Yardbarker: Rugby

Bryan Habana cited for alleged kick on Vincent Clerc

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:38:00 -0500

Springbok wing Bryan Habana has been cited for an alleged kick on Vincent Clerc during the Test between France and South Africa in Toulouse on Friday night.

The French achieved a famous 20-13 win in the South of France, but once again there's been another citing after a weekend of international rugby.

Habana is accused of kicking out at Clerc, who was lying on the floor at the time.
The case will be heard by the International Rugby Board’s disciplinary committee on Wednesday.

According to citing commissioner for the match, Scott Nowland from Australia, Habana contravened Law 10.4 (c), which covers kicking an opponent.

With the clamp down on foul playing currently taking place, Habana may find himself banned for a lengthy period if deemed to be guilty. The recommended entry level for kicking an opponent is four weeks. That would mean he'd miss out on the upcoming Test against Italy, as well as the clash with Ireland the following week.

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of the decision is, considering that it wasn't as clear cut as one might think. If you want to play devil's advocate you could say that judging by Habana's reaction, Damien Traille may well have pulled the wingers leg towards him, either intentionally or when trying to pull himself up.

The main thing that would indicate that would be Habana's expression and line of sight.

On the other hand though, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck...

Time: 01:14http://www.rugbydump.com

Schalk Burger crunching hit on Fourie Du Preez

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:15:00 -0500

It was Currie Cup Semi final day yesterday in South Africa, as the Sharks hosted the Cheetahs in Durban, and the Bulls travelled to Cape Town to challenge Western Province. The Bulls won 21-19, thanks to a late Morne Steyn penalty.

The Newlands match was set to be a classic, as both sides were scattered with Springbok talent, as well as talented youngsters who served their sides well while the international players were on Test duty.

For Western Province, flanker Schalk Burger was named on the bench after he came away from the Tri Nations with a rib injury that his kept him sidelined since then.

Many questioned coach Alistair Coetzee’s tactics of playing Burger off the bench in what would be such a fierce physical encounter, against the likes of Pierre Spies, Danie Rossouw, and Bakkies Botha.

“Schalk was cleared this week, but the guys have been playing well in that loose trio,” Coetzee said.

“We have to keep those systems going. It’s great to have a Bok like Schalk on the bench, and I’m sure he’ll have a big impact when he comes on in the second half.”

Coetzee was right, as Burger came on and made this monstrous hit on Bok teammate, scrumhalf Fourie Du Preez midway through the second half.

The hit brought the 48 000 strong Newlands crowd to its feet, a poignant moment in the career of the man who received so much castigation for his actions earlier in the season.

The reaction of the crowd and his teammates pretty much said it all, as Burger signalled his return to the game once again with moment that typified the way he has, and always will play the game – at 110%.

It was good to see teammate Du Preez acknowledge the hit with a grin, and Burger himself with a little wink, no doubt in his Test teammates direction.

We'll get a better quality version of this up soon, as well as highlights from both closely contested matches.

Time: 0:53http://www.rugbydump.com

Courtney Lawes smashes Morgan Parra in European Challenge Cup Final

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:20:27 -0500

Northampton Saints finished off a successful season back in top flight rugby as they beat Bourgoin 15-3 in the European Challenge Cup final on Friday. Saints have now qualified for next seasons Heineken Cup, knocking out Wasps in the process.

No tries were scored in the ill-tempered match which had two yellows and a red handed out. Steven Myler kicked 5 penalties for the home side, keeping them in control of the game throughout.

French scrumhalf Morgan Parra was unfortunately injured in this crunching tackle from young Northampton lock Courtney Lawes. The Bourgoin players were clearly incensed at Lawes' being viewed as not being worthy of even a talking to from the referee.

Two minutes later they took it out on Lawes, which led to the red card for punching.

Bourgoin coach Eric Catinot later suggested that the referee was a bit lost, and complained that Lawes had been just as deserving of a red card.

Dimitri Yachvili has since been called up to the French squad to replace the injured Parra, who was set to tour New Zealand and Australia in June.

Yachvili will compete for a starting place with Leicester number nine and former Biarritz team-mate Julien Dupuy.

This isnt the first time we've seen Lawes crunch a Bourgoin scrumhalf. Just ask Julien Tomas.

Your verdict: Was this a late tackle, or was he committed?

