Jump to:
- Search box
- Navigation
- Main Content
Win a T-shirt
This week's edition of our newsletter is packed with giveaways!
Team tracker
We give you an ideal tool to compare all the Super Rugby team announcements.
Missing Men
Can you solve the Missing Men? Today, Ulster's class of 2005 versus Leinster.
Loose Pass
This week covers Australia, planning and a curious coaching situation.
Latest Lions news
All of the latest news surrounding the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Quick Links:
- Rugby Union Betting
- Laws & Referees
- Missing Men
- Top 14
- PR On Twitter
Sorry, this story is unavailable
| Fixture | Details |
|---|---|
| All times are local | |
| International Match | |
| Sunday , May 26 | |
| England vs Barbarians | 13:00 |
| More International Match fixtures | |
| Aviva Premiership | |
| Saturday , May 25 | |
| Leicester vs Northampton | 15:00 |
| More Aviva Premiership fixtures | |
| RaboDirect PRO12 | |
| Saturday , May 25 | |
| Ulster vs Leinster | 16:45 |
| More RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures | |
| Top 14 | |
| Friday , May 24 | |
| Toulon vs Toulouse |  |
| Saturday , May 25 | |
| Clermont Auvergne vs Castres | 16:30 |
| More Top 14 fixtures | |
| Super Rugby | |
| Friday , May 24 | |
| Chiefs vs Crusaders | |
| Melbourne Rebels vs Waratahs | |
| Saturday , May 25 | |
| Blues vs Brumbies | 08:35 |
| Western Force vs Highlanders | 10:40 |
| Southern Kings vs Cheetahs | 16:00 |
| Stormers vs Reds | 16:05 |
| Sharks vs Bulls | 18:10 |
| More Super Rugby fixtures | |
| Fixture | Details |
|---|---|
| All times are local | |
| Heineken Cup | |
| Saturday , May 18 | |
| Clermont Auvergne 15 - 16 Toulon |  |
| More Heineken Cup results | |
| Super Rugby | |
| Crusaders 23 - 3 Blues | |
| Bulls 35 - 18 Highlanders | |
| Waratahs 28 - 22 Brumbies | |
| Cheetahs 27 - 13 Reds | |
| More Super Rugby results | |
| Amlin Challenge Cup | |
| Friday , May 17 | |
| Stade Francais 13 - 34 Leinster | |
| More Amlin Challenge Cup results | |
| Super Rugby | |
| Hurricanes 12 - 17 Chiefs | |
| Melbourne Rebels 30 - 21 Stormers | |
| Western Force 13 - 23 Sharks | |
| More Super Rugby results | |
| Aviva Premiership | |
| Sunday , May 12 | |
| Saracens 13 - 27 Northampton | |
| Saturday , May 11 | |
| Leicester 33 - 16 Harlequins | |
| More Aviva Premiership results | |
| RaboDirect PRO12 | |
| Leinster 17 - 15 Glasgow | |
| More RaboDirect PRO12 results | |
| Top 14 | |
| Castres 25 - 12 Montpellier | |
| More Top 14 results | |
| Super Rugby | |
| Blues 36 - 32 Melbourne Rebels | |
| Southern Kings 34 - 27 Highlanders | |
| Waratahs 21 - 15 Stormers | |
| More Super Rugby results | |
| RaboDirect PRO12 | |
| Friday , May 10 | |
| Ulster 28 - 17 Scarlets | |
| More RaboDirect PRO12 results | |
| Top 14 | |
| Stade Francais 19 - 16 Racing Metro Paris | |
| Toulouse 33 - 19 Racing Metro Paris | |
| More Top 14 results | |
| Super Rugby | |
| Chiefs 22 - 21 Western Force | |
| Reds 32 - 17 Sharks | |
| Cheetahs 34 - 39 Hurricanes | |
| Sunday , May 5 | |
| Brumbies 23 - 30 Crusaders | |
| More Super Rugby results | |
| Aviva Premiership | |
| Saturday , May 4 | |
| Leicester 32 - 20 London Irish | |
| Exeter 40 - 39 Gloucester | |
| More Aviva Premiership results | |
Around Planet Rugby
-
Competitions
Win games consoles, holidays, tickets to sporting events and much more with Planet Rugby
-
Facebook
Sign up to the Planet Rugby Facebook fan page
-
Twitter
Follow Planet Rugby updates on Twitter
Comments
Ramage says...
@APV1 what me making disparaging remarks about Mother England. Surely not.
Posted 14:58 31st July 2012
Carpelone says...
The pb with the Stormers seems that they adopted the same gameplan of the Boks at the RWC. Sometimes it is enough, sometimes it is not. When your plan A is shut down, you must be prepared to implement a realistic plan B. Both the Stormers and the Boks failed in that. Is Coetzee PDV reloaded?
Posted 13:23 30th July 2012
Carpelone says...
ronanmeagher
I agree on the Stormers.
Posted 13:16 30th July 2012
APV1 says...
@ JayStarr & Ramage - thought you were on about England there for a moment...
;-)
Posted 11:59 30th July 2012
ronanmeagher says...
@Carpelone - fair point about JDV stint at Munster, he was mostly crap for them, bad investment.........he's much more at home in SA.
