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WATCH as we bring you all the highlights from the weekend's main events!

WATCH as we bring you all the highlights from the weekend’s main events!

WATCH as we bring you all the highlights from the weekend’s Currie Cup fixtures. 

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Clayton Blommetjies has been named in the Free States Cheetahs' starting XV for their Currie Cup clash against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ireland rugby fans will get an indication of what the future could hold for their national team against Italy in Dublin on Saturday with the Azzurri's attack masterminded by Mike Catt, the former England World Cup winner.

Changing the laws of the game in the interest of injury-prevention has taken another significant step forward with World Rugby’s Executive Committee approving a package of law amendments for closed trial.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND THREE: They love the Springboks in Argentina but that, it seems, spurs the Pumas on.

It’s final weekend in the truncated edition of the 2019 Rugby Championship. Here are some predictions.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Every match will be vital in the Currie Cup this weekend as two teams play their penultimate pool games, while the other four sides enter the second half of the competition.

BLEDISLOE CUP REACTION: All Black offensive weapon Beauden Barrett believes Kurtley Beale's inclusion at fullback for the sacked Israel Folau makes the Wallabies more threatening.

LISTEN as South African coach Rassie Erasmus speaks about the threats posed by Argentina in Salta on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: There is not much left of the season. Once we're over the hump of the long weekend we go rushing to the end of yet another season with all its excitement and energy - and its disappointments.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: He might not be Eddie Jones's favourite but Danny Cipriani could be the key in England's pursuit of World Cup glory.

BLEDISLOE CUP SPOTLIGHT: Wallaby coach Michael Cheika is hopeful David Pocock will make his long-awaited return from injury in the return Bledisloe against the All Blacks in Auckland.

LISTEN as South African coach Rassie Erasmus speaks about the threats posed by Argentina in Salta on Saturday.

BLEDISLOE CUP SPOTLIGHT:  There is a firm belief among some World Cup teams that this year’s tournament won’t be decided by tries.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Ireland team to face Italy in a World Cup warm-up match on Saturday has a decidedly experimental look.

NEWS: Elton Jantjies' playing future has been confirmed.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Worcester Warriors’ new recruit Melani Nanai will arrive for pre-season training on Monday, August 12.

REACTION: Michael Cheika gets his chance to respond.

OPINION: Round Four of Currie Cup 2019 was full of upsets.

Round 1 of the Under-18 International Series in South Africa starts in Stellenbosch on Friday afternoon. England Under-18 play Argentina Under-18, and England coach Jim Mallinder has named his team for the encounter.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined a galaxy of All Blacks stars and thousands of other mourners to pay tribute to rugby icon Brian Lochore at his funeral Thursday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has revealed his team to face the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday.

Round 1 of the South African Under-18 International Series is on Friday, 9 August 2019.

It's the last round of the Rugby Championship, the decisive round, in Perth, Australia, and Salta, with Jérôme Garcès and Romain Poite to referee them. The Perth match doubles as a Bledisloe Cup match.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks host the Free State Cheetahs at Kings Park this Saturday in what is shaping to be a humdinger of a Currie Cup match between two old foes.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The countdown to the 2019 Rugby World Cup is well and truly upon us.

OPINION: An in-depth look at how the All Blacks are developing two shapes for the Rugby World Cup. Rugbypass writer Conor Wilson makes sense of it all. 

@LoffieEloff joins @King365ed in the @rugby365com studio as they analyse the final round of the @SanzarTRC - where the @Springboks are on the cusp of making history against @lospumas in Salta.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rory Best has challenged Ireland to justify their 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam at this year’s World Cup in Japan.

WATCH: This is what rugby is all about. Japanese fans embracing their role as hosts by learning the Fijian anthem. 

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Pumas head coach Jimmy Stonehouse has tweaked his backline for Friday's crucial Currie Cup clash with Western Province at Newlands.

INJURY UPDATE: England are unable to put a time frame on a Jack Nowell return to action as doubt persists over his availability for the World Cup.

NEWS: Waratahs have continued to bolster their squad for the 2020 Super Rugby season, securing the signatures of Chris Talakai and Mitch Short.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will start at flank for Western Province in the Currie Cup encounter with the Pumas at Newlands on Friday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane will pack down in the Springbok front row when South Africa face Argentina in the third and final Rugby Championship encounter in Salta on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks are on the verge of clinching their first Rugby Championship when they face Argentina on Saturday in Salta.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Blue Bulls head coach Pote Human has named his team to face the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

TRANSFER TALK: Snubbed England centre Ben Te’o will likely depart England following his apparent Rugby World Cup snubbing at the hands of Eddie Jones.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Pumas head coach Mario Ledesma has resisted making substantial changes to his side for their final match of 2019’s Rugby Championship, despite two losses to date.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: James O'Connor completed his return from exile on Thursday as he was named to start in Saturday's Test against the All Blacks in Perth.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle has given Director of Rugby Scott Johnson a glowing endorsement.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: One of the world's best locks reveals another side to him.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Wallabies outcast James O'Connor is set to take a giant stride towards the Rugby World Cup with his selection to face the All Blacks in Perth on Saturday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks are warning that the band is back together and they are singing from the same song sheet ahead of Saturday's Test against the Wallabies in Perth.

NEWS: Joe Schmidt has left the Irish training camp in Carton house and has returned to New Zealand following a family bereavement according to the Irish Times.

WATCH as Golden Lions forward Hacjivah Dayimani produced a moment of comedy gold against the Free State Cheetahs this weekend with a perfectly timed high five with referee Jaco Peyper.

For the two South African Schools teams chosen after Craven Week this year, their international experience starts on Friday.

INJURY UPDATE: The Free State Cheetahs received a boost on the injury front ahead of their Currie Cup clash against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks are convinced that Pocock will play on Saturday although talk around the Wallabies camp is that he will be kept on ice.

REACTION: It was certainly a huge embarrassment as the defending Currie Cup Champions Sharks suffered a 20-27 defeat to the Pumas last weekend.

MATCH REPORT: Was there ever an Interschools with such a finish - such tension, such drama?

NEWS: Waratahs loose forward Jed Holloway has signed a two-year contract extension, committing to his home state until the end of the 2021 Super Rugby season.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Argentina are bracing themselves for a massive physical onslaught when they face the Springboks in Salta on Saturday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Wallabies are focused on cleaning up a dreadful error rate before facing the All Blacks,

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Former Wallabies captain Andrew Slack believes Christian Lealiifano deserves to wear the No.10 jersey against the All Blacks in Perth on Saturday.

TRANSFER NEWS: Australian Schoolboy's scrumhalf Lachlan Albert has signed with the Brumbies, agreeing to a three-year commitment to the team starting in November 2019.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Eddie Jones has called up 33 players to assemble at Pennyhill Park ahead of England’s first World Cup warm-up against Wales on Sunday at Twickenham Stadium

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus may want Damian Willemse at fullback, but Western Province coach John Dobson believes he could be more effective in another position.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks have their sights trained firmly on the World Cup.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Wallabies no longer have the dynamic Israel Folau, but Kurtley Beale will give them plenty of X-factor during the Bledisloe Cup series.

INJURY UPDATE: Western Province is relying on the return of Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi to help them get their Currie Cup campaign back on track.