:: Related Posts ::
Courtney Lawes huge hit on Julien Tomas
Time: 02:28www.rugbydump.com

Rory Kockott red card for flat hand slap on Adam Thomson

Mon, 04 May 2009 17:21:38 -0500

Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott has been handed a one week suspension after striking Highlanders flanker Adam Thomson during the home sides 23-15 win at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

Kockott lashed out at Thomson after he was flung to the ground without the ball, and after the whistle. A fiery character, Kockott lost his nerve and lashed out with a mean flat handed left hook.

Thomson was knocked to the ground, prompting assistant referee Craig Joubert to come on and advise referee Phillip Bosch that anything less than a red card is out of the question.

Kockott appeared at a disciplinary hearing today and pleaded guilty to the charge.
His lawyer had argued that a red card was sufficient punishment, but the SANZAR judicial officer felt that although Kockott’s action was a reckless, open handed slap as opposed to a punch, it still deserved a one week suspension.

He will miss the Sharks’ crucial clash against the Waratahs, which will mean a major reshuffle to their backline.

In the same match, the Highlanders Danie Bowden was yellow carded for a high tackle, and has since received a one week suspension himself.

Time: 02:19www.rugbydump.com

Alan Quinlan in doubt for Lions tour after alleged eye-gouge

Sun, 03 May 2009 07:53:43 -0500

Munster Flanker Alan Quinlan will wait anxiously to see if he’ll still be on the plane to South Africa later this month after TV replays showed what looked like an attempted eye-gouge on Leinster captain Leo Cullen in the Heineken Cup semi final at Croke Park yesterday.

Quinlan will now wait to see if an independent citing officer takes action against him, which will probably result in a few months on the sideline.

Neil Best of Northampton received an 18 week ban for eye-gouging earlier this season, and Dylan Hartley, also of Northampton, was out for six months in 2007 after his similar offense.

Lions skipper Paul O’Connell naturally stood up for his teammate.

"Quinny isn't that type of guy.

"He is a tough player. It is the one thing he hasn't got in his record book. If it looked bad, I am sure there was nothing in it," O'Connell said.

If consistency in citing procedures is what the rugby world is after, then Quinlan will no doubt be watching his mates take on the Springboks from the comfort of his living room.

Time: 0:35www.rugbydump.com

Friday Funnies - Alex Grove's freak try vs Brive

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:26:57 -0500

Worcester held off a brave Brive come back in the European Challenge Cup as the French side came back to within four points of the home side, after being down 17-3 after tries from Marcel Garvey and Pat Sanderson.

Ronnie Cooke scored two for Brive, keeping them in the game before Worcester scored another of their own, this time in strange circumstances.

Flyhalf Matthew Jones’ penalty kick flew high off to the right of the posts, looking like a regulation miss and a waste of a possible three points.

Brive made an unforgivable error though as they watched the ball sail wide before it dropped suddenly in front of the man who looked like he had it under control.

The sun obviously played its part, as at the last second he pulled out of catching it, allowing it to bounce for the chasing Alex Grove who snapped it up and scored. Garvey scored again later in the match, sealing a 29-18 win for the home side.

Similar to the Cliff Myton try of 1998, this freak try by shows why following up a penalty kick can prove fruitful. The Brive player lying on the ground with head in hands afterwards is pretty amusing too.

Time: 01:12www.rugbydump.com

Leicester vs Bath - big hits and Dupuy's winning try

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:10:44 -0500

A packed Walkers Stadium were treated to a thrilling finish as their Leicester Tigers snuck victory in the final minute against Bath in Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter final clash.

The match was as intense as you’d expect to see in the knock out stages of a big tournament, with a few crunching tackles that stood out.

The first of which was 6ft7 Bath wing Matt Banahan smashing Tigers fullback Geordan Murphy. Banahan lined up and hammered Murphy, who did well to get up from the huge knock.

Alesana Tuilagi once again showed his power, but this time it was with a dreadfully unnecessary hit on Bath fullback Nick Abendanon. Abendanon went off with a shoulder injury a few minutes later.

The high point of the match was of course the late winning try, which came with less than 50 seconds left till full time, and the scores deadlocked at 15-15.

Frenchman Julien Dupuy looked to feed Sam Vesty for the drop goal attempt, but decided it wasn’t on. His delay led to a gap opening up for him to dart through, before rounding the covering defender superbly.

