Maties won their second successive FNB Varsity Cup final at the Danie Craven Stadium on Monday night for the University of Stellenbosch.

It was a fitting finale to two months of “Rugby that Rocks”, and the Maties, who were undeniably the best team in the competition from start to finish, were fitting winners. It was easier this time than last year’s final minute win over UCT, but nonetheless the Pukke proved doughty opponents before going down 11-6.

The match was played in front of a massive crowd, even bigger than in 2008, when the decider was a local derby, and this gave credibility to organiser Francois Pienaar’s claim that this year’s competition was “bigger and better” than the inaugural one, and is destined to get better still.

Although it was a low scoring game, and there seemed to be a greater element of finals type rugby this year, the final did show a marked improvement in the standard of rugby dished up — as has been the case for most of the competition. There was plenty of running from both sides, but the defences were well organised, and the forward exchanges were quite ferocious.

Pukke had been known for their conservative rugby in the league stages, but they brought an element of surprise to their approach in the early stages, with impressive No 8 and captain bursting through to put his team on the attack as the Pukke sought to use the width of the field.

That pressure resulted in a penalty which was kicked by flyhalf Cecil Dumond, but it was a lead that was not to last long. The Maties got their intensity up, they began to settle, and after playing themselves into the left corner, they spun the ball quickly down the line, long passes doing the work, from a set scrum to put wing Morne Jooste over in the corner.

For a while it looked as though the Maties might take control, for they were scrumming impressively, and their work at the breakdowns was impressive, with skipper Wesley Wilkins leading the way. With Maties also enjoying territorial advantage, and swarming all over their opponents, it looked only a matter of time before the hosts would take control on the scoreboard too.

But full marks to Pukke for the way they hung on in the bedlam, most of it in the form of support for Maties, that engulfed the stadium, and in the second half of the first half they looked to be coming back into it.

Indeed, the Potchefstroom students would have been kicking themselves at half-time for not being in the lead, for they had a couple of opportunities just before the break to take the psychological advantage of scoring just before the turn-around.

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At least 19 people were killed in a stadium crush during a World Cup qualifier between Ivory Coast and Malawi in Abidjan on Sunday.

A rush by spectators led to the collapse of a wall, medical officials said. Police then fired tear gas to clear the crowd, causing a stampede which also left many people seriously injured.

“We have 19 dead and many seriously injured,” a military source at the stadium said.

The crush occurred after part of a wall collapsed when ticketless fans stormed one of the entrances to the 45 000-capacity Houphouet-Boigny arena in the West African country’s main city, Abidjan.

“Spectators who did not buy tickets were jostling before the match,” Sports Minister Dagobert Banzio said on state television. “They smashed one of the main gates of the stadium. They were trampled.”

He put the number of injured at 132.

“There were lots of supporters outside who wanted to get in,” Interior Minister Desire Tagro said. “There was a crush.”

Ivory Coast defeated Malawi 5-0 in the World Cup qualifier.

Riots and crushes are common at African soccer stadiums, which are frequently overcrowded.

The tragedy followed similar incidents which have marred international matches in Africa in the last decade, including two separate ones in Zambia and the death of 13 people in Zimbabwe nine years ago.

Fifa instigated a programme of stadium inspections across Africa before the 2010 World Cup qualifiers and Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium was passed as safe for international matches.

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David Beckham is England’s most capped out-field player, but is happy with the new role as substitute.

Beckham passed Bobby Moore’s previous record of 108 caps when he came on as a half-time substitute in Saturday’s 4-0 friendly win over Slovakia. On his 109th appearance in an England shirt, Beckham proved his continued worth to the side, setting up Wayne Rooney with a cross for England’s second goal.

Beckham’s impressive cameo will have given coach Fabio Capello food for thought as the Italian prepares to pick his team to face Ukraine in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier.

A win for England would cement their position on top of European qualifying group six and keep Capello’s team firmly on course to qualify for next year’s World Cup.

Capello started the Slovakia match with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon on the right flank and his pace caused Slovakia problems at times. Beckham admits Lennon offers a different kind of threat and he is prepared to start on the bench if it helps England get a crucial victory.

“Aaron went past players like they weren’t there,” Beckham said. “With the pace he’s got, he’s in exceptional form for Tottenham, he deserved to start.

“Everyone wants to start for England, but at the end of the day, everyone also wants to play for England.

