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In our Law Discussion on Day 3 of the World Cup, there is a little twist come to light, which may bear further consideration.

In June this year Joel Jutge refereed a Test between England and South Africa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, but Friday will be different.

There were three matches on Day 5 on which Tonga beat the USA, Fiji beat Japan in a thriller and Italy battled to beat Romania. There is one incident in particular that drew our attention.

The Scots play Romania at Murrayfield, and the field of play has had to be shrunk somewhat to conform to the fields played on in France.

Around the corridors of the International Rugby Board, there is a growing campaign that the next World Cup will be sixteen teams only.

Former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck has loads to talk about in his sport365 column this week - injuries, altered suspensions, SA's win over Samoa and Friday night's encounter with the English.

There were three matches on Day 5 - an interesting one in the heat of Montpellier, an exciting one in Toulouse, and a grim, tedious, nasty one in Marseilles.

The award of match points in the Rugby World Cup, while common enough in most rugby competitions, is causing some surprise to some readers. We give the match points here.

There was lots of criticism of the referee in the match between Samoa and South Africa. One of the criticisms concerned time.

We are but a week into rugby's most prestigious tournament and already it is shrouded in citings and boosted by David and Goliath stories.

The NZRFU has announced the match officials for the ninth round of the Air New Zealand Cup.

Springbok flank Schalk Burger's four-match ban for his dangerous high tackle on Samoa scrum-half Junior Polu has outraged the rugby world, even more so after England captain Phil Vickery was slapped with a soft two-match ban for his trip on USA centre Paul Emerick.

There was plenty to talk about on Day 3 as well when some of the minnows became piranhas and bit back - not enough to destroy but enough to cause discomfort.

SACS had little difficulty in winning the disrupted 39th Villager Sevens at Brookside on Saturday, winning the final by a huge margin.

There was just the one match on Day 4 - Argentina vs Georgia, a tough ask for Argentina after their bruising match with France on Friday, especially as the Lelos were not a team to shirk a physical encounter.

England's wobbly start to their World Cup defence against the USA has attracted a few annoyed readers, who feel coach Brian Ashton and his troops may as well start packing their bags and call it a day.

The World Cup moves on with an important one in Paris on Friday. In England the Premiership starts.

There were three matches on Saturday to give us pegs to hang discussion on - New Zealand vs Italy, Australia vs Japan and England vs USA.

There were four matches on Day 3 of the 2007 Rugby World Cup - but there were not the runaway scores that happened on Day 2.

The World Cup opened with a gripping match between France and Argentina at Stade de France on Friday night. We give some statistics from the match.

The second day of the Rugby World Cup had two matches with huge scores and one which was mercifully more modest. We give some statistics from those matches.

The grand opening of the 2007 Rugby World Cup turned out to be a thriller as the dramatic match moved to its gripping end.

With the 2007 Rugby World Cup upon us, 1999 RWC centre and sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck looks at South Africa's opening game this weekend, whilst also making a few RWC predictions of his own.

Tony Spreadbury will referee the opening match of the 2007 Rugby World Cup - a referee with a unique style among his peers.

Glenwood's 1st XV, the Green Machine, beat the Old Boys 24-21 in the first match between the 1st XV and the Old Boys since the early 1980s.

This is the final Top 20 for 2007 after we have examined all schools, a tough task with some many top schools in South Africa. Not that it was hard to choose Grey College as the top school.

On Friday night in the City of Lights, Tony Spreadbury will have the honour of blowing the whistle that will set the 2007 World Cup going.

Rugby World Cup has seldom been filled with character. But there are two artefacts which are full of character and tradition.

The World Cup is here! The waiting will soon be over. It will be over when Tony Spreadbury blows the whistle to start it at Stade de France on Friday night.

At the age of 75 Dave Millar, a famous referee, died on 1 September.

For the first time in 39 years, the Villager Sevens tournament was stopped on Friday because of heavy rain.

sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck looks back at South Africa's last two Rugby World Cup warm-up matches against Connacht and Scotland, before picking his starting fifteen for SA's RWC opener against Samoa next Sunday.

Paddy O'Brien, the IRB manager of referees, will meet with the managers of the 20 participating World Cup teams in Paris on Tuesday.

The season is over now and it ended with relatively few matches. None of the results were enough to cause waves in our Top 20.

We are going to take incidents for law discussion from three Tests at the end of August - Ireland vs Italy in Belfast, Scotland vs South Africa in Edinburgh and Wales vs France in Cardiff.

So who will win between England and South Africa? Former South Africa World Cup winning fly-half Joel Stransky and former England World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward have put money on their respective fellow country-men. This is what you had to say about it...

These are statistics from three Tests played this past weekend - Ireland vs Italy, Scotland vs South Africa and Wales vs France.

Rugby365 editor Jan de Koning looks at the protracted Pierre Spies saga and wonders if there are some underlying reasons for the unwillingness of the South African Rugby Union and its commercial arm, SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd, to allow young Pierre Spies to continue playing.

Chile's Condors led Uruguay's Teros 27-0 and lost 35-34 at the Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago on Saturday, a huge turnaround.

Suddenly, after a flurry of international activity, things are relatively quiet this weekend as the world waits expectantly to the whirlwind of the World Cup.

SACS comfortably beat traditional rivals Wynberg Boys? High 38-22 in the annual FNB Classic Clash. The match was played at SACS in front of a large and appreciate crowd. The weather was magnificent and the teams were privileged to have Jonathan Kaplan overseeing the final game of their season.

Well, that seems to be that. The season has worn itself out and it seems that it was only yesterday that it started.

On a beautiful morning at Rondebosch Boys' High the home team nearly turned the tables against Bishops who need a try at the gasp to beat Rondebosch

The Italian referee, Carlo Damasco, becomes Italy's first-ever full-time referee.

The match between Ireland and Italy had been a bitty affair, more interesting for the closeness of the score than the fluency of the play till those last two minutes or so when two tries were scored, both questioned.

There are several forms of warm-up matches for the teams closing in on France for the World Cup. Apart from the matches in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, Samoa and Tonga are in action - and in Santiago Chile play Uruguay.

The Queen?s first XV concluded their 2007 season with a satisfying 16-3 victory over Dale College in King William?s Town on Saturday afternoon, with neither side scoring points in the second half.

There were not many matches but there were some telling ones which have had an effect on our standings.

From Week 3 we have we are going to take incidents from the matches between Wales and Argentina in Cardiff and France and England in Paris.

As England fans wind down from yet another loss to the French in their World Cup warm-up at the weekend, it seems many of yuo are still wound up over the men in white's (or is that men in red?) performance...

There are always things to talk about but there is one this week which tells us so much about the laws and their application. It happened in dry old Kimberley.

There are warm-up matches. There is an interesting match in France when Algeria play only their second match as a country.

There were several matches, three easily available on television Wales vs Argentina, England vs France and Italy vs Japan.

After the match in Cardiff between Argentina and Wales, which Wales won 27-20, Marcelo Loffreda joined the band of coaches cross with the referee. In particular he was angry that the referee had not awarded a penalty try to the Pumas.

Playing at home in the glorious midday sun, SACS produced a sparkling first-half performance to blow away a woeful Rondebosch Boys' High School team. SACS led 36-0 at the interval before running out eventual 48-19 winners.

Once the country has announced its squad for the World Cup and once it is at the World Cup., it is allowed replacements for two reasons.

Spain won the second match of their South American tour in Montevideo on Saturday when they beat a young Uruguay side 18-10. This comes after their victory over Chile earlier in the week.

There were upsets in the Eastern Cape this weekend with Grey, Die Brandwag and Daniel Pienaar causing them.

New Zealand has announced the match officials appointed to matches in Weeks 6-8 of the Air New Zealand Cup. One of them is a Ranfurly Shield match, to be refereed by Josh Noonan.

Former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck liked what he saw from Jake White's Boks on Wednesday evening and not just because they managed to put more than 100 points past Namibia at Newlands. Fleckie saw was 22 guys playing for each other out there - much like the World Cup-winning side of 1995.

Scotland beat Ireland at Murrayfield and France beat England at Twickenham, both matches free of controversy but still with a law point or two worth talking about.

The Currie Cup has finished Week 7 with the Cheetahs looking invincible. We are not going to talk about the cup prospects about come incidents of law from the matches.

There was another long weekend but still some matches took place, enough to cause a bit of shuffling in the Top 20 as the season peters out.

With England's 30-man Rugby World Cup squad now finalised, we asked you if this was the right group of men to defend the spoils won four years ago. These are your thoughts on Brian Ashton's selection...