Dupuy’s piece of magic booked the Tigers a place in the semi-finals in which they’ll meet Toulouse’s conquerors Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium.

Time: 06:47www.rugbydump.com

Why I Love Rugby 2

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:04:53 -0500

From the amateur to the professional, each and every rugby player is part of 'something special'. We are all in it for different reasons, many of which we hope to pay tribute to in a second edition of 'Why I Love Rugby'.

The second edition is back with more of the speed, skill, blood, guts and raw emotion that the first edition brought.

We look at this as a free for all series with which we hope to encompass all that is great about rugby. Why I Love Rugby 2 is shorter than the first edition, but we hope that the quality and explosiveness of each clip can identify with everyone on some level.

With the 2009 British & Irish Lions Tour edging ever closer, Rugbydump felt that a nod to Ian McGeechan was more than appropriate. Impending Lions tour aside, we may well have included McGeechan's profound words anyway, as they epitomize the essence of rugby.

The sport means different things to different people, but for all us, to some degree, it is an opportunity of self-expression and perhaps more importantly, a good time.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, be proud to be part of a global family of rugby men and women that have in common, if nothing else, a love for a very special game.

Time: 03:58
Note: For this special video, we've embedded the hi quality version so please be patient if it takes a bit longer to load for some of you.
Use Somebody by Kings Of Leonwww.rugbydump.com

Rugby Stars Get Naked for Powerade

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:03:55 -0500

In a new ad campaign that's not likely to see the light of day in North America for a number of reasons, Powerade has decided that the way to combat Gatorade and promote its sponsorship of British Rugby Union is through women. Three stars of British Rugby Football Union are posing nude in ...

Thursday Blog Podge: "Pole Fitness" and a Rugby Fight

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:11:31 -0500

Send us any links to stories or pics that you think might be a good addition to our daily Blog Podge post to thesportspoint@gmail.com.

Hillary Fisher via Salty Milk.

Snoop was on Around the Horn yesterday? Is J.A. trying to build up street cred? (Real Clear Sports)

Has Erin Andrews met her match in the "Would you do..." tourney? (The Big Picture)

There is one huge difference between Rugby fights and NBA fights. (Busted Coverage)

Sure we could see "pole fitness" as an Olympic event. (Tasty Booze)

Ashley Judd might be in for a long season. Kentucky has not looked great early on. (World of Issac)

Shaq is on Twitter for real. OMG! (Alana G)

Munster vs. The All Blacks, A Special Moment In History

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:32:05 -0500

While the majority of people in the United States were at work on a Tuesday afternoon, across the pond in Ireland rugby history was nearly made in one of the most memorable matches I have ever witness. It is the fall test season, and current the New Zealand All Blacks are on a tour of Europe. Tuesday night they made their way into Southern Ireland and found themselves in an hostile environment in Thomond Park in Limmerick where they would take on European powerhouse Munster RFC.

The matched the 30th anniversary of when a Munster side took out the All Blacks, and became the first and only Irish side to beat the New Zealand team. Tuesday's match was meant to be a friendly between the two historic sides. As both team turned to many of their reserve players to carry the bulk of the minutes because the All Blacks were fresh off a tough match on Saturday where they took on Ireland and many of the Munster starters were members of that Irish side. Backups or not, Tuesday night's game was a special occasion.

The atmosphere in Thomond Park is always loud, and everyone in attendance knew they were in for a special treat. However, the Park was ready to explode as both teams met at midfield field pregame in preparation for the All Blacks Haka. Munster, which now sports four of their own New Zealanders had a surprise for the visiting side. The four Munster imports stepped in front of their teammates and proceeded to perform the Haka, challenging the New Zealand side and letting them know this would not be a typical game. The crowd was electric as they watch the Munster players perform the ritual dance. Once they were finished the New Zealanders answered with their versions of the traditional chant. And both teams were ready for the battle of their life.

Munster played one of the best games I have ever seen a side put together, and it is unclear if they caught the Kiwi's off guard or what, but they took the All Blacks to the limit. With four minutes to go in the contest, Munster was leading 16-13, before the New Zealand back line was finally able to show their ability on the outside and dot a try down.

New Zealand would hold on manage to come away with the win, but it took everything they had to do so. In the end there is no doubt that the All Blacks have a new found respect for Irish rugby and for Munster and its strong traditions. After the game the All Blacks showed their appreciation for the crowd and for Munster by applauding the fans who had been on their feet for the entire evening. Truly Tuesday's game marked a special moment in rugby history.

