Durban High School (DHS) travel down the Ridge Road to Glenwood on Saturday for an eagerly awaited FNB Classic Clash. Of Italian decent Max - he was christened Massimo - Tripepi captains DHS from the back of the scrum.
Wagpos of Brits host neighbours and rivals Brits High School in a FNB Classic Clash on Saturday. Eighthman Cornel du Plessis captains Wagpos.
Hoërskool Brits travel to Hoërskool Wagpos on Saturday for a FNB Classic Clash. Rickus Theron captains Brits from the loosehead position.
Tappe Henning, recently retired from international refereeing, has been appointed to referee the match at Ellis Park on 3 June between a Springbok XV and a star-studded World XV.
It's tough at the top! Grey Bloem have been toppled and Paul Roos have marched to the top of the FNB Top 20.
It is often claimed that referees give more penalties against the away team than the home team, and people then start to theorise as to why this should be. However Planet-Rugby kindly publishes statistics about penalties in the Super14, and so I decided to see if the initial premise was true.
In the rain and the wind in Upington, Carlton-Van Heerden beat AJ Ferreira 3-0 in their FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.
The Super 12 is the world's premier provincial rugby union tournament in the world with the best of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand going head to head for 13 frenetic weeks.
Australia will field a heavyweight line-up for the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-21 World Championship in France next month, with a team that includes nine players who have played Super 14 Rugby and over 20 players who have previously represented Australia at the Under-21 or Under-19 level.
There was all the drama of the semi-finals in the Super 14 this weekend. One was cut-and-dried, the other touch-and-go. Touch-and-go produced controversy. We shall look at some incidents, including that one at the scrum and two at the line-out.
The first big final to be played will be at Jade Stadium in Christchurch, the second at Twickenham in London - the finals of the Super 14 and England's Premiership. It's final time in Italy and a vital Test in Madrid.
Soundsure have sent a summary of the statistics for all 91 matches in the round robin of the Super 14. We shall give just some of them.
On a cold, wet Saturday, a penalty from Man of the Match Chris van der Meulen in the dying minutes gave Graeme an 8-6 victory over hosts Woodridge.
An all-South African match official team will officiate in the Super 14 Final between the Crusaders and the Hurricanes at Jade Stadium, Christchurch, on Saturday.
In a match played in cold and blustery conditions SACS managed to defeat their hosts HTS Bellville, 15-8. The game was punctuated by penalties as both sides battled to come to terms with the referee's interpretation of the tackle ball.
A moment of magic from Jamie Forrester handed Gloucester the European Challenge Cup after a 36-34 extra-time victory over London Irish in a pulsating match at the Stoop on Sunday.
Dean Ryan believes Sunday's dramatic 36-34 European Challenge Cup final victory over London Irish can be the start of a successful era for Gloucester.
A moment of magic from Jamie Forrester handed Gloucester the European Challenge Cup after a 36-34 extra-time victory over London Irish in a pulsating match at the Stoop on Sunday.
A moment of magic from Jamie Forrester handed Gloucester the European Challenge Cup after a 36-34 extra-time victory over London Irish in a pulsating match at the Stoop on Sunday.
To beat Grey College on the rugby field is an impressive and nigh impossible feat. To do it in consecutive years is almost unheard of, but this is exactly what Affies achieved in Pretoria on Saturday when they defeated their Free State visitors 18-13.
Affies beat Grey Bloem, which is always an achievement, in the wet Western Cape Bellville beat Bishops, and in an FNB Classic Clash Ermelo beat HTS Middelburg.. Even in Kimberley it was wet and cold. It rained in Upington when Carlton-Van Heerden just won their FNB Classic Clash.
A moment of magic from Jamie Forrester handed Gloucester the European Challenge Cup after a 36-34 extra-time victory over London Irish in a pulsating match at the Stoop on Sunday.
Belville sprung a big surprise when they beat the strong Bishops side 6-0 in the rain and the wind at Bellville on Saturday.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs for the two Super 14 semi-finals - the Hurricanes against the Waratahs and the Crusaders against the Bulls.
There is a new King of Europe and he wears the triple crown of Munster. But what an intense affair in Millennium Stadium with the roof closed.
In this section we deal with some aspects of the laws in action and comment on what readers have to say.
Three unanswered second-half tries gave St Andrew's a hard fought 26-19 victory over visitors Hudson Park on Wednesday. Hudson capitalised on St Andrew's mistakes in the first half to take a 19-7 lead at half-time.
It might be a sideshow to the real thing, but - for Andy Robinson at least - Sunday's Challenge Cup final between Gloucester and London Irish at the Stoop is very much a main event.
It might be a sideshow to the real thing, but - for Andy Robinson at least - Sunday's Challenge Cup final between Gloucester and London Irish at the Stoop is very much a main event.
Perhaps the timing of this column will give away what it is likely to be about, but then again, many of you may be surprised to see something about soccer here at all.
It might be a sideshow to the real thing, but - for Andy Robinson at least - Sunday's Challenge Cup final between Gloucester and London Irish at the Stoop is very much a main event.
Hoërskool Ermelo host HTS Middelburg in a FNB Classic Clash on Saturday. Luan Oostuizen captains Ermelo.
AJ Ferreira are up against local rivals Carlton-Van Heerden on Saturday in an FNB Classic Clash. Hanri Snyders captains a committed AJ Ferreira team from fullback.
It might be a sideshow to the real thing, but - for Andy Robinson at least - Sunday's Challenge Cup final between Gloucester and London Irish at the Stoop is very much a main event.
On Saturday Ermelo host HTS Middelburg in a FNB Classic Clash. Robbie la Grange captains HTS Middelburg from the No.8 position.
The Queen's College 1st XV turned on the charm to record a comprehensive 34-7 victory over the visiting Selborne team on the Rec on Saturday afternoon. While Queen's played with confidence and composure, Selborne struggled to find their rhythm and seldom crossed the advantage line.
DHS 1st XV had a tough fixture against St Charles on Saturday the 13 May, which they won 23-6.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs for the last week of the regular Super 14.
At Newlands when the Bulls beat the Stormers 43-10, their last try was scored by Bryan Habana. We have had some comment from readers on the matter and thought it fit to do it separately from other incidents in the last week of Super 14's round robin.
SANZAR has appointed the referees for the semi-finals of the Super 14. It has taken a group of referees from South Africa for one and another group of referees from Australia for the other.
Belfast has been chosen as the host city of the IRB U19 World Championship 2007.
Cardiff will be the focus of attention for millions this weekend as the Heineken Cup final is played. It is not the only big match.
Tony Spreadbury has been appointed to referee the final of England's Premiership at Twickenham on 27 May 2006.
It's not easy to go to Paarl Boys' High and win, but Grey Bloem did so on Saturday when they won 20-5. For that reason we have put them on their own at the top of the FNB Top 20 this week.
Westville took to the road over the Drakensberg to play KES and won 20-8, scoring all their points kin the first half.
Transvalia beat HTS Vereeniging 23-0 in their FNB Classic clash at Transvalia on Saturday.
Coach Pieter De Villiers has named a very powerful and experienced South African team to compete at the International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-21 World Championship in France next month.
St Andrew's beat Graeme College 17-11 in a tense FNB Classic Clash in Grahamstown on Saturday.
Maritzburg College went up the hill and beat Hilton 32-14 on Saturday.
There were four FNB Classic Clashes this weekend with victories for St Andrew's in Grahamstown, Daniël Pienaar in Uitenhage, HTS in Potchefstroom and Transvalia.
Hoërskool Bellville continued on their winning ways, beating Stellenberg 17-7 on Saturday.