Rugby365 editor Jan de Koning tells us why there are two very good reasons to go to Newlands on Wednesday to watch the Springboks play Namibia in a World Cup warm-up match!

The Cheetahs played the Blue Bulls in Bloemfontein and there were two incidents of foul play which may well have led to the offenders getting off lightly.

Bruce Kuklinski, who was awarded British Columbia's 2006-2007 official of the year award, will be retiring from top-flight rugby in Canada and British Columbia after refereeing Rugby Canada Super League Final in Regina on 18 August.

The warm-ups go on from Marseilles to Ottawa. And Spain are on tour in South America. The Test at Newlands is the first between the two countries.

We have statistics for two Tests this week - Scotland vs Ireland at Murrayfield and England vs France at Twickenham.

There were the Finals of Die Burger's competitions with wins in wet Wellington for Paarl Boys' High (Big Schools), Die Brandwag (Medium Schools) and Bredasdorp (Small Schools).

The wind barrelled down off Devil's Peak, cold and mean but the match between Bishops and SACS, ancient rugby rivals, took no notice and produced a splendid match on Memorial A on Women's Day, SACS probably underdone by the final score of 41-17 in the favour of Bishops.

England had a huge 62-5 victory over Wales which would now carry the regular epithet weakened, in keeping with the time and custom of 2007. There are just a few things to note about the match.

Paarl Boys' High and Outeniqua will contest the final of Die Burger's rugby competition for schools.

Pro12 table 2011/12.

That's a bit like man bites dog, but it happened in unpleasant circumstances in Port Elizabeth, and it's hard to blame the touch judge.

Alan Lewis, sportsman, is preparing for the match at Twickenham between England and France, and the concentration of his preparation is mainly in his mind.

Graeme ended their rugby season with a 75% winning record when they beat Muir 29-13 in Uitenhage on Wednesday.

The Currie Cup is developing into a two-horse race and after Saturday's match in the wind and the rain of Durban the leading horse has increased his lead. We have some incidents from the week to make a law discussion.

The International Rugby Board's experimental law variations (ELVs) will be further tested in the new Australian Rugby Championship.

Spain have chosen their squad for their two-Test tour of South America, starting next week.

Wynberg recovered from their heavy defeat at the hands of Paul Roos on Saturday, to beat Rondebosch 9-6 in this pre-long weekend encounter at Rondebosch.

Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa has been appointed to referee the Test at Newlands between South Africa and Namibia on 15 August.

The season is petering out now, except down in the Cape where the oval ball is chased with as much enthusiasm as ever. But there were still come great clashes to affect our ranking.

In the final local encounter of the season, form and results were put aside as Glenwood and Kearsney locked horns in Botha's Hill. It was a hard fought physical encounter, resulting in a well-deserved 19-9 win for the boys from Nicolson Road.

Jan de Koning takes a look at some of the public spats that have emerged in the past few weeks, not just in South Africa, but also in other parts of the world. He thinks polarity has become officialdom's favourite pastime.

There are more warm-up matches this weekend with Alan Lewis to handle the ancient animosity between England and France at Twickenham.

Before twice the crowd which watched Western Province at Newlands, Paarl Gimnasium beat Paarl Boys' High 10-0. This was the fourth successive victory for Gimmies.

The Derby between local rivals Queen?s and Hangklip lived up to expectation and had the large crowd of supporters on their feet with excitement, as the game hung in the balance until the final whistle was blown, signalling a 13-8 victory for Queen?s.

Warm-up matches moved to the Northern Hemisphere with the match at Twickenham between England and Wales when Wales - again - fielded an understrength side and suffered the biggest hiding Wales has ever got from England.

Playing their last away game of the season, SACS comfortably overcame Strand High in clear but windy and cold conditions. The final score was 19-0, but SACS would have disappointed not to

There were some big matches and there were some derby matches and there was one horrible match amongst those which we shall report on.

In just two years the number of registered referees in South Africa has dropped from 2 700 to 1 800. This is a matter of grave concern.

It is the Interschools. There are others but really Interschools means Paarl Boys' High vs Paarl Gim in Paarl in August - the Galpille against the Bloedworse and all the world passionately in support of one or the other.

SA College High School (SACS) on Wednesday played host to Castleknock College of Dublin, Ireland. SACS were far too strong for their overseas counterparts and ran out comfortable 74-3 winners.

The 39th Villager Sevens Tournament takes place at the Villager Football Club, Brookside, Claremont, on 31 August this year. There are considerable changes to the tournament structure.

This week sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck gives us his thoughts on Pierre Spies's shock World Cup-ending illness, as well as questioning South Africa's long-term planning after the tournament in France.

We have just had Week 5 of the Currie Cup with big wins for the Sharks and the Cheetahs. We have some incidents for law discussion - as usual.

After 13 years as an onfield referee, Iain Heard moves into referees' administration, succeeding Bill Calder as Referees Development Manager for the Borders and also becomes the National Referee Academy Manager, a new post.

Kingswood College 1st XV beat Graeme College at City Lord's in another Grahamstown derby on Saturday, by 14-7. Graeme may have been favourites before the game, but the home team's defense and superior commitment on the day gave them a thrilling victory.

The Sharks played the Blue Bulls in Durban last Saturday, a fascinating match which the Sharks won 29-10. Naturally there was a match report in the Sunday Tribune. We wonder at some of it.

July is over already and the season is rushing to an end..The Top 20 is still not a settled affair.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has reprimanded New Zealand referee Paul Honiss, who is on the IRB?s 12-man Test Match Referee Panel and destined for the World Cup later this year, for comments he made on New Zealand radio last week that encouraged players to talk more to referees and to question decisions. This is clearly against IRB policy.

Queen?s were unable to prevent the visitors from making it two in a row, when they succumbed to a stronger, more physical Selborne outfit, losing 30-3 on the Rec last Saturday afternoon.

For the first time in their collective histories Glenwood and Affies faced each other in a multitude of sports at the famous Pretoria school over the weekend in what is sure to become a lasting and prosperous relationship.

There is a Test this weekend - a warm-up Test but a Test and Joel Jutge of France is the man to referee it - good warm-up for him, too.

Paddy O'Brien, the International Rugby Board (IRB) refereeing co-ordinator, has declared war on Rugby Union's whingers.

There were derby matches in Kimberley, Welkom, Kroonstad, Goodwood in Cape Town, Middelburg, Bloemfontein, Grahamstown and on the Border.way in the Middelburg derby.

Recently Liam Byrne of Ireland wrote on the need for a fair contest at the tackle. Two readers sent their views. Andre Watson expressed his views on the fair contest on the South African Referees' website. Now two more readers have their say.

A much-changed Glenwood team were too strong for the touring John Fisher School from England, winning 45-19 at Glenwood on Wednesday.

Matt Goddard will blow the first whistle to start the first match of the brand new Australian Rugby Championship with its brand new teams.

This past weekend Kirkwood played Paul Sauer of Kareedouw at Kirkwood sports fields and won well.

The schools are back from strikes and holidays and some are even playing rugby after holidays which included the Craven Weeks, the Academy Week and the Grant Khomo Week.

Late last week Peter Shortell sent us some thoughts on the proposed change to the quick throw-in which would allow the throw to travel back, not just straight.

We have discussed some law issues from incidents in the last Saturday of Tri-Nations and now discuss some incidents from Currie Cup matches played over that same weekend.

On Monday, 23 July, Glenwood hosted Hampton School from the UK and beat them 58-0.

The Queen's College 1st XV played some delightful rugby in East London last Saturday to outclass their opposition by 59 points to 12, after leading 24-5 at halftime.

On a perfect, warm, still winter's day in Pietermaritzburg, Glenwood beat Voortrekker 38-5, scoring six tries to one.

The Tri-Nations has come and rushed to its end in wet Eden Park. It has been a strange Tri-Nations as there has been always one eye on the World Cup. But still we have law incidents to discuss.

Poor Piri Weepu must be devastated at having played, or at least been involved in, pretty much every All Blacks squad since the last Rugby World Cup, and then missed out on the most important squad of all.

The calm before the storm as what rugby there is remains largely domestic with the Tri-Nations over and the World Cup gathering impetus.

SACS will be left kicking themselves as wasted opportunities and basic errors cost them the chance of an upset out in Paarl. After the heavy overnight rain it turned out to be a beautiful day for rugby as Paarl Boys' High eventually ran out 28-18 winners.

The Tri-Nations came to an end on Saturday with the rain-bedevilled match at Eden Park which saw New Zealand win both the Tri-Nations Cup and the Bledisloe Cup. We give some statistics of the match.

