Page 25 - Rainbow Cup News Today

NZ Rugby led the campaign to boot the South African franchises out of Super Rugby. Now the Pro14 stakeholders may not want them, either.

Pro Leinster a ‘benchmark’ for Jake White’s super Bulls Ashfak Mohamed © Provided by Independent Online (IOL) CAPE TOWN - After using 56 players in 17 games since joining the Bulls, coach Jake White began a new journey with his strongest possible group yesterday to get ready for the Rainbow Cup. Despite calling on so many players between 2020 and 2021, the former Springbok coach still won both titles on offer – Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup – while the Bull...

Munster hopeful Beirne will return in time for start of Rainbow Cup However, Thomas Ahern and Scott Buckley have picked up knee injuries. By Murray Kinsella Tuesday 6 Apr 2021, 4:57 PM 4 hours ago 5,832 Views 2 Comments Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO MUNSTER ARE HOPEFUL of having second row Tadhg Beirne back in action for ...

In the fallout of a fourth successive knock-out defeat by Leinster, the criticism coming Munster’s way was all the sharper And therein lies the rub. A trophy-less decade feels all the worse when your main rivals have hoovered up nine major trophies – six Pro 14s, two Champions Cups and a Challenge Cup over the same 10 years. It’s akin to Manchester United running second in the Premier League while Manchester City are riding off into the sunset to claim their fourth title since...

Munster find themselves at a familiar crossroads and they’ve long since tired of dancing. Playing your part in a classic European tie is no use when the show goes on without you and another few players head for the exit without a medal to their name. Fans can take solace from the fact their team fired plenty of shots, which was an improvement on their PRO14 final effort, but moral victories are no use to Johann van Graan who has one more shot at a trophy in the Rainbow Cup this season and on...

Munster are facing a battle to keep hold of their highly-regarded senior coach Stephen Larkham who is being courted by the Waratahs in his native Australia. The World Cup-winning Wallaby great signed a three-year contract when he arrived in Limerick in 2019, but could be tempted by a return home after two seasons as the underachieving Sydney-based franchise look for a replacement for ex-Reds supremo Rob Penney. Given his reputation as one of the game’s best strategic thinkers, Larkham’s ar...

Pundit Arena March 31, 2021 Munster legend Donal Lenihan has admitted that his native province are “nowhere near” Leinster after their loss in the Pro14 final. Leinster were crowned as Pro14 champions for the fourth consecutive year at the RDS Arena on Saturday night, as they claimed a comfortable 16-6 win against their old rivals Munster. Lenihan was speaking on the RTE Rugby podcast and admitted he was “depressed” by his old side’s performance against Leinster. As hard as it is to t...

Huge motivation for young Lions in Preparation Cup Share JOHANNESBURG - There are no points to gain for the Lions, no need to score four or more tries, no standings to climb, no playoff spots and home final to secure, or trophy to lift, but rest assured, there is still a helluva lot to play for today. From the start of these preparation matches, it has always been the intention of Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen and his fellow collaborator Mziwakhe Nkosi to introduce the younger members of the...

Another chance for the Lions cubs to bare fangs against Eastern Province JOHANNESBURG - It is all a part of the plan ... As expected, the Lions announced a matchday squad yesterday brimming with the unions youngsters for their second preparation match against Eastern Province. It is arguably their most inexperienced side, the several changes to the team affording an opportunity to the teams young guns to run out in Gqeberha tomorrow (kick-off 4.45pm) to stake a claim for selection later in the ...

Sweet revenge for Bulls as Pumas fold under pressure in Mbombela Share CAPE TOWN – While Bulls coach Jake White said beforehand that the result was not that important, he would’ve been delighted by the resolve shown from a young team in a 48-31 victory over the Pumas on Tuesday night. The Mbombela Stadium clash is part of a Preparation Series for the Rainbow Cup, and in that regard, the men from Pretoria will be pleased with the performance and scoreboard. The last time these two teams met,...