Craig Coates and Johnny Smith have been involved in rugby in Houston and Texas A & M for many years.
They put together an outstanding rugby organization at A & M and then went on to form the Texas Collegiate rugby league and their own company to aid the Texas rugby community.
Please visit their sites.
http://www.t5andahalf.com/
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/t5-1-2-rugby-development-group
http://www.alliedrugby.com/
The quick reason I want to bring them to your attention is that with very little money they have begun to broadcast local collegiate and youth rugby games on their Ustream channel.
I know they have a different game every Monday night at 8pm.
I can't find their schedule on their site but I have an email which I shall find with the games to be shown.
Until then please go to the site and watch Craig and Johnny push Texas rugby into 21st century .....at last.
Why USA rugby or Texas Rugby Union does not promote and sponsor this endeavor is beyond me.
The first stage for increasing awareness is to get it on TV. The internet is a good place to start, but we need more.
There is talk of Russia and Romania having a professional league before the USA.
Heck the Japs have been paying big bucks for quality players for years. The pro league over there is brilliant.
The quality of rugby at club level is light years ahead of US.
Once again, just my opinion.
Friday, February 22, 2013
USA Eagles vs Ireland June 8
Get your seats now for this historic occasion.
http://www.bbvacompassstadium.com/usa-mens-rugby-vs-ireland-june-8th
This should be a sell out.
http://www.bbvacompassstadium.com/usa-mens-rugby-vs-ireland-june-8th
This should be a sell out.
Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon June 7
5th Annual Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon
June 7, 2013
The Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon is the brainchild of Scotsman Malcolm Douglas who holds fond memories of similar events in the UK. The concept is to bring together the rugby community once a year in the spirit of the game to renew friendships, relive past glories, and explore ways in which to move the game forward. Initially we had 3 goals.
· Demonstrate to USA Rugby that Houston wanted another test match. Last year Houston broke the attendance record for a domestic Test match when 17,214 people saw the USA play Italy.
· Support Youth Rugby Initiatives with donations to Houston Youth Rugby Association, Inc. (a non-profit 501c(3)
· Have a great time.
It's called the "Lost Afternoon" for obvious reasons: once you get together with your mates in such an atmosphere, the typical 90-minute luncheon turns into three hours - or more - so you might as well stick around and fully enjoy the experience! The extended time also provides the opportunity to hear from multiple speakers, watch some great action on the big screens, and still have plenty of time to "network." It's not unusual for guests to even book rooms or suites in the host hotel to continue well into the evening, especially those traveling from out-of-town.
Royal Sonesta Hotel
2222 West Loop South
Houston,TX 77027
Buy your tickets now. They will sell out fast.
The Irish and USA National teams will be in town on the evening of their historic game and who knows which Internationals may show up.
http://www.lostafternoon.org/
George Hook will be one of the speakers.
Whilst he is a great speaker, he was not a very adventurous coach.
Back in 2004 I had the misfortune of having to listen to him babble on about how to play rugby the Irish way in order to get my coaching credentials.
I sat at the back of the class and read a book.
June 7, 2013
The Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon is the brainchild of Scotsman Malcolm Douglas who holds fond memories of similar events in the UK. The concept is to bring together the rugby community once a year in the spirit of the game to renew friendships, relive past glories, and explore ways in which to move the game forward. Initially we had 3 goals.
· Demonstrate to USA Rugby that Houston wanted another test match. Last year Houston broke the attendance record for a domestic Test match when 17,214 people saw the USA play Italy.
· Support Youth Rugby Initiatives with donations to Houston Youth Rugby Association, Inc. (a non-profit 501c(3)
· Have a great time.
It's called the "Lost Afternoon" for obvious reasons: once you get together with your mates in such an atmosphere, the typical 90-minute luncheon turns into three hours - or more - so you might as well stick around and fully enjoy the experience! The extended time also provides the opportunity to hear from multiple speakers, watch some great action on the big screens, and still have plenty of time to "network." It's not unusual for guests to even book rooms or suites in the host hotel to continue well into the evening, especially those traveling from out-of-town.
Royal Sonesta Hotel
2222 West Loop South
Houston,TX 77027
Buy your tickets now. They will sell out fast.
The Irish and USA National teams will be in town on the evening of their historic game and who knows which Internationals may show up.
http://www.lostafternoon.org/
George Hook will be one of the speakers.
Whilst he is a great speaker, he was not a very adventurous coach.
Back in 2004 I had the misfortune of having to listen to him babble on about how to play rugby the Irish way in order to get my coaching credentials.
I sat at the back of the class and read a book.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Hong Kong 7s draw March 22-24
The official draw for the biggest ever Hong Kong Sevens was held in
Hong Kong on the 21 February
- Hong Kong to host biggest ever IRB Sevens tournament
- 28 teams to compete across two competitions
- 12 regional teams to battle in World Series core team pre-qualifier
The IRB has confirmed the pool draw for round six of the HSBC
Sevens World Series, the 2013 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong
Sevens, on 22-24 March.
The draw took place at Hysan Place in Hong Kong and also included
the core team pre-qualifier draw alongside the main 16-team
competition which features the 15 core sides and Asian Sevens
Series champions and hosts Hong Kong.
The hosts will play matches with Spain, Fiji and Canada in Pool D,
while USA Sevens champions South Africa meet reigning Rugby
World Cup Sevens champions Wales, Argentina and Australia in Pool
A.
Current Series leaders New Zealand were drawn alongside USA,
France and Kenya in Pool D, while Samoa, Scotland, England and
Portugal make up Pool C.
So far this season, five different teams have won the five
tournaments. Fiji won the Series opener in Australia, Samoa lifted
the Dubai Sevens title, New Zealand won in South Africa, England
won in Wellington and South Africa were crowned champions at the
most recent tournament in Las Vegas.
As the Series heads to Hong Kong, New Zealand top the table with
96 points, ahead of South Africa (76), Samoa (71) and Fiji (66).
With the addition of the core team pre-qualifier, the Cathay
Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens remains the largest tournament on
the HSBC Sevens World Series with 28 teams.
The 2013 tournament marks the largest field ever hosted in the 38
-year history of the Hong Kong Sevens and the first increase in the
number of participating teams since the 24-team format was
adopted in 1984.
The HSBC Sevens World Series pre-qualifier being played in Hong
Kong will comprise 12 teams, including two regional champions from
all six Rugby regions recognised by the IRB.
In the pre-qualifier, the participating teams will be playing for the
right to advance as one of the top four teams from that competition
to the London Sevens at Twickenham in May 2013. Those four
teams will be joined by Hong Kong, who earned an automatic
exemption to the London Sevens as Asian champions.
In London, these five teams will pair off against the bottom three
placed teams on the Series standings in an eight-team final
qualification tournament after the penultimate Series event in
Scotland. The top three teams from the London Sevens qualifier will
gain core team status on the HSBC Sevens World Series in
2013/2014.
Core team pre-qualifier:
Pool E: Tonga, South America 1, Tunisia, Chinese Taipei
Pool F: Japan, Georgia, South America 2, Jamaica
Pool G: Russia, Zimbabwe, Cook Islands and Mexico
*The South American teams will be known after the CONSUR
Sevens Championship in Rio de Janeiro on 23-24 February.
Super 15 22nd and 23rd Feb Rd2
All times Houston
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Highlanders v Chiefs 00:35
Rebels v Brumbies 02:40
Bulls v Stormers 11:10
Sat 23 Feb
Hurricanes v Blues 00:35
Reds v Waratahs 02:40
Cheetahs v Sharks 09:05
Southern Kings v Force 11:10
The best picture on internet last year was www.kostatz.webs.com
He will give you a password when you make a donation.
I don't know how he does it, but it is almost as if you were watching on TV.
He must have state of the art computer equipment.
I donate $5 a month. I am really grateful for the quality of the coverage. But a single payment of $5 for whole season should suffice
Click on donate and you'll go through Paypal.
If you don't have a paypal account, I'm sure there is a way of donating via credit card.
Once again Wiziwig and vipbox are the 2 main places to watch for free.
If you have Direct TV, check to see if it is available.
I'll find out soon and post.
One of the satellite companies usually coverage. This is the way Kostatz gets his feed as he lives in Lake Tahoe.
Another good site is on vipbox.tv
It is a 24/7 rugby channel out of New Zealand
http://www.vipbox.tv/rugby/136237/1/rugby-tv-24x7-live-stream-online.html
You can find the schedule here;
http://www.skysport.co.nz/
go to rugby channel.
