THIS WEEKEND 7-8 JUNE   Updated 15.06.2008

Southern Hemisphere rugby gets underway this weekend with the first of the Southern Tour tests. Wales takes on South Africa in the first test of the Six Nations’ champion’s tour of Africa. Does this match rank as a Champions of World Rugby fixture?

 

Ireland begins their southern tour with a one-off test against New Zealand. The Irish are relying on their old guard for this test whilst New Zealand begins their World Cup 2011 rebuilding campaign with a new-look team.

 

Scotland, who received the Wooden Spoon in the Six Nations Championship take on the team that won the hearts of most at the 2007 Rugby World Cup Argentina. Scotland is also in a rebuilding stage.

 

The Pacific Nations Cup begins with traditional rivals Samoa and Fiji battling at Lautoka, whilst Tonga takes on the new team New Zealand Maoris in Auckland. The Maoris replace the New Zealand Junior All Blacks from last year.

 

It’s Canada’s turn to host the Churchill Cup. They will take on Scotland ‘A’ in Nepean whilst neighbours USA play the England Saxons.

 

The final matches of the European Nations Cup are being played in Norway and Vienna. Most of the promotion-relegation places have been decided. In Vienna the Austrians will undertake the difficult task as underdogs against Hungary. They must defeat their neighbours in order to avoid relegation.

 

Rugbyinternational.net will cover all these matches bringing to you the latest news of world international rugby.

 

08.06.2008

Australia ‘A’ 42, Japan 21 in Fukuoka (Pacific Nations Cup)

Reviews

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/six_of_the_best_for_australia_a_against_japan,88666.html/section/21893

 

 

Austria 9, Hungary 6 in Vienna (ENC 3B)

Reviews

This result saves Austria from relegation. Bulgaria will play in Division 3C for 2008-10.

 

FIRA-AER CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION 3B  Updated 09.06.2008

SEEDINGS; AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, LITHUANIA, NORWAY, BULGARIA

07.10.2006

HUNGARY

13

NORWAY

8

STAVANGER

 

P

W

D

L

PF

PA

 

PT

28.10.2006

HUNGARY

42

BULGARIA

3

KECSKEMET

LITHUANIA

8

8

0

0

305

56

+249

24

28.10.2006

LITHUANIA

37

NORWAY

15

VILNIUS

HUNGARY

8

5

0

3

144

103

=41

18

18.11.2006

LITHUANIA

40

BULGARIA

10

SOFIA

NORWAY

8

2

1

5

112

152

-40

13

21.04.2007

HUNGARY

27

AUSTRIA

5

DUNAUJVAROS

AUSTRIA

8

2

1

5

32

152

-120

13

05.05.2007

AUSTRIA

7

BULGARIA

3

VIENNA

BULGARIA

8

2

0

6

87

239

-152

11

19.05.2007

LITHUANIA

27

AUSTRIA

0

VIENNA

The European Nations Cup is now played for bi-annually.
Points for the first year of competition carries over to the next season.
Winner promoted to Div.3A. Last placed team will be relegated to Division 3C in 2008.

Lithuania is promoted to 3A.

Austria defeated Hungary in their last game 9-6 thus sending Bulgaria to relegation.

19.05.2007

BULGARIA

25

NORWAY

10

SOFIA

02.06.2007

LITHUANIA

36

HUNGARY

7

VILNIUS

09.06.2007

NORWAY

22

AUSTRIA

8

OSLO

27.10.2007

HUNGARY

5

NORWAY

3

SZEKESFEHERVAR

27.10.2007

LITHUANIA

64

BULGARIA

3

VILNIUS

17.11.2007

HUNGARY

32

BULGARIA

6

ETREPOLE

26.04.2008

AUSTRIA

3

NORWAY

3

VIENNA

03.05.2008

LITHUANIA

48

AUSTRIA

0

VILNIUS

10.05.2008

NORWAY

44

BULGARIA

21

STAVANGER

17.05.2007

LITHUANIA

13

HUNGARY

12

KECSKEMET

24.05.2008

BULGARIA

16

AUSTRIA

0

SOFIA

07.06.2008

LITHUANIA

40

NORWAY

9

TONSBERG

08.06.2008

AUSTRIA

9

HUNGARY

6

VIENNA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

07.06.2008

South Africa 43, Wales 17 in Bloemfontein

South Africa won by 26 points. I predicted South Africa by 8.