On Saturday Glenwood tackled Maritzburg College in a pulsating derby on Goldstones in front of a huge crowd as Maritzburg College celebrated their Reunion Day.

INJURY UPDATE: The Blue Bulls have a massive headache ahead of their Currie Cup Round Five encounter with the Golden Lions, in Johannesburg on Saturday.

OPINION: The readers have spoken and they have told South African coach Rassie Erasmus he should go for broke in Salta next week.

INJURY UPDATE: The Golden Lions will face a big challenge at scrum time once again when they take on Blue Bulls in a Currie Cup Round Five fixture in Johannesburg on Saturday.

INJURY UPDATE: The Free State Cheetahs lost a lot more than just their unbeaten run when the Golden Lions came from behind to beat them 24-22 in Bloemfontein at the weekend.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks have failed to live up to expectations in the Rugby Championship so far. 

SQUAD UPDATE: Ireland revealed a 43-man squad on Monday ahead of their first World Cup warm-up match against Italy in Dublin on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Wallabies captain Michael Hooper predicts David Pocock will "kill it" when he makes his long-awaited playing return and he's also excited about James O'Connor's X-factor.

REACTION: Head coach Pote Human did not hold back in his assessment of the Blue Bulls' current Currie Cup form.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Since the early 1930’s New Zealand and Australia have regularly fought tooth and nail for the prized Bledisloe Cup.

The Graeme and Muir derby is always a keenly contested fixture, with a similar type of school meeting for the fixture. There were two hockey matches played on the Friday, with Graeme winning the 1st XI match 5-0. On the Saturday, Graeme sent more than 250 boys to Uitenhage to play in the 17 rugby matches.

The season is dwindling down to a precious few matches but still there are schools keen to play to the end of the month.

There are many interesting results this week, including an exciting Premier Interschools match in Paarl and an exciting Classic Clash in George.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: There will be no lack of effort and intensity when England face Wales at Twickenham says wing Elliot Daly.

NEWS: All Blacks great Brian Lochore, who achieved fame both as a player and coach, died Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 78.

REACTION: Griquas went from a 54-point hiding by the Cheetahs last weekend to a 37-15 triumph at the Blue Bulls Saturday, and claimed a two-point lead in the South African Currie Cup.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: When World Rugby were playing with the idea of introducing a season-long competition to the international rugby scene, there was reasonably widespread outrage.

Danny Grewcock, great England lock in his playing days, is starting at Clifton College in September, not as a 46-year-old pupil obviously but in a rugby coaching/developmental role.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: International referee Nigel Owens made an unfortunate error during the game between Samoa and the USA.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Wallabies were not surprised by the changes to the All Blacks' team for their clash against the Springboks in Round Two of the Rugby Championship.

The St Andrew's College 1st XV rounded off a very successful season by running out comfortable 42-22 winners against Bishops from Cape Town on Lower Field in Grahamstown on Saturday, 3 August 2019, in fantastic playing conditions.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Pumas recorded their first win of the 2019 Currie Cup season with a 27-20 win over the Sharks in Nelspruit on Saturday.

MLR SPOTLIGHT: Malcolm Anderson looks at how the arrival of the Toronto Arrows will significantly impact rugby in Canada and their World Cup campaign.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: Griquas climbed to the top of the Currie Cup standings with a 37-15 win against the Blue Bulls in Pretoria.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Four encounter between the Blue Bulls and Griquas in Pretoria.

@rugby365 law guru Paul Dobson looks at two incidents from last Saturday's match between South Africa and New Zealand in Wellington, New Zealand.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Steve Hansen plans to hit hard and hit early in the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup defence, pledging to name his strongest team to face the Wallabies in Perth.

REACTION: Ross Cronje admits Golden Lions will have to go back to the drawing board despite their sensational comeback against Free State Cheetahs on Friday.

RANKINGS: The result that shakes the tree this week is Affies defeat at the hands of Pretoria Boys High, something that has not happened since 2008 and the biggest margin of defeat since 1943. It was a massive surprise.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Four encounter between the Pumas and Sharks in Nelspruit.

Unforgettable. Nobody who was at Rosemore Stadium in George on 3 August 2019 will forget the end to the Classic Clash between Pacaltsdorp Senior Sekondêr and George High.

THE COUNTDOWN: Japan and World Rugby are fully confident that the World Cup will be a groundbreaking event as they enter the final preparations phase for Asia’s first World Cup.

MATCH REPORT: Fiji produced too much power and pace for Canada scoring six tries to one in a 38-13 thumping in their Pacific Nations Cup clash in Suva on Saturday.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: For the third time this season the Lions came back from a massive deficit to retain their unbeaten record in the competition.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Four encounter between the Free State Cheetahs and Golden Lions in Bloemfontein.

UPDATE: The Southern Kings have opted to stop the process of selecting a new Head Coach.

NEWS: Mathieu Bastareaud will start the next chapter of his career as a forward on Friday.

NEWS: Free State Cheetahs utility back William Small-Smith was rushed to hospital after he collapsed during the team's training on Thursday.

MATCH REPORT: Japan thrashed Tonga Saturday 41-7 before a sold-out crowd, a confidence-boosting second win in a row for the Brave Blossoms as they build up to the World Cup on home soil.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Gaining valuable momentum will be the focus for all the teams in action in the Currie Cup this weekend.

REACTION: Wales fans on social media are tipping Aaron Shingler to make the final World Cup squad, after a clavicle injury ruled Taulupe Faletau out of the tournament.

NEWS: The Waratahs have received a shot in the arm through the signature of experienced hooker Damien Fitzpatrick for the 2020 Super Rugby season.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks are bristling with confidence ahead of their crucial Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina in Salta on August 10.

REACTION: A Springbok has defended Beauden Barrett after the flyhalf's ploy to roll the ball closer to the goalposts before a penalty kick.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: When the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship squad was announced four weeks ago, just over half a dozen hearts were broken up and down the country.

MATCH REPORT: A penalty on full-time by AJ MacGinty saw the USA snatch a 13-10 win over Samoa in an error-ridden Pacific Nations Cup clash in Suva.

INJURY UPDATE: Wales suffered a cruel blow only a week out from their opening warm-up match for the World Cup.

Winter still grips control of the South where most of our action takes place this weekend.

NEWS: Fallen star Israel Folau has launched legal action against Rugby Australia and the Waratahs for unfair dismissal.

READERS' CHOICE: Here is your chance to have a say on who should play for the Springboks against Los Pumas next Saturday!

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Free State Cheetahs head coach Franco Smith has tweaked his team to face the Golden Lions in a Currie Cup Round Four clash in Bloemfontein.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has kept faith in his team, despite their winless start to the season.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Griquas coach Brent Janse van Rensburg reached for the panic button after his team's first loss of the season.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Exciting teenage centre Jordan Petaia has the World Cup back in sight after being named in the Wallabies' squad for their Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand.

The most intense rivalries in sport are often when like meets like, and this week Bishops go up to Grahamstown to meet old rivals St Andrew's, like meeting like.

NEWS: Harlequins announced that club stalwart Chris Robshaw will continue as club Captain for the upcoming season.

NEWS: Kings have added another World Cup-bound side, Namibia, to their preparations for the upcoming PRO14 2019/20 season which begins in September.