Lots of replays here. So, if you miss a game go here.
It doesn't get any better.
Super Rugby 2013 Round 2 is sure to be a cracker with last weekend's Australian conference only matches barely enough to whet the appetite. There are seven matches in Super Rugby 2013 Round 2 and despite being a tipster of some repute, several of these matches are tough to call. The early rounds are often tight with local derby matches and all teams are relatively fresh before the lack of depth of some squads is exposed.
Highlanders vs Chiefs
The Super Rugby 2013 action kicks off in Dunedin at the flash new Forsyth Barr Stadium infront of a packed crowd of students back from the University holidays. The Highlanders have been bolstered by the old All Blacks stars like Tony Woodcock and Ma'a Nonu to add some experience to their team. This match will be a typical tussle between the galant Highlanders who play with plenty of mongrel and the Super Rugby 2012 champions. Both teams are missing players, with All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore suspended and fellow All Blacks Tamati Ellison and Brad Thorn also missing. The Chiefs have been hit by a backline especially ravaged by injuries and when you consider that they won't have gamebreakers like Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams, Sona Taumalolo, Robbie Robinson and Andrew Horrell then they may struggle. In saying this, they have some exciting young players who excelled at ITM Cup level like Bundee Aki, Gareth Anscombe and Tim Nanai-Williams who will keep the Highlanders on their toes. The battle between the Number 9s will be awesome, while John Hardie must rise to the challenge of All Black Sam Cane and get to the breakdowns or else the Highlanders may not see much possession. The Highlanders need to get back to nailing their set pieces like they always used to, this will enable Ben Smith and new skipper Hosea Gear a chance to cut loose at the back.
Teams
Highlanders
1. Tony Woodcock , 2. Brayden Mitchell , 3. Ma'afu Fia , 4. Jarrad Hoeata (vc) , 5. Josh Bekhuis , 6. Joe Wheeler , 7. John Hardie , 8. Nasi Manu , 9. Aaron Smith , 10. Lima Sopoaga , 11. Hosea Gear (c) , 12. Ma'a Nonu , 13. Phil Burleigh , 14. Kade Poki , 15. Ben Smith
Replacements :16. Liam Coltman , 17. Bronson Murray , 18. Elliot Dixon , 19. Tim Boys , 20. Fumiaki Tanaka , 21. Hayden Parker , 22. Buxton Popoalii
Chiefs
1. Pauliasi Manu, 2. Hika Elliot, 3. Ben Afeaki, 4. Craig Clarke (c) , 5. Brodie Retallick, 6. Liam Messam, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Fritz Lee, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 10. Aaron Cruden, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 12. Bundee Aki, 13. Tim Nanai-Williams, 14. Patrick Osborne , 15. Gareth Anscombe
16. Rhys Marshall, 17. Ben Tameifuna, 18. Michael Fitzgerald, 19. Tanerau Latimer, 20. Augustine Pulu, 21. Charlie Ngatai, 22. Lelia Masaga
Players to watch - Aaron Cruden, Liam Messam, Lima Sopoaga, Ma'a Nonu, Brodie Retallick, Joe Wheeler, Hosea Gear.
My pick - Highlanders by 5
Rebels vs Brumbies
Both of these teams won last week and so they are fighting for the top of the table in the Australian conference. The Brumbies were the more impressive side last week and should win, but the Rebels have that handful of stars who will make life tough for the visitors. This game also threatens to be quite close, although I think if the impressive Jesse Mogg has anything to do with it, then the Brumbies should win.
Teams
Rebels
15. James O'Connor , 14. Lachlan Mitchell , 13. Mitch Inman , 12. Rory Sidey , 11. Richard Kingi , 10. Kurtley Beale , 9. Nick Phipps , 8. Gareth Delve (c) , 7. Scott Fuglistaller , 6. Scott Higginbotham , 5. Luke Jones , 4. Hugh Pyle , 3. Laurie Weeks , 2. Ged Robinson , 1. Nic Henderson
Replacements : 16. Shota Horie , 17. Paul Alo-Emile , 18. Cadeyrn Neville , 19. Jarrod Saffy , 20. Nic Stirzaker , 21. Alex Rokobaro , 22. Tom English
Brumbies
1. Ben Alexander , 2. Stephen Moore , 3. Dan Palmer , 4. Scott Fardy , 5. Sam Carter , 6. Peter Kimlin , 7. David Pocock , 8. Ben Mowen (c) , 9. Nic White , 10. Matt Toomua , 11. Clyde Rathbone , 12. Christian Lealiifano , 13. Andrew Smith , 14. Joe Tomane , 15. Jesse Mogg
Replacements , 16. Siliva Siliva , 17. Scott Sio , 18. Fotu Auelua , 19. Colby Faingaa , 20. Ian Prior , 21. Robbie Coleman , 22. Tevita Kuridrani
Players to watch - Stephen Moore, Hugh Pyle, James O'Connor, Scott Higginbotham and Jesse Mogg.
My pick - Brumbies by 10 or more.
Bulls vs Stormers
The battle between two traditional heavyweights the Bulls and the Stormers will be a great match. The Stormers are the most fancied South African side, up against the Bulls team which has lost some of the players which made it such a great side in the past. The Stormers will be missing Schalk Burger, but should be too strong for the Bulls. The Bulls offer limited attack and both teams have massive forward packs, so this will be a tight match.
Overall the Stormers have a winning percentage over the Bulls of 56% and the Bulls have lost 39% of their matches against the Stormers. There was also a 19-all draw between the teams in 2000 in Cape Town.
In Pretoria the Bulls have hosted the Stormers nine times and won four times. That means that the Bulls have also lost 56% of their matches against the Stormers at home.
The average score when the Bulls play the Stormers in Pretoria is Bulls 28 Stormers 22.
Worryingly for the Bulls is that the Stormers have won their last two matches against the Bulls at Loftus and the last time they lost in Pretoria was in March 2009.
The Bulls have named a team which heavily relies on experience. They have depth this year as well as experience.
Bulls loosehead Morne Mellett and Stormers inside centre Damian de Allende will be making their Super Rugby debuts.
The 2013 Stormers have experience and a little bit of flair with the addition of Elton Jantjies and a couple of other new additions such as Jaco Taute and both have been named in the starting line up.
On paper the Stormers look to be the slightly stronger team.
Teams
Bulls
Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson , Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (c), Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe,Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Morne Mellett.
Replacements: Willie Wepener Frik Kirsten, Grant Hattingh, Arno Both, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouche, Francois Venter.
Stormers
15. Jaco Taute , 14. Gio Aplon , 13. Jean de Villiers (captain) , 12. Damian de Allende , 11. Bryan Habana , 10. Elton Jantjies , 9. Nic Groom , 8. Duane Vermeulen , 7. Rynhardt Elstadt , 6. Siya Kolisi , 5. Andries Bekker , 4. De Kock Steenkamp , 3. Pat Cilliers , 2. Deon Fourie , 1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements : 16. Martin Bezuidenhout , 17. Frans Malherbe , 18. Don Armand , 19. Nizaam Carr , 20. Dewaldt Duvenage , 21. Gerhard van den Heever , 22. Joe Pietersen
Players to watch - Deon Fourie, Jaco Taute, Siya Kolisi, Elton Jantjies, Bryan Habana, Juandre Kruger, Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies.
My pick - Stormers by 5.
Hurricanes vs Blues
Interestingly, the Blues start Saturday night's game against a team which was in a similar position to them last year. This is year two of the new era for the Hurricanes against the Blues who are in the first year of a new cycle. The Hurricanes were one of the best attacking teams last season, while the Blues have plenty of gamebreakers. The Hurricanes are favourites for this game, but the Blues have had a promising preseason and so this game could be high scoring. Watch for some bargains in the Blues, while the Hurricanes players like Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett, Victor Vito, Julian Savea and Andre Taylor could score plenty of points.
There are four players in the Blues team for this weekend that will be making their Super Rugby debut but Piri Weepu will win his 100th Super Rugby cap and Rene Ranger will play in his 50th Super Rugby match.
The Hurricanes on the other hand have a similar look to the team that played last year but with a few changes such as Ben Franks coming in to the starting line up.
Blues coach John Kirwan said earlier this week that the Blues are a work in progress and it will take time for them to become the team they once were.
