stormers lions battle for super rugby supremacy in south africa
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Stormers, Lions battle for Super Rugby supremacy in South Africa

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Stormers, Lions battle for Super Rugby supremacy in South Africa

The Western Stormers players train in Singapore on March 21, 2017
Wellington - Arab Today

The Western Stormers square off against the Golden Lions in a blockbuster South African derby while Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett sets a match record in Super Rugby this weekend.
The Canterbury Crusaders and Stormers are the only unbeaten sides remaining going into round eight of the competition, which next year will revert to a 15-team format from its current 18.
The fallout from governing body SANZAAR's announcement to axe three teams -- two from South Africa and one from Australia -- has dominated the past week.
Threatened franchise Western Force have launched legal action against Australian rugby chiefs.
Seven-times champion Crusaders ease back into the fray following a bye by hosting the Sunwolves who won their first match of the season last week.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read is back for his first outing of the season having recovered from wrist surgery.
And the match will be a significant milestone for fellow All Black Crockett as he makes a record 176th appearance in Super Rugby.
The 34-year-old will overtake former All Black Keven Mealamu's record of 175. 
SANZAAR chief Andy Marinos described Crockett's record as "a tremendous achievement for a player who is at the coal face of one of the hardest and most competitive rugby competitions in the world".
The Crusaders feel comfortable enough to make a raft of changes to the side that beat the Waratahs a fortnight ago. Just five players of their 23 remain in the same position
In the showdown between the top two South African sides, the Stormers are brimming with confidence after inflicting the first loss of the season on the Waikato Chiefs last week while the Lions are coming off a bye.
- Uncertain times -
Lions coach Johan Ackermann believes the week off came at the right time as it allowed several key players including Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ruan Ackermann, and Elton Jantjies to get over niggling injuries. 
The Stormers "are the team to beat in South Africa and it’s going to take something special to get the better of them at Newlands," Ackermann said. 
"They’re playing an exciting brand of rugby and their skill levels are extremely high so it’s going to be a huge challenge going there." 
The Stormers, though, have injury woes after the punishing outing against the Chiefs with flanker Cobus Wiese and locks Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth unable to train early in the week. 
They are also in a tough sequence of matches with home games against the Chiefs and Lions to be followed by a trip to New Zealand to face the Crusaders, Otago Highlanders and Wellington Hurricanes.
The Chiefs, looking to get their season back on track, are in Bloemfontein to face a Central Cheetahs side desperate to prove they deserve to survive the Super Rugby culling process.
"These are challenging and uncertain times," the Cheetahs said in a statement this week.
"We strongly believe that through an honest and fair process we stand a strong chance of retaining our Super Rugby status." 
The defending champion Wellington Hurricanes are in Auckland to face a Blues side which has Sonny Bill Williams starting in a new unique jersey which does not feature the logo of team sponsor Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) to conform with his Muslim beliefs. 
But Williams has agreed to wear, instead, the logo of child health service Plunket whose principal sponsor is the BNZ. 
In the remaining matches, top Australian side ACT Brumbies play the struggling Melbourne Rebels, who along with Western Force are under threat of being kicked out of the 2018 competition.
Elsewhere, the Queensland Reds are at home to the Southern Kings and the Northern Bulls return to South Africa after an unsuccessful road trip to host the Jaguares.


Source: AFP

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

stormers lions battle for super rugby supremacy in south africa stormers lions battle for super rugby supremacy in south africa



GMT 00:19 2012 Sunday ,19 February

Sky extends rugby league contract

GMT 12:34 2012 Tuesday ,07 February

New Kurdish satellite TV station goes on air

GMT 06:29 2014 Sunday ,31 August

Finally, Apple’s iWatch coming in September

GMT 04:51 2017 Thursday ,13 April

Huda Kattan among top 10 beauty influencers

GMT 08:47 2011 Monday ,25 July

Uncle Sam wants psychiatrists

GMT 09:51 2019 Monday ,19 August

Live a frustrating atmosphere in your career

GMT 19:15 2012 Monday ,20 February

Sound of music for Sky News Arabia

GMT 23:28 2012 Saturday ,25 February

Al Jazeera crowned RTS news channel of the year

GMT 09:09 2012 Friday ,13 July

Supreme Court warns Pak prime minister

GMT 19:14 2017 Monday ,06 February

Earthquake Hits Areas in Iran's Khuzestan

GMT 04:45 2017 Monday ,06 February

Chazelle wins top DGA prize for ‘La La Land’

GMT 08:18 2016 Wednesday ,03 February

Syria's war-pummelled textile industry

GMT 21:09 2016 Wednesday ,01 June

Suspected US troops attack Al Shabaab in Somalia

GMT 18:03 2015 Monday ,09 February

GCC assistant secretary-general meets Swiss official

GMT 09:27 2017 Saturday ,30 December

Cyprus president among nine candidates

GMT 02:02 2012 Friday ,10 August

Potato juice treat stomach ulcers

GMT 12:43 2013 Monday ,03 June

Mays Hamdan works on new song

GMT 06:11 2015 Thursday ,22 October

Comedian Chris Rock to host Oscars again

GMT 12:10 2012 Wednesday ,26 September

Marwa\'s plans after finishing film Christmas

GMT 06:23 2012 Friday ,13 April

Happy Feet Two

GMT 13:24 2012 Tuesday ,24 July

LeAnn Rimes in see-through top
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday