Independent Newspapers rugbby writers Mike Greenaway and Leighton Koopman look at which side will win and why. WHY THE BULLS WILL WIN Leighton Koopman As South Africa's form side in the United Rugby Championship, boosted by home advantage and team that peaked at the right time of the year, the Bulls are in the inside lane to win the semi-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening. Their dominating scrum and physical forwards will give them the edge over the Sharks who had a thing of late to only arrive in the second half. While the competition at scrum time will be the perfect test of strength versus strength, it's the Bulls' overpowering scrum that will drive the visitors into submission. While there is an all-Bok front row for the Sharks too, tighthead Wilco Louw has been a destroyer up front and Nche will have a hard time keeping him in check. And on the other side, the young Jan-Hendrik Wessels will stand strong against veteran Vincent Koch. Then, the superiority of the Bulls in the lineout will outshine their opponents. Captain Ruan Nortjé will lick his lips at poaching balls but also securing them longside JF van Heerden and Cobus Wiese. The Sharks losing Eben Etzebeth and Jason Jenkins will be music to the ears of the Bulls' lineout. It is a risk bringing Johan Goosen back from injury and dropping him straight into the starting side, but he can pull the strings to set the backline running. Along with fullback Willie le Roux, they can open the gaps to set the likes of Canan Moodie and Sebastian de Klerk away. De Klerk and Moodie's prowess under the high kicks, and there will be plenty up and unders coming from Goosen and scrumhalf Embrose Papier. The Bulls' overall gameplan, they vary their tactics way better than the Sharks, should see them be too strong for their visitors, and they will progress to another final. WHY THE SHARKS WILL WIN Mike Greenaway The Sharks are a team tailor-made for high-pressure knockout games. John Plumtree has created a culture where the team loves to triumph over adversity. The Sharks have won their last six games without reaching anywhere near their potential. They are a dogged side that enjoys pulling the contest down into the trenches for unarmed combat. It won't worry them in the slightest that they are not scoring tries. Any way to the winner's podium will do, and if that means leaving the cork in the champagne rugby approach, so be it. The Bulls have been scoring an average of five tries per game at Loftus as their impressive backs cash in on the sparkling possession coming their way, but semi-finals and finals are different beasts. The pressure cranks up; defences get tighter; the aerial game is preferred to adventurous attack. All of this suits the Sharks and their street-fighter approach. They will drag the Bulls into an arm wrestle. This is the way the Sharks have been playing all season. In a sense, they have been playing finals rugby for most of the URC. There is also the significant fact that they have seven double World Cup-winning Springboks in their team, including four in their pack. Even without Etzebeth and Jenkins, this is a Sharks pack that can stand up to the Bulls. Leading them is Siya Kolisi. The Springbok captain's experience of making good decisions in the heat of battle will stand the Sharks in good stead, while his inspired move from flank to No 8 allows for Plumtree to pick a genuine fetcher in James Venter and an exceptional blindside flank in Vincent Tshituka, who was recently called up to the Springbok squad. It means the Sharks have an underrated loose trio to go with a solid tight five, so the Sharks' backs will get their fair share of decent possession. There is also the nagging suspicion that the Sharks' backline could click when it matters most. There are too many superstars in that back division for cohesion to evade them much longer.
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Welcome new World Rugby red card law punishes the individual, not the team or spectacle
Sam Cane Former All Black captain Sam Cane, seen here after the 2023 World Cup final, was red-carded in the first half against the Springboks. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Comment by Mike Greenaway World Rugby has confirmed that the controversial 20-minute red card system will be used in all rugby competitions from August 1. This is despite an outcry, mostly from the northern hemisphere, where critics contend that it will encourage foul play because 20 minutes is insufficient punishment. The new law, which has been trialled for a year in several competitions, permits a team to replace their red-carded player when a 20-minute period has elapsed. This means that the team with the offender is only down to 14 men for 20 minutes. World Rugby argues that this means games are not ruined as a spectacle because of a red card. Many southern hemisphere folk, and I am among that number, feel this is correct. Firstly, the culprit's game ends, so he or she has been punished, their team has been compromised for 20 minutes, but then it is 15 against 15 once more, and that gives the spectacle a much better chance of surviving. Also, the offending player often has done so accidentally. New Zealanders point out the example of All Black Sam Cane's red card in the 2023 World Cup. The captain clearly did not mean to make contact with the head of Jesse Kriel, in the 28th minute, and his team played without him for the rest of the game. Under the new law, Cane would have been replaced in the 48th minute. Ireland and France are prominent European countries to publicly oppose the law when it was applied in the last Six Nations. They feel that this law is a step backward in the war against concussion. Earlier this year, there was a clamour from the north that the law should not be applied in the series between the British and Irish Lions and the Wallabies later this year. But unfortunately for those critics, World Rugby have said the red card law will apply in that series, and also at the approaching Women's World Cup. World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson points out that copious information gathered from a year of trials indicates that the law has made no difference to the amount of dangerous tackles in rugby – the figure had not gone up or down. I think that makes sense. A player doesn't go into a game thinking, 'I can be replaced in 20 minutes, so I'm going to take somebody's head off.' Robinson said: 'Our mission is to ensure rugby is a compelling sport to play and watch. The 20-minute red card preserves the fairness and drama of elite competition by punishing the individual, not the entire team or the spectacle. 'Player welfare is non-negotiable. We monitor data around head injuries, tackle height and concussion rigorously – and transparently. 'If evidence ever indicated this trial posed greater risk, we would end it immediately.' A few weeks back, All Blacks great Justin Marshall gave his view, and I reckon he is spot-on. The former scrumhalf said that the paying public gets penalised when games are ruined by red cards. 'People are going to spend a load of money to come from the UK to watch the British and Irish Lions series, and what if we get two red cards in the first 10 minutes of the first two Test matches, and even the third, heaven forbid?' he said on the GBRANZ podcast.