The Hurricanes and the Blues are both in a rebuilding phase but the Hurricanes are building on last year's progress while the Blues are starting from fresh. The Hurricanes will also have home advantage.
Teams
Hurricanes
1. Ben Franks,2. Dane Coles,3. Ben May,4. Jeremy Thrush,5. Jason Eaton,6. Victor Vito,7. Karl Lowe,8. Brad Shields,9. TJ Perenara,10. Beauden Barrett,11. Julian Savea,12. Tim Bateman,13. Conrad Smith (c),14. Alapati Leiua,15. Andre Taylor
Replacements : 16. Ash Dixon,17. Reggie Goodes,18. Mark Reddish,19. Faifili Levave,20. Chris Smylie,21. James Marshall,22. Reynold Lee-Lo
Blues
15. Charles Piutau ,14. Frank Halai,13. Rene Ranger ,12. Francis Saili,11. George Moala,10. Chris Noakes,9. Piri Weepu ,8. Peter Saili,7. Luke Braid,6. Steven Luatua,5. Ali Williams (C),4. Culum Retallick,3. Charlie Faumuina,2. James Parsons,1. Tom McCartney
Replacements :16. Quentin MacDonald,17. Angus Ta'avao,18. Liaki Moli,19. Brendon O'Connor,20. Bryn Hall,21. Baden Kerr,22. Jackson Willison
Tough game to pick for me. Bookies have given Blues a 6pt start.
My pick - The Hurricanes by 2
Players to watch - Julian Savea, Andre Taylor, Conrad Smith, Beauden Barrett, Alapati Leiua, Dane Coles, Victor Vito, Charles Piutau, Frank Halai, Francis Saili, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu.
Reds vs Waratahs
The Reds were disappointing last week and will be missing James Horwill and Will Genia. These local derbies are tough encounters and it will be interesting to see the new look Waratahs playing a new brand of rugby. The Waratahs will have more potential than in the past with the performance of Israel Folau a talking point. I think the Reds will miss the direction of Genia and Horwill and so far Quade Cooper hasn't done anything to suggest that he can fill their leadership shoes.
The Waratahs have a new playing style for this Super Rugby season and they have a couple of new players. The highest profile new player in the Waratahs line up is code hopper Israel Folau.
Folau is a dangerous player with the ball but has had little time in Rugby Union so the Reds may put him under pressure in certain situations.
The Reds will still be without their star No.9 Will Genia this week and last week the Brumbies nullified Quade Cooper by making sure the Reds got little playable ball. The forwards know they will have to step up this week.
Last week the Waratahs had a bye which gives the Reds a significant advantage as they will be up to speed in Super Rugby while the Waratahs will be less familiar with each other and their new game plan.
Bookies have given Waratahs a 1 pt start. I think that is about right given they are playing away. I normally say the team playing at home is worth 5 pts. So, the fact that Tahs only have a 1 pt start suggests bookies believe Tahs have a good chance.
Teams
Reds
1. Greg Holmes,2. Saia Faingaa,3. James Slipper (c),4. Ed O'Donoghue,5. Rob Simmons,6. Eddie Quirk ,7. Liam Gill,8. Jake Schatz,9. Ben Lucas,10. Quade Cooper,11. Digby Ioane,12. Ben Tapuai (vc),13. Chris Feauai-Sautia,14. Dom Shipperley,15. Mike Harris
Replacements : 16. James Hanson,17. Albert Anae,18. Adam Wallace-Harrison,19. Jarrad Butler,20. Nick Frisby,21. Jono Lance,22. Luke Morahan
Waratahs
15. Israel Folau ,14. Drew Mitchell ,13. Adam Ashley-Cooper ,12. Tom Carter ,11. Tom Kingston ,10. Bernard Foley,,9. Brendan McKibbin ,8. Wycliff Palu ,7. Michael Hooper ,6. Dave Dennis (c),5. Kane Douglas ,4. Sitaleki Timani ,3. Sekope Kepu ,2. Tatafu Polota-Nau ,1. Jeremy Tilse
Replacements:16. John Ulugia ,17. Benn Robinson ,18. Paddy Ryan , 19. Mitchell Chapman ,20. Lopeti Timani ,21. Matt Lucas ,22. Ben Volavola
My pick - Waratahs by 2.
Players to watch - Sitaleki Timani, Drew Mitchell, Israel Folau, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Digby Ioane, Saia Faingaa.
Cheetahs vs Sharks
The Cheetahs are always entertaining with their attacking style of play but their defence has let them down in recent seasons. The Sharks should win this game given that they are one of the favourites for the overall title, but derby matches can provide the underdogs with the incentive they need. The Cheetahs have enough quality players to keep the Sharks honest.
Just about every statistic from the Cheetahs and Sharks history points to the Sharks winning.
Both teams have said how well their preparations have gone in the pre-season and both teams have lost high profile players to injury.
Last season the Cheetahs finished in 10th place while the Sharks reached the final.
Since last year the Cheetahs have lost Sias Ebersohn (Western Force), flanker Ashley Johnson (London Wasps), lock George Earl (Scarlets), prop WP Nel (Edinburgh) and centre Andries Strauss.
There have been a couple of new signings in former Boland flyhalf Elgar Watts and former Bulls centre Johann Sadie but no new big name players.
The Cheetahs will be aiming to improve on last year's final position but they shouldn't threaten too many of the bigger teams.
The Sharks have recruited Butch James and lock Franco van der Merwe for this season and have lost Ross Skeate and Steven Sykes and Frenchman Frederic Michalak.
Overall the Sharks have not lost too much but they do have a lot more experience having reached the final. They should worry a lot of teams and should be challenging for the South African Conference title if not the Super Rugby title.
Bookies have given Cheetahs a 6 pt start which is about right.
Teams
Sharks
Louis Ludik, JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Francois Steyn (captain), Lwazi Mvovo, Patrick Lambie, Cobus Reinach, Ryan Kankowski, Marcell Coetzee, Jacques Botes, Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Craig Burden, Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Wiehahn Herbst, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Meyer Bosman, Odwa Ndungane.
Cheetahs
Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Johan Goosen, Piet van Zyl, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Frans Viljoen, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Waltie Vermeulen, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Elgar Watts, Ryno Benjamin.
My pick - Sharks by 7.
Players to watch - Adriaan Strauss, Johan Goosen, Lappies Labuchagne, Craig Burden, Marcell Coetzee, JP Pietersen, Patrick Lambie, Franc Steyn.
Kings vs Force
This is probably the best chance the Kings have for victory. The Force are the other rank outsider in the competition and this game is being played in South Africa. The Kings have had to draw on players from far and wide in an attempt to have a competitive team. Given their recent results, the only thing they are favourites for is the wooden spoon. The Kings are a new entity and they will be looking to set their own standards in the coming months.
They have a host of players who will be making their Super Rugby debuts and realise it will not be easy, but Kings coach Matt Sexton said his team had done as much as they could in preparation for their debut.
"Whatever we could do, we've done as far as preparation goes," Sexton said.
Mixed in with the newbies, are a host of players that have played a fair amount of Super Rugby, including Kings captain Luke Watson, who has played 82 matches at this level for The Sharks and the Stormers, Steven Sykes (69 for The Sharks), Andries Strauss (40 for The Sharks and Cheetahs) and Bandise Maku (33 for the Bulls and Lions).
"We have a number of experienced players who have played a lot of Super Rugby, but on the flip side there are some who have not," said Watson.
"We all have to start somewhere and we have no doubt in the ability and commitment of those guys who will be pulling on a Super Rugby jersey for the first time."
No one really knows how good or bad the Southern Kings are. We have no statistics as they are brand new to Super Rugby but we do have some stats on the Force in South Africa.
The Force have already played one match this season so they are match fit and they have Super Rugby experience.
The last three teams to enter Super Rugby all lost their opening matches so a good result for the Southern Kings would be to do better than any one of the last three debutants.
Kings have maybe half a dozen decent players of Super XV level quality. I include Luke watson in that group although he is in his twilight years.
Teams
Southern Kings
15 SP Marais, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8. Luke Watson (c), 7. Wimpie van der Walt, 6. Cornell du Preez, 5. Steven Sykes, 4 David Bulbring, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira
Replacements : 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Jaco Engels, 18 Daniel Adongo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Johan Herbst, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Hadleigh Parkes
Western Force
To follow. At the time of writing the Force had not released their team.