 

Reviews

The great and expected clash between the Rugby World Cup champions and the Six Nations champions came to very little. On the day the South Africans were superior in every department.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/rugby_union/welsh/7438459.stm

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/south-africa-43-wales-17-gatland-has-no-excuses-for-defeat-842861.html

 

Previews

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7437453.stm

http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_3653387,00.html

 

Last Five Encounters

24.11.2007 South Africa 34-12 in Cardiff

19.11.2005 South Africa 33-16 in Cardiff

06.11.2004 South Africa 38-36 in Cardiff

26.06.2004 South Africa 53-18 in Pretoria

15.06.2002 South Africa 19-8 in Capetown

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-South Africa 1st, Wales 2nd

 

Prediction

Wales could well have wobbly knees after two months in which the team has not played together. As Six Nations winners they arrive with much respect. South Africa on the other hand is a new team from that which won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They also have a new coach. I expect them to be wobbly as well. So it looks like being a wobbly game with ropped passes, mistakes galore and generally everybody feeling their way. The Springbox have plenty of experience waiting on the bench and that may be the difference between the two teams.

South Africa by 8 points.

 

Match data sheet

 

New Zealand 21, Ireland 11 in Wellington

New Zealand won by 10 points. I predicted NZ by 24.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3558_3655948,00.html

 

Last Five Encounters

17.06.2006 New Zealand 27-17 in Auckland

10.06.2006 New Zealand 34-23 in Hamilton

12.11.2005 New Zealand 45-7 in Dublin

22.06.2002 New Zealand 40-8 in Auckland

15.06.2002 New Zealand 15-6 in Dunedin

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-New Zealand 8th, Ireland 11th

 

Prediction

On Saturday two teams in different modes will play each other. Ireland is full of old hands in between two coaches, whilst New Zealand has an old coach with plenty of new talent. I can’t see Ireland rising to a level above the ordinary they produced during the Six Nations. The All Blacks on the other hand are a team of new but old combinations. Graham Henry has stuck to proven Super 14 combinations in crucial positions, the halves and the locks. I can’t see Ireland breaking their drought of losses to New Zealand.

New Zealand by 24 points

 

Match data sheet

 

Argentina 21, Scotland 15 at Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, in Rosario

Argentina won by 6 points. I predicted Argentina by 34.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

 

Last Five Encounters

07.10.2007 Argentina 19-13 in Paris (WCQ Quarter final)

12.11.2003 Argentina 23-19 at Murrayfield

18.11.2001 Argentina 25-16 at Murrayfield

21.08.1999 Argentina 31-22 at Murrayfield

11.06.1994 Argentina 19-17 in Buenos Aires

Note: The last time Scotland defeated Argentina was 49-3 at Murrayfield in 1990. Argentina has won the last 6 encounters between these two nations since then.

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-Argentina 4th, Scotland 7th

 

Prediction

Scotland will find venturing into Pumas territory full of pain and gore. This is a Scottish side on the rebuilding cycle after a disastrous Six Nations tournament in which they lost to Italy but only just avoided the wooden spoon. Argentina are more building upon their 2007 Rugby World Cup successes. They will be out to show the home crowd just how good a team they were in France and Scotland will find the Pumas unstoppable.

Argentina by 34 points.

 

Match data sheet

 

Fiji 34, Samoa 17 at Churchill Park in Lautoka (Pacific Nations Cup)

Fiji won by 17 points. I predicted Fiji by 30.

 

Reviews

http://www.fijirugby.com/matchreport.cfm?fixtureid=1D173274-11D8-27B2-F9A30E8A5AAF5D2B&linkfrom=results

http://www.samoaobserver.ws/

 

Previews

The lack of a sponsor and the non availability of a number of top players may well hamper Fiji’s efforts to improve their standing in the Pacific region.

http://rugby.fijitimes.com/pacific-rugby-cup/mammoth-task

 

Last Five Encounters

19.05.2007 Samoa 8-3 in Apia (Pacific Nations Cup)

24.06.2006 Fiji 23-20 in Suva (Pacific 5 Nations)

30.07.2005 Fiji 21-15 in Suva (WCQ Oceania R3)

09.07.2005 Samoa 36-10 in Apia (WCQ Oceania R3)

12.06.2004 Fiji 29-3 in Apia (Pacific Tri Nations)

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-Fiji 10th, Samoa 13th

                                           Oceania Table-Samoa 4th, Fiji 5th CHANGE

 

Prediction

Samoa will begin their Pacific Nations campaign with a very inexperienced side. This will tell in the end against a Fijian side out to break the Pacific Nations hoodoo and win back the title of Pacific Champions (not including Australia or New Zealand of course).

Fiji by 30 points

 

Match data sheet

 

Note: Fiji Warriors defeated Papua New Guinea 41-5 in the curtainraiser.