On Saturday, there are no Rugby Championship matches for the All Blacks, the Springboks and the Wallabies. On Saturday there is no Currie Cup at Newlands. But on Saturday there is the Interschools in the Paarl - the 103rd Interschools, a Premier Interschools match.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: South Africa resumed their training in Auckland on Wednesday, after a short break, as they build up to next week's showdown with Argentina.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rugby World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer says it's not too late for Wallabies selectors to be experimenting but the threat posed by outside centre Tevita Kuridrani is in danger of being wasted.

JERSEY LAUNCH: Italy have unveiled their playing kits for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan.

LISTEN as @King365ed and @LoffieEloff unpack the drama surrounding @PeterDeVillier5's attempt to get back into South African coaching and the media lies that were spread about him.

NEWS: The Hurricanes are working hard to find Beauden Barrett's replacement.

NEWS: The Southern Kings took a giant leap closer to finalising their coaching set-up for the 2019-20 Pro14 season.

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: Tyrone Green is continuing to make waves in the South African game and it surely won't be too long before he finds himself in a Springbok jersey.

OPINION: The 'battle' in our boardroom was every bit as intriguing as the contest between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington's Cake Tin at the weekend.

WATCH: Springbok Handre Pollard kept his side in it right down to the last minute, not only with 11 of their 16 points, but 76 metres from nine carries as well.

REACTION: Steve Hansen's 34-man All Blacks squad for twin Bledisloe Cup Tests against the Wallabies is surprisingly missing power scrummager Karl Tu'inukuafe.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks have revealed the team that will play the Pumas in Nelspruit in an important Currie Cup clash on Saturday. 

SOCIAL MEDIA FALLOUT: Australian referee Nic Berry has come under fire for his decision to force Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard to take a conversion from a more difficult position.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: There were times during his four arduous years in charge of the Southern Kings that Deon Davids must have felt like he was caught in some sort of grotesque groundhog day.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Blue Bulls head coach Pote Human has revealed his team to face Griquas on Saturday.

TRANSFER NEWS: While international teams are in Japan for the World Cup, wing Akihito Yamada will be heading to France.

INJURY UPDATE: Italy have lost one of their centres to injury ahead of this year's World Cup.

OPINION: There were a 10-try rout and a stupendous come-from-behind win.

REACTION: The All Blacks are standing behind Beauden Barrett's ploy to roll the ball closer to the goalposts before a penalty kick, which sparked pockets of outrage in South Africa.

NEWS: They may not have a coach yet, but the Southern Kings will have some high-profile opposition in the build-up to the start of their Pro14 season.

Dual World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams has responded on Twitter to those that have been saying that he is under pressure to make the World Cup squad in a few weeks’ time.

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: The defending-champion Sharks are determined to not drop any more points against lesser-rated opposition.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Handre Pollard’s last-gasp conversion in Wellington earned South Africa a 16-16 draw against New Zealand as well as one rating point in the World Rugby Rankings.

INJURY UPDATE: England flank Brad Shields faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: The All Blacks have dropped five players in a 34-man squad named Wednesday for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup Tests against Australia.

NEWS: Two new law trials are set to reinvigorate play in the upcoming season of Australia's National Rugby Championship, which begins on August 31.

REACTION: The Southern Kings Board have released a statement regarding the selection process of their new head coach.

WATCH as All Black fullback Beaden Barrett got caught out deliberately cheating in his team's 16-all draw with the Springboks in Wellington at the weekend.

OPINION: Alex Shaw unpacks the thrilling stalemate between New Zealand and South Africa at the weekend.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Golden Lions have revealed their team to face the Free State Cheetahs in a Currie Cup Round Four clash in Bloemfontein on Friday.

TRANSFER NEWS: The Exeter Chiefs have bolstered their pack for the upcoming season with some South African power.

WORLD CUP SPOTLIGHT: Finn Russell has brushed off suggestions Scotland are a one-man team – insisting it will take a collective effort to make their World Cup campaign a success.

NEWS: The high-flying Free State Cheetahs could bring in a big name for their Currie Cup clash against the Golden Lions.

ANALYSIS: The All Blacks were restricted to just 16 points compared to 34 on the same ground in the corresponding fixture last year. 

REACTION: Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to revive his flagging coaching career.

NEWS: A Wallabies veteran has decided to stay in Australia after this year's World Cup.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: If the All Blacks’ last few games are anything to go by, they are not as firm favourites for the World Cup as they were four years ago.

NEWS: Blues Chief Executive Michael Redman is stepping down after six years in the role.

TRANSFER NEWS: Despite various media speculations, Jordie Barrett has opted to remain in Hurricanes colours.

REACTION: With Stade Francais lock Hendré Stassen potentially facing a four-year ban for doping, fans have given their thoughts on drugs in rugby.

REACTION: The Golden Lions have again managed to produce a sensational comeback to remain one of only two unbeaten teams.

TRANSFER NEWS: Highly-rated Junior Wallabies international Lachlan Lonergan has signed a two-year contract with the Brumbies, joining his older brother Ryan in the senior squad for the 2020-2021 Super Rugby seasons.

INJURY UPDATE: The Blue Bulls returned to training in preparation for their Currie Cup clash against the Griquas at Loftus Versfeld this weekend.

Even though winter is not over, for many the rugby season has again closed down, which is a pity as it shuts the door on many a boy's chance to extend himself physically and emotionally within the confines of a great sport which makes demands on a great range of talents, individual and team.

SQUAD UPDATE: The Australian Men’s Sevens squad has been bolstered with the signing of Rod Davies who joins the program from the Western Force until 2021.

Michael Katzenellenbogen, a former Currie Cup and Test referee, has died in his sleep. He was 50 years of age.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: South Africa flew in some additional resources to join them at their training campo in Auckland.

NEWS: Former French Top 14 winners Racing 92 and Toulon have been fined for failing to supply appropriate documents relating to the league's salary cap, the tournament's organisers announced.

INJURY UPDATE: England Rugby have issued an update on Exeter Chiefs wing Jack Nowell, though it is as yet unclear if he will take any part in the Rugby World Cup.

REACTION: With the 2019 Currie Cup season being a single round of six matches, Western Province are in great danger of missing the playoffs.

SPOTLIGHT: Australia must build on confidence from their win over Argentina to have an impact at the World Cup, according to former Wallabies captain John Eales.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Taniela Tupou says, approaching the World Cup, his head is in the right place after a testing Super Rugby season.

NEWS: Michael Hooper will have his name etched onto the Matt Burke Cup for the sixth time.

SARU has announced the venues for its Youth Weeks in 2020, 2021 and 2022. In all SARU has nine Youth Weeks - all popular and well supported.

OPINION: A last-gasp try to replacement halfback Herschel Jantjies has earned the Springboks a deserved draw against the All Blacks.

OPINION: The Wallabies got their first win of 2019 with a scrappy 16-10 win over visitors Argentina.

OPINION: The Springboks will be kicking themselves that they did not make the most of their first-half dominance count against the All Blacks.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT: Argentina coach Mario Ledesma says poor set-piece execution let his side down against the Wallabies, admitting the team was tired and needed time off before facing South Africa in a fortnight.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks are hopeful Brodie Retallick will be available for Rugby World Cup selection.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said he doesn't want to over-coach Herschel Jantjies, who has certainly cemented his World Cup place in the past week.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REACTION: Christian Lealiifano thought his days as a Wallabies starter were over, and that was before he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

REACTION: The Wallabies' battling win over Argentina has given them belief they can threaten reigning world champions New Zealand in upcoming back-to-back Tests, coach Michael Cheika says.