My pick - Force by 14.
Players to watch - Luke Watson, Bandise Maku, Ronnie Cooke, Alf Mafi, Nick Cummins (if playing), Angus Cottrell.
Well after first 3 games this tipper has not done well.
Chiefs played great rugby and beat Highlanders 41-27.
If you can't spare the time to watch the full replay on the 24/7 channel, here is the highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ9eRqWE9dg&feature=em-uploademail&noredirect=1
Brumbies did beat Rebels 30-13
Bulls beat Stormers 25-17. A really bad call by ref and TMO allowed one converted try for Bulls.
But, once again, Stormers have a problem unleashing their backs. This pundit thinks they are one of the best in league.
Next game is Hurricanes vs Blues...should be interesting.
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Highlanders v Chiefs 00:35
Rebels v Brumbies 02:40
Bulls v Stormers 11:10
Sat 23 Feb
Hurricanes v Blues 00:35
Reds v Waratahs 02:40
Cheetahs v Sharks 09:05
Southern Kings v Force 11:10
The best picture on internet last year was www.kostatz.webs.com
He will give you a password when you make a donation.
I don't know how he does it, but it is almost as if you were watching on TV.
He must have state of the art computer equipment.
I donate $5 a month. I am really grateful for the quality of the coverage. But a single payment of $5 for whole season should suffice
Click on donate and you'll go through Paypal.
If you don't have a paypal account, I'm sure there is a way of donating via credit card.
Once again Wiziwig and vipbox are the 2 main places to watch for free.
If you have Direct TV, check to see if it is available.
I'll find out soon and post.
One of the satellite companies usually coverage. This is the way Kostatz gets his feed as he lives in Lake Tahoe.
Another good site is on vipbox.tv
It is a 24/7 rugby channel out of New Zealand
http://www.vipbox.tv/rugby/136237/1/rugby-tv-24x7-live-stream-online.html
You can find the schedule here;
http://www.skysport.co.nz/
go to rugby channel.
Lots of replays here. So, if you miss a game go here.
It doesn't get any better.
Super Rugby 2013 Round 2 is sure to be a cracker with last weekend's Australian conference only matches barely enough to whet the appetite. There are seven matches in Super Rugby 2013 Round 2 and despite being a tipster of some repute, several of these matches are tough to call. The early rounds are often tight with local derby matches and all teams are relatively fresh before the lack of depth of some squads is exposed.
Highlanders vs Chiefs
The Super Rugby 2013 action kicks off in Dunedin at the flash new Forsyth Barr Stadium infront of a packed crowd of students back from the University holidays. The Highlanders have been bolstered by the old All Blacks stars like Tony Woodcock and Ma'a Nonu to add some experience to their team. This match will be a typical tussle between the galant Highlanders who play with plenty of mongrel and the Super Rugby 2012 champions. Both teams are missing players, with All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore suspended and fellow All Blacks Tamati Ellison and Brad Thorn also missing. The Chiefs have been hit by a backline especially ravaged by injuries and when you consider that they won't have gamebreakers like Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams, Sona Taumalolo, Robbie Robinson and Andrew Horrell then they may struggle. In saying this, they have some exciting young players who excelled at ITM Cup level like Bundee Aki, Gareth Anscombe and Tim Nanai-Williams who will keep the Highlanders on their toes. The battle between the Number 9s will be awesome, while John Hardie must rise to the challenge of All Black Sam Cane and get to the breakdowns or else the Highlanders may not see much possession. The Highlanders need to get back to nailing their set pieces like they always used to, this will enable Ben Smith and new skipper Hosea Gear a chance to cut loose at the back.
Teams
Highlanders
1. Tony Woodcock , 2. Brayden Mitchell , 3. Ma'afu Fia , 4. Jarrad Hoeata (vc) , 5. Josh Bekhuis , 6. Joe Wheeler , 7. John Hardie , 8. Nasi Manu , 9. Aaron Smith , 10. Lima Sopoaga , 11. Hosea Gear (c) , 12. Ma'a Nonu , 13. Phil Burleigh , 14. Kade Poki , 15. Ben Smith
Replacements :16. Liam Coltman , 17. Bronson Murray , 18. Elliot Dixon , 19. Tim Boys , 20. Fumiaki Tanaka , 21. Hayden Parker , 22. Buxton Popoalii
Chiefs
1. Pauliasi Manu, 2. Hika Elliot, 3. Ben Afeaki, 4. Craig Clarke (c) , 5. Brodie Retallick, 6. Liam Messam, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Fritz Lee, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 10. Aaron Cruden, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 12. Bundee Aki, 13. Tim Nanai-Williams, 14. Patrick Osborne , 15. Gareth Anscombe
16. Rhys Marshall, 17. Ben Tameifuna, 18. Michael Fitzgerald, 19. Tanerau Latimer, 20. Augustine Pulu, 21. Charlie Ngatai, 22. Lelia Masaga
Players to watch - Aaron Cruden, Liam Messam, Lima Sopoaga, Ma'a Nonu, Brodie Retallick, Joe Wheeler, Hosea Gear.
My pick - Highlanders by 5
Rebels vs Brumbies
Both of these teams won last week and so they are fighting for the top of the table in the Australian conference. The Brumbies were the more impressive side last week and should win, but the Rebels have that handful of stars who will make life tough for the visitors. This game also threatens to be quite close, although I think if the impressive Jesse Mogg has anything to do with it, then the Brumbies should win.
Teams
Rebels
15. James O'Connor , 14. Lachlan Mitchell , 13. Mitch Inman , 12. Rory Sidey , 11. Richard Kingi , 10. Kurtley Beale , 9. Nick Phipps , 8. Gareth Delve (c) , 7. Scott Fuglistaller , 6. Scott Higginbotham , 5. Luke Jones , 4. Hugh Pyle , 3. Laurie Weeks , 2. Ged Robinson , 1. Nic Henderson
Replacements : 16. Shota Horie , 17. Paul Alo-Emile , 18. Cadeyrn Neville , 19. Jarrod Saffy , 20. Nic Stirzaker , 21. Alex Rokobaro , 22. Tom English
Brumbies
1. Ben Alexander , 2. Stephen Moore , 3. Dan Palmer , 4. Scott Fardy , 5. Sam Carter , 6. Peter Kimlin , 7. David Pocock , 8. Ben Mowen (c) , 9. Nic White , 10. Matt Toomua , 11. Clyde Rathbone , 12. Christian Lealiifano , 13. Andrew Smith , 14. Joe Tomane , 15. Jesse Mogg
Replacements , 16. Siliva Siliva , 17. Scott Sio , 18. Fotu Auelua , 19. Colby Faingaa , 20. Ian Prior , 21. Robbie Coleman , 22. Tevita Kuridrani
Players to watch - Stephen Moore, Hugh Pyle, James O'Connor, Scott Higginbotham and Jesse Mogg.
My pick - Brumbies by 10 or more.
Bulls vs Stormers
The battle between two traditional heavyweights the Bulls and the Stormers will be a great match. The Stormers are the most fancied South African side, up against the Bulls team which has lost some of the players which made it such a great side in the past. The Stormers will be missing Schalk Burger, but should be too strong for the Bulls. The Bulls offer limited attack and both teams have massive forward packs, so this will be a tight match.
Overall the Stormers have a winning percentage over the Bulls of 56% and the Bulls have lost 39% of their matches against the Stormers. There was also a 19-all draw between the teams in 2000 in Cape Town.
In Pretoria the Bulls have hosted the Stormers nine times and won four times. That means that the Bulls have also lost 56% of their matches against the Stormers at home.
The average score when the Bulls play the Stormers in Pretoria is Bulls 28 Stormers 22.
Worryingly for the Bulls is that the Stormers have won their last two matches against the Bulls at Loftus and the last time they lost in Pretoria was in March 2009.
The Bulls have named a team which heavily relies on experience. They have depth this year as well as experience.
Bulls loosehead Morne Mellett and Stormers inside centre Damian de Allende will be making their Super Rugby debuts.
The 2013 Stormers have experience and a little bit of flair with the addition of Elton Jantjies and a couple of other new additions such as Jaco Taute and both have been named in the starting line up.
On paper the Stormers look to be the slightly stronger team.
Teams
Bulls
Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson , Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (c), Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe,Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Morne Mellett.