The first ever FNB Classic Clash between old rivals, the only two boys' schools in Potchefstroom, the Technical High School (HTS) and Potch Boys' High, ended in a one point victory for the hosts, HTS.
HTS Daniël Pienaar beat Die Brandwag 34-16 in an FNB Classic Clash in Uitenhage on Saturday.
Played as usual on a Wednesday, Maritzburg College had a big 48-0 over neighbours Voortrekker at Goldstone's.
Maritzburg College beat Pretoria Boys High 24-5 at College, 6 May 2006.
The DHS 1st XV had their second domestic game against Richardsbay on Saturday the 6 May. It was game where DHS had everything to lose and Richardsbay could have taken away the DHS good record so far.
Due to fixture congestion in the Boland, SACS hosted Hugenote of Wellington on Wednesday afternoon. The teams kicked off just as the hot sun dipped below Devil's Peak and the match was played in near-perfect conditions. The match proved to be a tense affair, with both teams benefiting from intercept tries.
James Hatting, playing in his second year for St Andrew's College first team, will captain his school when they run in out in this Saturday's FNB Classic Clash against neighbours, Graeme College.
As headboy of HTS Vereeniging, Stiaan Smith leads his school and his team on Saturday against Transvalia in an FNB Classic Clash.
HTS Potchefstroom are hosting Potchstroom Boys High in the local town derby on Saturday. On his birthday, Cor Steyn will be leading his team against the closest rivals. The match is another FNB Classic Clash.
Hoerskool Transvalia of Van der Bijl Park host HTS Vereeniging in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday. Born in Vereeniging on 30 September 1988 and having attended Laerskool Kollegepark, LeRoi le Roux has the honour of captaining Transvalia from the No.8 position.
Thilip Marole is captain of Potch Boys High, who play local rivals HTS Potchestroom in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.
HTS Daniel Pienaar host Brandwag on Saturday in a FNB Classic Clash. HTS Daniel Pienaar captain Cornel Ferreira is a big boy who is looking forward to a big game on Saturday. Having looked forward to the local Uitenhage derby since last season already, he is fired up for this week's FNB Classic Clash.
There was plenty of movement in the FNB Top 20 this week, partly because of some surprising results, but once again we have Outeniqua and Grey Bloem at the top.
In a fiercely-contested 'FNB Classic Clashes' inter-schools fixture between long-standing traditional rivals, Queen's and Dale (on the occasion of the Dale Reunion), the visiting Queen's team deservedly beat their opposition by 20 points to 10 after a narrow 10-7 lead at half-time.
Lorenzo Southey, playing in his third year for the First XV, will captain Graeme College in this Saturday's FNB Classic Clash against local rivals St. Andrews College. Lorenzo marks this special day where Grahamstown's two boys schools meet with a rare individual feat - this will be the flyhalf's 50th match for the First Team.
Two tries in the last five minutes from wing Dylan Fetting gave Graeme College a 28-12 victory over visitors Cambridge High School in an inter-schools rugby match.
College won a hard match against Jeppe 17-8 on Saturday. In a match of two halves, College came out fighting and dominated possession, and scored two great tries through T Molefi and captain T Marole, both of which were converted by Calvin van Rensburg to lead 14-3 at half-time.
Brandwag and Daniel Pienaar play each other in the Uitenhage derby on Saturday. The fixture is only played once per annum and Saturday is D-day in Uitenhage. Which Grade 12 class of 2006 will have the bragging rights for the rest of their days? We find out Saturday when they meet in an FNB Classic Clash.
In an exciting match played out in front of a sizable crowd, SACS overcame near neighbours and rivals Rondebosch Boys' High in a hard fought match, winning 22-14. Despite the heavy overnight rain the surface was good and the teams were able to entertain the crowd with some expansive rugby.
Hoërskool Monument , South Africa's representatives at the Sanix Youth Rugby Tournament in Japan, lost 34-20 in the final to Christchurch Boys' High, the 2005 winners. It is for boys who had not yet turned 17 after 31 March 2006.
In typical Cape Town winter weather - cold, windy and raining, Bellville went up the N1 to Brackenfell and beat the home side 25-24 in a thriller. A try at the death won the match.
It was such an interesting round, as all Super 14 rounds are. And we have some things to talk briefly about.
There are semi-finals in England's Premiership and it is the last round of Super 14, which means the semi-finalists will be decided with their venues. It is a time for decisions, but then decisions are what referees do.
Boland Landbou and Maritzburg College struck back and Waterkloof struck with a vengeance in this week's results which include the two FNB Classic Clashes, one won by Queen's, the other by Itembelihle.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Outeniqua of George beat Oakdale Landbou of Riversdale 44-10 on Saturday.
Itembelihle Comprehensive School beat Ndzondelelo High 15-5 in an FNB Classic Clash at Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.
Potchefstroom on the banks of the Mooi River is the oldest town in the old Transvaal, in the world of Sarie Marais and the struggles if the Afrikaner people, and this is reflected in the history of HTS Potchefstroom.
St John's of Johannesburg went down to Wynberg Boys' High for their 165th birthday rugby festival over the last long weekend, and won both of their matches.
Hoërskool Monument of Krugersdorp are South Africa's representatives at the 7th Sanix Youth Rugby Tournament in Japan and are through to the final in which they will play against Christchurch Boys' High of New Zealand.
As the FNB Classic Clash with Queen's approaches, Dale captain and outside centre Maphelo Mpondo is a focussed man.
Queen's College 1st XV Captain and head boy Lisle Clark like his school, has serious pedigree.
Westville Boys’ High School’s 1st XV travelled to Cape Town to participate in the Wynberg Boys’ High School’s 165th Celebration Rugby Festival from Thursday 27 April to Saturday 29 April
Ayanda Jam-Jam, Itembelihle's star back and captain, is looking forward to the FNB Classic Clash between his school and nearby Ndzondelelo High at Wolfson Stadium.
Eddie Rululu is the captain of Ndzondelelo High School of Zwide Township in Port Elizabeth, and they are playing great rivals Itembelihle Comprehensive School of Kwazakhele in New Brighton.
Graeme College of Grahamstown in the City of Saints and Scholars was founded in 1873 to provide for scholars but not quite as denominationally saintly as the other schools.
There were not as many matches as usual as long-weekenditis laid schools rugby low - yet again. But amongst the matches played there were performances warranting changes to our FNB Top 20 yet again.
Just recently the FIRA-AER Women's European Championship ended in Northern Italy. For the first time ever all the referees were women.
Hoërskool Monument are South Africa's representative at the seventh Sanix Youth Rugby Tournament in the Global Arena in Munakata City in Fukuoka, Japan during Japan's Golden Week when there are public holidays. So far Monnas are doing well.
Referees have been appointed to the last rounds of the first Super 14's Round Robin. in all likelihood it will be Tappe Henning's last Super 14 match when he goes down to Kimberley for the match between the Cheetahs and the Cats.
The FNB Gauteng-KwaZulu Natal Festival, played at Rand Park School between schools from Gauteng and schools from over the Berg, ended on Monday.
This is a decisive time for teams in Europe and Super 14, when the spotlight shines even more brightly on the referee and his decisions.
There are always interesting things on the rugby field. It must be tedious to have a simple game where everything is cut-and-dried. Rugby is dynamic and multi-faceted, and so there is always room for debate and discussion.
The 2006 Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament is taking place in Fukuoka, Japan. Hoërskool Monument of Krugersdorp is taking part.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
There was another short week for the schools this week with another short week to come. But there was still time for some schools to play and for Boland Landbou to get an unexpected defeat.
We have just a few incidents to talk about but one, the first one, that is serious.
