Archive for the ‘Rugby Match Reports’ Category
New Zealand ITM National Provincial Championship Ready For Kick Off
With only two weeks uintil the start of the ITM Cup (Which use to be the Air New Zealand Cup) Lovell Rugby for one cannot wait to catch the action on Sky.
Coach: Mark Anscombe
Key gains: Ben Atiga, Matt Berquist (Hawkes Bay), Daniel Braid (Queensland), Toby Morland (Munster), Brent Ward (Racing Metro).
Major losses: Daniel Bowden (London Irish), Taniela Moa (Bay of Plenty), Paul Williams (Sale).
Form guide: 2009 - 5th; 2008 - 11th; 2007 - RR 1st, Champions.
Bay of Plenty
Coach: Sean Horan
Key gains: Luke Andrews (Italy), Lelia Masaga (Counties), Daniel Perrin (Tasman), Taniela Moa (Auckland), Grant McQuoid (Japan), Brett Mather (Otago), Daniel Waenga (Hawke’s Bay).
Major losses: Junior Poluleuligaga (Exeter), Zach Hohneck (Waikato), Clinton Toopi (Gold Coast Titans).
Form guide: 2009 - 7th; 2008 - RR 4th, QF; 2007 - 13th.
Tags: ITM Cup, NPC New Zealand
Posted in New Zealand All Blacks, Rugby Match Reports, Rugby Shirts | 2 Comments »
Scotland and Glasgow Flyer Thom Evans forced to retire
Scotland flyer Thom Evans will sadly not be able to make a fairy-tale comeback from the spinal injury suffered playing for Scotland last season.
Evans crashed into Lee Byrne during the Six Nations clash with Wales, damaging two vertebrae.
The 25-year-old was stretchered off the field in a neck brace and as the severity of his condition emerged it was reported that the on-field care by physios and Dr James Robson, the experienced Scottish medic, had played a significant role in ensuring he did not suffer permanent paralysis.
Posted in Rugby Match Reports, Rugby News, Scotland Rugby | 1 Comment »
Leicester Tigers Win Guinness Premiership Final at Twickenham
A last-gasp try from Dan Hipkiss wrenched the Guinness Premiership from Saracens’ grasp in a thrilling 33-27 final win on Saturday.
In an enthralling match, the Tigers ended up giving their opporition a lesson in how to win a tournament. Saracens took the lead with four minutes to go, a result of concerted pressure from the men in black. Going on the momentum of the game, you would have thought it was the winning score, but Brendan Venter’s men made a fatal error of thinking the game was done and dusted.
Tags: England Rugby, Guinness Premiership Rugby, Leicester Rugby, Saracens Rugby
Posted in Lovell Rugby News, Rugby Match Reports | 1 Comment »
Saracens Beat Saints In Semi Final Thriller
Saracens stunned Northampton Saints 21-19 in their Guinness Premiership semi-final clash at Franklin’s Gardens to book a place in this season’s finale.
Tries from outstanding fullback Alex Goode, winger Chris Wyles and hooker Schalk Brits and a man of the match performance from fly-half Glen Jackson (Wearing His Asics Testimonial Rugby Boots) including a superb late conversion inspired an upset win and carried Saracens into their first ever Premiership final. Tries in either half from props Soane Tonga’uiha and Brian Mujati had put Saints on course for victory but they had no answer to Brits’ late score and were guilty of failing to orchestrate a last-gasp drop goal opportunity for fly-half Stephen Myler.
Tags: Guinness Premiership Rugby, Northampton Rugby, Saracens Rugby
Posted in Lovell Rugby News, Rugby Match Reports | No Comments »
All French Affair For The Heineken Cup Final In Paris
Biarritz will play Toulouse in the Heineken Cup final after they beat Munster 18-7 in San Sebastian on Sunday. Toulouse moved into the final by defeating current champions Leinster on Saturday.
Munster scored the game’s only try through Keith Earls, but Dimitri Yachvili once again came to Biarritz’s rescue, landing six out of six kicks at goal to take his side not only to the Paris finale, but also into next year’s tournament as well despite their finishing only seventh in the Top 14.
Tags: Biarritz Rugby, French Top 14 Rugby, Heineken Cup, Munster Rugby
Posted in Heineken Cup, Rugby Match Reports | No Comments »
London Irish Celebrate St Patricks Day By Crushing Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks remain anchored just two points off the seabed of the Guinness Premiership after going down 38-0 to London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.