Replacements: Willie Wepener Frik Kirsten, Grant Hattingh, Arno Both, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouche, Francois Venter.
Stormers
15. Jaco Taute , 14. Gio Aplon , 13. Jean de Villiers (captain) , 12. Damian de Allende , 11. Bryan Habana , 10. Elton Jantjies , 9. Nic Groom , 8. Duane Vermeulen , 7. Rynhardt Elstadt , 6. Siya Kolisi , 5. Andries Bekker , 4. De Kock Steenkamp , 3. Pat Cilliers , 2. Deon Fourie , 1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements : 16. Martin Bezuidenhout , 17. Frans Malherbe , 18. Don Armand , 19. Nizaam Carr , 20. Dewaldt Duvenage , 21. Gerhard van den Heever , 22. Joe Pietersen
Players to watch - Deon Fourie, Jaco Taute, Siya Kolisi, Elton Jantjies, Bryan Habana, Juandre Kruger, Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies.
My pick - Stormers by 5.
Hurricanes vs Blues
Interestingly, the Blues start Saturday night's game against a team which was in a similar position to them last year. This is year two of the new era for the Hurricanes against the Blues who are in the first year of a new cycle. The Hurricanes were one of the best attacking teams last season, while the Blues have plenty of gamebreakers. The Hurricanes are favourites for this game, but the Blues have had a promising preseason and so this game could be high scoring. Watch for some bargains in the Blues, while the Hurricanes players like Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett, Victor Vito, Julian Savea and Andre Taylor could score plenty of points.
There are four players in the Blues team for this weekend that will be making their Super Rugby debut but Piri Weepu will win his 100th Super Rugby cap and Rene Ranger will play in his 50th Super Rugby match.
The Hurricanes on the other hand have a similar look to the team that played last year but with a few changes such as Ben Franks coming in to the starting line up.
Blues coach John Kirwan said earlier this week that the Blues are a work in progress and it will take time for them to become the team they once were.
The Hurricanes and the Blues are both in a rebuilding phase but the Hurricanes are building on last year's progress while the Blues are starting from fresh. The Hurricanes will also have home advantage.
Teams
Hurricanes
1. Ben Franks,2. Dane Coles,3. Ben May,4. Jeremy Thrush,5. Jason Eaton,6. Victor Vito,7. Karl Lowe,8. Brad Shields,9. TJ Perenara,10. Beauden Barrett,11. Julian Savea,12. Tim Bateman,13. Conrad Smith (c),14. Alapati Leiua,15. Andre Taylor
Replacements : 16. Ash Dixon,17. Reggie Goodes,18. Mark Reddish,19. Faifili Levave,20. Chris Smylie,21. James Marshall,22. Reynold Lee-Lo
Blues
15. Charles Piutau ,14. Frank Halai,13. Rene Ranger ,12. Francis Saili,11. George Moala,10. Chris Noakes,9. Piri Weepu ,8. Peter Saili,7. Luke Braid,6. Steven Luatua,5. Ali Williams (C),4. Culum Retallick,3. Charlie Faumuina,2. James Parsons,1. Tom McCartney
Replacements :16. Quentin MacDonald,17. Angus Ta'avao,18. Liaki Moli,19. Brendon O'Connor,20. Bryn Hall,21. Baden Kerr,22. Jackson Willison
Tough game to pick for me. Bookies have given Blues a 6pt start.
My pick - The Hurricanes by 2
Players to watch - Julian Savea, Andre Taylor, Conrad Smith, Beauden Barrett, Alapati Leiua, Dane Coles, Victor Vito, Charles Piutau, Frank Halai, Francis Saili, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu.
Reds vs Waratahs
The Reds were disappointing last week and will be missing James Horwill and Will Genia. These local derbies are tough encounters and it will be interesting to see the new look Waratahs playing a new brand of rugby. The Waratahs will have more potential than in the past with the performance of Israel Folau a talking point. I think the Reds will miss the direction of Genia and Horwill and so far Quade Cooper hasn't done anything to suggest that he can fill their leadership shoes.
The Waratahs have a new playing style for this Super Rugby season and they have a couple of new players. The highest profile new player in the Waratahs line up is code hopper Israel Folau.
Folau is a dangerous player with the ball but has had little time in Rugby Union so the Reds may put him under pressure in certain situations.
The Reds will still be without their star No.9 Will Genia this week and last week the Brumbies nullified Quade Cooper by making sure the Reds got little playable ball. The forwards know they will have to step up this week.
Last week the Waratahs had a bye which gives the Reds a significant advantage as they will be up to speed in Super Rugby while the Waratahs will be less familiar with each other and their new game plan.
Bookies have given Waratahs a 1 pt start. I think that is about right given they are playing away. I normally say the team playing at home is worth 5 pts. So, the fact that Tahs only have a 1 pt start suggests bookies believe Tahs have a good chance.
Teams
Reds
1. Greg Holmes,2. Saia Faingaa,3. James Slipper (c),4. Ed O'Donoghue,5. Rob Simmons,6. Eddie Quirk ,7. Liam Gill,8. Jake Schatz,9. Ben Lucas,10. Quade Cooper,11. Digby Ioane,12. Ben Tapuai (vc),13. Chris Feauai-Sautia,14. Dom Shipperley,15. Mike Harris
Replacements : 16. James Hanson,17. Albert Anae,18. Adam Wallace-Harrison,19. Jarrad Butler,20. Nick Frisby,21. Jono Lance,22. Luke Morahan
Waratahs
15. Israel Folau ,14. Drew Mitchell ,13. Adam Ashley-Cooper ,12. Tom Carter ,11. Tom Kingston ,10. Bernard Foley,,9. Brendan McKibbin ,8. Wycliff Palu ,7. Michael Hooper ,6. Dave Dennis (c),5. Kane Douglas ,4. Sitaleki Timani ,3. Sekope Kepu ,2. Tatafu Polota-Nau ,1. Jeremy Tilse
Replacements:16. John Ulugia ,17. Benn Robinson ,18. Paddy Ryan , 19. Mitchell Chapman ,20. Lopeti Timani ,21. Matt Lucas ,22. Ben Volavola
My pick - Waratahs by 2.
Players to watch - Sitaleki Timani, Drew Mitchell, Israel Folau, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Digby Ioane, Saia Faingaa.
Cheetahs vs Sharks
The Cheetahs are always entertaining with their attacking style of play but their defence has let them down in recent seasons. The Sharks should win this game given that they are one of the favourites for the overall title, but derby matches can provide the underdogs with the incentive they need. The Cheetahs have enough quality players to keep the Sharks honest.
Just about every statistic from the Cheetahs and Sharks history points to the Sharks winning.
Both teams have said how well their preparations have gone in the pre-season and both teams have lost high profile players to injury.
Last season the Cheetahs finished in 10th place while the Sharks reached the final.
Since last year the Cheetahs have lost Sias Ebersohn (Western Force), flanker Ashley Johnson (London Wasps), lock George Earl (Scarlets), prop WP Nel (Edinburgh) and centre Andries Strauss.
There have been a couple of new signings in former Boland flyhalf Elgar Watts and former Bulls centre Johann Sadie but no new big name players.
The Cheetahs will be aiming to improve on last year's final position but they shouldn't threaten too many of the bigger teams.
The Sharks have recruited Butch James and lock Franco van der Merwe for this season and have lost Ross Skeate and Steven Sykes and Frenchman Frederic Michalak.
Overall the Sharks have not lost too much but they do have a lot more experience having reached the final. They should worry a lot of teams and should be challenging for the South African Conference title if not the Super Rugby title.
Bookies have given Cheetahs a 6 pt start which is about right.
Teams
Sharks
Louis Ludik, JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Francois Steyn (captain), Lwazi Mvovo, Patrick Lambie, Cobus Reinach, Ryan Kankowski, Marcell Coetzee, Jacques Botes, Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Craig Burden, Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Wiehahn Herbst, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Meyer Bosman, Odwa Ndungane.
Cheetahs
Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Johan Goosen, Piet van Zyl, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Frans Viljoen, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Waltie Vermeulen, Boom Prinsloo, Sarel Pretorius, Elgar Watts, Ryno Benjamin.
My pick - Sharks by 7.
Players to watch - Adriaan Strauss, Johan Goosen, Lappies Labuchagne, Craig Burden, Marcell Coetzee, JP Pietersen, Patrick Lambie, Franc Steyn.