 

New Zealand Maoris 20, Tonga 9 in Albany (Pacific Nations Cup)

NZ Maoris won by 11 points. I predicted the Maoris by 35.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

 

Last Five Encounters

08.11.1996 NZ Maoris 29-20

24.10.1992 NZ Maoris 33-10 in Nuku’alofa

13.06.1983 NZ Maoris 52-4 in Auckland

06.08.1983 NZ Maoris 28-4 in Rotorua

25.05.1979 NZ Maoris 26-9 in Nuku’alofa

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: Does not apply

 

Prediction

Nothing is known about the make up of the Tongan side but they will surely be well below the strength of the team that did so well at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Perhaps a handful of overseas players will make up a team consisting of mainly home-based or New Zealand club-based players. The Maori team is always competitive and as favourites to take out the competition title I predict they will be more than a handful for the Tongans.

New Zealand Maori by 35 points

 

Teams

 

New Zealand Maori

15 Shannon Paku (Wellington)

14 Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)

13 Jason Kawau (Southland)

12 Tamati Ellison, Co Capt., (Wellington)

11 Hosea Gear (Wellington)

10 Callum Bruce (Waikato)

9 Piri Weepu (Wellington,)

8 Thomas Waldrom (Wellington)

7 Tanerau Latimer (Bay of Plenty)

6 Liam Messam, Co Captain (Waikato)

5 Jason Eaton (Taranaki) New cap

4 Ross Filipo (Wellington)

3 Clint Newland (Hawke’s Bay) New cap

2 Hikawera Elliot (Hawke’s Bay) New cap

1 Keith Cameron (Otago)

Replacements:

16 Aled de Malmanche (Waikato)

17 Benjamin May (Tasman)

18 Isaac Ross

19 Daniel Braid (Auckland)

20 Chris Smylie (North Harbour)

21 Timothy Bateman (Canterbury) New cap

22 Glen Horton (Otago)

Coach: Donny Stevenson

 

Tonga

Not available

 

England Saxons 64, United States 10, at Twin Elm Rugby Park in Nepean (Churchill Cup, Pool A)

England Saxons won by 54 points. I predicted the Saxons by 25.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

 

Last Five Encounters

18.05.2007 England Saxons 51-3 at Stockport (Churchill Cup, Preliminary)

28.06.2003 England ‘A’ 43-7 in Vancouver (Churchill Cup Final)

21.06.2003 England ‘A’ 36-10 (Churchill Cup preliminary)

19.06.1982 England XV 59-0 at Hartford

15.10.1977 England XV 37-11 at Twickenham

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: Does not apply

 

Prediction

As was the case last year the English side will have too much experience, pace and skill throughout their team to do anything but win easily.

England Saxons by 25 points.

 

Match data sheet

 

Scotland ‘A’ 26, Canada 10 in Nepean (Churchill Cup, Pool B)

Scotland ‘A’ won by 16 points. I predicted Canada by 7.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

http://www.rugbycanada.ca/index.php?lang=en&page_id=10&news_id=4074

 

Previous Encounters

17.06.2006 Scotland ‘A’ 15-10 at Nepaen (Churchill Cup, Pool B)

25.05.1991 Canada 24-19 at St Johns

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: Does not apply

 

Prediction

The Canadians have a look of experience about them and playing on their home turf should edge past an unknown quantity that is the Scotland ‘A’ side.

Canada by 7 points

 

Teams

 

Match Data sheet

 

Lithuania 40, Norway 9 at Greveskogen Idrettsplass, Tønsberg (ENC 3B)

Lithuania won by 31 points. I predicted Lithuania by 24.

 

Reviews

 

Previews

Very little is holding in the balance with this match. Lithuania has an unbeatable position at the top of the competition whilst Norway can’t be relegated.

 

Previous Encounter

28.10.2006 Lithuania 37-15 in Vilnius (ENC 3B)

 

GWC Rugby Rankings: Europe Table-Lithuania 24th, Norway 30th

 

Teams

 

Lithuania

1. Mindaugas Grigas

2. Gediminas Liutkus

3. Laurynas Tipelis

4. Rokas Daknys

5. Andrius Bridikis

6. Dainius Baltrukėnas

7. Justinas Vasiliauskas

8. Aleksandras Čiuchlėjus

9. Edmundas Ščavinskas

10. Darius Nosys

11. Donatas Streckis

12. Audrius Ramančionis

13. Tomas Zibulis

14. Kęstutis Marcišauskas

15. Egidijus Petronis

16. Andrius Martinskas

17. Mindaugas Misevičius

18. Marius Andrijauskas

19. Gediminas Marcišauskas

20. Maksimas Guseinovas

21 Mindaugas Šiumberevičius

 

http://www.litrugby.lt/ and thanks to Quentin, http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2758