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Odds on Mike: Sharks, Stormers and Bulls to win easily and Lions to save face
Eben Etzebeth Eben Etzebeth is back for the Sharks against the Ospreys. Photo: BackpagePix Independent Media rugby writer Mike Greenaway picks this weekend's rugby winners. This weekend is the final round of the United Rugby Championship, and there is last-minute jostling for positions in the top eight. It is the second weekend in a row that the four South African teams host a Welsh side, and once more, we expect the Bulls, Stormers, and Sharks to be good for their opposition, while the Lions are set to struggle once more. Stormers v Cardiff in Cape Town, 7pm on Friday Cardiff need to burgle a win here to have a chance of making the playoffs, but I can't see it happening with the way the Stormers are operating at the moment. The Stormers are on fire, and timing their URC run perfectly. Betting angle There is no point backing the Stormers simply to win because they are hot favourites. A better angle is to back the Stormers to win by 11 points or more. I reckon that with their playmakers, the Stormers are at least two scores better than Cardiff. Bulls v Dragons in Pretoria, 3pm This match is expected to be the most one-sided fixture of the round, with the second-placed Bulls hosting the worst-performing team in the URC. There will be plenty of emotion at Loftus Versfeld as the Bulls say farewell to Cornal Hendricks. They will want to say goodbye in style. Betting angle Accordingly, the only way to make cash on this game is to predict how big the hiding is going to be. The bet that I think offers good value is on the Bulls to win by 39 or more. Hollywoodbets will give you R90 for every R100 you bet on that one. Plus, your stake back. Lions v Ospreys in Johannesburg, 5.15pm Nothing is riding on this one, but pride after both teams lost last week to end hopes of sneaking into the top eight. Betting angle I have a feeling the hurting Lions are going to get up for this one and beat an Ospreys side with one foot on the plane. The Lions have some proud players and they don't like being the butt of jokes. I'm backing the Lions simply to win, and Hollywoodbets will give me R70 for every R100 I put on. Sharks v Scarlets in Durban, 7.30pm This game should be the most competitive of the weekend involving South African sides. The Scarlets famously beat Leinster, where the Sharks failed. Still, this Sharks side are slowly but surely growing in confidence as their whack of Springboks settle back in, including Eben Etzebeth. Betting angle Bet on the Sharks to win by 16 points or more.
The Star
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Bok legend Jaque Fourie wants Lions to keep their players as URC ambitions flounder
Mike Greenaway | Published 3 hours ago The sands of time have just about run out for the Lions in the United Rugby Championship's 'Race to Eight', and defence coach Jaque Fourie is concerned that the team are leaking star players such as Edwill van der Merwe, who will join the Sharks next season. The Johannesburg side host the Scarlets at Ellis Park on Sunday (3pm kick-off), and finish their URC league campaign the following week with a home fixture against the Ospreys. The Lions need the maximum 10 points from these last two games to have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, but they are hanging on to a slender straw. The highest points tally the Lions can hope for on the final log is 45, and no side has ever qualified for the URC playoffs with that tally. Fourie, a Springbok legend as a feisty outside centre, is worried about his team going forward. The latest Lions export to the Sharks is flying winger Van der Merwe, and Fourie is not happy that the talented back has chosen not to stay in Johannesburg. This has also been the case with other Durban-bound Lions stars in brothers Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka, flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse and prop Ruan Dreyer. 'We have to try to keep our talent here and ensure that all the players in the group improve,' Fourie said ahead of Sunday's match. 'It was difficult to lose experienced senior men such as Willem Alberts and Jaco Kriel in the past few seasons, and now Edwill. 'The Lions must retain the right group of players for the next few seasons, to some extent, as happened in 2013,' said Fourie. The Bok great is referring to the era when the Lions built a brilliant team under coaches Johan Ackerman and Swys de Bruin and won their way to three Super Rugby finals. This was between 2016 and 2018. 'There are a few young players like flank Renzo du Plessis, who have come to the fore this season. Hopefully we can produce a few more Springboks in the next two, three seasons, but we must keep them,' Fourie told Netwerk24 . The Lions are struggling in 13th position on the log, and while the game is surely up in terms of the playoffs, Fourie says the team must soldier on. 'There were some really good performances, and then games that we didn't expect to lose,' he said. 'There were three or four games that we should have won. Then our position on the points table would have looked much better. 'We would love to have been in a position at this stage of the season where we have a good chance of qualifying. Instead, we just have to win and hope.'