Kings vs Force
This is probably the best chance the Kings have for victory. The Force are the other rank outsider in the competition and this game is being played in South Africa. The Kings have had to draw on players from far and wide in an attempt to have a competitive team. Given their recent results, the only thing they are favourites for is the wooden spoon. The Kings are a new entity and they will be looking to set their own standards in the coming months.
They have a host of players who will be making their Super Rugby debuts and realise it will not be easy, but Kings coach Matt Sexton said his team had done as much as they could in preparation for their debut.
"Whatever we could do, we've done as far as preparation goes," Sexton said.
Mixed in with the newbies, are a host of players that have played a fair amount of Super Rugby, including Kings captain Luke Watson, who has played 82 matches at this level for The Sharks and the Stormers, Steven Sykes (69 for The Sharks), Andries Strauss (40 for The Sharks and Cheetahs) and Bandise Maku (33 for the Bulls and Lions).
"We have a number of experienced players who have played a lot of Super Rugby, but on the flip side there are some who have not," said Watson.
"We all have to start somewhere and we have no doubt in the ability and commitment of those guys who will be pulling on a Super Rugby jersey for the first time."
No one really knows how good or bad the Southern Kings are. We have no statistics as they are brand new to Super Rugby but we do have some stats on the Force in South Africa.
The Force have already played one match this season so they are match fit and they have Super Rugby experience.
The last three teams to enter Super Rugby all lost their opening matches so a good result for the Southern Kings would be to do better than any one of the last three debutants.
Kings have maybe half a dozen decent players of Super XV level quality. I include Luke watson in that group although he is in his twilight years.
Teams
Southern Kings
15 SP Marais, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8. Luke Watson (c), 7. Wimpie van der Walt, 6. Cornell du Preez, 5. Steven Sykes, 4 David Bulbring, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira
Replacements : 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Jaco Engels, 18 Daniel Adongo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Johan Herbst, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Hadleigh Parkes
Western Force
To follow. At the time of writing the Force had not released their team.
My pick - Force by 14.
Players to watch - Luke Watson, Bandise Maku, Ronnie Cooke, Alf Mafi, Nick Cummins (if playing), Angus Cottrell.
Well after first 3 games this tipper has not done well.
Chiefs played great rugby and beat Highlanders 41-27.
If you can't spare the time to watch the full replay on the 24/7 channel, here is the highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ9eRqWE9dg&feature=em-uploademail&noredirect=1
Brumbies did beat Rebels 30-13
Bulls beat Stormers 25-17. A really bad call by ref and TMO allowed one converted try for Bulls.
But, once again, Stormers have a problem unleashing their backs. This pundit thinks they are one of the best in league.
Next game is Hurricanes vs Blues...should be interesting.
6 Nations Feb 23 and 24th
All times Houston CST
Sat 23 Feb
Italy v Wales 08:30
England v France 11:00
Sun 24 Feb
Scotland v Ireland 08:00
More weekends
Sat 9 Mar
Scotland v Wales 08:30
Ireland v France 11:00
Sun 10 Mar
England v Italy 10:00
Sat 16 Mar
Italy v Ireland 08:30
Wales v England 12:00
France v Scotland 14:00
Big Johns at 6150 Wilcrest just south of Harwin will once again be showing all games for free.
Wales will be aiming to build on a superb win in Paris when they take on Italy in Rome on Saturday and are fancied in the betting to pick up another away victory.
The Welsh had gone 8 games without a win before their 16-6 victory over France a fortnight ago, but they put that poor run aside to pick up a well-deserved result against a French side who had been looking to bounce back after a shock loss to their opponents this weekend, Italy. Interim head coach Rob Howley was delighted with the result, and who can blame him given how his side had fallen into a slump while he's been in charge. The win will have given them a huge confident boost going into what historically has been a bit of a dogfight, where bar one big win in 2005, they've had to really battle for the win.
Italy were unable to match their superb win over the French when they look on Scotland in Edinburgh. The Scots play a very different brand of rugby to the French and a more attacking approach left the Italians, who looked a bit jaded for much of the match, unable to keep with the pace set by the home side. Following up the herculean Rome efforts on a cold Edinburgh afternoon was always going to be challenge, and with the Italian players, who'd shone so well the week before, struggling with some basic errors, the Scots received plenty of possession and made the visitors pay dearly. Back on home soil the Italians will once again call upon their passionate home support to lift their team and make it an uncomfortable 80 minutes for the Welsh.
On the team news front, Wales start with an unchanged 15 that took the field in Paris, with the only changes coming on the bench, where fit again Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones must both make do with a likely appearance as second half substitutes. Italy have been dealt a severe blow with captain and talisman Sergio Parisse earning a 30 day ban for abusive language towards the referee in his club Stade Francais's match last weekend. Fit again veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco has been recalled to the squad by Jacque Brunel and could step into a re-arranged back row to cover for the unavailable Parisse.
Italy: 15-Andrea Masi, 14-Giovanbattista Venditti, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 12-Gonzalo Canale, 11-Luke McLean, 10-Kristopher Burton, 9-Edoardo Gori; 1-Andrea Lo Cicero, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (capt), 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 4-Antonio Pavanello, 5-Francesco Minto, 6-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Simone Favaro, 8-Ratu Manoa Vosawai.
Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Alberto De Marchi, 18-Lorenzo Cittadini,19- Quintin Geldenhuys, 20-Paul Derbyshire, 21-Tobias Botes, 22-Luciano Orquera, 23-Gonzalo Garcia.
Wales: 15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Mike Phillips; 1-Gethin Jenkins, 2-Richard Hibbard, 3-Adam Jones, 4-Andrew Coombs, 5-Ian Evans, 6-Ryan Jones (captain), 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Toby Faletau.
Replacements: 16-Ken Owens, 17-Paul James, 18-Craig Mitchell, 19-Alun Wyn Jones, 20-Sam Warburton, 21-Lloyd Williams, 22-James Hook, 23-Scott Williams.
Pete says wales by 10
England will be hoping to move one step closer to a possible Six Nations title and Grand Slam when they welcome an out of form France to Twickenham on Saturday.
Two rounds into the tournament and the fortunes of these two sides couldn't be more contrasting. While England remain the only unbeaten side in the competition and now hot favourites to take this seasons championship, the French have been utterly disappointing in back to back defeats and remain the only side out of the six without a win and rooted at the bottom of the six nations table. Philip Saint-Andre's side were caught cold by a passionate Rome display in week one, and just when most expected them to extend Wales 8 match winless streak a fortnight ago in Paris, they produced one of those performances that reminds us all how much they blow hot and cold, and slipped to a dismal 6-16 loss in Paris. Questions are being asked, as one would expect – how can a side who completely destroyed Australia only a few months ago, go on to lose to two teams who really were there for the taking. A turnaround is needed, and fast. French rugby fans can be a fickle bunch at the best of times – a loss to old foes England will have Les Bleus fans calling for some serious action to be taken within the international set up, be it at a player or coaching level.
England had to work their socks off to come away from Dublin with the win and showed real metal when resisting the Irish attacks when down to 14 man after James Haskill's yellow card. The belief that the big victory over New Zealand at the end of 2012 has given this side is plain to see. They're playing some good rugby and look a well-drilled team who feed of the mistakes of their opponents. There's still the nagging feeling however that the side who can really crank up the pressure in the forward battles will be the one that has the best chance of bringing out the worse of this England side. Only the French feel like the team who have the fire-power in their pack to do to England what the likes of South Africa managed to do in recent months, and that's put them on the back foot with big hits and general strong play in the forward exchanges. Whether France are capable of lifting themselves out this mini-slump remains to be seen, but no England side has taken a French challenge lightly in the past and it would serve Stuart Lancaster's side well to continue in that mindset thru to kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Lancaster has been able to name the same match-day squad for Saturday, and although his starting line-up will only be revealed later in the week, it seems very likely he'll stick with the same 15 that started against Ireland a fortnight ago. For France, head coach Philip Saint-Andre can be expected to freshen up his starting 15 as they attempt to somehow recover their 6 nations season after the double loss in the opening two weeks. Team news from the French camp has been limited at the time of writing,
England have maintained a decent record at Twickenham against the French, winning 6 of the 8 clashes on English soil since the turn of the century, and ignoring the world cup loss, have won the last 3 six nations games against France, including a narrow 24-22 win the last time these sides met.
