Just about all the Western Province schools take a breather over this long weekend just ahead of the final three weeks of the campaign this weekend. Apparently two schools out in Paarl have other ideas but someone else is bound to chip in his ten cents worth about that elsewhere and Bishops will be out of sight, out of mind up in Grahamstown for their derby against St Andrews. So the local focus is on a busy midweek for the Boland schools.
Tasman earned their first win and first log points of the season when they edged out Hawke's Bay 21-19 in a hard-fought National Provincial Championship match in Napier on Tuesday.
The Collie Koeberg Sports Stadium in Graaff-Reinet was packed to the heavens on a beautiful Karroo Saturday afternoon when Spandau me Asherville in an FNB Classic Clash - great rivals whose pupils came from the same communities. Just before the end Spandau scored to make the score 8-7 - one point that meant so much.
In an FNB Classic Clash in Welkom on Saturday Goudveld Hoërskool beat Welkom Gimnasium 21-18.
Scotland coach Andy Robinson has named a team which shows five changes of personnel and one further positional switch in Saturday's World Cup warm-up Test against Ireland at Murrayfield.
Australia's dynamic fly-half Quade Cooper insists he is ready for more extra attention from Richie McCaw in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash.
Ross Rennie has been named in Scotland's starting XV to face Ireland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Australian flyhalf Quade Cooper has vowed to continue his attacking brand of rugby on Saturday in his first test on New Zealand soil, despite the expectation of some extra attention from All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Columnist Grant Ball believes that Springbok coach Peter de Villiers blew a chance to foster some belief in his coaching ability on his team's disappointing Tri-Nations away leg.
In their FNB Classic Clash in Cradock on Saturday afternoon Oakdale of Riversdale beat their hosts Marlow 14-12 in an excellent match on a perfect day for rugby.
Explosive wing Hosea Gear looks set to get his opportunity to impress the All Black selectors this weekend after watching Sitiveni Sivivatu and Zac Guildford turn in impressive performances in the last two weeks.
All Blacks hooker and former Hurricanes skipper Andrew Hore has signed a one-year deal to play for the Highlanders in next year's Super Rugby competition.
Barely one third of New Zealanders are enthusiastic about the World Cup, a mere five weeks out from the sport's global showpiece, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Leeds forward Ali Lauitiiti is contemplating a switch of codes as he prepares to make an assault on an elusive Wembley appearance.
Nathan Sharpe's World Cup dream is in jeopardy after he was left out of the 24-man squad for Saturday's Bledisoe Cup clash with New Zealand.