Before a huge crowd on Goldstone's Maritzburg College beat powerful Michaelhouse 25-14 on Saturday.

The All Blacks beat Australia 26-12 over the weekend to retain the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup for 2007. The Wallabies put up a decent fight - especially in the first half - but lost their way in the second. We asked if you were impressed with the New Zealand victory and while the ref has once again taken some flak, this is what you had to say...

Strikes are over and the holidays are over and lots of schools are playing rugby again. Some north of the Vaal and over the Drakensberg have given up for the year, which must be a blow to lots of enthusiastic boys.

The South African Schools side taught the Academy a lesson at Newlands on Saturday when they beat them 50-15.

Leinster Schools withstood an eager attack towards the end of their match with a WP Invitation XV to win 16-12 at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.

In a first, Glenwood played against Kelston Boys' High from New Zealand on Tuesday 17 July and won well.

One of the possible changes to the law being tested at present is the idea of allowing the quick throw-in from touch to be backwards instead of straight. Peter Shortell of Cheltenham has questions about this.

A contest for possession is enshrined in the laws of the game. Liam Byrne of Leinster writes to us deploring the absence of a fair contest. We shall first quote from the preamble to the Laws of the Game on Principles of the game and then what Liam Byrne has to say about a fair contest at the tackle.

New Zealand Rugby Union has announced the appointments of match officials to the first five weeks of the Air New Zealand Cup competition and the AA Rewards Heartland Competition. Lyndon Bray of Wellington will start procedures up the road in Palmerston North.

Craig Joubert is back in Auckland, for the fourth time this year to run touch in the Bledisloe Cup this weekend, the final of the Tri-Nations. Having well defeated all the tourist spots and having a tee-off time only on Friday, he passed some of his time catching up with one of his old mates from the IRB Sevens, this weekend's Bledisloe Cup Referee from Wales, Nigel Owens.

Leinster schools have taken a squad of 26 players on a tour to South Africa, starting in Cape Town on Wednesday.

sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck tries his hand as a national selector this week, with the 1999 World Cup Springbok revealing HIS 30-man Bok squad for the 2007 RWC in France later this year.

The Tri-Nations is drawing to an exciting end at Eden Park but we are going to talk about just a few law matters from the match in Christchurch when New Zealand played South Africa.

With New Zealand struggling to overcome a supposedly weak South Africa side 33-6 in Christchurch on Saturday, reaction has been swift in coming towards the All Blacks' performance. This is what you had to say...

Brett Bowden of Canberra, the referees manager in ACT and a Super 14 referee, is in South Africa for a fortnight and in that time he will referee Currie Cup rugby - a first for a foreigner.

The first South African Schools team was chosen in 1974 and went to Europe on tour. Each year the side gets chosen, occasionally to play overseas opponents, regularly in the past against Army or University Under-19 sides, more recently against its second stringers.

George Ayoub, one of rugby's top and most popular referees, has decided to hang up the whistle at the end of this year.

The South African Schools and the South African Academy teams have been chosen and meet at Newlands on Saturday. Grey College have seven players amongst the 44 -which is not surprising as they, in the guise of Free State, were by far the best team at the week.

A national Sevens tournament for schools was launched on Monday in Pretoria, sponsored by the internet service provider @lantic.

The Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup finals all happen on one day at Eden Park in Auckand when New Zealand play Australia, and Nigel Owens of Wales is the man to see fair play.

These are statistics from the penultimate Tri-Nations match, when New Zealand beat South Africa 33-6 in Christchurch.

The South African Schools and South African Academy sides have been chosen. We give the schools each player comes from.

The 118th Derby Day between St Andrew?s College and Kingswood College in Grahamstownon 14 July did not disappoint with a large crowd supporting either blue or red.

On Monday the selectors will announce two South African Schools teams - A and B, who will play each other at Newlands in a curtainraiser to the match between Western Province and the Blue Bulls on 21 July.

The South African Schools and South African Academy sides have been announced on Saturday. They will play at Newlands on 21 July as a curtainraiser to the match between Western Province and the Blue Bulls.

Free State are the Kings of Craven Week 2007 after the thrashing they gave Western Province in the main match on the final day.

The final day of Craven Week being played in Stellenbosch will start early on Saturday morning. The main match will be between Western Province and Free State, both of whom have won both of their matches.

Petri Bosch of Griqualand West will referee the main match of the final day of the 2007 Craven Week being played in Stellenbosch - always the most prestigious match and appointment for the week.

The final day of Craven Week being played in Stellenbosch will start early on Saturday morning. The main match will be between Western Province and Free State, both of whom have won both of their matches.

The weather was fine enough at Stellenbosch in Day 4 of the 2007 Craven week being played at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch but parts of the Markotter Field resembled more a well trampled cattle kraal than green and pleasant turf. And it would become more trampled as the day went on.

The 2007 Tri-Nations continue to intrigue. The Wallabies came from 17-0 behind to win well in Sydney in this round. We look at some incidents from the match from a law point of view.

The bright winter's son was covered by a dull winter's cloud on the third day of the 2007 Craven Week being played at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch.

sport365 columnist and former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck looks back at the Springboks' 17-25 loss to the Wallabies, with the under-par Bok backs coming under his microscope - again - ahead of this weekend's All Blacks clash!

When France were on tour to New Zealand in June, Stuart Dickinson refereed their first Test against the All Blacks in Auckland and was the touch judge for the second Test in Wellington.

Day 4 of the Cravven Week being played at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch takes place on Thursday with a mouth-watering clash between the two big winners on Day 2 - Free State and the Pumas.

The main match at Craven Week at Paul Roos on Wednesday will be between two strong sides - the Golden Lions and Western Province.

Again it was a wonderful day in Stell;enbosch for the 44th Craven Week amidst the mountains and vineyards and the town with its university buildings and the muscular oaks of winter.

The Tri-Nations moves to Jade Stadium this weekend with Stu Dickinson of Australia to see fair play.

Craven Week is a great opportunity for players to show their talents and for talent scouts to spot players of potential. The same is true for the referees, and those chosen for this year's Craven Week are part of the "next crop".

The 44th Craven Week opens at Paul Roos in Stellenbosch on Monday, 9 July.

The controversial Tri-Nations match between Australia and South Africa - controversial because of the coimposition of the South African team - was not as one-sided as predicted.

The Blue Bulls and Boland shared the spoils in the final match of the 2007 Under-13 Craven Week, playing to an 8-all draw on the final day of the tournament at Monument High School in Krugersdorp on Friday.

New Zealand?s national referee squad is meeting this weekend as preparations continue for the Air New Zealand Cup and AA Rewards Heartland Championship.

The International Rugby Board recently ran a course for coaches and referees at the University of Stellenbosch. This a part of the IRB's Talent Identification Programme.

The 2007 Craven Week starts at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch on Monday 9 July 2007.

Craven Week, the greatest schoolboy rugby tournament in the world, seems to have been around forever. But like all things, it had a birth.

The Craven Week 2007 will be the fourth hosted by Stellenbosch, the second hosted by an individual school.

What a team of contrasts Australia's rugby team is.

Changes to the Laws of the Game are being tested but they do not concern the scrum which has had only a change in setting procedure in very recent times. Let's see if we can come up with some suggestions for changes.

The Under-13 Craven Week's Day 3 at Hoerskool Monument in Krugersdorp on Thursday produced big wins for two of the "smaller" unions, Boland and Limpopo.

Eastern Province were crowned ?unofficial? champions of the Grant Khomo Under-16 Week after beating hosts KwaZulu Natal in the tournament?s final match.

On Saturday Australia play South Africa at Telstra Stadium in Sydney. Both teams still have a chance to win the Tri-Nations, there are important Australian farewells and the world's most experienced referee to referee the match - Paul Honiss of Hamilton in the Waikato.

This week sport365 columnist and former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck has a look closer to home as the ongoing coaching crisis in Cape Town - at Western Province and the Stormers - threatens to destroy a once-proud rugby union.

Selborne and Paarl Gim ended the Cape Schools Week, being played in East London, with excellent records.

Three matches in the Tri-Nations played, and three thrillers - and lots of law to talk about.

The Academy Week is going on in cold Polokwane with Boland again producing a close victory over strong opponents.

Day 2 of the Under-13 Craven Week was played at Hoerskool Monument in Krugersdorp on Tuesday.

Perhaps it is just the sort of paranoia that arises from the pressures of history, but it seems New Zealand's rugby public is beginning to sweat a bit as the Rugby World Cup approaches.