The first day of the two-day FNB Gauteng-KwaZulu Natal Rugby Festival was played at Fourways School on Saturday. The second playing day is Labour Day on Monday.
In brilliant sunshine on a perfect field with autumn colours marching up the hill and the side of Table Mountain in clear splendour, the Wynberg Boys' High 165 Rugby Festival kicked off on the afternoon of Freedom Day.
The advantage law, Law 8, is a short law but not an easy one to apply effectively - the one that does most to grade referees, for it is in playing advantage that a referee best shows his understanding of the game and his artistry in adding to the game.
Our columnist Duncan Bech reflects on what he makes of England's coaching shake-up and gives us his views on the possible return of a certain knight of the realm...
King Edward VII School (KES) are in the middle of a promising season. They have lost two close games (to Pretoria Boys High and Grey (PE) but their spirit remains high and with key players returning and others in good form they don’t intend slipping up again. One of their most influential players so far this season has been flank Vaughn Meyer. He is this week’s FNB Player of the Week.
The IRB has appointed referees for the mid-year Tests in the Southern Hemisphere, the first appointments from the new panel of referees and the new support panel of touch judges and television match officials.
On a hot Wednesday afternoon out in Durbanville SACS held on to beat their hosts Stellenberg 21-20. The first half was a scrappy affair with both teams guilty of numerous basic errors. Consequently neither team was able to impose its pattern on the game.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced a radical restructuring of its panels of Test referees.
Westville Boys’ High School’s 1st XV started their domestic rugby season on a very positive note. The local lads repeated last year’s 17-7 win over their Midlands opponents with an emphatic 35-3 victory on Saturday.
It's tough at the top all right, and it has affected the FNB Top 20 this week in a big way.
DHS beat Glenwood 28-21 in a close encounter in Durban on Saturday. DHS won the 1st XV match, but Glenwood dominated most of the other matches.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Weren't the referees in the two tense semi-finals great? Not that this weekend's matches will be entirely free of tension as the Super 14 and the competitions in Europe reach their climaxes.
Wynberg Boys' High are making the most of the approaching long weekend with two days of good rugby at the school.
The Queen's College 1st XV provided the climax to a successful reunion weekend by beating the visiting Grey High School 21-10 in front of a huge crowd of jubilant Old Boys and other Queen's College supporters on the Rec on Saturday afternoon.
Graeme College recorded a resounding 25-0 victory over Alexander Road in an interschools rugby match in Grahamstown on Saturday. The half time score was 8-0.
London Irish booked a date with Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup final courtesy of a dramatic 27-22 victory over the slow-starting Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Sunday.
Maritzburg College went up from Pietermaritzburg to Balgowan and beat Michaelhouse 24-10.
London Irish booked a date with Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup final courtesy of a dramatic 27-22 victory over the slow-starting Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Sunday.
London Irish booked a date with Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup final courtesy of a dramatic 27-22 victory over the slow-starting Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Sunday.
There was a surprise for Grey Bloem this week when Jim Fouché held them to a draw in wet Bloemfontein. For Grey a draw is like defeat; for Jim Fouché drawing with Grey is like victory.
London Irish booked a date with Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup final courtesy of a dramatic 27-22 victory over the slow-starting Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Sunday.
Gloucester took the first available place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals with a magnificent win over Worcester on Saturday, fighting back from 15-23 down with half an hour to go to win 31-23.
Gloucester took the first available place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals with a magnificent win over Worcester on Saturday, fighting back from 15-23 down with half an hour to go to win 31-23.
In wet conditions Boland Landbou’s heavier pack laid the platform for an unconvincing 8-5 win against visitors SACS. The teams were evenly matched in most facets of play but Landbou’s superior pack kept SACS on the back foot.
Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan has blasted the decision to stage the European Challenge Cup final at the Twickenham Stoop because he feels its is too small for the prestige event.
Gloucester took the first available place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals with a magnificent win over Worcester on Saturday, fighting back from 15-23 down with half an hour to go to win 31-23.
Gloucester took the first available place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals with a magnificent win over Worcester on Saturday, fighting back from 15-23 down with half an hour to go to win 31-23.
London Irish are a team in form with six wins from their last eight starts but Director of Rugby Brian Smith insists that home advantage in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingston Park on Sunday must make Newcastle Falcons favourites for the game.
London Irish are a team in form with six wins from their last eight starts but Director of Rugby Brian Smith insists that home advantage in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingston Park on Sunday must make Newcastle Falcons favourites for the game.
London Irish are a team in form with six wins from their last eight starts but Director of Rugby Brian Smith insists that home advantage in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingston Park on Sunday must make Newcastle Falcons favourites for the game.
London Irish are a team in form with six wins from their last eight starts but Director of Rugby Brian Smith insists that home advantage in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingston Park on Sunday must make Newcastle Falcons favourites for the game.
Australia's U19 team won its first-ever World Championship with a tense 17-13 win over New Zealand in Dubai on Friday.
HTS Middelburg have climbed gradually into the Top 20 schools in South Africa over the last few seasons. In testament to their growing stature they play Affies on Saturday in the quarterfinal of the Michelin Series. Janus Terblanche is the key player in the HTS Middelburg team, having last week been selected as the best scrumhalf on show at the Oakdale Rugby Week. He is our FNB Player of the Week.
The national weeks for schoolboys are development opportunities not only for schoolboy players but also for referees.
The final matches of Division B of the IRB's Under-19 World Championship were played in Dubai on Thursday. Fiji will play in Division A next year after their 22-14 win over Tonga. They will replace either Japan or Romania in the top division.
Gloucester captain Adam Balding is anxious to avoid an unwanted first when the Cherry-and-whites clash with Worcester Warriors in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Gloucester captain Adam Balding is anxious to avoid an unwanted first when the Cherry-and-whites clash with Worcester Warriors in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Gloucester captain Adam Balding is anxious to avoid an unwanted first when the Cherry-and-whites clash with Worcester Warriors in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingsholm on Saturday.
With England poised to make management changes, regular columnist Andrew Baldock throws his weight behind the campaign to reinstall Bath boss Brian Ashton.
Gloucester captain Adam Balding is anxious to avoid an unwanted first when the Cherry-and-whites clash with Worcester Warriors in their European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Newcastle gear up for their European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish on Sunday, fresh in the knowledge that their Premiership status is secure for another season after a morale-boosting win over Premiership leaders Sale last weekend.
Newcastle gear up for their European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish on Sunday, fresh in the knowledge that their Premiership status is secure for another season after a morale-boosting win over Premiership leaders Sale last weekend.
Newcastle gear up for their European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish on Sunday, fresh in the knowledge that their Premiership status is secure for another season after a morale-boosting win over Premiership leaders Sale last weekend.
Last we discussed various aspects of the law and its application. Here Peter Shortell reacts to what was said.
These are little issues which may well be of interest. Tomorrow we shall also give two contributions by readers which are, perhaps, too extensive to include here.
Newcastle gear up for their European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish on Sunday, fresh in the knowledge that their Premiership status is secure for another season after a morale-boosting win over Premiership leaders Sale last weekend.
Gloucester coach Dean Ryan has kept faith with the XV that beat Worcester in the Guinness Premiership last weekend for Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final against the very same side.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Gloucester coach Dean Ryan has kept faith with the XV that beat Worcester in the Guinness Premiership last weekend for Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final against the very same side.
Andy McPherson of Scotland has been appointed to the IRB's Under-19 World Championship final between Australia and New Zealand.
Andy McPherson of Scotland has been appointed to the IRB's Under-19 World Championship final between Australia and New Zealand.
Newcastle Falcons have made four changes to their side as they prepare for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish at Kingston Park.
Gloucester coach Dean Ryan has kept faith with the XV that beat Worcester in the Guinness Premiership last weekend for Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final against the very same side.