 

Norway Squad

Stein Ove Kristensen

Andreas Fyri

Håkon Stengrimsen

Lewis Eaton

Johan Stoltz

Eivind Lunde

Stian Røstberg

Kristoffer Borsheim

Pascal Raclin

Willie Wilson

Knut Martin Bårnes

Karl Harper

Ollie Rogers

Andrew Olsen

Trent Rowan

Wesley Chibaya

Roger Yttervik

Francis Hunt

Espen Engevik

Criag Olsen

Rob Grieg

 

http://www.rugby.no/les.asp?ID=607 and thanks to Quentin, http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2758

 

Tanzania 16, Kenya ‘A’ 15 in Arusha (Friendly)

Reviews

Tanzania Twigas won a historic match against Kenya A on June 7 at Arusha’s Friedkin Recreational Centre, holding on for a 16-15 home victory.

It was the first international match between Kenya and Tanzania since 1956. Beside Simonson brothers Caleb and Lane – who earned his first international cap – none of Tanzania's players had been born when Simonsons' grandfather was part of the Tanganyika team that last played Kenya over fifty years ago.

Kenya A had an upper hand in the opening ten minutes, pinning the Twigas in their half. But the Kenyans lost possession in the rucks, where former Africa Leopard captain John Lloyd controlled the proceedings from the eight-man position.

Tanzania captain Mike Beckner kicked a massive 50-metre penalty to post the first points of the game. He missed a 40-metre attempt one minute later as the Twigas weathered an early onslaught by the Kenyans. Kenya A full-back and captain Vincent Mose missed a seemingly easy penalty in the 16th minute in what was to become a battle of the kickers.

Four minutes later, Moses Mwole scored Kenya’s first try. Scrum-half David Gitau switched play to the blind and combined well with his eight-man Duncan Ekasi, who gained good ground before passing to Mwole. Mose missed the conversion.

Three minutes after that, Kenya A winger Benjamin Otieno initiated and completed a brilliant move with a try under the posts. He picked off a high ball from inside his half and weaved his way through before chipping the ball over the advancing Tanzania backs and picking up a lucky bounce to stroll over. Mose converted for Kenya A to lead 12-3.

Beckner put over a second penalty for Tanzania in the 27th minute. It was the beginning of the Twigas' comeback. Beckner’s sure boot and good combination with fly half Simon Hall and Lloyd was the fulcrum on which Tanzania turned. The captain’s long penalty attempt at the posts in the 36th minute hit the posts.

Just before the halftime whistle, Mose was denied a clever try after a quickly taken line out by Paul Oketch. As Mose lined up to take the conversion, referee Peter Trevor overruled the try after consulting his linesman. The reason was that Oketch had used a different ball from the one which had been kicked in touch! Earlier, a try by Benjamin Otieno was also denied after the referee consulted with his linesman.

In the second half, Beckner’s penalty in the 54th minute grazed the posts before going out. Twiga hooker Max Nightingale scored a try in the 57th minute and Beckner converted from the touchline as the lead changed hands for the second time, 13-12 in the Twigas' favour.

Beckner stretched the lead 16-12 with another long penalty in the 60th minute.  A late rally by Kenya A bounced off Tanzania's solid defence. Mose slotted a penalty for Kenya A in the 75th minute to bring his squad within a point. But the Twigas held on to win 16-15.

Kenya A coach Michael Otieno admitted that the Twigas had outplayed his team in the rucks. ‘They forced us to make mistakes which they capitalized on. They also had a very good kicker. I believe we were denied two genuine tries by the referee,” he said.

Tanzania captain Beckner said the win was a huge surprise after the Twigas had failed to win a single match against Kenyan sides in the regional Bamburi Rugby Super Series earlier this year. He attributed their historic achievement to keeping and controlling possession, patience and disciplined approach. “We forced and capitalized on their errors and had a point to prove. This win is a huge boost ahead of the CAR junior trophy competition in Mauritius at the of June,” he said. The battling scrum-half admitted his charges had not attained enough fitness for Mauritius though, where they'll play three games in five days.

Said Kenya A captain Vincent Mose: “We squandered many scoring chances in the first half and they also had a good kicker which made the difference. In the second half, we took wrong options and I believe the two tries we were denied could have made a difference,” he said.

The Kenya A side will be retained and play the Twigas again later this year, possibly as a curtain-raiser before Kenya's senior squad takes on Uganda in August, at the Nairobi leg of this year's Elgon Cup series.

Thanks to Eric Odanga

Also- http://allafrica.com/stories/200806090533.html

Match Data Sheet