Pete says England by 5
England : 15-Alex Goode, 14-Chris Ashton, 13-Manu Tuilagi, 12-Brad Barritt, 11-Mike Brown, 10-Owen Farrell, 9-Ben Youngs; 1-Joe Marler, 2-Dylan Hartley, 3-Dan Cole, 4-Joe Launchbury, 5-Geoff Parling, 6-Courtney Lawes, 7-Chris Robshaw (captain), 8-Tom Wood.
Replacements: 16-Tom Youngs, 17-Dave Wilson, 18-Mako Vunipola, 19-James Haskell, 20-Thomas Waldron, 21-Danny Care, 22-Toby Flood, 23-Billy Twelvetreees.
France : 15-Yoann Huget, 14-Vincent Clerc, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Wesley Fofana, 11-Benjamin Fall, 10-Francois Trinh-Duc, 9-Morgan Parra; 1-Thomas Domingo, 2-Benjamin Kayser, 3-Nicolas Mas, 4-Christophe Samson, 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Yannick Nyanga, 7-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 8-Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: 16-Dimitri Szarzewski, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Luc Ducalcon, 19-Jocelino Suta, 20-Antonie Claassen, 21-Maxime Machenaud, 22-Frederic Michalak, 23-Florian Fritz
Scotland and Ireland meet in Sunday's 6 nations match in Edinburgh, and the home side look good value on the handicap market.
They Scots put in an impressive 80 minutes when defeating Italy 34-10 two weeks ago, finally getting their recently adapted more expansive gameplan to work for them as they recorded a first win in this seasons six nations. Italy had arrived in Edinburgh in bullish mood following their success over France the week earlier, but they couldn't match the intensity showed by the Scots, who rain in 4 tries on their way to a 24 point winning margin. Their backline hasn't looked this dangerous for a very long time – there's bags of pace from Hogg, Maitland, Scott and Visser, and their pack looked far more settled after being bullied a touch by England a week earlier. It bodes well that this is probably the most confident a Scottish camp has sounded pre a 6 nations match for many seasons, and Ireland will have to be at the top of their game if they want to come away with the win.
Ireland just couldn't break England down in Dublin, with the 6-12 scoreline testament to strong defensive displays from both sides. That game took it's toll however, with a number of players leaving the field injured and some not recovering in time for this weekend. A win would have left the Irish in pole position for six nations glory, however they now need to get back to the style of rugby employed against Wales in the opening round and put the Scots under early pressure – not an easy task given the momentum is firmly with the home side his weekend.
Interim Scottish head coach Scott Johnson makes just one enforced change, with Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross coming in for Euan Murray, who's unavailable this weekend. In contrast, Irish coach Declan Kidney has made a total of 6 changes to his starting 15. In the backline Ulster 10 Paddy Jackson is preferred to start at flyhalf in place of the injured Jonanthan Sexton, with uncapped Luke Marshall starting in the midfield and Keith Earls coming in for the injured Simon Zebo on the wing. Tom Court starts at prop in place of the suspended Cian Healy, and there's a recall for Donnacha O'Callaghan in the second tow.
Ireland have won on two of their last 3 visits to Edinburgh and also picked up a comfortable win in Dublin last year when these side last met. But Scots were being coached by Robinson and he was a joke. Johnson not that better, so its difficult.
If you watch the Glasgow are playing right now you'd think Scottish national side could emulate.
Glasgow are playing a wonderful offload game which is producing great results and plenty of tries. Will Scotland play attacking rugby?
Looking at the two line-ups I can't help but feel the loss of several key Irish players to injury or suspension does open the door for Scotland just that bit more. They're fielding a pretty much unchanged side that has a great balance about it, and the home ground factor does give them that litle bit of an added advantge. I don't feel that this is the sort of match where either will dominate, and it could be similarly close affair to the last two games between Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Sean Lamont, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown (c), 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Ryan Grant. Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 David Denton, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Max Evans.
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip (c), 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Donnacha O'Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Tom Court. Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Declan Fitzpatrick, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Iain Henderson, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ronan O'Gara, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.
Pete says Scotland by 2
Sat 23 Feb
Italy v Wales 08:30
England v France 11:00
Sun 24 Feb
Scotland v Ireland 08:00
More weekends
Sat 9 Mar
Scotland v Wales 08:30
Ireland v France 11:00
Sun 10 Mar
England v Italy 10:00
Sat 16 Mar
Italy v Ireland 08:30
Wales v England 12:00
France v Scotland 14:00
Big Johns at 6150 Wilcrest just south of Harwin will once again be showing all games for free.
Wales will be aiming to build on a superb win in Paris when they take on Italy in Rome on Saturday and are fancied in the betting to pick up another away victory.
The Welsh had gone 8 games without a win before their 16-6 victory over France a fortnight ago, but they put that poor run aside to pick up a well-deserved result against a French side who had been looking to bounce back after a shock loss to their opponents this weekend, Italy. Interim head coach Rob Howley was delighted with the result, and who can blame him given how his side had fallen into a slump while he's been in charge. The win will have given them a huge confident boost going into what historically has been a bit of a dogfight, where bar one big win in 2005, they've had to really battle for the win.
Italy were unable to match their superb win over the French when they look on Scotland in Edinburgh. The Scots play a very different brand of rugby to the French and a more attacking approach left the Italians, who looked a bit jaded for much of the match, unable to keep with the pace set by the home side. Following up the herculean Rome efforts on a cold Edinburgh afternoon was always going to be challenge, and with the Italian players, who'd shone so well the week before, struggling with some basic errors, the Scots received plenty of possession and made the visitors pay dearly. Back on home soil the Italians will once again call upon their passionate home support to lift their team and make it an uncomfortable 80 minutes for the Welsh.
On the team news front, Wales start with an unchanged 15 that took the field in Paris, with the only changes coming on the bench, where fit again Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones must both make do with a likely appearance as second half substitutes. Italy have been dealt a severe blow with captain and talisman Sergio Parisse earning a 30 day ban for abusive language towards the referee in his club Stade Francais's match last weekend. Fit again veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco has been recalled to the squad by Jacque Brunel and could step into a re-arranged back row to cover for the unavailable Parisse.
Italy: 15-Andrea Masi, 14-Giovanbattista Venditti, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 12-Gonzalo Canale, 11-Luke McLean, 10-Kristopher Burton, 9-Edoardo Gori; 1-Andrea Lo Cicero, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini (capt), 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 4-Antonio Pavanello, 5-Francesco Minto, 6-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Simone Favaro, 8-Ratu Manoa Vosawai.
Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Alberto De Marchi, 18-Lorenzo Cittadini,19- Quintin Geldenhuys, 20-Paul Derbyshire, 21-Tobias Botes, 22-Luciano Orquera, 23-Gonzalo Garcia.
Wales: 15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Mike Phillips; 1-Gethin Jenkins, 2-Richard Hibbard, 3-Adam Jones, 4-Andrew Coombs, 5-Ian Evans, 6-Ryan Jones (captain), 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Toby Faletau.
Replacements: 16-Ken Owens, 17-Paul James, 18-Craig Mitchell, 19-Alun Wyn Jones, 20-Sam Warburton, 21-Lloyd Williams, 22-James Hook, 23-Scott Williams.
Pete says wales by 10
England will be hoping to move one step closer to a possible Six Nations title and Grand Slam when they welcome an out of form France to Twickenham on Saturday.
Two rounds into the tournament and the fortunes of these two sides couldn't be more contrasting. While England remain the only unbeaten side in the competition and now hot favourites to take this seasons championship, the French have been utterly disappointing in back to back defeats and remain the only side out of the six without a win and rooted at the bottom of the six nations table. Philip Saint-Andre's side were caught cold by a passionate Rome display in week one, and just when most expected them to extend Wales 8 match winless streak a fortnight ago in Paris, they produced one of those performances that reminds us all how much they blow hot and cold, and slipped to a dismal 6-16 loss in Paris. Questions are being asked, as one would expect – how can a side who completely destroyed Australia only a few months ago, go on to lose to two teams who really were there for the taking. A turnaround is needed, and fast. French rugby fans can be a fickle bunch at the best of times – a loss to old foes England will have Les Bleus fans calling for some serious action to be taken within the international set up, be it at a player or coaching level.