Newcastle Falcons have made four changes to their side as they prepare for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish at Kingston Park.
Gloucester coach Dean Ryan has kept faith with the XV that beat Worcester in the Guinness Premiership last weekend for Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final against the very same side.
Since our initial FNB Top 20 for 2006, there have been holidays in many parts of South Africa, but during those holidays there were many tournaments to give top schools a chance to show their worth.
Newcastle Falcons have made four changes to their side as they prepare for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish at Kingston Park.
Newcastle Falcons have made four changes to their side as they prepare for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against London Irish at Kingston Park.
The matches most likely to attract attention this weekend are the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup in Dublin and San Sebastian, Spain.
It was a cold Easter Monday at St John's for Day 3 of the Easter Festival, backed by FNB.
It was overcast and chilly on Eastern Monday, the last day of the St Stithians Easter festival which has the backing of FNB.
King Edward VII School's Easter Rugby Festival, sponsored by FNB, ended on Easter Monday with a surprise defeat for Pretoria Boys High.
New Zealand will face Australia in the Final of the International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-21 Word Championship after they won their respective semi-finals in Dubai on Monday. The Final will take place at the Exiles RFC on Friday.
Day Four of the B Division of the IRB Under-19 World Championship was semi-final day. Victories for Fiji and Tonga means that the Pacific Island countries will contest the final with promotion to Division A as a reward.
The referees have been appointed to the matches in the semi-finals of the two divisions at the IRB’s Under-19 World Championship in Dubai.
Some schools played ordinary fixtures in the short week prior to the Easter Weekend and some will again in the short week which follows it but most of our results are from the five Easter Festivals in Northvaal.
The hosts and HTS Rustenburg performed strongly on the second day of Potchefstroom Boys' High's Easter Tournament.
The referees have been appointed to the matches in the semi-finals of the two divisions at the IRB’s Under-19 World Championship in Dubai.
St Charles of Pietermaritzburg and Monnas of Krugersdorp again did well on the second day of Krugersdorp High School's Easter Rugby Festival.
On the second day of the Saints' Easter Festival for 2006, supported by FNB, the stern encounter was that between Affies of Pretoria and Paarl Gim, which ended in a draw.
In perfect weather yet again, within an even bigger crowd than Thursday's record crowd at St John's, the great School's Easter Festival went into its second day.
Viadana has been slapped with a hefty fine after a disciplinary committee ruled that the Italian club was guilty of both failing to prepare their pitch and fulfilling a fixture during the European Challenge Cup.
There have been changes to the originally announced schedule for the Easter Rugby Festival at Potchefstroom Boys' High.
South Africa have failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-19 championships and thus failed to defend the title they won on home soil last year.
Queen's College of Queenstown, again a strong side this year, pulled off a double victory on Wednesday when they beat Aliwal North and Burgersdorp.
The Krugersdorp High School's Easter Festival kicked off on Thursday.
In perfect weather the St John's Easter Festival, supported by FNB, went into action on Thursday morning, down on Burger Field looking up the steep koppie crowned with the stonework of the great school.
King Edward VII School's Easter Festival began in Houghton on Maundy Thursday with sponsorship from FNB.
The IRB's Under-19 World Championship being played in Dubai heads into its last round of pool matches before the knock-out matches. For countries with one win it is their last chance to be contenders for the crown.
Fiji and Tonga finished first and second in the Division B table of the U19 World Championship in Dubai after wins over Russia and Georgia respectively on day five of the action.
Adrian Kritzinger is the playmaker in a potent Diocesan College (Bishops) outfit this season. Playing at outside centre he models himself on the great Irish assassin Brian O'Driscoll. He will be hoping to create the same sort of magic as his hero did on the 2001 Lions Tour as Bishops face another uncompromising Cape season.
We are going to go to incidents from Week 8 of the Super 14 but we have several readers' queries and comments which should be treated separately lest we become too cumbersome.
The IRB's Under-19 World Championship being played in Dubai heads into its last round of pool matches before the knock-out matches. For countries with one win it is their last chance to be contenders for the crown.
We have some serious incidents to discuss seriously and we have some serious questions about the maul. The maul is especially interesting.
The first FNB Top 20- of 2006 is making its appearance. There should be fanfare. There is also much trepidation.
Viadana will appear before an independent Disciplinary Committee in Dublin on Thursday, 13 April to hear misconduct complaints lodged against the club by the ERC Disciplinary Officer.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
There are World Cup 2007 qualifiers in Europe and Asia this week while the Super 14 nears the end of its round-robin course.
Schools in many parts have been on holiday recently but there have been festivals, especially in the Cape.
Australia and New Zealand continued with their dominant performances on Matchday Two of Division A at the International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-19 World Championship on Sunday.
Easter is coming, and rugby festivals spring into life in Gauteng - five of them big ones. Three of them are supported by FNB - St John's, KES and St Stithians.
The second day of the A Division matches will be decisive for the ambitions of some sides at the IRB's Under-19 World Championship in Dubai. We give the match officials appointed to these matches.
Fiji, Tonga, Georgia and Uruguay are the four teams still unbeaten after the second round of fixtures in Division B of the U19 World Championship in Dubai on Saturday.
The second day of the A Division matches will be decisive for the ambitions of some sides at the IRB's Under-19 World Championship in Dubai. We give the match officials appointed to these matches.
The referees have been appointed to for the third day of the IRB's Under-19 Championship being played in Dubai.The third day sees the Division B sides in action again.
There are several internal struggles in this set of matches as the end of the round-robin part of the Super 14 approaches, sometimes the hardest of the lot for referees, as civil wars tend to be the bitterest of all! But the match between the Brumbies and the Hurricanes could be special.
The Super 14 has gone beyond the half-way mark already and it is still running. In this section we are going to use a few incidents to remind ourselves of the Laws of the Game.
After all the fun of the week, the presence of several legends of the rugby world and lots of enthusiastic support the curtain has come down on the 150th birthday Grey High Schools Rugby Festival which FNB helped to fund. The hosts ended their tournament with a fine win over the Pretoria Boys' High side while their Bloemfontein namesakes had a big win over the impressive Queen's side.
The second day of the IRB's Under-19 World Championship brings the big guns of Division A into action.
The Heineken Cup quarter-finals have come and gone. The fanfare may not have lasted the duration of the matches but the winning fans seemed delighted without concern for the quality of the rugby, which in three-quarters of the matches was not generous.
Oakdale Landbouskool of Riversdale closed its 23rd Annual Rugby Week with several close matches on Day 3.
The opening Division A match day in this year's International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-19 World Championship in Dubai on Wednesday produced a string of surprise results, the most prominent of which was defending champions South Africa's 42-3 loss to France.
The second day of the IRB's Under-19 World Championship brings the big guns of Division A into action.
Georgia, relegated from last year's U19 World Championship division A, kicked off their 2006 campaign with an impressive 57-3 win over Korea in Sharjah on Tuesday.
It probably doesn't get much tougher than kicking-off a World Cup against New Zealand, but that is what U19 Grand Slam winners Wales must do in the U19 Rugby World Cup in Dubai on Wednesday.
Union High of Graaff-Reinet hosted a rugby festival in the school holidays, which was attended by twelve teams. The majority of teams were from the region but Port Alfred, Stirling, Muir and Cambridge came inland from the coast, Stellenbosch High School made the trip up from the Cape and Willowridge High came all the way down from Pretoria to sample some Karroo hospitality.
Richard Parks of Leeds Tykes has been suspended for three weeks following a Rugby Football Union (RFU) disciplinary hearing at the Bristol Filton Holiday Inn on Tuesday.