MATCH REPORT: Saturday was another dark day for Canada rugby, with the Maple Leafs falling 19-47 to their American brothers in Glendale.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REACTION: New Zealand scrumhalf Aaron Smith admitted that he was caught napping when Herschel Jantjies snatched the ball to score that crucial late try.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REACTION: The Springboks celebrated their last-gasp, 16-all draw with New Zealand as a 'win', but said it would have no bearing on their blockbuster clash at the World Cup.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Free State Cheetahs made a massive statement when they routed the previously unbeaten and table-topping Griquas 68-14 in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

REACTION: David Pocock could return from injury against the All Blacks, as Michael Cheika contemplates more changes following his side's defeat of Argentina.

In the results each week there are surprises but seldom one as great as Pretoria Boys High's rare victory this week over neighbours Affies.

Maritzburg College came up to Johannesburg to play King Edward VII School. The match was even in the first half but the second belonged to KES, as, apparently, they knew it would.

The South African College High School (SACS) travelled down the road to Diocesan College (Bishops) for this season’s second instalment of their long standing rivalry dating back possibly as far as 1863. Bishops won for the second time this season, more convincingly this time, by 47 points to 17 (half time 21-5).

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT: The Wallabies have scrummaged their way to a 16-10 Rugby Championship victory over Argentina, with halfback Will Genia calling the shots in his Brisbane Test farewell.

NEWS: Japan‘s stock as a rugby-playing nation has been on the rise since their historic win over South Africa in Brighton at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) seem keen to build on that.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to this Currie Cup Round Three encounter between Western Province and the Golden Lions at Newlands.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to this Currie Cup Round Three encounter between the Free State Cheetahs and Griquas in Bloemfontein.

Eyes will be on Wellington this weekend when the two teams that won in Round 1 of the Rugby Championship. New Zealand and South Africa, meet down in windy Wellington with Nic Berry to see fair play.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: As the All Blacks chase a third straight World Cup in Japan, the schoolboy rugby competitions that forged many of New Zealand's stars face an "alarming" fall in player numbers amid concerns about elite schools poaching top talent.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rugby365's infamous Schools Top 20 turned 20 this year, and it's doing something it has not done before.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to this Rugby Championship Round Two encounter between Australia and Argentina in Brisbane.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT: A late Herschel Jantjies try rescued a 16-16 draw for the Springboks in their Rugby Championship Round Two match in Wellington on Saturday.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Golden Lions produced a sensational come-from-behind win to edge Western Province 30-28 at Newlands on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to this Rugby Championship Round Two encounter between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP REACTION: New Zealand paid a dear price for their 16-all draw with South Africa in a bruising encounter in Wellington on Saturday.

MATCH REPORT: Kotaro Matsushima scored two tries as Japan beat Fiji 34-21 in a confidence-boosting win ahead of their home World Cup on Saturday.

MATCH REPORT: Samoa came from behind to beat a 13-man Tonga 25-17 Saturday in a match played in a greasy mudbath in Apia to open the Pacific Nations Cup tournament.

MATCH REPORT: The Blue Bulls finally recorded their first Currie Cup win of the season with a 25-17 victory over the Pumas on Friday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to this Currie Cup Round Three encounter between the Pumas and Blue Bulls in Nelspruit.

NEWS: Aaron Cruden could be angling for a switch back to Super Rugby following confirmation in France regarding his contract for the new 2019/20 season.

TRANSFER NEWS: The Crusaders have found Brad Mooar's replacement.

NEWS: Ulster have confirmed that Iain Henderson has been appointed club captain for the 2019/20 season.

The 2019 Rugby Championship continues at a whirlwind pace. Here are the predictions for week two where New Zealand host South Africa and Argentina travel to Australia for the second week’s fixtures.

Can’t decide who to pick as winners for round three of the 2019 Currie Cup? We’re here to help with our weekly predictions.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The pressure is rising drastically in the Currie Cup Premier Division with a handful of teams reaching the halfway stage of their pool rounds this weekend, which could push the tempo to another level.

TRANSFER NEWS: The Cheetahs have obtained the services of another Western Province and Maties backline superstar.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND TWO: "When South Africa plays New Zealand, consider your country at war."

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND TWO: Australia coach Michael Cheika insists the embattled Wallabies are heading in the right direction ahead of the World Cup.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Kurtley Beale will get his chance at fullback in the post-Israel Folau era on Saturday, when he hopes to add another layer to the Wallabies' attack.

LISTEN as Duane Vermeulen speaks about captaining the Springboks for the first time.

NEWS: Japan will have a debutant leading them when they play host to Fiji in the first round of the Pacific Nations Cup.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Albertus Smith is used to scrapping with the 'bruisers' on the Sevens circuit. Now he hopes to leave his mark on the game's 'real' stage - the 15-man code.

On Saturday, starting before breakfast it seems, 23 Affies teams will trudge across the road to play neighbours Pretoria Boys High, as they do every year.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks and the All Blacks have met 14 times in Wellington, notorious for its wind. Paul Dobson looks at six of the most sensational; games in the New Zealand capital!

Maritzburg College are taking 21 rugby teams up over the Drakensberg and on to Johannesburg to play rugby with 21 teams from King Edward VII School in their Houghton home.

WATCH: When the Springboks and All Blacks play it is often brutal and intense, not without controversy. This 1976 match at Newlands was one of those matches!

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Western Province head coach John Dobson has made five changes for their Currie Cup encounter with Golden Lions at Newlands on Saturday.

WATCH: Rugby was very different back in 1981.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Golden Lions team to travel to Cape Town to face Western Province on Saturday has been bolstered by the return of a Springbok.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Griquas coach Brent Janse van Rensburg has been forced to make a number of changes ahead of his team's crucial Currie Cup Round Three encounter.

REACTION: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen admits starting his two world-class flyhalves Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga against South Africa is a gamble.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Christian Lealiifano will start his first Test in three years.

SQUAD UPDATE: England have been forced to bring in an uncapped flank following Brad Shield's injury.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus wants more consistency out of his team, who he says aren't yet good enough to win three knockout games at a World Cup.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand and South Africa have a long and rich history of encounters on the rugby field.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Blue Bulls have opted to bring a new flyhalf as they make two changes for the Currie Cup clash against Pumas on Friday.

It is one of the game's biggest rivalries, which is why @King365ed and @LoffieEloff dedicate so much time to analysing the @SanzarTRC Round Two encounter between the @AllBlacks and @Springboks.

ANALYSIS: Michael Cheika’s Wallabies are continuing in the same direction as they were last year, after an opening 35-17 blowout loss at Ellis Park to what was described as a Springboks ‘B’ side, Rugbypass writer Ben Smith explains.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Pumas have made a number of changes, as they look to record their first win of the season.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Free State Cheetahs will be without star loose forward Jasper Wiese when they host Griquas in a Currie Cup crunch match on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Veteran hooker Agustin Creevy has been left out due to injury as Argentina coach Mario Ledesma made five changes to his side to face Australia in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: All Black coach Steve Hansen named a team with a wealth of experience, to play South Africa in a crucial Rugby Championship Test in Wellington on Saturday.