The 2007 Grant Khomo Week for Under-16 teams continued at Kearsney College in Hillcrest on Tuesday. Warmer conditioned greeted the 18 teams on the second day of the tournament after a chilly opening day.

Rugby365 editor Jan de Koning takes a look at the Australian team's new-found scrumming power and asks if they are indeed the real deal? It makes for an interesting debate!

The Tri-Nations has had three thrillers so far, in each of which the winners have come from behind to win near the end of the match.

The Under-13 Craven Week kicked off at Hoerskool Monument in Krugersdorp on Monday.

The Grant Khomo Week for Under-16 provincial teams kicked off in cool conditions at Kearsney College at Botha's Hill outside of Durban.

Academy Week kicked off in Polokwane on Monday, a day which produced several close encounters. There were also surp[rises of a kind, notably Boland's thrilling victory ober the Blue Bulls.

Beaten by Dale on Saturday, SACS took a hammering from Grey PE on the second day of the Cape Schools Week being played at Selborne College in East London.

We received some mail questioning the yellow card for Carl Hayman. We shall examine it and then the penalties and free kicks in the scrums, which have also prompted questions.

The Tri-Nations rushes up to Sydney this weekend after three exceptionally tight matches where the winner came from behind near the death. They were real thrillers.

There is some holiday rugby on the go, notably at the Cape Schools Week in East London where Selborne College are the hosts.

Three schools weeks start on Monday 2 July 2007 - the Under-18 Academy Week at Peter Mokabe Stadium in Polokwane, the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week at Kearsney College outside of Durban and the Under-13 Craven Week at Hoerskool Monument in Krugersdorp.

The South African Academy Week starts in Polokwane on Monday, 2 July 2007. There will be 24 teams taking part.

Zimbabwe, despite the multitude of troubles in the country, are back at this year's Craven Week with a team which has a very "private" look.

The touring Italian Under-18 team beat Mpumalanga Lowveld Juniors 53-14 in , the second win of their four-match tour.

By the time South Africa wins the World Cup I fear so much damage would have been done to the prestige of international rugby that the victory would be meaningless.

It has been a while since a piece of news stirred up such a reaction, but the news that South Africa are about to do with their squad to the Tri-Nations what New Zealand did to the Super 14 - withdraw their best players for 're-conditioning' has opened up a right can of worms!

Former Springbok centre and sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck is a fan of Jake White's controversial 'B-Team Boks' - but he believes resting ones top players should not come at the cost of victory. After all, winning is a habit... and a good one at that...

Chris Waldburger explains why Springbok coach Jake White's World Cup plan could backfire and leave him with egg on his face!

There was again a thriller in the Tri-Nations. At Newlands South Africa came from behind to win. In Durban New Zealand did likewise.

Our principle of rewarding teams that are playing has taken a battering in recent times as so few teams have been able to play, what with strikes, exams and Craven Week preparations.

The 14 Cape Schools Week takes place at Selborne College in East London, starting on 29 June.

After missing rugby because of the strike, the Queen?s College 1st XV concluded the first half of their season with a thrilling 52-12 victory over a rated Cambridge High side on the Rec on Saturday afternoon.

SACS maintained their good form of the past few weeks and secured a well-deserved 19-13 win over traditional rivals Wynberg. The conditions were difficult for both teams with an icy, near gale-force wind blowing down the field.

The New Zealand Rugby Union has appointed referees to the warm-up matches to the Air New Zealand Cup, starting on 13 July.

The big one this weekend is in Melbourne when the Wallabies meet the All Blacks.

The Tri-Nations opened with two exciting matches, one at Newlands and one in Durban. We give some statistics of the Durban match.

The term has rather petered out in strike, exam and Craven Week but there was another big encounter in Paarl, a bit of religious rivalry in Johannesburg and an ancient encounter in freezing Wynberg.

KwaZulu Natal have chosen five schoolboy teams for the various tournaments in the coming holidays.

Namibia has chosen its team for the Craven Week in Stellenbosch when they will open with a match against Limpopo. None of their team was at the 2006 Craven Week.

The experiment to change the laws of the game, drastically in some instances, which started at Stellenbosch University and then moved to the northern hemisphere is now to move from Australia to New Zealand.

Rugby365 editor Jan de Koning looks at what appears to be the start of a mass exodus of players to Europe and asks if it is linked to political interference?

If the Tri-Nations continues in the thrilling fashion of its opening match at Newlands, it is going to be a thrilling competition this year, and if we have as much to talk about in matter of laws, it is going to be interesting.

On Saturday, Alain Rolland of Ireland will be the man keeping the Springboks and the All Blacks honest when they meet in Durban, another in the series of the sternest rivalry in world rugby.

Limpopo are the old Far North. They play Namibia in their first match at Craven Week.

After a series of rotten so-called international Test matches that did the game of rugby no good, it was a welcome change to watch two powerhouses slug it out on Saturday at Newlands.

The Valke play Griquas in their first match at Craven Week. They have a fairly inexperienced team.

sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck was at Newlands on Saturday to witness the Springboks' 22-19 win over the Wallabies. Like any South African, he liked what he saw, but the Boks do need to make a few improvements ahead of Saturday's clash against the All Blacks.

Sadly, there were fewer matches just recently - partly because of the strike, partly because of exams and partly because of preparations for Craven Week.

Australia's heart-breaking 22-19 Tri-Nations loss to South Africa in Cape Town at the weekend has brought about mixed emotions from the participating team's supporters. While some Wallabies fans take their hats off to the Springboks, others point the finger at referee Wayne Barnes and his less than impressive performance with the whistle...

Free State have an interesting team for the Craven Week. Two of their players this year played for other provinces at last year's Craven Week.

There is a match in Durban which may well grip rugtby imaginations - Springboks vs All Blacks in the Tri-Nations. The man in the middle for this crucial match is Alain Rolland, once a Test player himself.

What a game! What a win, and a well-deserved one too for SACS! The SACS faithful had waited twenty-six long years for this. On what turned out to be a magnificent winter's day in Newlands the 1st XV of 2007 set about making history by beating Paul Roos 20-12.

The Tri-Nations opened with an exciting match on a glorious day for rugby at Newlands, a thrilling match. We give some statistics of the match.

Youth Day, but not many of the country's youth played rugby on this day, except in the Western Cape where Saturday was a perfect day for rugby after a cold and wet week.

New Zealand put in a mediocre performance to beat a spirited Canada side 64-13 in front of a sold-out Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.

Despite the emphatic final scoreline, stand-in New Zealand skipper Reuben Thorne admitted he was disappointed with his side's performance during their 64-13 victory over Canada in Hamilton on Saturday.

Romania, the hosts of the 2006 Nations Cup, struggled to overcome a brave and committed Namibia at the Arcul de Triumf stadium in Bucharest on Saturday, but a 28- 16 victory was duly delivered courtesy of Valentin Calafeateanu's unerring boot.

Georgia ended their IRB Nations Cup campaign on a high by recording a tense 22-20 victory over Italy at the Arcul de Triumf stadium in Bucharest on Saturday.

Craig Joubert refereed the All Blacks vs France in Wellington last weekend. This weekend he?ll be on the line in Hamilton where the All Blacks go up against Canada. Spending the week in Auckland, he is with the young and up-and-coming French referee, Christophe Berdos, who will referee this weekend's match.

New Zealand international Mils Muliaina is delighted to be savouring a return to Test rugby - even if it comes against minnows Canada.

Wayne Erickson, in his time one of the top referees in the world, has been appointed principal of 140-year-old St Andrew's College, a co-residential college within the University of Sydney.

The Blue Bulls have made known their teams for the two Craven Weeks, the Academy Week and the Under-19 interprovincial competition.

Conrad Smith's hamstring injury has not cleared sufficiently for the Wellington centre to take his place in the All Blacks centre against Canada on Saturday.

Rayno Papier and Ashwill Rentz of Schoonspruit in Malmesbury and Rynhardt Elstadt of Montagu are the only players back from last year's Craven Week in Bloemfontein.

The Leopards will head down to Stellenbosch for theCraven Week at Paul Roos with a first match against the Young Eagles.

On paper, it is a complete mismatch. But it holds more water than New Zealand's Tests against France ever did - at least Canada are bringing more or less a full side.

Former Springbok, Stormers, WP and Bath centre Robbie Fleck is sick and tired of politics undermining the game of rugby in South Africa - especially in a World Cup year and with the Boks in such good form ahead of the 2007 Tri-Nations.

Here we discuss laws related to some incidents in four of Saturday's Tests - New Zealand vs France, Australia vs Fiji, South Africa vs Samoa and Argentina vs Italy.

