Rugby World Cup 2011
1,061 posts | 424 images
AUCKLAND CITY — South Africa head coach Peter de Villiers on Tuesday announced his team to play Namibia in their third Pool D match at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, on Thursday, 22 September.
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WHANGAREI — Aleki Lutui has welcomed the captaincy role in Tonga's must-win Pool A match against Japan at Northland Events Centre on Wednesday.
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TAUPO — South Africa flanker Willem Alberts believes enjoying life off the field will boost the Springboks' chances of successfully defending the Rugby World Cup.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Ireland’s first victory over Australia on the Rugby World Cup stage has been rewarded with a two-place rise to sixth in the latest IRB World Rankings, lifting them above Celtic rivals Wales and Scotland.
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NELSON — Russia number 8 Victor Gresev, who became a father two days ago, is aiming for a victory over Italy at Trafalgar Park on Tuesday to convey his long-distance congratulations to his wife and newly born daughter.
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WHANGAREI — Japan coach John Kirwan has recalled 13 of the first XV that impressed against France for Wednesday's match with Tonga at Northland Events Centre.
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WELLINGTON CITY — They may be in the midst of a gruelling Rugby World Cup campaign, but Scotland's players are still working hard in the gym.
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TAUPO — South African brothers Marius and Neels Botha have been having a blast touring New Zealand with their idol and namesake Bakkies Botha.
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AUCKLAND CITY — A lighter look at what is happening at Rugby World Cup 2011.
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CHRISTCHURCH — New Zealand will call on the bitter experience of past defeats to drive them over their biggest hurdle so far in the Rugby World Cup at Eden Park on Saturday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Tonga head coach Isitolo Maka announced his team on Monday to play their third match in Pool A against Japan at Northland Events Stadium, Whangarei, on Wednesday, 21 September.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Although still smarting from their 15-6 loss to Ireland on Saturday, Australia have turned their focus to getting their Rugby World Cup 2011 campaign back on track against USA on Friday.
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DUNEDIN — Romania need to play with passion and commitment for the full 80 minutes if they are to test England at Otago Stadium on Saturday, according to coach Romeo Gontineac.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Japan head coach John Kirwan on Monday announced his team to play their third Pool A match against Tonga at Northland Events Centre, Whangarei on Wednesday, 21 September.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Ireland will wait until Friday to decide on the fitness of second row Paul O'Connell and centre Gordon D'Arcy for Sunday's match with Russia in Rotorua.
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HAMILTON — Two brutal training camps in the lead-up to Rugby World Cup 2011 were the key to Wales' 17-10 victory over Samoa at Waikato Stadium on Sunday, according to second row Luke Charteris.
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WHANGAREI — You need only look at centre Alipate Fatafehi to see the positive impact conditioning coach Matt Blair has had on the Tonga squad.
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NELSON — Italy coach Nick Mallett has laid down the challenge to his team to score the four tries they need to secure a bonus point against Russia in their second Rugby World Cup 2011 match.
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WHANGAREI — After a sobering defeat by the All Blacks last Friday, Japan spent a night away from rugby for a little time on Sunday with a 2,000-year-old Maori god.
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NAPIER — At six pounds, seven ounces, Hayden Emily Pritchard may not be the biggest Canada rugby fan, but she certainly means the most to full back James Pritchard.
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TAUPO — South Africa are on track for a quarter-final berth against familiar foes Australia but they refuse to look further ahead of their Pool D clash with Namibia in Auckland on Thursday.
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HASTINGS — Hastings i-Site is not only pointing visitors in the right direction but is also encouraging them to get a taste of the region, first hand.
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NELSON — Italy's Martin Castrogiovanni is one of the few props around who can say he has scored a hat-trick of tries in a Test match, a feat he achieved against Japan in 2004.
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TAUPO — In an ominous warning for Ireland's Pool C opponents, backs coach Alan Gaffney said the men in green would only get better after their shock win over Australia.
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Sunday saw three closely contested encounters with some hard fought victories.
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AUCKLAND CITY — French coach Marc Lièvremont was unconvinced by his team's performance despite a big 46-19 win over Canada at a wet McLean Park in Napier on Sunday.
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DUNEDIN — England manager Martin Johnson did not attempt to hide his annoyance at "sloppy" play from his side in their 41-10 Pool B win over Georgia at Otago Stadium on Sunday.
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NAPIER — Canada captain Pat Riordan remained defiant in defeat after his side's 49-16 defeat by France in their Pool A match at McLean Park on Monday.
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CHRISTCHURCH — The All Blacks helped put the smiles back on the people of Christchurch on Sunday as thousands of fans made their way to the city's Centennial Park to welcome the players they hope will lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
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HAMILTON — Wales coach Warren Gatland turned 48 on Saturday, but had to wait 24 hours to get the birthday present he wanted.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Russia coach Nikolay Nerush has announced his team to play their second match in Pool C against Italy at Trafalgar Park, Nelson, on Tuesday, 20 September.
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DUNEDIN — England captain Lewis Moody called for a marked improvement despite his side running in six tries against Georgia at Otago Stadium on Sunday.