LISTEN as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus chats about the importance of the Rugby Championship encounter between New Zealand and South Africa on Saturday.

NEWS: Argentina skipper Pablo Matera is keen on a move to Australia.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: It took some convincing, but veteran Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is keen to test his level now he's back and chasing a potential third World Cup berth.

TRANSFER NEWS: London Irish has secured the services of Tonga international Steve Mafi, who will join the club early in the 2019/20 season.

OPINION: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named his much-changed team to line up against the All Blacks in Wellington this weekend. Here is what readers thought of it ...

WATCH: Who remembers this one-point thriller between the All Blacks and Springboks from 2017?

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Experienced No.8 Duane Vermeulen will lead the Springboks against the All Blacks on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former Stormers utility back EW Viljoen opens up about his new club Leicester Tigers teammates and linking up with old ones Jaco Taute and Hanro Liebenberg.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former Springbok captain Warren Whiteley says he is "on track" to make a last-ditch bid for a place in the World Cup squad.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Not only is New Zealand's schoolboy rugby participation in a downward spiral, but they are also pulling out all the stops to reignite the countries Sevens passion and unearth new talent.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A leading Premiership club chairman is predicting that a 24-team British League could be “up and running in two years” according to reports.

OPINION: There were a number of standout performers in Round One of Rugby Championship 2019.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The second row battle looms as key in the crucial showdown between New Zealand and South Africa.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The second row battle looms as key in the crucial showdown between New Zealand and South Africa.

NEWS: Mike Ford’s role at Leicester Tigers has been revised ahead of the new season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: South Africa close in on fourth place in the World Rugby Rankings with victory over Australia, while New Zealand survive a scare to keep their unbeaten record against Los Pumas intact.

OPINION: The loose forward mix has been an area of huge debate for the All Blacks in 2019.

NEWS: Toulouse's veteran Samoa forward Joe Tekori announced his immediate retirement from international rugby, less than two months from the start of the World Cup.

OPINION: The Free State Cheetahs started their Currie Cup campaign with a bang in Pretoria.

NEWS: Stade Francais' South African back row forward Hendre Stassen faces a possible four-year doping suspension.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Eddie Jones has referred to his side’s game as a ‘modern’ version of English rugby, an attempt at refreshing an old way of playing, Rugbypass writer Ben Smith make sense of it all.

Grey College of Bloemfontein still reign supreme, this time in a huge victory over their namesakes of Port Elizabeth while Paarl Boys' High had a strong win over their neighbours Boland Landbou.

WATCH as Sibusio Nkosi round of a spectacular Springboks' try during the 35-17 win over the Wallabies on Saturday.

TRANSFER NEWS: Cheetahs continue to boost their backline stocks as they managed to sign a highly-rated 22-year-old Cape Town wing.

NEWS: Injury-ravaged All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams looks set to make his first international appearance of the year this weekend after reportedly overcoming a hamstring niggle.

SQUAD UPDATE: A few Springboks returned to training for Western Province on Monday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Cynics abound, but the players believe in the direction Rassie Erasmus is taking the Springboks.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The clash with the Los Pumas is Australia's last before back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls have suffered a big blow ahead of their crucial Currie Cup match against the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Eddie Jones has called up 38 players for the third Rugby World Cup training camp in Treviso, Italy.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The passionate emotions of the curtailed Currie Cup have hardly subsided and already there is another desperate plea not to further devalue the competition.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: South African coach Rassie Erasmus hopes his gamble to send an advance party to New Zealand will bear fruit this week.

South Africa's Herschel Jantjies had a blinder in his Test debut, his second try a piece of individual brilliance that will be remembered for a long time!

REACTION: Poor body language and a horrendous kicking game are the causes for Western Province's defeat to the Sharks says head coach John Dobson.

INJURY UPDATE: Flying Fijians coach John McKee is set to unleash two of his most potent attacking weapons during the Pacific Nations Cup.

REACTION: Scrumhalf Nic White says the Wallabies don't need to change too much to beat Argentina in Brisbane, but need to take their opportunities.

REACTION: Less than a year ago, South Africa's scrumhalf stocks looked rather adulterated.

REACTION: New Zealand coach Steve Hansen admitted his team was fortunate to escape with the four-point win over Argentina.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed the touring squad of 36 players for their Rugby Championship matches against New Zealand and Argentina in the next three weeks.

OPINION: The Wallabies open their Rugby Championship campaign with a 17-35 defeat to the Springboks. 

OPINION: Debutant scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies scored two tries as South Africa beat Australia 35-17 Saturday in the opening match of the Rugby Championship season in Johannesburg.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Fiji head coach John McKee on Sunday named a strong 27-man squad, dominated by Europe-based players.

OPINION: The All Blacks put in a solid defensive display in the second half to beat Argentina 20-16 in Buenos Aires. 

OPINION: Argentina has come within four points of securing a famous maiden win over New Zealand in their opening Rugby Championship clash of the year in Buenos Aires.

MATCH REPORT: Depleted New Zealand survived a second-half onslaught from Argentina to win a Rugby Championship first-round match 20-16 in Buenos Aires Saturday.

INJURY UPDATE: Argentina will look to continue on from their spirited performance against the All Blacks in Buenos Aires when they take on the Wallabies in Brisbane this Saturday.

REACTION: Despite South Africa's 35-17 win over Australia, head coach Rssied Erasmus knows his side is far from where they need to be.

OPINION: Below is the jerseys of some of the main teams at the World Cup in Japan.

In the final of World Rugby's Under-20 Trophy tournament played in Brazil, Japan won 35-34 against Portugal.

The Annual Winter Day weekend, the South African College High School (SACS) against Paul Roos Gimnasium, culminated as usual with the 1st XV Rugby match. After a bitterly cold and wet week the sun came out to greet the players and the match was played in perfect conditions. SACS gave a good account of themselves in an entertaining match but the power of the Paul Roos pack eventually told, and the visitors ran out comfortable 42-14 winners (halftime: 14-6).

World Rugby has announced the names of match officials appointed to the pool matches of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The man who will blow the whistle to start the first match of the World Cup is Nigel Owens of Wales.

REPORT: Fiji's World Cup preparations suffered a setback Saturday when they were beaten 26-17 by a re-energised Maori team in Rotorua.

CONTRACT NEWS: All Blacks utility back Jordie Barrett is set to announce his playing future with regard to which Super Rugby franchise he will play for as early as next week.

On their field burnt brown by frost, Grey College beat the visiting Grey High from Port Elizabeth 58-0 on Saturday afternoon, completing a hat-trick of big wins after 73-10 in 2017 and 63-8 in Port Elizabeth last year.

NEWS: World Rugby has announced the match official appointments for the 40 matches that comprise the Rugby World Cup 2019 pool stage.

REACTION: Australia head coach Michael Chieka lamented Taniela Tupou's yellow card as the 'wrong call'.

All of the current schools in the Top 20 were in action this past weekend. Five of them lost but all to fellow Top 20 teams.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Free State Cheetahs are got their 2019 Currie Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a 43-27 win over the Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Friday.