It is fair to say, in the world we live in, that there are certain things in life that are without doubt a great pleasure. In the sporting domain perhaps the most enjoyable of lives little nuances at present would be playing scrum-half behind the All Blacks forward pack.

We have made changes. We have tried to reward the schools which have played, because playing always risks defeat.

Griqualand West has chosen its team for the Craven, Academy and Grant Khomo Weeks.

IRB referees' manager Paddy O'Brien has given an indication of the possible sanctions Bernard Laporte could face as a result of his alleged confrontation with referee Stu Dickinson before the New Zealand-France Test on Saturday.

Western Province has chosen its teams for the Craven Weeks, the Academy Week and the Grant Khomo Week.

Canada coach Ric Suggitt is already playing the modesty card ahead of his team's one-off Test against New Zealand this weekend, saying his team is ready to take on a once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

Argentina full-back Federico Serra paid tribute to the Puma's defensive effort as they beat Italy 24-6 in Mendoza on Saturday.

The Tri-Nations starts this week, which means that millions of eyes will be fixed on Cape Town where heavy rains have been falling.

Danny Grewcock's chances of being included in England's World Cup squad have been thrown into serious doubt after he was handed a six-week ban for punching.

After a two-week lay off because of industrial action that saw the winter sports fixture against St Benedict's being cancelled Potchefstroom Boys' High School took on CBC Boksburg to compete for the Thabang M'Bele Trophy in the their final match of the season.

New Zealand stalwart Anton Oliver underlined his status as one of rugby's true gentlemen by extending an olive branch to the beleaguered French tourists in the wake of Saturday's encounter in Wellington.

Argentina A's bid to retain the IRB Nations Cup crown was bolstered by a handsome seven-try 47-13 victory over Namibia at the Arcul de Triumf stadium in Bucharest on Sunday.

Romania bounced back from last week's crushing defeat to the Emerging Springboks by recording a solid if unspectacular 19 - 8 win over Italy A in Round Two of the IRB Nations Cup at the Arcul de Triumf stadium in Bucharest on Sunday.

The Emerging Springboks' tilt at the IRB Nations Cup title continued apace following a solid 24-7 victory over Georgia at the Arcul de Triumf stadium in Bucharest on Sunday.

We again give some statistics from the matches played this Saturday - New Zealand vs France, Australia vs Fiji, South Africa vs Samoa and Argentina vs Italy - all matches won well by the home sides.

International Rugby Board (IRB) referees chief Paddy O'Brien has expressed measured concern following reports of an alleged confrontation between France coach Bernard Laporte and referee Stuart Dickinson on the eve of the second Test between New Zealand and France.

There were again fewer matches this weekend but there was the big Pretoria derby near Loftus Versfeld and there was a huge result in the Western Cape.

There are four players back in this year's Craven Week side - Winston Williams from Florida and three from Monuments - Julian Redelinghuis, Justin Botha and Damien Janse van Rensburg.

France tour captain Olivier Magne described New Zealand as "the best team in the world" after they completed a comprehensive 61-10 win over his side in Wellington.

New Zealand's historic victory over France on Saturday was marred by serious injuries to second row pair Ali Williams and Keith Robinson.

New Zealand recorded an easy 61-10 win over France in the second Test as expected on Saturday, but the manner of the win was far more convincing than last week, and was a gentle reminder that perhaps this All Black team has not played its best already.

Argentina ran out comfortable winners by beating an ill-disciplined Italian outfit 24-6 at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, keeping their unbeaten home record this season intact.

France coach Bernard Laporte conceded that the All Blacks were a class apart and that they also managed to change his views on this year's Super 14 after he saw his side demolished 61-10 in Wellington on Saturday.

Australia recorded a comfortable 49-0 victory over a spirited Fiji on Saturday at the Subiaco Oval in Perth led by a Lote Tuqiri brace on his return to the Wallabies side.

The good news is that France's mundane and wholly unnecessary tour of New Zealand has morphed into a ferocious white-knuckled bout full of gore and drama. The bad news is that none of the action takes place on the field.

South Western Districts have chosen their Craven Week, Academy Week and Grant Khomo Week teams.

Mpumalanga have chosen their teams for the Craven Week, the Academy Week and the Grant Khomo Week.

Border has announced its teams for the Craven Week, the Academy Week and the Grant Khomo Week for Under-16 teams.

France coach Bernard Laporte continued his unending quarrel with his New Zealand counterpart Graham Henry leading up to the second Test in Wellington by saying the Kiwi had a lot less to say while he was coaching Wales.

As is my wont, I spent the last Saturday watching rugby pretty much from 0800 to 0000. My goodness I got bored. Has there ever been any thrill in watching a mis-match?

One of Fiji's props and the team assistant manager have been deported from Australia ahead of Saturday's Test against the Wallabies.

With the All Black coaching trio of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith having launched an attack on the 'poaching' of local players by richer Northern Hemisphere clubs - is it a case of the pot calling the kettle ... All Black? This is what you had to say about it, and boy did you have a lot to say!

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier has made several changes to his starting line-up for Saturday's Test against Argentina at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza.

Fiji coach Ilivasi Tabua has made wholesale changes to his team to face Australia in Perth on Saturday, changing five of the eight forwards who lost 8-57 at home to the Junior All Blacks last weekend in the Pacific Nations Cup.

There were four matches, called Tests, between teams chosen from the Northern Hemisphere and those chosen in the Southern Hemisphere which provide us with comes incidents for discussing the laws.

With former All Black selector Peter Thorburn claiming that no team can halt New Zealand's march to World Cup glory - while even clearing the All Blacks' reputation as 'chokers' in the process - we asked if you agreed with the current USA Eagles coach's comments...

Things in New Zealand are getting a little heated with the French tourists, after the French camp responded strongly to suggestions of French negative play during the first Test last weekend.

Whilst happy with the two-nil series triumph over England, sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck is very concerned at the lack of impact by the Springbok backline. Fleckie, however, might just have a solution for Bok coach Jake White.

Canada coach Ric Suggitt has chosen his squad for the forthcoming two-Test tour of New Zealand, including an 18-year-old prop and a former Auckland Grammar School boy.

Some of the schools are concentrating on exams and there even are schools which are not active because the teachers are in dispute with government. But there were some big matches which have caused upheavals here and there.

Until this month the biggest senior Rugby tournament in Romania's long rugby history was the quadrangular involving France, Italy, Germany and the host nation in 1938.

French giants Toulouse are threatening to sue Wales captain Gareth Thomas for an alleged breach of contract which saw him tour Australia with Wales rather than represent his club side.

Bernard Laporte has resisted making wholesale changes to his team to play New Zealand on Saturday, making only four changes to the squad that lost 42-11 in the first Test last week.

The Tests this weekend are not quite such clash of heavies, except for the one in Wellington when Craig Joubert referees the second Test between New Zealand and France, a match that would normally evoke excitement.

The England Counties squad arrived in Siberia on Monday with another mixed bag of players and a new coaching team, but with an unchanged ethos of boldness and ambition that has marked manager Jim Robinson?s time in charge.

The Queen?s College 1st XV had an excellent 26-8 win over a highly rated and much vaunted Stirling team in East London on Saturday afternoon.

Paarl Gimnasium South African College High School 24-10 in Paarl on Saturday.

Over 150 old boys were delighted to see the St Andrew?s College winning their 1st XV match 29-11 against Muir College on Saturday 2 June.

Affies of Pretoria beat Maritzburg College 31-19 on Goldstone's in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan believes he has learnt a lot about his side ahead of the Rugby World Cup despite rounding off their two-Test tour against Argentina with a 16-0 defeat in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

We have some statistics in four matches played this weekend - New Zealand vs France. Australia vs Wales, South Africa vs England and Argentina vs Ireland.

As the dust settles on what has not been the most memorable two weeks in English rugby, Dan Scarbrough took time to reflect on his tour.

The scrum mess, an tedious mess, persists, if the figures for four of this weekend's Tests is anything to go by. Tedious would be bad enough but it is also dangerous.

Italy wing Matteo Pratichetti scored a hat-trick as the Azzurri topped plucky Uruguay 29-5 at Gran Parque Central in Montevideo on Saturday.

Boland Landbou won a Paarl derby against Paarl Boys' High and the other big result was the Bishops win over Paul Roos in Stellenbosch. It is their second win over a top side in a fairly erratic season.

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has declared himself content as the Pumas completed a series sweep of Ireland with a 16-0 victory in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has expressed his disappointment in the preparations for his side's second Test against Argentina at the Jose Amalfitani stadium.