“Substitutes can be very important. We saw that at Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final with Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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The Highlanders snapped the Vodacom Bulls‘ five-match winning streak in the Vodacom Super 14 on Saturday, beating the lethargic Pretoria outfit 36-12 in Palmerston North. The Highlanders raced to a 21-5 lead in the first half, then consolidated its lead with two second-half tries to inflict the first defeat on the Bulls in the 2009 season.

Highlanders – Tries: Israel Dagg, Matthew Berquist, Jimmy Cowan, Daniel Bowden, Jason Shoemarck. Conversions: Matthew Berquist (4). Penalties: M.Berquist.
Bulls – Tries: Gerhard van den Heever, Morne Steyn. Conversion: Morne Steyn.

The Vodacom Stormers started their match against Crusaders with hopes of becoming only the third South African team to win in Christchurch in Super rugby history, but they blew it with an error-ridden display that led to an 11-7 defeat. Going into the last 10 minutes the Stormers were still well in the game, but the Crusaders beat them hands down with their kicking game from around the 20 minute mark in the match, and ensured that they played the deciding period of the match in the Stormers half. With the Stormers looking incapable of striking from long range, the match was effectively over when Stephen Brett made the territorial advantage count by slotting a penalty from right in front to make it a four point lead and force the Stormers to look for a try.

Crusaders 11 – Try: Adam Whitelock; Penalties: Stephen Brett 2.

Stormers 7 – Try: Luke Watson; Conversion: Willem de Waal.

Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu scored two tries apiece on Saturday as the resurgent Chiefs beat the Reds 50-26 to return to the top four of the Vodacom Super 14 log. After withstanding a series of attacking raids early, the Chiefs dominated the six-tries-to-four victory with flyhalf Stephen Donald directing traffic and scoring 23 points. The Reds picked up a bonus point when flanker Daniel Braid dived over after pinching a Chiefs’ lineout close to the line in the last five minutes. The Chiefs opened the season with three straight losses but have gained momentum since the return of All Blacks fullback Muliaina and have won four in a row.

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Sir Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager at the end of next season, according to his son Darren. Speculation about when Ferguson will end his long reign at Old Trafford has been ongoing since he changed his mind about quitting when he turned 60 seven years ago.

Now Darren Ferguson, manager of League One side Peterborough, has hinted it could be the summer of 2010 when his father finally walks away from the game. “His health is fine and he’s building a new team,” said Darren. “If they win (the Premier League) this year then they catch Liverpool in terms of titles won.

“I can see him doing this year and next – and then that might be it for him.” United are only a point clear of Liverpool at the top, but have a game in hand.

Source: soccernews.com

Stormers captain Jean de Villiers believes the Super 14 defending champions Crusaders will hit a revival after struggling in the beginning stages of the competition.

The Crusaders have traditionally been the early pace setters in the competition but in 2009 they embarked on their campaign without ace playmaker Dan Carter and coach Robbie Deans. The experienced trio of captain Richie McCaw, Leon Macdonald and Brad Thorn also missed some of the early action.

The Crusaders bounced back to beat the Waratahs last weekend after losing to the Highlanders and drawing with the Force in the previous two rounds. De Villiers stressed that this is a sign that Crusaders are starting to build some momentum.

“The Crusaders is not a team with many weak points. Everybody knows they initially battled with a new coach and several injuries,” De Villiers said in an interview on the Stormers’ website.

“They are finding their feet now and are showing better form and they would be smarting for a win at home after losing a few there earlier.”

De Villiers said every game was important in the Super 14 and they don’t regard this one as more important than the rest because it was the first one.

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Steven Gerrard have indicated that he is now happier than ever in his career and is ready to sign a contract extension with Liverpool.

The Reds skipper is looking to cap an amazing fortnight by helping England overcome Slovakia in a friendly at Wembley on Saturday before the crucial World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine on April 1 as Fabio Capello’s team look to maintain their 100% start to Group Six.

He could hardly be in a more confident mood.

Having helped dump Real Madrid out of the Champions League, beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford and score a hat-trick in the five-goal hammering of Aston Villa on Sunday, Gerrard suddenly finds himself leading a team with realistic ambitions of winning the Barclays Premier League.

It is a far cry from the dark days when it seemed Liverpool would never threaten at the top end of the table and joining Chelsea looked like a far more attractive option.

“I have never been happier throughout my whole career than I am at the moment,” Gerrard said.

“I have two years left on my contract and if there was a chance to extend it, I am sure I would.

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