NEWS: Two weeks after reports emerged suggesting that former All Blacks loose forward Adam Thomson was set to sign a deal with North Harbour ahead of the upcoming NPC campaign, Otago have voiced their interest in pursuing the 37-year-old, three weeks out from the new season.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Frans Steyn has played in every position, bar scrumhalf, for the Springboks.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Sharks put their campaign back on track with a hard-earned 32-27 win over Western Province in Durban on Saturday.

Some of the biggest legends of the game arrived at the Wanderers Rugby Club in Johannesburg on Thursday to pay their last respects to an ex-teammate.

REACTION: There has been widespread approval from players and former players after World Rugby recently outlawed ‘pre-loading’ in scrums.

MATCH REPORT:  Herschel Jantjies showed his tremendous class during the Springboks 35-17 win over the Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday. 

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand has been the top-ranked team since November 16, 2009 - undoubtedly the best and most consistent team.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to @rugby365's live coverage of the opening Rugby Championship Test between Argentina and New Zealand in Buenos Aires.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to @rugby365's live coverage of the opening Rugby Championship Test between South Africa and Australia at Ellis Park.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The fairytale rise of South African scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies continues at Ellis Park on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Two encounter between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SA Rugby will officially launch a campaign against racism and all forms of discrimination during the Rugby Championship Test against Australia at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Australia's depleted front row could be their 'soft underbelly' in their encounter with South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The pool matches in World Rugby's Under-20 Trophy tournament, taking place in Brazil, are over, and the play-offs take place on Sunday, 21 July 2019.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Australia have the potential to cause yet another Rugby World Cup surprise later this year in Japan, according to former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Coach Jamie Joseph has whittled down his 42-man World Cup training squad to 31 for the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup.

WATCH as Andrew Forde is back on the good stuff, helping himself crack out another brilliant video.

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN: With just over two months until Samoa’s World Cup campaign gets underway, preparations for rugby’s showpiece event in Japan are going better than ever for the 16th-ranked side in the world.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has been quick to quash any suggestions his side are showing the Wallabies disrespect by rolling out what appears to be a second-string team for the Rugby Championship clash.

CURRIE CUP REPORT: Griquas made it two wins from two matches when they beat the Pumas 37-29 in a thrilling Currie Cup encounter in Kimberley on Friday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The cut-throat nature of the Currie Cup this year means there is no place for slip-ups and the Blue Bulls and Sharks will be acutely aware of that.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND ONE: This year the teams have eyes, minds and hearts fixed on the World Cup, which kicks off in Japan in September.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND ONE: Argentina is looking to maintain the momentum from the Jaguares' remarkable Super Rugby season as they bid for a first-ever victory over New Zealand on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: With the Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus set to vacate his role after the World Cup, the daunting task of finding a replacement has the rumour mill spinning.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Two encounter between the Blue Bulls and Free State Cheetahs in Pretoria.

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT: Like all thing social, a new trend has hit the social media platforms namely the #40yearchallenge.

REACTION: There was plenty of fighting talk from Wallaby coach Michael Cheika in the build-up to their opening Test of the year.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the Currie Cup Round Two encounter between Griquas and the Pumas in Kimberley.

OPINION: South Africa's premier domestic competition got underway with the ultimate jaw-dropper.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Two European-based players will start for Argentina when they host New Zealand in the opening round of the Rugby Championship.

REACTION: Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has pin-pointed different reasons why he selected this specific team to face Australia in the Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg on Saturday.

There are three Paarl Schools that have earned rugby respect throughout South Africa - Paarl Boys' High, Paarl Gim and Boland Landbou. Two of those schools meet when Boys' High play host to Landbou.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Free State Cheetahs have revealed the side that will face the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.

This Saturday 20 rugby teams of Grey High School will leave the sea and go up over the mountains to play Bloemfontein's Grey College in a Premier Interschools fixture.

NEWS: The Cape Town Sevens will undergo a major makeover this year.

REACTION: Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has reaffirmed that he will walk away from the top job if they don't win this year's World Cup in Japan.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Pumas team to face Griquas in a Currie Cup Round Two encounter in Kimberley on Friday shows a couple of changes.

The southern part of Cape Peninsula is blessed with many great schools and two of them meet on the rugby fields of Rondebosch Boys' High on Saturday when Wynberg Boys' High comes to play.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Western Province head coach John Dobson has revealed his team to face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The All Blacks team has been named to play Argentina in the Rugby Championship Round One Test at the Jose Amalfitani Stadium (Estadio Velez Sarsfield) in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks side named to take on Western Province in Saturday’s round two Currie Cup clash has just one change as the coaching staff look to grow and develop the team without disruption.

OPINION: It’s been 34 years since the All Blacks first faced off against the Pumas in Buenos Aires on October 26, 1985.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Wallabies have named a mixed squad to face South Africa in their Rugby Championship Test in Johannesburg.

WATCH as Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Janjties shows why he could be a vital component for the Springboks at the World Cup.

LISTEN as @King365ed and @LoffieEloff unpack the week's most arresting and riveting news of the past week.

ROUND TWO: Fiji Rugby Head Coach John McKee has named a formidable Fiji side for their final Pacific Series Test match against the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday.

When kikuyu grass came to the barren fields of Johannesburg, the schools were eager to change from soccer to rugby. Two of those who changed early were Jeppe High School for Boys and King Edward VII school, and then they started playing each other.

NEWS: The wheels are in motion to find a successor for coach Michael Cheika if the Wallabies do not win the Rugby World Cup later this year.

NEWS: After five seasons with the Sharks, initially as an assistant coach and thereafter as Head Coach, Robert du Preez is heading for the exit door.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Experienced lock Eben Etzebeth was on Wednesday named as Springbok captain for Saturday’s first Rugby Championship match against Australia in Johannesburg

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Christian Lealiifano won’t be there to see it but he’s backing his Brumbies teammate Tom Banks to handle the Springboks at the Ellis Park cauldron in the Rugby Championship Test on Saturday.

South Africa host Australia in Round One of the 2019 Rugby Championship. Let’s recap what happened when these two met last year.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Bulls and Springbok wing Bjorn Basson has been named in the Griquas team that will take on Pumas on Friday in Kimberley.

NEWS: In 72 days South Africa will raise the curtain on the new Pro14 campaign when the Cheetahs host 2015 champions Glasgow Warriors in Bloemfontein on September 27.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: SA Rugby announced the names of two squads of players chosen after the Craven Week in Bloemfontein earlier this month.

INJURY UPDATE: Sonny Bill Williams is unlikely to recover from a hamstring injury in time to play for New Zealand against Argentina.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: James O'Connor was actually the one who pushed for unprecedented behavioural clauses to be inserted in his Rugby Australia (RA) and Queensland contract to prove he's put his bad-boy days behind him.

TRANSFER NEWS: Another Sharks player will be making the move to England.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP COUNTDOWN: The Wallabies will not have history on their side when they face the Springboks at Eilis Park on Saturday.

NEWS: World Rugby has announced details of a minor amendment to the scrum law, reducing the ‘axial’ or rotational load on front row players on engagement.

TRANSFER NEWS: France discard Mathieu Bastareaud will join Lyon in the French Top14 until the end of the World Cup, the club said on Wednesday.

SQUAD UPDATE: Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has trimmed his squad ahead of their Rugby Championship opener against South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Rugby Championship trophy is once again pushed further into the shadows of irrelevance in a World Cup year.

Dale College travel 120 km from their King William's Town home on a wintry day to play St Andrew's College, a match first played in 1923.