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HAMILTON — Waikato Police say the attitude of revellers enjoying post-match entertainment in central Hamilton makes the City that much easier to keep safe.
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DUNEDIN — Two tries from Shontayne Hape gave England the early advantage to lead Georgia 17-10 at half-time in their Pool B encounter at Otago Stadium.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Fiji) has been cited for an alleged breach of Law 10.4(j) dangerous tip tackle during the Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool D match against South Africa on 17 September.
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LOWER HUTT — William Wallace (of the Lower Hutt Wallaces) wore the tartan but not the blue face paint to Scotland's well-attended open training session for fans on Sunday morning.
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DUNEDIN — Georgia wing Irakli Machkhaneli ran out at Otago Stadium ahead of his team for the Pool B match with England on Sunday.
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WAIKATO — With another near capacity Waikato Police are very pleased with the behaviour of fans at today's game between Wales and Samoa with no arrests and only a small number of evictions.
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HAMILTON — Wales survived a scare from Samoa to emerge 17-10 victors in a fiercely contested Pool D clash on Sunday.
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DUNEDIN — If England want to ensure their forwards are battle hardened enough to reach the latter stages of Rugby World Cup 2011, then Pool B is the place to be.
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HAMILTON — A try on the stroke of half-time by Anthony Perenise gave Samoa a 10-6 half-time lead over Wales in a fiercely contested Pool D clash at Waikato Stadium on Sunday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Frustrated by his performance in Australia's surprise 15-6 defeat by Ireland, Pat McCabe has a point to prove and has targeted the next match against USA for redemption.
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INGLEWOOD — After scaring Ireland, overpowering Russia, and witnessing Australia’s Eden Park curse continue with a loss to the Irish on Saturday night, the USA Eagles are dreaming of a quarter-finals spot at Rugby World Cup 2011.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Japan have called in two replacement players after scrum half Tomoki Yoshida and inside centre Yuta Imamura were forced to return home injured.
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WHANGAREI — Tonga’s full back Kurt Morath says there will be no excuses for his kicking performance the second time he appears at the Northland Events Centre on Wednesday.
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HAMILTON — Wales players will wear black armbands in Sunday’s match against Samoa as a mark of respect for the four men who lost their lives in a mining tragedy in South Wales last week.
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BLENHEIM — Leaving New Plymouth after their 13-6 defeat to USA and returning to the team’s camp in Blenheim has produced positive changes in Russia's attitude to their next match in Pool C.
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RUSSELL — It might have taken a few dozen oysters, but Tonga restored their spirits with a community visit to one of New Zealand's oldest and smallest towns, Russell, on Saturday.
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NEW PLYMOUTH — Even the toughest rugby players are not immune to injury and Michael Keating's job is to get them back on the field as soon as possible.
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CHRISTCHURCH — Scottish Rugby Union representatives visited Christchurch on Saturday to show their support for the earthquake-damaged city where they had been due to play a RWC 2011 pool match.
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Ireland produced the shock of the day with their 15-6 victory over Australia in a tense encounter at Eden Park.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Ireland have produced the top-shelf performance they needed to beat Australia at a Rugby World Cup, defeating the Tri Nations champions 15-6 at Eden Park on Saturday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Police say fan behaviour at tonight's Ireland/Australia game at Eden Park was once again very good.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Police are again pleased with the crowd behavior at Wellington's second RWC pool game at the Westpac Stadium this evening, where South Africa played Fiji.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Defending champions South Africa played Fiji-style attacking rugby to post a 49-3 win in their Pool D match and send a clear statement of intent to the rest of the competition.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Ireland put the boot into Australia's Rugby World Cup hopes with a 15-6 victory in their Pool C game at Eden Park on Saturday night.
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AUCKLAND CITY — A lighter look at what is happening at Rugby World Cup 2011.
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INVERCARGILL — Argentina fired off a flurry of tries to claim their first Rugby World Cup 2011 victory by overwhelming Romania 43-8 in their Pool B game at Rugby Park Stadium on Saturday.
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INVERCARGILL — Argentina bounced back from their narrow defeat to England by running in four tries for a 26-8 half-time lead in their Pool B clash with Romania.
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HAMILTON — First it was Tonga, then came Japan, but now the All Blacks' quest to lift the Webb Ellis Cup moves up to another level at Rugby World Cup 2011.
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NAPIER — Eleven players will taste World Cup rugby for the first time in the match between Canada and France at McLean Park, Napier on Sunday - all of them for Les Bleus.
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AUCKLAND CITY — USA Captain Todd Clever was cited by Independent Citing Commissioner Murray Whyte (Ireland) under Law 10.4(e) for dangerous tackling and 10.4(g) for dangerous charging in the Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool C match against Russia in New Plymouth on September 15.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Australia's star flanker David Pocock has been ruled out of Saturday's match against Ireland after aggravating an existing problem in his lower back at training on Friday.
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WHANGAREI — Japan-based Tonga player number 8 Viliami Ma’afu will be facing friends on the opposing side next Wednesday when his team play Japan.