England flanker Steffon Armitage scored two tries, with winger John Rudd, Australian full-back Peter Hewat and replacement prop Alex Corbisiero also touching down.
Fly-half Ryan Lamb (Wearing His Nike Laser 2 Rugby Boots) kicked 11 points and his late replacement Chris Malone converted the fifth try from Corbisiero as the Exiles leapfrogged Wasps to move into fourth place.
Tags: Guinness Premiership Rugby, London Irish Rugby, St Patricks Day
Posted in Rugby Match Reports, Rugby Merchandise, Rugby Shirts | No Comments »
France Win Sland Slam Defeating Improved England
France sealed their ninth Grand Slam with a tense 12-10 victory over the men in white at Stade de France on Saturday night.
England played the best rugby of their campaign - if not the past year - but they got on the wrong side of referee Bryce Lawrence in the earlier stages of the game, and there they remained.
They got just one penalty shot at goal in the entire match.
It’s fitting that this topsy-turvy Six Nations ended with a cultural about-turn: England got the only try via Ben Foden but France used the soggy conditions to squeeze England out of the game via the set-piece and their half-backs. It’s was the semi-final of RWC 2003 in reverse. (more…)
Tags: England Rugby, France Rugby, Six Nations
Posted in England Rugby, Rugby Match Reports, Six Nations | No Comments »
Wilkinson Helps Toulon Beat ACT Brumbies Wearing New Puma Toulon Home Shirt
Toulon beat former Super 14 champions The ACT Brumbies last night which completed their four-match French tour with a 20-6 loss to at the Stade Mayol on Thursday.
Toulon stood out wearing their new Puma home rugby shirts for the upcomming season. This will be available exclusively to Lovell Rugby on the 15th of August along with their away rugby shirt and Biaritz home, away and European rugby shirts.
England Fly Half Jonny Wilkinson played an hour and kicked four penalties in a pleasing performance gearing up for the start of the French season, due to Begin with an all star Opening league game of Stade Francais vs Toulon.
Wilkinson, who was without team-mate Sonny Bill Williams for the match, took little time to impose himself, pushing a drop goal attempt wide in the opening minute of the match before landing a penalty three minutes later when Brumbies scrum-half Nic White was sin-binned for a ruck infringement.
Tags: ACT Brumbies, French Top 14 Rugby, Jonny Wilkinson, Toulon
Posted in Rugby Match Reports, Rugby Merchandise, Rugby Shirts | 1 Comment »
Steyn The Record Breaker Sinks All Blacks in Shark Tank
South Africa recorded their second win in a row against the All Blacks in Durban on Saturday evening, in wet conditions.
Morne Steyn (Wearing his Nike Vapor 4 Rugby boots) scored every single one of his team’s points with a terrific display of place-kicking. He broke the record for most points against the All Blacks, most points in a tri nations game and earned the World record for most points scored by a player! Steyn has scored all their team’s points and the most penalties by a South African in a game. In doing so, he beat the 7 achieved by kicking coach and world cup winner Percy Montgomery.
The All Blacks had challenged themselves to respond from last week’s defeat in Bloemfontein, but performance was error ridden from start to finish.
Tags: South Africa Rugby
Posted in New Zealand All Blacks, Rugby Match Reports | No Comments »
Rugby Match Report from South Africa: British and Irish Lions v Sprinboks 1st Test From Durban
Lovell Rugby was lucky enough to have the chance to head of to Durban for the First test Between the Brtish and Irish Lions against the reigning world champions South Africa.
The match was a fight to the death, and high drama as the tourists produced a great final quarter to narrow the gap to within a score. But the game had long been lost in a dreadful first half - in reality, it was the multiple changes that stumped the Boks’ rhythm and nearly cost them their win, rather than any inherent superiority.
The Lions started poorly though? The scrums, so talked up as the focal point of the Lions efforts, were annihilated. Phil Vickery alone was destroyed on five occasions against Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira. The Boks got six points from that alone. Here at Lovell Rugby we think Adam Jones should have come on far earlier. (more…)
Tags: British and Irish Lions, South Africa Rugby, Tour to South Afirca 2009
Posted in British and Irish Lions, Rugby Match Reports | No Comments »