Watch as Juandre Kruger confirms that he will return to the Bulls.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Sharks have certainly been busy spring cleaning following the Super Rugby 2019 season.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Springbok backs coach Mzwandile Stick is excited at the prospect of Elton Jantjies and Herschel Jantjies teaming up as the halfback combination.

WATCH as England Rugby give the public unprecedented access to their World Cup training camps.

TRANSFER NEWS: Aside from their coaching exodus and shocking Currie Cup defeat to Griquas, the Sharks have now lost the services of one of their star utility backs.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Despite the ever-present temptation of overseas cash, there’s still unquestionable depth within New Zealand right now.

NEWS: The Sharks have revealed their new Chief Executive Officer.

TRANSFER NEWS: James O'Connor's Wallabies' career may get a reboot as soon as this weekend.

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: The Sharks are busy picking up the pieces after their embarrassing 13-37 defeat to Griquas in the opening round of this year's Currie Cup.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Lodewyk de Jager required just 55 minutes to show his true value to South Africa.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: An Australian team in need of new attacking weapons without Israel Folau won't rule out introducing a Brumbies-style rolling maul to their World Cup arsenal

INJURY UPDATE: The Blue Bulls' front row woes have been compounded ahead of their Currie Cup Round Two encounter with the Free State Cheetahs.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Wiehahn Herbst will start at prop and flank Marco van Staden will play off the bench when the Blue Bulls take on the Free State Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.

There were many really big wins to kick off the third term, notably for Grey Bloem, Affies, Menlopark, Paarl Boys' High, Oos-Moot, Burgersdorp and Garsfontein in their 108-point match.

REACTION: The Wallabies won't let Johannesburg's criminals deter them from enjoying their tour of South Africa.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Springboks and Sharks prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira believes that winning the World Cup would eclipse everything he has achieved in his glittering career so far.

The rugby championship starts in this crowded year with the World Cup just around the corner.

BREAKING NEWS: The Springboks have lost one of their speedsters to injury.

REACTION: Despite being depleted by national Springbok call-ups and departures after a disappointing Super Rugby season, the Golden Lions showed tremendous fighting spirit during their win over Pumas.

SCHOOLS REPORT: In what is always one of the more festive and enjoyable fixtures of the season, it was the St Andrew’s College 1st XV that came away with the victory against a gutsy and determined Marlow side in a hot and dry Cradock on Saturday.

TRANSFER NEWS: The Bulls have bolstered their back-row stocks with a familiar face.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: All Blacks star Dane Coles is determined not to be part of the first All Blacks team to lose to Argentina.

As usual, Rondebosch were first in with the results of all their matches with powerful Paarl Gim. Next in were Oakdale with their results against powerful Paarl Boys' High.

INTERVIEW: To understand Cornal Hendricks’ insatiable desire to succeed you have to go back to a little house on the cruel streets of South Africa’s Western Cape.

OPINION: On Saturday, Fiji played their first match of the year and unequivocally announced that their World Cup opposition will need to be at the top of their game to knock over the island nation later in the season.

REACTION: It might not be the 'most progressive tactic' but it deserves credit for the Western Province's win over Blue Bulls says head coach John Dobson.

SEVENS NEWS: Both Britain's Sevens teams qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after England's men and women won their tournaments on Sunday.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Despite being without eight frontline players, New Zealand is unperturbed by the challenge of facing a much-improved Argentinean team in Buenos Aires.

REACTION: The Pumas head coach Jimmy Stonehouse revealed that his team financial state could have horrendous ramifications.

PRO14 SPOTLIGHT: Worcester Warriors coach Rory Duncan and former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers have emerged as two of the leading candidates to fill the Southern Kings vacant coaching job.

NEWS: Australia prop Taniela Tupou has been attacked and robbed outside the team's hotel in South Africa on Saturday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Eddie Jones has named a 40-man England squad for their second week of training.

The farmers came to town on Saturday 13 July. Boland Landbou travelled to the South African College High School (SACS) where they had not won since 2011. Leading 20-3 within fifteen minutes it looked as if Boland would comfortably break their duck but a determined fightback by SACS meant it was ultimately a nail-biting finish.

LISTEN as @King365ed and @LoffieEloff shine the spotlight on the @SanzarTRC - which gets underway when the @Springboks host the @qantaswallabies at Ellis Park this coming Saturday, July 20.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi says he and his teammates cannot contain his excitement at the prospect of playing for South Africa at the World Cup later this year.

TRANSFER NEWS: The NSW Waratahs have secured the signature of former Australian Schoolboy, Tepai Moeroa.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Star lock Lodewyk de Jager will resume his Springbok career against Australia in South Africa's Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg next Saturday, July 20.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Argentina included five European-based players in their squad for next weekend's Rugby Championship match against New Zealand, the Argentinian Rugby Union announced.

RIP: We pay tributes to the late Springbok wing James Small.

Two South African Schools rugby teams are due to be announced soon, naming the players who are to play against Argentina, England, France and Wales next month. It is not the first time that selectors have chosen two teams after Craven Week.

NEWS: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has revealed his captain ahead of a tough challenge in Buenos Aires.

SCHOOL REPORT: In a Premier Interschools match in Pretoria on Saturday, a lovely Highveld winter's day, Affies beat visiting Maritzburg College 78-16, by far the highest score and biggest victory in matches between the two schools since 1996.

MATCH REPORT: Golden Lions wing Madosh Tambwe scored four tries to help his side kick off their Currie Cup campaign with a narrow 38-37 win over Pumas at Ellis Park.

MATCH REPORT: The Western Province got their Currie Cup campaign off to a stellar start with a 20-5 win over the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.

The Currie Cup was, from the start, a sponsor's trophy. The sponsor was a ship owner and mining magnate, Donald Currie, and the cup was from its very start named after him. That is surprising considering the aggressive amateurism of the 1890s, at a time when rugby league was being born of men who wanted a little bit of monetary compensation for taking time off work to play rugby.

REACTION: Waratahs and Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley continues to be a divisive figure even after his confirmed move to Japan’s Kubota Spears after the World Cup.

JERSEY LAUNCH: Ireland's 2019 World Cup jerseys have been revealed.

CURRIE CUP MATCH REPORT: Griquas got the 2019 season underway with an upset 37-13 win over the defending-champion Sharks at a wet Durban on Friday.

OPINION: News of Beauden Barrett’s move to the Blues has come as a surprise to many, given the obvious factors that were keeping him in Wellington.

REACTION: Springbok legend James Small died of natural causes and not under 'suspicious circumstances'.

REACTION: The family of the late Springbok legend James Small have requested that the media respect their privacy and allow them to grieve in private.

REACTION: Western Province Rugby Football Union President Zelt Marais is adamant he is acting in the best interest of the union and franchise.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the live blogging of the first round Currie Cup between Western Province and the Blue Bulls at Newlands, Cape Town.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the live blogging of the first round Currie Cup between the Golden Lions and Pumas at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

REACTION: After Ruan Pienaar signed for the Cheetahs on Wednesday, he became the second Springbok to make the move back to South Africa after JP Pietersen joined the Sharks earlier this week.

REPORT: Fiji launched their World Cup build-up with a crushing 27-10 win over the Maori All Blacks in Suva on Saturday.