Ireland A held on for a dramatic 22-21 victory over Scotland A to clinch the Churchill Cup Plate victory at Twickenham on Saturday.

Although they may not readily admit it there are sure to be more than a few English players happy to return to English soil come next week.

In a dour game that highlighted the mismatches of all the Tests of the weekend, Australia proved too much for a fighting but weak Welsh side, downing them 31-0 to claim the James Bevan Trophy in Brisbane on Saturday.

New Zealand notched up five tries to beat France 42-11 in what was an average performance from the hosts as Les Bleus showed plenty of courage throughout the match at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

Wales wing Chris Czekaj faces the prospect of an indefinite stay in hospital in Australia after suffering a suspected broken femur in the tourists' 31-0 defeat in Brisbane on Saturday.

France coach Bernard Laporte was gracious in his teams' brave 42-11 defeat to New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday and has hailed the All Blacks as favourites for the World Cup.

Argentina secured a 2-0 Test series win over Ireland with a hard-fought 16-0 win in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

It would be all to easy to write off England's tour to South Africa as a disaster. But despite two hugely one-sided scorelines, Brian Ashton believes it was a hugely beneficial trip.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw played down any worries over his half-time removal during the All Blacks' 42-11 win over France on Saturday.

Once upon the time the whole rugby world would have been salivating over a meeting between New Zealand and France in Auckland. Today, not even the main protagonists can work them themselves into anything vaguely resembling excitement.

Despite touring nations struggling to make ends meet with their second and third tier sides, Australia certainly won't be underestimating their Northern Hemisphere opponents as they prepare to take on Wales in the eagerly awaited second Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday.

For Uruguay 2007 has been a massive disappointment. Full of hope of again going to the World Cup, they had their hopes frustrated by Portugal.

New Zealand loose forward Chris Masoe is eager to prosper after being granted a rare start against an understrength France in Auckland on Saturday.

Brian Ashton has made seven changes - one positional - to his England team from the one humiliated by South Africa last weekend, handing the captaincy to Jonny Wilkinson

Wing Rob Kearney is looking forward to staking his claim for a place in Ireland's World Cup squad after being handed his debut against Argentina on Saturday.

The theory is that Argentina should win this one more comfortably than they did the first when Felipe Contepomi's dropped goal was what did it for the Pumas by two points.

Uncapped London Irish wing Topsy Ojo has become the latest player drafted into England's ill-fated South Africa tour squad.

Veteran France flanker Olivier Magne has given Les Bleus just "a one per cent chance" of defeating New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday.

France coach Bernard Laporte has dropped Julien Laharrague from the XV that will faced New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday after the wing and his brother, Nicolas, showed up late for a training session.

Chris Horsman has been called out to Australia after prop Adam Jones was forced to withdraw from the Wales team to face the Wallabies in Brisbane on saturday after sustaining a small tear to his right calf muscle.

Despite suffering their heaviest defeat against South Africa last weekend in the First Test England have not hidden behind a cluster of excuses for their performance. Rather they have fronted up and taken a brutal and honest look at themselves and non more so than straight talking hooker Mark Regan.

Wales have been forced into a late change at tight-head prop for the second Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday after Adam Jones was ruled out by a torn calf muscle.

Ceri Jones will summon all his experience on what for him is the foreign side of the scrum when he packs down for Wales against Australia at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

Such has been the nature of England's tour to date that the arrival of new players from home has almost been a daily routine. However for Matt Stevens, England's South African-born prop, the journey to link up with the squad was considerably shorter.

Saturday saw the Springboks dominant. If one is to be honest, a flawless performance it was not, and it hinged mostly on simply overpowering a weak English opposition.

France coach Bernard Laporte has named five new caps in his team to face New Zealand on Saturday, for a match that ought to make a mockery of the current world rankings.

We have incidents from three Tests at the end of May to discuss - Australia vs Wales, South Africa vs England and Argentina vs Ireland.

Former Springbok, Stormers, Western Province and Bath centre Robbie Fleck is a very welcome addition to sport365s columnists section, with Fleckie looking back at Saturday's first Test against England and previewing this weekend's return fixture at Loftus.

Wales must beat Australia on Saturday to claim the inaugural James Bevan trophy, but despite the closeness of last week's result, coach Gareth Jenkins warned of the need to step it up on every level.

Having won his first England cap way back in 1997 and then enduring a ten year exodus from the international arena you would be forgiven for thinking Kevin Yates had given up on his international career. Yet you would be greatly mistaken as Planet Rugby found out on Wednesday.

England's 'Tour of Hell' was thrown further into the satanic abyss on Wednesday with news that a further four players will be unavailable for Saturday's second Test against South Africa in Pretoria.

Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan is looking for a similar performance - but a different result - in Saturday's second Test against Argentina.

Dragons wing Aled Brew has been called up to take his place on Wales' wing for the second Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.

Welsh hooker Mefin Davies - who will move from Guinness Premiership league winners Gloucester to Guinness Premiership title-winners Leicester in the close season - has one last chance to prove his worth to Wales coach Gareth Jenkins on Saturday before the Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand Maori booked their place in the Churchill Cup Final with a crushing 50-22 victory over Ireland A at Sandy Park in Exeter on Tuesday, and will now defend their title against England Saxons.

There is one more North-South Test this weekend than last weekend for New Zealand play France at Eden Park.

England assistant coach Mike Ford believes turnovers have become a scourge of modern-day Test rugby, saying that much of England's collapse in Bloemfontein against South Africa was down to problems in the contact area.

Joel Jutge of France is due to referee the second Test between South Africa and England at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. He says: "It will be different."

Flanker Shane Jennings and wing Rob Kearney will win their first caps for Ireland as coach Eddie O'Sullivan has named the two debutants in his side for the second test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

As England traipsed off the field in Bloemfontein, heads bowed, and bodies exhausted, the scoreboard behind them told the tale of a team that maybe should have stayed at home.

France arrive in New Zealand on Monday with a severely depleted squad, tired from a tense day of action in the final round of the Top 14, and with a coach openly admitting he wishes to be somewhere else.

Again we set our minds to producing as fair a Top 20 of schools in South Africa, a difficult task because of the number of top schools to choose from.

David Strettle has become the latest player to make an early exit from England's ill-fated tour of South Africa, after failing sufficiently to recover from the illness that laid low many of the touring squad.

With England still nursing their battered bodies from the 58-10 thumping given to them at the hands of the Springboks over the weekend, we asked where to now for the defending World Cup champs? The "airport" and "home" were just a couple of places you could recommend...

England Saxons continued their quest for the Churchill Cup with a 18-3 victory over Scotland A on Bank Holiday Monday at Twickenham.

The Green Machine stuttered to victory on Saturday as George Campbell threw everything and the kitchen sink at them. The score of 21-0 may suggest otherwise but, it was a tight affair for most of the encounter that included some huge hits and a couple of injuries.

This past weekend Kirkwood High played PJ Olivier at Kirkwood's fields and won 24-13.

Ulster trio Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe are all rated as doubtful for Ireland's second Test against Argentina next weekend after picking up injuries in Saturday's 22-20 defeat to the Pumas.

We have week one of the match practices masquerading as Tests and deal with some statistics, including a look at troublesome scrums.

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins hailed Gavin Henson's reappearance at international level as a "positive" element of his side's last-ditch 29-23 defeat to Australia in Sydney.

In a highly entertaining and exciting match played on the Piley Rees field at Bishops, SACS produced by far their best performance of the season to draw 22-all with Bishops. Although SACS never led in the game they deserved to and should have gone on to win.

The Queen's College 1st XV bounced back after their loss in East London two weeks ago, to record an emphatic 54 - 5 victory over a flat footed Hudson Park side on the Rec on Saturday afternoon.

Wales could switch captain Gareth Thomas to centre for the second Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday because of an injury crisis in midfield.

The drawn result between SACS and Bishops, the two schools who have been playing the game longest in South Africa was probably a fair reflection in a great match - to SACS as good as a win in the light of big defeats in recent years.

In a performance that made a mockery of their subordinate name, the Junior All Blacks opened their Pacific Nations Cup campaign with an emphatic 31-10 victory over Samoa in Apia on Sunday.

Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson believes his side paid the penalty for their indiscipline during Saturday's defeat by Argentina in Santa Fe.

Prop Andrea Lo Cicero has been chosen to lead Italy on their upcoming tour of South America which kicks off in June.

Argentina head coach Marcelo Loffreda has confirmed the 22-man squad to face Ireland next Saturday in Buenos Aires, with stand-in skipper and fly-half Felipe Contepomi not included in the second Test match.