Paloma Loza will make history this weekend - the first woman to referee in Spain's top league, the División de Honor.
Hoërskool Volksrust are hosting the 23rd Annual Voermol Amajuba Sports Weeks. The event takes place over two weeks and there will be 38 rugby teams from north and south of the Vaal River in attendance. The tournament is a season highlight for many of the teams.
On the final day of Die Brandwag's annual rugby tournament, the hosts just beat the Strand in a great battle, while Daniël Pienaar played to a generous draw with Hoërskool Middelburg.
The 27th Oakdale Rugby Week started on Saturday, 1 April 2006 in Riversdale where the first two days were exceedingly hot.
There were some great matches on the second day of Greys' Rugby Festival, in association with FNB, in Port Elizabeth. Most notable was DHS's victory over the strong home team - a tiny 6-0 win but a big one for the Durban side.
The ‘All-Ireland’ Heineken Cup semi-final between Leinster and Munster will round off a fantastic weekend of European rugby action on 22 and 23 April.
The U19 teams of Canada and Namibia will get the 2006 Under-19 World Cup underway in Dubai on Tuesday.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Spain's top league, the División de Honor, has a woman referee there for the first time - Paloma Loza of Madrid. Last week she refereed a quarter-final of the División de Honor B. She may just be making history.
HTS Bellville's tournament for technical schools started on 1 April with matches on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.
There were Festivals all over the place - Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Despatch, Durbanville, Riversdale and Bellville, amongst others.
London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
Die Brandwag Hoërskool of Uitenhage held the first day of its annual three-day Rugby Festival on 31 March. These are the results for the first two days.
London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
Die Brandwag Hoërskool of Uitenhage held the first day of its annual three-day Rugby Festival on 31 March. These are the results.
Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.
Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.
Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.
Worcester wing Aisea Havili scored a hat-trick of tries as his side recorded a manful 34-25 over Northampton at Franklin's Garden on Saturday - a result that take the Warriors through to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.
Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.
Our first FNB Player of the Week for 2006 is Jean Rossouw of Paarl Gim, one of South Africa's greatest rugby schools.
The Grey High Schools Rugby Festival in association with FNB, a part of the great school's 150th birthday celebrations, kicked off in Port Elizabeth today with seven great matches. The hoists added to the occasion by beating Maritzburg College, always formidable opposition.
Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.
Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.
Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.
Kokstad College are holding their annual rugby festival on 31 March and 1 April. There will be 14 matches over the two days.
Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.
Rugby referees in the Arabian Gulf are taking centre stage in a series of prestigious events in different countries over the next few weeks. And the high profile being enjoyed by officials has led sponsors Power Development International (PDI) to extend its support of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Referees' Society through to the end of the 2006/07 season and also back the Asian RFU's elite referees panel.
Marais Viljoen of Alberton marched on Jeppe and beat the home side 48-11 on Wednesday.
The Super 14 certainly is racketing along past half way, and we shall be using incidents from the matches for our law discussion this week. There is one really difficult one, again concerning the maul.
Ten senior schools and two primary schools took part in the annual Western Province Rugby Day for Schools held at Newlands on Tuesday 27 March. The games were contested over two twenty-minute halves, with no conversions.
The Challenge Cup has entered the business end of proceeding with eight sides - five English, two French and one Irish - striving to fill the four semi-final berths. We preview all the action...
Hoërskool Durbanville are kicking off April with their second rugby festival with some teams that have come from afar.
It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.
It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.
It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.
SANZAR has announced the appointment of match officials for Weeks 9 & 10 of Super 14. Jonathan Kaplan seems to have the most desirable match – Crusaders vs Waratahs in Christchurch.
Hoërskool Merensky of Tzaneen is hosting its 21st Annual Festival in early April.
The Michel Series for 16 top schools is nearing the knock-out stages with strong performances by some
Northampton Saints fly-half Carlos Spencer may miss Saturday’s European Challenge Cup game against Worcester Warriors as a result of a knock to his leg against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership last Sunday.
Rugby festivals have mushroomed all over South Africa. Here we give the fixtures for several of them.
Die Brandwag of Uitenhage, a keen rugby school, is again hosting its rugby festival and again there is a strong group of schools attending.
Union High of Graaff-Reinet is holding its annual rugby Festival on Saturday 1 April and Monday 3 April.
It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.
Voortrekker Hoërskool of Pietermaritzburg held its 15th annual Rugby Day, part of a more general sports festival, again attracting a large crowd to the school near the river.
The Heineken is back in town and rushing into the cut-throat quarter-finals.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Gloucester welcome Brive in the Challenge Cup on Saturday facing a front-row crisis after the sending-off of Terry Sigley during their Guinness Premiership defeat to Bristol last weekend.
KES went over to Jeppe for the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006 and won 31-0.
The games played at the Graeme College Rugby Day in Grahamstown on Saturday produced some surprises, some runaway victories, as well as some tight matches which ensured that this was an entertaining day’s rugby.
Oakdale’s annual rugby festival in Riversdale will take place on 1 and 3 April 2006 with 22 schools taking part.
After two pleasing wins on a mini-tour to Pretoria, 29-15 against John Vorster and 20-16 against Menlo Park, College played their first match of the season in Pietermaritzburg, at the Voortrekker Festival, now in its fifteenth year, and beat Pionier of Vryheid 24-0.
The fourth annual Western Province Schools Rugby Festival takes place at Newlands on Tuesday afternoon and evening, 28 March 2006. In the main match Paarl Gim play Paul Roos.
Referees have been accused of killing a game or blowing game to death, but an Italian referee has been honoured for rescuing two young children from drowning off a Sicilian beach.
It is March and almost winter but already schools rugby is in full swing. The first FNB Classic Clash has happened already, won handsomely by KES in the Johannesburg wet.
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool managed to beat the new kids on the block, Eldoraigne, by 23-16 in a Michelin Series match in Pretoria on Saturday, although they were made to work much harder for this victory than they would have expected.
The annual Voortrekker Hoërskool Rugby Day takes place in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday with 22 matches.
The Six Nations has ended, for some with shouts of joy, for others with a deflation of air. And there was also the spice of controversy.
Jeppe are at home to KES in the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006. Sifisa Vilikazi will be capatining and hoping to inspire the Jeppe side.
Schools rugby is well on the god in the northern regions of South Africa, which may be part of the reason why they pack up in mid winter!
KES go across Johannesburg to face old rivals Jeppe in the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006. In general and especially recently KES have dominated the 1st XV matches.
Gareth Simmonds of Cardiff is a highly experienced referee - one of Wales's international referees and still active, though mainly on the touch-line. He speaks about the maul. It is good to listen to a man of his calibre.
After all the hectic activity and criticism on match officials on both sides of the equator, let's hope this weekend is a quiet and gentle one.
Peter Shortell of Cheltenham who takes a keen interest in the laws, their history and workings,, has sent us his reaction to the suggested law changes that emerged from experimentation done at the University of Stellenbosch recently.
The combined Gauteng-KwaZulu Natal Rugby Festival take place at Fourways High School over the two days of 29 April and 1 May this year. In it Gauteng Schools play against KwaZulu Natal schools, ten schools from each province. There are 11 on the first day.
Hoërskool Strand held its programme of shortened matches recently. Each match lasted just 20 minutes. But each team plays three matches, giving them an hour's rugby but against different opponents.
Grey High Schools turns 150 this year and, like Grey Bloem last year, has rugby as a part of its celebrations at the beginning of April. Many of the schools are old friends - as happens at birthday parties. FNB are coming to the party as well.
King Edward VII School of Houghton, Johannesburg, are hosting their annual Easter Rugby and Hockey Festival again this year.