England had to work their socks off to come away from Dublin with the win and showed real metal when resisting the Irish attacks when down to 14 man after James Haskill's yellow card. The belief that the big victory over New Zealand at the end of 2012 has given this side is plain to see. They're playing some good rugby and look a well-drilled team who feed of the mistakes of their opponents. There's still the nagging feeling however that the side who can really crank up the pressure in the forward battles will be the one that has the best chance of bringing out the worse of this England side. Only the French feel like the team who have the fire-power in their pack to do to England what the likes of South Africa managed to do in recent months, and that's put them on the back foot with big hits and general strong play in the forward exchanges. Whether France are capable of lifting themselves out this mini-slump remains to be seen, but no England side has taken a French challenge lightly in the past and it would serve Stuart Lancaster's side well to continue in that mindset thru to kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Lancaster has been able to name the same match-day squad for Saturday, and although his starting line-up will only be revealed later in the week, it seems very likely he'll stick with the same 15 that started against Ireland a fortnight ago. For France, head coach Philip Saint-Andre can be expected to freshen up his starting 15 as they attempt to somehow recover their 6 nations season after the double loss in the opening two weeks. Team news from the French camp has been limited at the time of writing,
England have maintained a decent record at Twickenham against the French, winning 6 of the 8 clashes on English soil since the turn of the century, and ignoring the world cup loss, have won the last 3 six nations games against France, including a narrow 24-22 win the last time these sides met.
Pete says England by 5
England : 15-Alex Goode, 14-Chris Ashton, 13-Manu Tuilagi, 12-Brad Barritt, 11-Mike Brown, 10-Owen Farrell, 9-Ben Youngs; 1-Joe Marler, 2-Dylan Hartley, 3-Dan Cole, 4-Joe Launchbury, 5-Geoff Parling, 6-Courtney Lawes, 7-Chris Robshaw (captain), 8-Tom Wood.
Replacements: 16-Tom Youngs, 17-Dave Wilson, 18-Mako Vunipola, 19-James Haskell, 20-Thomas Waldron, 21-Danny Care, 22-Toby Flood, 23-Billy Twelvetreees.
France : 15-Yoann Huget, 14-Vincent Clerc, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Wesley Fofana, 11-Benjamin Fall, 10-Francois Trinh-Duc, 9-Morgan Parra; 1-Thomas Domingo, 2-Benjamin Kayser, 3-Nicolas Mas, 4-Christophe Samson, 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Yannick Nyanga, 7-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 8-Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: 16-Dimitri Szarzewski, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Luc Ducalcon, 19-Jocelino Suta, 20-Antonie Claassen, 21-Maxime Machenaud, 22-Frederic Michalak, 23-Florian Fritz
Scotland and Ireland meet in Sunday's 6 nations match in Edinburgh, and the home side look good value on the handicap market.
They Scots put in an impressive 80 minutes when defeating Italy 34-10 two weeks ago, finally getting their recently adapted more expansive gameplan to work for them as they recorded a first win in this seasons six nations. Italy had arrived in Edinburgh in bullish mood following their success over France the week earlier, but they couldn't match the intensity showed by the Scots, who rain in 4 tries on their way to a 24 point winning margin. Their backline hasn't looked this dangerous for a very long time – there's bags of pace from Hogg, Maitland, Scott and Visser, and their pack looked far more settled after being bullied a touch by England a week earlier. It bodes well that this is probably the most confident a Scottish camp has sounded pre a 6 nations match for many seasons, and Ireland will have to be at the top of their game if they want to come away with the win.
Ireland just couldn't break England down in Dublin, with the 6-12 scoreline testament to strong defensive displays from both sides. That game took it's toll however, with a number of players leaving the field injured and some not recovering in time for this weekend. A win would have left the Irish in pole position for six nations glory, however they now need to get back to the style of rugby employed against Wales in the opening round and put the Scots under early pressure – not an easy task given the momentum is firmly with the home side his weekend.
Interim Scottish head coach Scott Johnson makes just one enforced change, with Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross coming in for Euan Murray, who's unavailable this weekend. In contrast, Irish coach Declan Kidney has made a total of 6 changes to his starting 15. In the backline Ulster 10 Paddy Jackson is preferred to start at flyhalf in place of the injured Jonanthan Sexton, with uncapped Luke Marshall starting in the midfield and Keith Earls coming in for the injured Simon Zebo on the wing. Tom Court starts at prop in place of the suspended Cian Healy, and there's a recall for Donnacha O'Callaghan in the second tow.
Ireland have won on two of their last 3 visits to Edinburgh and also picked up a comfortable win in Dublin last year when these side last met. But Scots were being coached by Robinson and he was a joke. Johnson not that better, so its difficult.
If you watch the Glasgow are playing right now you'd think Scottish national side could emulate.
Glasgow are playing a wonderful offload game which is producing great results and plenty of tries. Will Scotland play attacking rugby?
Looking at the two line-ups I can't help but feel the loss of several key Irish players to injury or suspension does open the door for Scotland just that bit more. They're fielding a pretty much unchanged side that has a great balance about it, and the home ground factor does give them that litle bit of an added advantge. I don't feel that this is the sort of match where either will dominate, and it could be similarly close affair to the last two games between Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Sean Lamont, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown (c), 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Ryan Grant. Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 David Denton, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Max Evans.
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip (c), 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Donnacha O'Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Tom Court. Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Declan Fitzpatrick, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Iain Henderson, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ronan O'Gara, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.
Pete says Scotland by 2
Rabo, Aviva and Top 14 games Feb 22-24
All times Houston CST
Rabo Direct 12 Celtic league
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Cardiff Blues v Connacht Rugby 13:30
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster 13:35
Ospreys v Edinburgh 14:00
Sat 23 Feb
Leinster v Scarlets 13:45
Sun 24 Feb
Benetton Treviso v Munster 08:00
Zebre v Newport Gwent Dragons 08:05
French Top 14
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Castres v Toulon 13:50
Sat 23 Feb
Agen v Mont-de-Marsan 08:00
Biarritz v Racing Metro 92 08:00
Grenoble v Clermont Auvergne 08:00
Montpellier v Bordeaux Begles 08:00
Toulouse v Bayonne 08:00
Perpignan v Stade Francais 13:40
Aviva premiership
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Gloucester Rugby v Worcester Warriors 13:45
Sale Sharks v Harlequins 14:00
Sat 23 Feb
Exeter Chiefs v London Welsh 09:00
Northampton Saints v Bath 09:00
Leicester Tigers v Saracens 14:00
Sun 24 Feb
London Irish v London Wasps 06:05
Good sites to watch include
Wiziwig.tv
vipboxsports.eu
vipbox.tv
frombar.tv
Cricfree.tv
Wiziwig has great info on their site and is trustworthy.
The rest. Please have adblocker program software.
And, as a rule I wouldn't click on links when a pop up says you need an upgrade on anything.
I haven't even checked the mobile apps.
If you follow common sense you should not get into trouble.
Remember 90% of these sites are here week in week out. I don't think they are here to infect your computer.
Rabo Direct 12 Celtic league
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Cardiff Blues v Connacht Rugby 13:30
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster 13:35
Ospreys v Edinburgh 14:00
Sat 23 Feb
Leinster v Scarlets 13:45
Sun 24 Feb
Benetton Treviso v Munster 08:00
Zebre v Newport Gwent Dragons 08:05
French Top 14
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Castres v Toulon 13:50
Sat 23 Feb
Agen v Mont-de-Marsan 08:00
Biarritz v Racing Metro 92 08:00
Grenoble v Clermont Auvergne 08:00
Montpellier v Bordeaux Begles 08:00
Toulouse v Bayonne 08:00
Perpignan v Stade Francais 13:40
Aviva premiership
Tomorrow, Fri 22 Feb
Gloucester Rugby v Worcester Warriors 13:45
Sale Sharks v Harlequins 14:00
Sat 23 Feb
Exeter Chiefs v London Welsh 09:00
Northampton Saints v Bath 09:00
Leicester Tigers v Saracens 14:00
Sun 24 Feb
London Irish v London Wasps 06:05
Good sites to watch include
Wiziwig.tv
vipboxsports.eu
vipbox.tv
frombar.tv
Cricfree.tv
Wiziwig has great info on their site and is trustworthy.
The rest. Please have adblocker program software.
And, as a rule I wouldn't click on links when a pop up says you need an upgrade on anything.
I haven't even checked the mobile apps.
If you follow common sense you should not get into trouble.
Remember 90% of these sites are here week in week out. I don't think they are here to infect your computer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)