As for the anti-rugby jibe, apart from the fact it has zero to do with this article.........I'm not sure you can exactly say that the Stormers were setting the world on fire either.........and thats why they lost
Posted 09:24 30th July 2012
Carpelone says...
His stint at Munster, the anti-rugby team, did not help too.
Posted 19:09 29th July 2012
Ramage says...
Hmm a good player and captain f his franchise and national team. His thoughts are there and as a NZer the self doubt is a good sign as he enters the International season . I hope he takes that feeling into the upcoming Internationals.
If I could offer a suggestion the problem to me is not the captain but a faulty game plan. So maybe the coaching staff need to have a look at what they are trying to get the team to do. Everyone has praised the Stormers defence. The team, however, has shown poor attacking and finishing abilityon attack and any team with a good defence was able to hold out this team that has shown a lack of attacking skills. The writing was on the wall when the Stormers, who had the easiest ride towards the end of the competition, failed to put away convincingly so many of the bottom teams. So JV look further afield but within your own ranks than yourself.
Posted 14:22 29th July 2012
NHsaints says...
No-one seems to doubt JDV but himself...he's an inspirational leader and player and it's not his fault that his team's tactics are mediocre and uncreative...he, Aplon, De jong and etzebeth were the only good players out there in the semi...the sharks put their hands up 1-15 and that's why they outplayed the stormers and won.
Posted 14:15 29th July 2012
Wallaroo says...
Interesting reflections from JDV, signs of true leadership. What a gentleman, his humility and ownership of responsibility will pay huge dividends, long term.
If anyone knows JDV, please suggest he reads 21 irrefutable laws of leadership by John Maxwell. This book covers a lot of what he is looking to bring to the table.
Posted 14:10 29th July 2012
JayStarr says...
It's simple Jean:
Not in the finals of 2010, 2011 or 2012 did the Stormers play anywhere NEAR their potential. But then, during all three those seasons you didn't play anywhere near your potential either... you just did enough to "win" - instead of aiming to be the best you can be. So when it was asked of you to take a step up in the finals, you didn't know how to.
On defense you look like a TEAM. On attack you look like you've just met each other. Your skill level on attack is shocking. Laboured passes that are too high, too low, behind the guy, in front of the guy... giving the ball to guys who are standing still... hardly ever offloading in the tackle... probably because hardly anyone are running proper support lines... being completely incapable of drawing a defender before passing... which means you can't create space for your dangerous outside backs... so your guys on the wing gets the ball along with 5 defenders... And all of this while you have players like yourself, Habana, Pietersen, Gerhard vd Heever, Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh!? And after you had a forward pack who was so dominant before the June break?
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result. Yet the Stormers approached this season exactly the same as last season (once again with the worst attack in the competition - and almost proud of it), and expected a different result in the finals. But again you were forced to score tries - and couldn't... NOT EVEN AGAINST A TEAM WHO FLEW OVER THE ATLANTIC TWICE!
An attacking game this poor is unacceptable. Especially for a Province team.
And it cost you in all three finals.
Until your attack becomes as good as your defense, and you start playing TOTAL rugby, AND YOU START PLAYING BETTER AT HOME THAN YOU DO AWAY, you won't be Super Rugby champions.
Fire Fleck.
Posted 12:51 29th July 2012
georgesmith says...
Not your fault JDV. You're a great player with 2 more seasons in Super Rugby so keep trying.
Posted 09:01 29th July 2012
passtheball says...
Stormers only started to play after the JP try. The rest of the season has been anal retentive rugby. I don't think that is JDV's fault but if the Stormers had won the comp it would have been a step backwards for rugby. Their loss may bring about a change in tactics in CT.
Posted 05:30 29th July 2012
startledwombat says...
Rugby at this level is test match intensity. It's interesting as we head into the Southern Hemisphere test match championship that JDV and the team he leads has been tested and found wanting.
Posted 05:05 29th July 2012
kiwilad says...
The Stormers all season struggled to score tries, and in the end it cost them.
The coaching staff had ample opportunity to resolve this, and did not.
Go easy on yourself JDV, you are better than this result.
Carpelone, I agree, a decent and honest man.
Posted 01:16 29th July 2012
philipjfry says...
I played with a guy in high school we all schemed would be a Springbok one day. Last I heard he was temping in Cape Town at a cold-call firm. He could have played at 12 against the Sharks instead of JDV (same age) and set the world on fire. But never got the chance, coaches didn't take a liking to him. For every professional player there are ten other overlooked men who could have played at the same standard and a hand-full who could have been even better. That's the deeper issue JDV has to reflect on. That and a piss-poor scrum-half.
Posted 23:45 28th July 2012
nefari says...
I admire jean he is a great leader and a great sportsman. I blame the coach though for instilling the notion in the team and their supporters that "just enough is good enough" for the whole season... In the end it wasn't.
Posted 23:35 28th July 2012
carpelone says...
Jean, a great and honest man. Get rid of the coach.
Posted 21:37 28th July 2012
daibok says...
JDV - you are talking from a dark place. You always looked great with the ball but your team was out thought by a better prepared Sharks team. No disgace. You are the man for the Boks. it was a great match. I would still say that had the Sharks lost.
The 2 on form teams will now contest the final. Go Sharks!!
Posted 21:35 28th July 2012