The Neil Best eye-gouging incident

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:32:45 -0500

Northampton flanker Neil Best was recently handed an eighteen week ban after he was found guilty of eye-gouging James Haskell when the Northampton Saints played Wasps on the 20th of September.

Northampton have lodged an official appeal against the ban, to which a RFU panel will hear the appeal case on this coming Monday, ruling Best out until the final appeal verdict.

Upon being cited as making contact with Haskell's eye area with his hand, Best will not be allowed to play again until the 28th of January.

That rules him out of Ireland's three November internationals and seventeen Saints games throughout the Guinness Premiership, EDF Energy Cup, and the European Challenge Cup.

Haskell, who was taken to hospital following the match, was found to have swelling and abrasions around his eyes while reportedly also complained that his vision had been affected.

RFU disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett, Best said he had acted "recklessly but not deliberately".

Best apologised on to Haskell on the field and it was accepted that he did not intend to cause serious injury, but nevertheless the offence was judged to be 'towards the top end of the scale of seriousness'.

We've found a short clip from The Rugby Club that features the incident. Decide for yourself if you think the severity of the ruling is just, or completely spot on.

:: Related Posts ::
Best punches Visagie, Croft punches Best
www.rugbydump.com

Jonah Lomu Documentary - Part 2

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:15:17 -0500

Following on from our recent posting of Part 1 of the Jonah Lomu short documentary, the much anticipated Part 2 of this insightful video features more thrilling action of the legend in action, with plenty of tries and behind the scenes commentary.

If you haven't been able to watch Part 1 yet, please make sure you do as these two clips combined make for a fantastic 30 minutes of high intensity footage that will bring back many memories for some, and astound others.

Kicking off with the sensational 1999 World Cup performance where he terrorised England once again, who could ever forget the words of Keith Quinn as Lomu barged over the tryline to score.

The Semi-Final against France in the same year will be remembered for two things - France's incredible comeback victory, and Jonah Lomu. Lomu was a man against boys as his pace, power, and grit combined to bash off all in front of him, including big french number eight Abdel Benazzi.

We then follow Lomu as his move to Wellington makes a huge impact, both literally and figuratively. Along with teamates Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen, Lomu is simply unstoppable the majority of the time, with the majority of defenders almost opting to get out of the way rather than stand in front of the runaway train.

Besides the brute strength and ability to score tries out of nothing, an incredible attribute that Jonah had was his knack of keeping the ball alive when he was actually stopped. On numerous occasions Lomu stormed down the wing, beating about five players before losing momentum, but still managed to provide the scoring pass. It was an element of his play that back then, and even today, set him apart from other big wingers.

This footage doesn't go into Jonah's recent years of suffering with illness and the trials and tribulations of his attempted comebacks, but as determined as he was to keep on going, we'd probably already seen the best of Jonah, and that was way more than we could ever ask for.

It's sad that at his current age of 33, Jonah should still be out there doing what he loves, but hasn't been able to. Destiny saw it otherwise, and what we're left with is fantastic memories of the man who was the games first real superstar of global proportions. Jonah single handedly changed rugby, and for that, the great man deserves all the praise and respect shown to him as he enters the next chapter of his life.

Time: 14:24
Sidenote: In a recent interview when Lomu was asked what he's doing now, he confidently replied that he's having a go at body building, and hopes to compete by April.www.rugbydump.com

All Blacks: Most career games

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:08:04 -0500

Can you name which rugby players have played the most games for the New Zealand All Blacks? This includes everyone who has played at least 75 games (22 players total). The quiz takes into account both tests and matches, and with the exception of the two guys who share a last name, using just a last name is fine. For the two guys who share a last name, you'll need to type the entire name. Good luck.

Quarter-final failure

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:17:37 -0500

Which four nations in the history of World Cup rugby have reached the quarterfinals but never made it beyond that?

Which countries have placed third at rugby's World Cup?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:11:19 -0500

A total of five countries have placed third in the history of World Cup rugby. Can you name them in less than 90 seconds?

Which countries have placed second at rugby's World Cup?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:02:16 -0500

Four countries total have won runner-up at the six Rugby World Cups (dating back to the inaugural cup in 1987). Name those four countries in less than 60 seconds.