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HAMILTON — It will be all-or-nothing for Wales when they take on Samoa in their second Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool D match at Waikato Stadium on Sunday.
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ROTORUA — Wales' rising star Toby Faletau hasn’t exactly taken a vow of silence but the media at Rugby World Cup 2011 have quickly discovered he is a tough nut to crack when it comes to opening up about himself.
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DUNEDIN — If England want to ensure their forwards are battle hardened enough to reach the latter stages of Rugby World Cup 2011, then Pool B is the place to be.
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PAIHIA — “When I was young, I was sitting where you are now," said Tonga scrum half Taniela Moa to an audience of transfixed school children.
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TAUPO — Wales flanker Dan Lydiate is ready to play ugly if it means stopping Samoa inflicting on them a third Rugby World Cup defeat.
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NAPIER — The same 22-man Canada squad who beat Tonga 25-20 in Pool A on Wednesday will line up against France in Napier on Sunday.
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HAMILTON — No Richie McCaw, no Israel Dagg, no Mils Muliaina, no Dan Carter - and no worries for the All Blacks.
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DUNEDIN — Joe Simpson is on the verge of repeating Joe Worsley's feat of winning his first cap during a Rugby World Cup, but it is not the 2003 winner that he is looking to for inspiration.
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HAMILTON — New Zealand's stand-in captain Keven Mealamu said Friday night's 83-7 win over Japan was an improvement on the All Blacks' opening victory over Tonga, but admitted the hosts still had work to do.
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DUNEDIN — Georgia are ready for a battle royal up front when they clash with England in a Pool B encounter at Otago Stadium on Sunday.
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NELSON — Tommaso Benvenuti is one of only two players to keep their place in the Italy team to meet Russia in their second match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, along with captain and talisman Sergio Parisse.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Georgia head coach Richie Dixon (SCO) announced his team on Friday to play their second match in Pool B against England at Otago Stadium, Dunedin, on Sunday, 18 September.
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NEW PLYMOUTH — Almost 24 hours after Russia lost 13-6 to USA at Stadium Taranaki, emotions were still running high in the team camp.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Australia's David Pocock failed to train with his teammates on Friday at Eden Park, but captain James Horwill is confident the Wallaby flanker will be fit to play against Ireland on Saturday.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2011 is front-row heaven.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Canada head coach Kieran Crowley on Friday announced his team to play their second match in Pool A against France at McLean Park, Napier, on Sunday, 18 September.
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INVERCARGILL — Romania will be vying for their first Rugby World Cup 2011 point when they play Argentina in the Pool B match at Rugby Park Stadium on Saturday.
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Hooker Keven Mealamu will lead New Zealand in their second Pool A match against a Japan team determined to show the rugby world how much they have improved under coach and former All Black great John Kirwan.
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NEW PLYMOUTH — There were probably more sore heads than legs on Friday as USA reflected on a night to remember.
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ROTORUA — Samoa coach Titimaea Tafua is hoping two of his key players will be fully fit to take on Wales in Hamilton on Sunday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Todd Clever (USA) has been cited in respect of an incident of foul play.
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AUCKLAND CITY — England manager Martin Johnson announced his team on Friday to play their second match in Pool B against Georgia at Otago Stadium, Dunedin, on Sunday, 18 September.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Ireland have said that nothing less than 80 minutes of their best rugby will be enough to repress the attacking threat of Australia at Eden Park on Saturday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Italy head coach Nick Mallett named his team on Friday for their second Pool C match against Russia at Trafalgar Park, Nelson on Tuesday, 20 September.
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WELLINGTON CITY — South Africa suffered a further injury setback on Friday when reserve second row Johann Muller was ruled out of the team to play Fiji and was replaced by flanker Francois Louw.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Fiji will have the chance to rewrite the ending of their last encounter with South Africa at a Rugby World Cup when the two sides meet again in Pool D of RWC 2011 at Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday, 17 September.
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ROTORUA — Not many people in Samoa's camp know more about the tiny country's inspiring Rugby World Cup deeds against Wales than team manager Matthew Tagitau.
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USA recorded their first Rugby World Cup 2011 victory thanks to a try from scrum half Mike Petri in the 13-6 victory against Russia who were making their RWC debut.
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QUEENSTOWN — The rugby-mad children of Arrowtown Primary gave a group of England players one of their toughest Rugby World Cup 2011 challenges during a school visit on Thursday afternoon.
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NEW PLYMOUTH — Russia were outclassed by USA on their Rugby World Cup debut, losing 13-6 on Thursday in the lowest-scoring World Cup match since Australia beat England 12-6 in the 1991 final.
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WHANGAREI — It may not be what Canada supporters want to hear, but Adam Kleeberger still plans to shave off his beard after Rugby World Cup 2011.
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NEW PLYMOUTH — USA beat Russia 13-6 in a Pool C match at Stadium Taranaki on Thursday.
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AUCKLAND CITY — If there is one player in this Rugby World Cup who is counting his lucky stars it is Drew Mitchell.
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