Preview: Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau

Follow @RedefinedRugby Life doesn’t get any easier for the relegation-bound Bay of Plenty side as they take on the Ranfurly Shield holders Counties Manukau in Rotorua on Sunday. WALKING WOUNDED: Bay of Plenty will be without flanker Tanerau Latimer who has answered the All Blacks’ SOS call from Argentina. But off-setting his loss to a…

Preview: Otago v Southland

Follow @RedefinedRugby Rarely have both Otago and Southland had so much riding on one of their matches but there is everything to play for at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday. WALKING WOUNDED: Otago will be without captain Paul Grant for the game after he suffered a quadricep muscle injury against Manawatu last weekend. Liam Coltman…

Preview: Auckland v Canterbury

Follow @RedefinedRugby 50 up: Ryan Crotty Canterbury coach Scott Robertson has made seven changes to his starting line-up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Auckland at Eden Park. In the front-row, the props alternate from Paea Fa’anunu and Sione Faletau to Joe Moody and Nepo Laulala after their 72-7 win over Manawatu. Matt Symons steps into…

Preview: Manawatu v Taranaki

Follow @RedefinedRugby The last time these two teams met was to contest the Ranfurly Shield in a one-sided encounter. Expect enough brutality from a Manwatu side desperate to get revenge. MISSING IN ACTION: Jason Emery’s continued absence sees Hamish Northcott get a chance at centre for Manawatu. Rob Foreman’s return to the starting hooker role.…

Preview: Argentina v New Zealand

Follow @RedefinedRugby Try machine: Juan Manuel Leguizamon New Zealand travel to La Plata to face the Pumas with the possibility of back-to-back Rugby Championship titles on the line. Playing after South Africa host Australia at Newlands, maximum points for the All Blacks and anything less than five points for the Springboks earlier in the day…

Sharks win Ellis Parks thriller

Follow @RedefinedRugby Star of the show: Fred Zeilinga The Sharks will finish the weekend at the top of the Currie Cup standings thanks to a 31-25 win over the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday. The sides scored three tries each in a ding-dong battle that saw the lead change hands regularly. The result means…

Catrakilis drop wins it for WP

Follow @RedefinedRugby Try for WP: Michael Rhodes Replacement fly-half Demetri Catrakilis slotted a 79th minute drop-goal to hand Western Province a 29-27 Currie Cup victory in a nail-biting tussle with the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday. The result means Province conserve their unbeaten record after eight games and provisionally move back to the…

Wellington survive late Waikato barrage

Follow @RedefinedRugby 14 v 19 – Wellington’s unbeaten run in the ITM Cup continued on Friday but not before they had to overcome a valiant Waikato side in a 19-14 thriller in Hamilton. Wellington captain Victor Vito and his loose forward accomplices Brad Shields and Ardie Savea were outstanding in a physical encounter at Waikato…

Preview: Waikato v Wellington

Follow @RedefinedRugby Waikato started the season with the Ranfurly Shield and were looking to appear in their second ITM Cup playoff campaign in three years. Having lost the Shield there’s something even more important for Waikato to play for: Premiership survival. MISSING IN ACTION: Usual captain Jackson Willison’s shoulder injury means prop Toby Smith will…

Banks leads Makos past Northland

Follow @RedefinedRugby 13 v 28   Marty Banks fired Tasman to a 28-13 win over Northland in Whangarei on Thursday night. The fullback-come-pivot nailed seven of nine penalty shots and scored a blistering try at the death to keep an elusive win out of Northland’s reach while cementing his side’s spot atop the championship. Not…