As a born and bred Johannesburg boy who has attended KES from Grade 1 to 11, Josh Carstens is well aware of the magnitude of the task facing his team on Saturday when Jeppe host KES in an FNB Classic Clash.
Wales beat all five of their Six Nations opponents at Under-19 level, thus ending with a Grand Slam.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
England Under-21 were comfortable winners of the 2006 U21 Six Nations and did so with a Grand Slam.
Linston Manuels, the controversial television match official that came in for severe censure for his blunder in the Bulls versus Hurricanes Super 14 match at the weekend, have been "axed" from the Super 14 TMO panel. But he is to remain on the panel as a touch judge - a considerably more important position.
Suddenly the Six Nations with all its hurly burly, is done. Anticlimax is upon is. Just to mop up, we shall give the stats, some of which add up to totals for the Six Nations on 2006.
The defending Michelin Series champion, Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria, is still in line to qualify for the quarter-final of this competition after beating Ermelo Hoërskool 33 -16 in Pretoria on Friday afternoon.
The psalmist said: The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. The Irish would probably agree, the English vehemently disagree after three incidents in the Six Nations match between England and Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
Sarel Cilliers High School held its annual rugby festival on 10-11 March at the school in Glencoe.
The non-try by Akona Ndungane of the Bulls in the match with the Hurricanes was the big talking point in South Africa on Friday evening and the talk was angry.
Joël Jutge, the French referee appointed to referee the Twickenham clash between England and Ireland, has had to withdraw because of injury. His place is taken by Nigel Whitehouse of Wales.
The fourth round of the Six Nations has flown by, just the last round remaining. We are going to look at three little line-out incidents and a straightforward off-side.
Wales have won four with one to play. The Grand Slam is within their grasp.
England Under-21 are poised to win the Under-21 Six Nations Championship with a Grand Slam They have played four and won four Just the Irish challenge remains.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
In the third week of the Six Nations, there was France's massive victory over England in Paris, one of record proportions. Ireland beat the dogged Scots in the Dublin wet and Wales managed a draw against Italy in Cardiff though the Italians had the better of the second half.
Recently there was a workshop on the laws of the game from which there emanated a series of proposals which could have a radical effect on the way the game is played.
Ezio Galon played fullback for Italy against Wales at Millennium Stadium on Saturday. The big, fast 27-year-old plays for Overmach Parma and was first capped for Italy in 2001. None of that explains how close he was to one of international rugby's most bizarre occurrences.
The Six Nations reaches its denoument. Four teams could win the Championship with France the most likely. There are some interesting "other" matches.
With just Ireland to play England Under-21 are set fair to win the Under-21 Six Nations with a Grand Slam.
Their seniors may not be unbeaten but France and England are undefeated at Under-21 level and they meet this week in a match which will determine who the Under-21 Champions of the Six Nations will be. All the teams will have an eye on the IRB Under-21 World Championship later this year.
The Super 14 has already reached week 14 as it rushes on its way. There are few tiny matters to talk about, including this business of the deliberate wheel, and we shall bring forward some comment/questions from readers. One is a really difficult one from Sydney.
Wales have beaten England, Scotland and Ireland at Under-19 level this season and are in line to add a Grand Slam to their Triple Crown.
The Six Nations bursts out again this weekend with the big crunch at Stade de France in Paris. In fact, there are several matches between French teams and English teams.
Much has been said and argued about stamping on players on the ground this year - as in Ireland's matches with Italy and Wales and as in the match between the Hurricanes and the Cats. Compared to the hacking of old, stamping is a pastime of innocents.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
This is a progressive records of the tries each team has scored in the 2006 Super 14 and the number of times they have kicked the ball.
In this section we give the progessive record of penalties and sanctions in the 2006 Super 14.
Argentina's Under-19 side, the Pumitas, are set to take the South American Under-19 Championship yet again.
In this section we discuss some incidents from Super 14 matches last weekend and answer a reader's question.
SANZAR has announced the appointments of match officials for Weeks 6-8 of the Super 14. Chris Pollock gets his first taste of refereeing Super rugby abroad when he heads for Sydney.
Australia have announced their squad of 26 players for the World Under-19 tournament to be played in Dubai in April. Two of the players have made their Super 14 debuts.
We discuss some incidents involving the television match official from the match between Ireland and Wales in Dublin in last weekend's Six Nations matches.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.
Almost astonishingly there are no senior Tests this weekend but there are big regional and club matches as the Powergen Cup goes to its semi-finals and the Super 14 and the Celtic League speed on.
In this part we give a progressive table of penalties conceded and sanctions - yellow cards, red cards and citings with suspension - received.
In this section we give a running table of the number of tries each team scores and the number of times it kicks the ball
In the third week of the Six Nations, France beat Italy in Paris, Ireland beat Wales in Dublin and then, in their second surprise this championship, Scotland beat England at Murrayfield, which will soon be dubbed Fortress Murrayfield. In this section we give some statistics from the matches.
Just because they are of immediate interest we shall discuss two refereeing decisions from Round Three of the Six nations - one in Edinburgh and one in Dublin.
Following their victories over England and Scotland Wales have become the Under-19 Triple Crown winners with their big victory over Ireland in Ireland.
In Round 3 of the Six Nations for Under-21s, England and France had big and expected victories while in Ireland Wales got home by just one point.
We have dealt with some statistics and with the red card given to Thys Stoltz. Now we are going to look at more general incidents, including some comment by the commentators which may not have been helpful.
If Wales beat Ireland at Blackrock College on Saturday afternoon, they will win the Under-19 Triple Crown.
The Six Nations Under-21 matches continue this weekend. A glance suggests that England and France will win easily but the Ireland-Wales match could be close.
Readers have asked several questions or statements concerning the laws of the game. We give them below with some comment.
In the match between the Cats and the Chiefs at Ellis Park on Friday, the referee gave Willem Stoltz of the Cats a red card for use of the boot on a player's neck. That was just before half-time.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs. We also give some tables to show accumulation of penalties and sanctions, and tries and kicks.
The Six Nations is back in action with only England unbeaten as they go to Murrayfield for the Calcutta Cup match.
As we did last week we give tables which we will run accumulatively each week throughout the Super 14. The tables in this section have a record of penalties and sanctions, i.e. red and yellow cards and citings with suspension.
In this section of statistics we give tables reflecting the number of tries a team has scored and the number of times a team kicked the ball.
Mercifully, the first week of Super 14 passed almost without controversy - apart from an advantage in Bloemfontein and an early tackle in Christchurch - but there are still some points of law worth discussing, as we shall do here. It has indeed been a busy week with three RBS Six Nations matches and seven Super 14 matches.
There has been so much to talk about this week after the ten big matches last weekend that we shall keep this one short. After all we did discuss the big issues of the penalty try and the sending off at length.
It's a little over 36 hours since WRU Chief Executive Steve Lewis ruined most of Britain's Rugby journalists' Valentine's dinners by announcing the departure of Mike Ruddock.
We give tables here which will be updated each week. The first table has penalties and sanctionary cards, the second table tries and kicks.
There is a breather in the RBS Six Nations this weekend but the marathon Super 14 rumbles on, and the clubs are back in action.
The big talking point of Week 2 of the RBS Six Nations was the sending off of Scott Murray of Scotland. This overshadowed even the penalty try against Scotland earlier in the match. We shall look at both of these issues.
We give tables here which will be updated each week. This table gives a record of tries and kicks.
In the second week of the Six Nations, France beat Ireland in Paris, England beat Italy in Rome and Wales beat Scotland in Cardiff. In this section we give some statistics from the matches. Later we shall discuss incidents, firstly the penalty try and the sending off, and then other incidents.