Wales Coach Gareth Jenkins expressed his frustration at the way Wales conceded a 17-0 lead to go down to a last-ditch, 29-23 defeat to Australia in the first Test at Telstra Stadium on Saturday.

Jason Robinson insisted England had contributed to their own downfall after they went down to a record 58-10 defeat against South Africa.

A last-gasp Felipe Contepomi drop goal gave Argentina 22-20 victory against Ireland in Santa Fe on Saturday.

South Africa produced a brutal yet clinical display to thump a plucky England side 58-10 at Bloemfontein on Saturday scoring seven tries in the process.

The IRB will hold a forum on the international calendar at the end of the Rugby World Cup in October, this time inviting representatives of England's and France's clubs to participate, according to a report in The Guardian on Saturday.

Wales captain Gareth Thomas hailed his under-strength side's belief after they slipped to an agonising last-gasp 29-23 defeat to Australia in Sydney.

A last-gasp try from Stephen Hoiles helped Australia bounce back from an early 17-0 deficit to beat Wales as anticipated on Saturday, but John Connolly's new-look team made life mighty hard for themselves in the 29-23 win.

It's another "funny" Test. In this case both teams could probably be labelled more properly A teams, but the match is down as a Test and the players playing will get caps.

New Zealand Maori began the defence of their Churchill Cup in style with a resounding 59-23 win over Canada at Northampton Saints' Franklins Gardens on Friday.

England's plans for the first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday continue to be hit by injury and illness.

Jason Robinson has urged a collective effort from England in Saturday's first Test against the Springboks - and not rely on Jonny Wilkinson repeating his Bloemfontein heroics of seven years ago.

John Wells insists England's rookie pack "know what is coming" when they stand toe to toe with a juggernaut South Africa eight in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

It's international time again for us rugby fans and I should be licking my lips with anticipation. The thought of seeing the creme de la creme of World rugby battling it out should be enough to raise the hairs on the neck of even the most apathetic fan.

Kevin Yates will enter the England record books when he returns to international rugby on Saturday in Bloemfontein, and admitted that he 'never gave up hope' of making a remarkable comeback.

Wallabies coach John Connolly called for an end to the media bashing of his side and the Welsh touring side, saying that it was damaging the game as well as the atmosphere.

Tomas De Vedia insists he is not nervous ahead of his senior debut for Argentina in Saturday's first Test against Ireland in Santa Fe as others look to press their claims for a place in the World Cup squad.

If your local club had 35 of its top players grounded by injuries or prior commitments, the end-of-season jolly across the border would undoubtedly be cancelled and the stragglers would decamp to the nearest pub, and rightly so. But those who do battle in the name of England do things differently.

Ireland's new-look side are determined to beat Argentina in their own back yard for the first time on Saturday and cement their places in Eddie O'Sullivan's World Cup plans.

Rory Lamont touched down as Scotland 'A' opened their Barclays Churchill Cup campaign with an unconvincing 13-9 victory over the USA Eagles in Henley on Wednesday.

England have suffered a blow ahead of Saturday's first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein with wing David Strettle missing the game due to illness.

Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson believes controlling his Leinster team-mate Felipe Contepomi will be the key to winning Saturday's Test against Argentina in Santa Fe.

It is one of those things you hate to hear when you finish on the winning side - 'you didn't win it; we lost it' - but that is exactly what the Sharks must be muttering amongst themselves this week.

The respective domestic seasons are over, the best players have come to the fore and proved their worth and now it is time for the finest in Australia and Wales to do battle in a two Test series. At least that is how it is meant to be, but in reality it is a different story.

England are travelling to South Africa with a squad peppered with virtual unknowns, so in a spirit of information, here is the lowdown on England's new kids on the block - and a few kind words on the senior members too! We had the forwards on Wednesday, now the backs...

Wales captain Gareth Thomas admits the younger members of the squad are helping him feel his age as he closes in on becoming the nation's most capped player.

Italy have been forced to replace Ramiro Pez, their Argentinean expatriate fly-half, for their tour to Uruguay and Argentina next month.

Ulster prop Simon Best has described his appointment as Ireland captain as "a dream come true" ahead of the opening Test against Argentina in Santa Fe.

Ireland centre Andrew Trimble believes the desire to cement places in Eddie O'Sullivan's World Cup squad will make up for the team's inexperience when they take on Argentina in Sante Fe on Saturday.

Gareth Thomas will become Wales' most capped player when he leads his country into battle for the 93rd time in the first of two Tests on tour against Australia, to be played at Telstra Stadium, Sydney on Saturday.

England are travelling to South Africa with a squad peppered with virtual unknowns, so in a spirit of information, here is the lowdown on England's new kids on the block - and a few kind words on the senior members too! We kick off with the forwards...

Ireland have named rugby league convert Brian Carney on the right wing for Saturday's opening Test against Argentina in Santa Fe.

Andy Hazell has been challenged to put down a World Cup marker when he makes his England return after a two-year absence on Saturday.

The experiments in possible law changes which started in Stellenbosch, moved north and then went south to Sydney will now move further south the New Zealand.

Wales and Cardiff hooker Gareth Williams is ruled out of the two-Test tour of Australia after tearing a calf muscle in training and is set to fly home this weekend.

Bath lock Danny Grewcock is once again in trouble with the disciplinary, this time for puching in the European Challenge Cup final.

There is shuffling at the top - not right at the top but just under the peak.

England scrum-half Peter Richards believes victory for his team on Saturday against the Springboks in Bloemfontein will be the perfect response to criticism of the South Africa tour.

Colin Charvis has been ruled out of Wales' first Test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday because of a minor knee injury.

The final of the 2007 Super 14 in Durban was a tense affair, won by the Bulls by one point over the Sharks with a try and a conversion well into injury time.

London Wasps rule Europe! It may have been a surprise result when Wasps beat Leicester Tigers 25-9 but a deserved one. We have some points of law from the match to talk about.

In a game that will long be remembered for the atrocious conditions in which it was played SACS beat HTS Bellville 24-5. After torrential downpours overnight and all morning the game was moved to the Memorial B-field, which although still muddy and slippery, tends to drain better than the main pitch.

All the excitement of the finals are finished and now Tests break out all over the world as rugby rackets on to the World Cup. Forget tired bodies, forget the status of the Test match - rugby goes ahead and money rattles into coffers. Rattles? Thuds, more like it.

The experiments into possible law changes to be implemented after the World Cup - sometimes referred to as the Stellenbosch Laws - have met further approval in Australia.

St Andrew's beat Cambridge of East London 65-0 in Grahamstown on Saturday.

Former Wales fly-half Neil Jenkins has lauded successor James Hook as a player so talented that coaches should leave him alone to develop.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan insists his side's two-match tour of Argentina will not be an anti-climax, despite leaving a clutch of first-choice players at home.

The much-anticipated Glenwood vs College fixture, which has become the match to watch in KwaZulu Natal schoolboy circles these days, produced some magic moments that will live in the memory for years to come, as Glenwood won 19-12.

Daniel Pienaar beat the home side Die Brandwag 31-21 in the big Uitenhage derby on Saturday but they had to battle for it.

The Graeme first rugby team scored five tries in each half to over power Woodridge 69-14 in Grahamstown on Saturday.

St Andrew's beat Cambridge of East London 65-0 in Grahamstown on Saturday.

Former Wales skipper Michael Owen insists the side will not roll over against Australia despite the odds being stacked against them, insisting "we are here to compete".

Wales hooker Matthew Rees will fly straight home from Sydney after his side's opening Test against Australia on Saturday to ensure he is at the birth of his first child - due just four days later (May 30).

Lots of eyes were on the grand occasion in Durban on Saturday afternoon but here and there throughout the land there were all sorts of intense battles on the playing fields of South Africa.

George Gregan will not captain Australia through the June Tests and Tri-Nations as he prepares to sign off from world rugby after the Rugby World Cup.

The Sharks and the Bulls' met at ABSA Stadium in Durban and the Bulls won a cliff-hanger 20-19. Here we give some statistics of the Final.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is backing rugby league convert Brian Carney to rise to the challenge of breaking into the Test team.

England scrum-half Shaun Perry returned to training in South Africa on Saturday after shaking off a calf strain.

Kevin Yates dreamed of resurrecting his England career, and if he realises the dream and features for the world champions on their tour of South Africa, he will set a record.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has told his players they must focus on the upcoming tests with France and Canada rather than looking forward to the World Cup.

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins has been forced to defend his squad selection for the tour of Australia after Wales arrived in Sydney to a hostile reception.

Ireland A kicked their Churchill Cup campaign off with a well fought 39-20 victory over a plucky Canadian side on Saturday in Exeter.