Which four countries have won rugby's World Cup?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:31:04 -0500

Rugby's world cup has been held six times, and only four countries have won the title. Can you name them in 30 seconds?

Francois Steyn- Rugby 'Boy Wonder'

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:00:13 -0500

A 50-metre drop goal? Just a walk in the park for this 21-year-old rugby youngster. Steyn, the boy-wonder, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in South African rugby. He joined the Sharks Academy in 2005 where he made a big impression. A big enough impression to warrant former national team coach Jake White to name him in the South Africa squad to tour England and Ireland in 2006.

Richard Kahui & Matthew Tait's big headclash

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:27:22 -0500

The second test between New Zealand and England was, despite the final score, a physically demanding game that left it's toll on both teams. One of the biggest clashes of the night, if not the biggest, was when star debutant Richard Kahui flew into Matthew Tait, head first.

Kahui flew into Tait with force, but simply went too high, and with Tait ducking slightly, the result was a header to Tait's face that would have done a football striker proud.

Kahui attended to Tait immediately, as both players were left bleeding, with Tait coming off significantly worse, with blood seemingly coming from under his eye, his nose, and even his mouth. It was a horrific clash and one that left the young fullback looking like he'd done a round in the boxing ring.

"He has a pretty nasty gash," said England caretaker coach Rob Andrew.

"It was a pretty unfortunate incident. I don't think there was any intent there and it was just a clashing of heads.

"It looked pretty nasty but is not as bad as we initially feared."

Bruised, bloodied, and shaken, Tait, who once again looked dangerous with ball in hand, left the field with his face in tatters, and will no doubt have a horrible headache in the morning.

Time: 02:58www.rugbydump.com

RUGBY PLAYER GETS STINKY FINGER

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:26:10 -0500

A rugby player takes some liberties with another player's bum.... yeah, its gross but I'm guessing you'll still click on the link

Read USA Sevens Team member Dallen Stanfords daily blog from Hong Kong Sevens.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:35:45 -0500

We're excited at MediaZone to have USA Sevens team member Dallen "Paki" Stanford blogging for us. You can catch up with the latest from the US team during the Hong Kong Sevens this weekend, and get the inside view from within the US camp! Check for daily updates...

LIVE Blog: IRB USA Sevens Rugby Tournament at Petco Park

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:40:20 -0500

Welcome to our live blog from Petco Park. We're here at the IRB Sevens Rugby Tournament and we'll be covering it for the most of the day. If you have any questions or comments, type them into the box below. There's no need to refresh the page, just sit back and enjoy.

Russell Crowe Will Save American Rugby!

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:25:07 -0500

Australian actor Russell Crowe is promoting rugby in the American by bringing together two of the world's best teams, South Sydney (Australia) and Leeds Rhinos (UK), in a match to be played later this month in Florida....

Bizarre Japanese Sports #9… Weird Animal Costume Rugby

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:42:49 -0500

More from that wizard of the bizarre, Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano! Rugby played by people in mascot costumes, and other assorted oddities. I honestly had no idea as to what I should call this one

WELSH OUT OF TUNE, IRISH JIG BACK HOME

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:51:46 -0500

As predicted, the Welsh & Irish are out of the Rugby World Cup. The weekend all pretty well went as discussed ??" tho' some margins were incorrect. In review...

Brace yourself: Heavy hits to follow - Rugby World Cup 07

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:18:28 -0500

Game on. Rugby World Cup starts on Friday September 7th. The World's greatest hits are about to start... and it's gonna be huge.

Awesome Rugby Video Clips online

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:16:10 -0500

Just to let everyone know that Rugbydump.com is an awesome place online to find all the best rugby clips or tries, tackles, massive hits and all the inbetween action that you can't miss. check it out now and keep a lookout for more posts from me on here in the near future.

P?g mo th?in: Ireland's Excess

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:22:32 -0500

Wilder than Malachy McCourt? crazier than a mad leprechaun? more Irish than the Blarney Stone? smoother than a glass of Guiness? (preview of Ireland for the Rugby World Cup)

Don't Turn Your Back After You Grab Someone's Sack

Tue, 29 May 2007 21:07:47 -0500

When you have someone get grabbed by the sack, then the guy gets up and knocks the offender the F out, you have what we like to call a really good rugby video. Hey, we never said we were creative.