Rugby Tests have been played since 1871. Over a century later the first player was sent off in a match in the International Championship - now called the Six Nations. The most recent was Scott Murray of Scotland.
Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs. We shall also give some tables in Stats 2 and shall discuss some incidents in Part 2.
In cold Biella up near the Alps England beat Italy 48-3 in an Under-21 encounter on Thursday. Topsy Ojo scored four tries for the winners
In the two Under-19 internationals othis week, Wales beat Scotland 48-10 on Thursday and England beat Italy 34-26 at Stadio delle Tre Fontane in Rome on Friday afternoon, a match which started in sunshine but was overtaken by rain.
Wales outscored Scotland by four tries to two as the hosts won an entertaining under-21s clash 34-24 in Newport.
SANZAR has issued a statement of key factors in its dealings with disciplinary matters in Super 14. We have added the IRB's recommended tariff of penalties for foul play.
Errors cost the Ireland Under-21s as they went down 29-10 to their French counterparts in Strasbourg in the second round of Under-21 Six Nations matches.
In cold Biella up near the Alps England beat Italy 48-3 in an Under-21 encounter on Thursday. Speedster Topsy Ojo scored four tries for the winners.
South African referees are fit and well prepared for the season ahead - the top ones at least after several courses around the country.
SANZAR, the body which runs rugby played in the Tri-Nations and the Super 14, has a judicial committee. One of its members, Jannie Lubbe, drew our attention to two decisions by SANZAR's judicial committee on the matter of rucking.
We have already discussed stamping and trampling and we have given the stats of the first-round matches in the 2006 Six Nations Championship. Now we shall look at some incidents from those three matches - Ireland vs Italy, England vs Wales and Scotland vs France.
After the first Under-21 round in the Six Nations, the clash between Ireland and France in Strasbourg in the far east of France looks the critical one.
Judged by the first round of Under-19 matches at the time of the Six Nations, it would seem that the one between Wales and Scotland at Aberavon on Thursday could be a close-run affair. And Italy may just be able to put pressure on England in Rome.
Italy and England meet at Under-21 level on Thursday night in Biella, an industrial centre in Piedmont..
On the first week of the RBS Six Nations Ireland played Italy, England played Wales and Scotland played France - all matches won by the home sides.
The Super 14, with brand new sides in the Cheetahs and the Western Force, gets into action this weekend, with Bryce Lawrence to blow it into life.
The Six Nations got under way with an interesting couple of days, reaching a climax with that thriller in Edinburgh. We are going to do three sections to our law discussion this week, starting with the burning question of stamping in the Ireland-Italy match.
France Under-21 beat Scotland Under-21 37-0 in Falkirk Stadium. It was a disappointing performance for the Scots.
Leicester Tigers centre Matt Cornwell will captain England Under-21 in the side's Six Nations opener against Wales at Worcester's Sixways ground on Friday evening.
In the first round of Six Nations matches Ireland host Italy at Dubarry Park in Athlone on Friday evening.
The Six Nations starts with excitement and tradition. Dave Pearson of England, newly promoted to the A Panel, gets his first RBS Six Nations match.
Wales Under-21 play England Under-21 at Sixways Stadium, Worcester on Friday, 3 February, kick off at 20.05.
England Under-19 and Wales Under-19 meet at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, 3 February. The kick-off is at 19.45.
England's National Academy coach Jim Mallinder has confirmed the Under-21 squad for the opening Six Nations match against Wales at Worcester on February 3.
We are taking some things from five Heineken Cup matches in Round 6 - Leeds Tykes vs Cardiff Blues, Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester Tigers, Sale vs Munster and Bath vs Leinster.
Bryce Lawrence of New Zealand will blow the whistle to start the Super 14. This is an appointment made by SANZAR which has released its appointments of match officials for the first five weeks.
The national selectors have invited a large group of players to set in motion the selection of an Under-21 team to defend their IRB Under-21 World Championship title in Paris later this year.
South Africa has announced the national Under-19-squad to defend its world crown at the IRB Under-19 World Championships to be held in April in Dubai.
The Northern Hemisphere catches it breath with club activities before international competitions burst forth. In the South SANZAR starts flexing its muscles.
It was busy Monday in France. Not only were the senior team and the A team announced but also the Under-21 team which will play Scotland at Falkirk on 3 February, the opening day of the Six Nations.
Chris Pollock of Hawke's Bay becomes New Zealand sixth full-time referee.
Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.
Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.
Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.
Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.
The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.
The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.
The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.
The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.
Worcester's 44-8 win over Catania has edged them ahead of Connacht on the table, but they will be looking to return from Montpellier with five points this weekend.
Newcastle Falcons know a win in the last round will clinch a top-two ranking for the quarter-finals, but they won't have things all their own way in Brive. The French club are sitting on 17 points, but will need at least a bonus point - if not a victory - against the Falcons to play any further part in this tournament.
Gloucester are in arguably the best position of any of the 20 Cup sides. They have 24 out of a possible 25 points, and their 43 tries will prove valuable if they finish level on points with Newcastle Falcons (42 tries).
London Irish's scratchy eight-point win over Rugby Parma in Italy on Saturday confirmed their place in the quarter-finals, but they need to beat Pau this weekend to clinch a home play-off.
Northampton Saints should confirm their place in the play-offs with a win over bottom-placed Viadana this weekend, but they need a bonus point to guarantee a home match in the next round.
We are going to talk about some incidents from a few of the matches in Round 5 of the Heineken Cup - Castres vs Munster, Cardiff Blues vs Perpignan, Sale Sharks vs Dragon and that match with the astounding finish between Leicester Tigers and Stade Français.
The International Rugby Board (IRB's) Under-21 World Championship is taking place in France in June. Twelve teams will take part, with the reigning champions, South Africa, seeded top.
The pool matches in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup end this weekend. They will decide who the quarter-finalists are, but the quarter-finals are not till the end of March/beginning of April.
Gianluca Guidi and Mario Pavin, the coaches of Italy's Under-19 team, have chosen a squad of 25 players to start their preparations on 28 and 19 January in preparation for the 2006 campaign.
Ian Paxton, Scotland's Under-21 coach has chosen a "core" squad of 26 players for this year's campaign which includes the Six Nations and the IRB's World Championship in France in June.
With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.
With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.
With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.
With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.
Paul Marks will be refereeing in the Super 14 competition this year, his first experience of refereeing at this level - a young referee obviously going places.
England have chosen an Under-19 squad which is preparing for the IRB's Under-19 World Championship in Dubai in late March-April.
Six Nations fixtures 2012.
The Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup return this weekend.
SARU has announced the referees for several pre-season friendlies, several of them warm-ups for the Super 14. One of them involves Russia, another the top Italian club..
Top play bottom when London Irish head off for Parma with its cheese, ham and baptistry, a match the Exiles would be expected to win wherever played.
The top two are playing the bottom two, and they are doing it at home.
The top two teams meet in what could be a decisive clash.
The high-flying Falcons may not have it all their own way but you would expect Brive to beat L'Aquila even in the lovely Italian mountain town.
We have had a rest from Law Discussions as we have been digesting other things over the Festive Season. For fear of getting too far behind with readers' comment, we give some of it here.
This season’s Home Unions Under-18 Tournament will be staged at four grounds in Gloucestershire in April.
Rugby continues at club level in the Six Nations, as Italy's Super 10 gets back into action after the festive break. Iberia also get into action again.
The European Rugby Cup, the body controlling the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup, has announced the referees for Round 5 of its competitions.
Wales's international rugby referees are all set to be 'capped' in the new year when the Welsh Rugby Union honours their services to the game.
When England played New Zealand at Twickenham in November, Irish referee Alan Lewis showed three New Zealanders yellow cards, which signified their departure for the sin bin.
While most of the world relaxes in post-indulgence lethargy, rugby goes on at a high level in the Four Home Unions as the Celtic League and England's Premiership try to fit in as many matches for the players as possible.
The New Zealand RFU has announced referees for its Sevens, the IRB Sevens, the Super 14 panels and the warm-up matches in the Super 14.
It's over to our readers this time. They have their say. Just before they do one tiny word.
You would have thought as the world calms down for Christmas that the rugby would have been filled with love and warmth. Instead it has been more like frantic Christmas shopping than joining the shepherds on a starry Bethlehem night.
We hope that it is a time of peace for all referees of goodwill - for all men of goodwill, in fact. And that it is a happy time for individuals and families and groups all over the world. But our good wishes go out especially to 'match officials', the men of goodwill who make rugby orderly.
Wow, what a weekend that was! The last-gasp wins in Swansea and Bourgoin, Wasps' destruction of the team that beat them soundly just seven days before, the video call in Watford, and the apparent punches and niggles in Cardiff.
Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.
Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.
Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.
We deal with a few incidents based on last weekend's Heineken Cup matches and then discuss some questions from readers.
The South African referees' management with the assessors have just announced their panels for 2006. Jonathan Kaplan is, unsurprisingly, in top spot. Some of the younger referees who have performed well during 2005 have earned promotion.
We are going to look at some incidents from the Heineken Cup this past weekend but really make retaliation and the retaliator the focus of our attention. It is an interesting topic. We shall deal with it on its own and then talk about other things.
Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.
Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.
Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.
It's Round 4 of Heineken and Challenge Cups, a repeat of Round 3 but with venues changed.
Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.
Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.
Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.
Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.
Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.
Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.
What happens when the television match official cannot see the grounding of the ball? It happened more than once in the last weekend of November.
Incredible as it seems, we have run out of Test matches. There are still the Sevens in George and the big European competitions get into action again.
Andrew Cole of Australia has decided to retire from refereeing at the age of 45 after an illustrious career.
The European Rugby Cup has announced the referees for Round 4 of the Heineken Cup and of the Challenge Cup, starting on 16 December.
We are going to look at some incidents from the final weekend of Tests for November 2005. The matches watched were England vs Samoa, France vs South Africa, Ireland vs Australia, Italy vs Fiji, Scotland vs New Zealand and Wales vs Australia.
After the flurry of Tests, things look almost quiet this weekend with one in Buenos Aires and the last of the FIRA-AER Tests for this year as rugby in the freezing cold hibernates.
For the last weekend of November Tests, while saluting the All Blacks for their successful campaign, we go to mundane things and look at six Tests, their stats and then later certain incidents, including a funny "drop".
There has been a change of referee for Saturday’s Test between Scotland and New Zealand at Murrayfield.
The cold snap has hit Europe but the heat of Tests continues unabated and so, too, the discussion and banter that are so much part of sport's fun.
It seems likely that it will be the day in Edinburgh when New Zealand clinch their Grand Slam.
As we are doing throughout this month, wherever we can, we give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.
Playing fullback for South Africa against Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, Percy Montgomery was given two yellow cards. Two yellow cards in the same match meant that he was sent off. Being sent off meant having to go to an inquiry, probably on Wednesday. We look at the sins of Percy.
The world's papers are unanimous in their verdict of New Zealand's 23-19 victory over England at Twickenham - 'an epic'. And they are pretty sure who the star of the show was - the 'sublime' Daniel Carter. But opinions were divided as to the actual worth of England's efforts and the role of the officials...
Syd Millar, the chairman of the International Rugby Board, announced that New Zealand would host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He also said, in an interview, that the process had been transparent.
The spear tackle is not going to die and in fact judgement/sentence still awaits Ma'a Nonu who was cited for a dangerous tackle of the spear variety when Ireland played New Zealand.
We have already given the statistics for the second weekend in November and have discussed the prickly matter of the spear tackle. Now we are going to look at some incidents from six matches, including a penalty try at Murrayfield and a mark at Twickenham.
Ma'a Nonu has been cited for his tackle on Gordon D'Arcy in which the New Zealand centre lifted the Irish centre off his feet. D'Arcy fell to ground and received treatment. The referee spoke to Nonu and penalised him. We shall discuss this - and four other cases over the weekend. Four! At least four.
There are Tests again this weekend and a United Nations of referees all over Europe - and goal judges in Bucharest.
As we shall do throughout this month, wherever we can, we shall give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.
Tests have broken out again in November, their intensity to be increased in the second week when the invasion of Europe takes place in earnest.
After a period of great Scottish refereeing with the likes of Brian Anderson and Jim Fleming, Scottish refereeing has been a bit thin. But there are great hopes for young Peter Allan who referees his first Test on Saturday.
The IRB Sevens circuit starts in Dubai on 1-2 December and then moves down to George 9-10 December. Of course, referees have been appointed, mainly the same set for both tournaments.
Jonathan Kaplan will be come South Africa's most capped referee when he breaks the record held by André Watson at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. And congratulations to Peter Allen of Scotland who will be refereeing his very first Test!
On Saturday, when Ireland play New Zealand, Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa will referee his 28th Test, thus breaking the record he held jointly with André Watson.
Tomáš Tuma of the Czech Republic was appointed - late - to referee the Intercontinental match between Georgia and Uruguay in Tbilissi. He tells his story.
The IRB's top referees and some top coaches from around the world met at the Lensbury Club at Teddington, London, last week for discussions on the application of the Laws of the Game.
As we shall do throughout this month wherever we can, we shall give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.
Round 2 of the Heineken Cup has just been played with all that high drama in High Wycombe. We shall discuss some incidents from the weekend, including the last action of that match and an interesting scrum award earlier in the match.
Not that other rugby stops, but the focus of attention this month is on the international matches, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, and this week there is already an outbreak of such matches, from Tokyo to Buenos Aires, and the European Nations Cup - the Six Nations B - kicks off this weekend as well. And there are CAR semi-finals.
Steve Strydom died in Cape Town on 28 November 2005 after a great life in sport, especially in the rugby, after a brave, nine-year battle against cancer.
Gloucester have handed Henry Paul a final written warning and have fined him three weeks' wages after he missed three successive training sessions earlier this month.
Gloucester have handed Henry Paul a final written warning and have fined him three weeks' wages after he missed three successive training sessions earlier this month.
Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...
Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...
Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...
Unorthodox official Glynn James reaches an astonishing rugby landmark when he takes charge of his 3,000th game in Cambridge next month.
For the third week we have had problems with unwarranted interference by non-players with a match in progress.
Nineteen of the top referees on the IRB international panels will meet at the Lensbury Conference Centre, London, on 2-3 November to discuss current trends in the game and to look at ways to improve refereeing in crucial areas of the game.
André Watson, the only man to have refereed two Rugby World Cup Finals, has written his autobiography which makes its appearance now, at a time when books by rugby people seem fashionable.
They say there is no use crying over spilt milk. Yet the shadowy marketing figures lurking in the lucrative wake of Gavin Henson and Brian O'Driscoll's glittering careers - among others - appear to be encouraging their 'products' to set off a bomb in a dairy and then check in for a year's post-traumatic stress counselling.
Inspired by the example set by some of rugby's finest players, our editor has decided to publish a warts-and-all account of life in the Planet Rugby offices.
Tappe Henning, one of South Africa's first group of full-time referees, has decided to end his Test career when he referees the match between Italy and Fiji in Milan on 26 November. It will be his 21st Test.
As the Southern Hemisphere closes down for some serious aestivating and heads for beaches, the Northern Hemisphere gets more and more serious about their rugby.