Clermont Auvergne won the European Challenge Cup on Saturday with a 22-16 win over Bath at the Twickenham Stoop, holding off a fierce fightback from the West Countrymen.

Bath captain Steve Borthwick admitted his side's 22-16 defeat to Clermont Auvergne in the European Challenge Cup final had been a "huge missed opportunity".

England Saxons were much too good for the USA in the opening match of the Churchill Cup, winning 51-3 at Edgeley Park in Stockport on Friday night.

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins has backed his Australia tour squad to prove their Rugby World Cup potential.

The system of using yellow and red cards by the referee is recent in rugby football, the invention of an Association Football referee Ken Ashton who sat thoughtfully at a traffic light in London.

Clermont Coach Vern Cotter has named a virtually full strength side for the European Challenge Cup Final against Bath on Saturday at the Twickenham Stoop.

Unavailability and injury has forced Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda to make two changes to his 22-man squad ahead of Ireland's two-Test tour.

Full internationals Jeremy Staunton, Johnny O'Connor and Roger Wilson have all been included in the Ireland 'A' side to face Canada in the Churchill Cup at Sandy Park in Exeter on Saturday night.

The USA's Churchill Cup campaign looks to have suffered an immediate setback ahead of their tournament opener against England Saxons on Friday night.

The second FNB Classic Clash between the only two boys' schools in Potchefstroom, the Technical High School (HTS) and Potchefstroom Boys' High, ended in a one point victory for the hosts, Boys High.

There's an aphorism that says: "Ignorance is bliss." However, Jan de Koning tells us why he feels this has become a disease.

London Irish tyro Shane Geraghty will use Friday night's Churchill Cup opener against USA as an opportunity to prove himself worthy of a ticket to the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.

World Cup winner Mike Catt offered to travel with England on their tour of South Africa but was told to concentrate on building up his fitness.

NEC Harlequins scrum-half Andy Gomarsall could make a remarkable return to England colours next week - a year after his rugby career looked destined for the scrapheap.

The semi-finals of the 2007 Super 14 have come and gone but we still have a few incidents to hang discussions of laws on, and we have one which we should have done the week before.

David Bory is determined to leave Bath Rugby with silverware in The Rec trophy cabinet - even if it comes at the expense of his hometown and old club.

Bath Rugby will face a red-hot ASM Clermont Auvergne side when they clash in the European Challenge Cup final at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday.

The final of the European Challenge Cup takes place at The Stoop when Clermont Auvergne meet Bath. We give a brief record of European Challenge Cup finals.

England coach Brian Ashton insists he is not looking for "damage limitation" despite leading a young, inexperienced side to take on the Springboks on home soil.

Lote Tuqiri, under-fire for a prank on team-mate Peter Hewat which backfired last weekend, has been taking further flak in the Wallabies' training camp after he was given an individual sprint session on Tuesday.

Jonny Wilkinson is braced for a punishing England tour to South Africa, admitting: "We are going to be hauled out of our comfort zone."

England coach Brian Ashton and stand-in captain Jason Robinson were both defiant on Tuesday in refuting that the patched-up England team, shorn of over 30 players because of injury and club commitments, is on another 'tour to hell' in South Africa.

The Graeme College first rugby team beat St Andrew's for the first time since 2003 in their FNB Classic Clash on Saturday played at Graeme's Somerset Field, and did so easily ? winning by 37-12. The game was televised live on Supersport, and Graeme supporters will want to watch this one over and over again.

I remember taking up rugby. I wasn't a big lad by any stretch of the imagination, but I held my own. I played, and I like to think I played reasonably well.

Wasps fly-half Jeremy Staunton has dropped out of the Ireland squad for the tour of Argentina and has been replaced by Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald.

Again we have little change this weekend. Perhaps we have got it right already, which seems unlikely. Perhaps the season is just warming up and some are still to make their big move.

There has not yet been a tied final in Super rugby, but a draw is always a possible result. What happens then?

For many a year during the good old days of amateur rugby the belief was very much that it was a game for all shapes and sizes. However those days are a distant memory as rugby has slowly developed into a game for the big men.

Calvisano will be hoping to emulate Overmach Parma on Friday when they travel to Newport to play the Dragons in a one-off play-off for the final Heineken Cup spot next season.

Calvisano will be hoping to emulate Overmach Parma on Friday when they travel to Newport to play the Dragons in a one-off play-off for the final Heineken Cup spot next season.

Steve Walsh of New Zealand is to referee the Super 14 Final between the Sharks and the Bulls at ABSA Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon. It is an all-New Zealand team of officials.

The annual FNB Classic Clash between Glenwood and Durban High School was always going to be a tight affair with the match, as expected, going down to the wire.

This was a disappointing match, with very little quality rugby produced by either side.

The Queen?s 1st XV found themselves on the receiving end of a rampant Selborne team, and slumped to a 22-3 defeat on the Selborne fields in East London on Saturday afternoon.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry, the architect of the vilified New Zealand conditioning programme that saw 22 top All Blacks withdrawn from half of the Super 14, has stated that New Zealand failure to see a team in the finals is "probably a good thing".

The big one this weekend - a Tale of Finals - the Heineken Cup, The European Challenge Cup, the Super 14, the Super 10 Final.

There are some big results this week with top sides in action and those neighbourly affairs which always bring out the best.

It was different this year - both semi-finals in South Africa as the prelude to an all-South African final. The victory margins were similar - 16 points in Durban, 15 in Pretoria.

In a ding-dong battle, played in Wellington in searing heat, Hugenote were full value for their upset win over SA College High School (SACS). The final score was 29-23 to the hosts after they had led 17-13 at the interval.

The Board of ERC confirmed details of the 24th place play-off for the 2007/8 Heineken Cup on Wednesday, following the announcement by ERC's Shareholders of a "conditional agreement" with regard to the future of the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup.

We again look at an aspect or two of the success of the changed procedure for scrum engagement, noting that this week there was the possibility of an adaptation to that procedure.

The qualifying structure for future Rugby World Cups is to be changed to better reflect the modern game and to increase the profile of one of the world's largest sporting events.

The IRB has taken another small step towards the creation of a globally integrated playing calendar, announcing that a forum will be convened for the game's stakeholders to integrate themselves into the process.

Wales veteran Colin Charvis insists he still has a healthy appetite to play for his country despite winning the last of his 84 caps 14 months ago.

For ten teams this was the end of the 2007 Super 14, but which ten would rest was decided only by that remarkable match in Pretoria when the Bulls broke records.

We have, since the Six Nations, been concentrating on the Super 14 with its demanding seven matches a weekend for our law discussions. But we have two queries from Premiership rugby in England which are certainly worth discussion.

There is the big English Premiership final at Twickenham which will take lots of attention as will the two Super 14 semi-finals in South Africa.

There is little movement in our Top 20 this week as the top schools settle into the new season.

Whew! That's it. The 14 weeks are over and we end with the totals down below - most and fewest tries, most and fewest penalties, most and fewest stoppages, most disciplinary sanctions, apart from the possession stats for this 14th week.

Matt Henjak, the Force scrum-half who was once considered George Gregan's successor-in-waiting, is crushed after being left out of Wallaby coach John Connolly's 59-man training squad.

The Derby encounter between Queen's and Grey failed to meet expectations and the quality of rugby on display would have disappointed spectators, who would have anticipated much more from these two top schoolboy sides.

Australian referees, Stuart Dickinson and Matt Goddard, will referee the semi-finals of the 2007 Super 14. Both matches are between South African and New Zealand teams in South Africa.

Woman referee Kerstin Ljungdahl has been appointed to the men's Division 1 Cup final between SC 1880 Frankfurt, one of Germany's oldest sporting clubs, and RC Heidelberg on Saturday.

Lyndon Bray of Wellington, New Zealand, is one of the world's top referees who has been refereeing particularly well in the 2007 Super 14 - certainly one of the best communicators amongst referees with his concise, matter-of-fact way of talking. we asked him about his career, and he told us.

Maritzburg College went down to Durban and beat DHS 13-9.

On a beautiful winters morning in Cape Town, SA College High School (SACS) beat their local rivals Rondebosch Boy?s High by 14-7. Despite the 11.20am kick-off the temperature was touching 30-degrees.

Eldoraigne again beat Monnas, this time in the final of the Michelin-Reeks, played at LC de Villiers Stadium. That was probably the top match of the weekend.

A memo has gone out from Paddy O'Brien, the International Rugby Board's refereeing manager, on practical matters regarding the application of the Laws of the Game. This includes the new law on the engagement procedure at scrums.