NEWS: Jordie Barrett could be joining his brother, Beauden, at the Blues next season.

NEWS: Wallabies vice-captain Will Genia will retire from international rugby at the end of Australia's World Cup campaign this year.

SQUAD UPDATE: Ulster back Will Addison has made a has linked up with Ireland's World Cup training squad.

REACTION: Blues fans are hoping that this deal for Beauden will lure his brothers Jordie and Scott to Auckland as well.

NEWS: Six Nations have announced that John Jeffrey has been elected Chairman of the Six Nations Council for a three-year term.

REACTION: Former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has insisted he is not a dictator despite a series of high profile departures from Stade Francais since he took over in Paris.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Aside from the high-profile player exodus and disastrous Top14 season, now Heyneke Meyer's club Stade Francais have to deal with a doping scandal.

NEWS: It was first whispered, then talked about and now confirmed. Beauden Barrett has signed with the Blues.

In South Africa, the great Currie Cup starts. The competition goes back to 1890 and has had the Currie Cup as its naming trophy since 1892. It has lost shine since the start of Super Rugby and the increasing multitude of tests but it is still far and away South Africa's most important domestic competition.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to the live blogging of the first Currie Cup match of the 2019 season - where the Sharks host Griquas in Durban.

NEWS: The Waratahs revealed that Bernard Foley will depart the franchise to pursue opportunities overseas.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The 2019 Currie Cup kicks off this weekend as six of the seven participating teams take to the field in the first of nine weekends of rugby.

Paarl Boys' High is a proud rugby school. Being proud means it does not take losing easily, and last year, on 21 July, Oakdale came to Paarl and on Paarl Boys' High's home ground beat the proud school 47-29, and travelled home happy.

NEWS: Three former players of French ProD2 side Grenoble will appear in a Bordeaux court accused of gang rape.

LAWS SPOTLIGHT: After World Rugby announced the outlawing of axial loading in scrums, much of the rugby world has been left confused.

TRANSFER NEWS: Heyneke Meyer is going back to his native South Africa to bolster Stade Francais ahead of the 2019/20 Top 14 season.

OPINION: We have arrived at that time of the year, where we entertain you with @rugby365com's famous selection.

It's a massive trek from Pietermaritzburg over the Drakensberg and on to Pretoria. The journey is long enough but the numbers are huge - 28 rugby teams, 15 hockey teams, teams for golf, cross country, table tennis, cycling and a cultural gathering. And with it come staff and parents. It is a big affair between the two great schools.

TRANSFER NEWS: Veteran Wallabies playmaking duo Will Genia and Quade Cooper will join Japan's Kintetsu Liners following this year's Rugby World Cup.

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN: One of the best things about the World Cup is that Tier Two nations get a chance to truly show how competitive they are against some of rugby’s powerhouses.

This week the Currie Cup starts. For years and years it was the acme of the rugby season in South Africa. Winning the Currie Cup crowned a season as successful.

WATCH: Not only will @WP_RUGBY and @BlueBullsRugby compete for valuable Currie Cup points at Newlands on Saturday, but they will also face off to see who has the worst comedian!

TRANSFER NEWS: Former Springbok flyhalf Braam van Straaten has left the Sharks and joined Southern Kings as their as defence and kicking coach.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Western Province did not hesitate to name Carlu Sadie in their team to face the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup opener on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Young lock Le Roux Roets will look to revive his stalled career when he plays for the Pumas against the Lions on Saturday.

HTS Middelburg will go down over the Drakensberg to Durban to meet Glenwood High School when Durban's climate is at its best. The weather forecast for this Saturday is sunshine with a high of 23°C and a comfortable low of 12°C.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Golden Lions will field a very young, but exciting, team when they host the Pumas in the opening round of the Currie Cup.

LAW CHANGE: In London at the end of June 2018, World Rugby held a two-day conference at the end of which they issued an immediately effective law change to the front row of the scrum to avoid potential catastrophic injury.

LISTEN as @King365ed sits down for an #EXCLUSIVE one-on-one with @WP_RUGBY coach John Dobson to find some answers to the intriguing posers faced by @TheCurrieCup competition.

NEWS: The Hurricanes have paid tribute to the work of assistant coach Richard Watt, who left the franchise at the end of the 2019 Super Rugby season.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: All Blacks veteran fullback Ben Smith is ready to take his game to another level ahead of this year's World Cup.

NEWS: The Free State Cheetahs received a timely boost, on the eve of their Currie Cup campaign.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Maori All Blacks Head Coach Clayton McMillan has named a hugely experienced side to kick off their 2019 fixtures calendar.

INJURY UPDATE: Ireland's World Cup preparations are not been going according to plan.

INJURY UPDATE: It must is heartbreaking to have your World Cup hopes dashed because of injury.

REACTION: Tributes continued to pour in for the late Springbok wing James Small.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Blue Bulls head coach Pote Human has named a powerful team to face Western Province in a Currie Cup Round One clash at Newlands on Saturday.

TRANSFER NEWS: Another player will be leaving South Africa for greener pastures.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Griquas team to face the Sharks in the opening round of the Currie Cup shows just one change from that which won the Challenge Cup.

WATCH as veteran Springboks loose forward Francois Louw speaks about THAT clash with Japan and how his country bounced back at #RWC2015.

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: The prospect of a 'rematch' with their line-out menace, Lodewyk de Jager, is giving Western Province some sleepless nights.

REACTION: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has clarified his recent comments about domestic violence after he was accused of trying to minimise the impact it had on women in New Zealand.

REACTION: Tributes have poured in for James Small.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: There is a World Cup thundering down the tracks and rugby has never been more box-office, yet seldom has the life of the rugby agent been so brutal.

NEWS: The legends of 1995 have lost another member of their famous club.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: The Blue Bulls have opted for a tried and trusted recipe for their Currie Cup campaign.

South African rugby fans were left bemused when the Bulls left an obscure video on social media showing someone wearing one of their shirts with the name ‘Bosch’ on it.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks coach Sean Everitt has named his team to face Griquas in their opening 2019 Currie Cup game at Kings Park on Friday

SQUAD UPDATE: Fullback Clayton Blommetjies will be playing Currie Cup rugby for the Free State Cheetahs.

NEWS: Mathieu Bastareaud has confirmed he won’t play for Toulon again in 2019.

NEWS: Steve Hansen's right-hand man has officially joined the race to become the All Blacks' next head coach

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN: England head coach Eddie Jones is not too concerned about facing Argentina at the World Cup, despite the Jaguares' form in this year's Super Rugby tournament.

NEWS: Alun Wyn Jones has made a decision about his playing future.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls received some mixed news on the injury front ahead of their 2019 Currie Cup opener against Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday.

INJURY UPDATE: Injuries to key players could seriously hamper Western Province's Currie Cup campaign.

CURRIE CUP NEWS: New coach Sean Everitt has revealed that the Sharks will have co-captains this season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: French international prop Jefferson Poirot signed a contract extension to 2021 with Bordeaux-Begles, the club announced.

NEWS: The Free State Cheetahs have named Tian Meyer as their captain for the  Currie Cup competition.

CURRIE CUP SPOTLIGHT: New Sharks coach Sean Everitt says scoring tries will have a premium at the Durban-based franchise.

WATCH as Leon Schuster pulls the ultimate prank on former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers!