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HTS Bellville's tournament for technical schools started on 1 April with matches on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

London Irish booked a date with Newcastle Falcons in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup by romping to a 48-5 victory over Bayonne at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.

There were Festivals all over the place - Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Despatch, Durbanville, Riversdale and Bellville, amongst others.

The Grey High Schools Rugby Festival in association with FNB, a part of the great school's 150th birthday celebrations, kicked off in Port Elizabeth today with seven great matches. The hoists added to the occasion by beating Maritzburg College, always formidable opposition.

Our first FNB Player of the Week for 2006 is Jean Rossouw of Paarl Gim, one of South Africa's greatest rugby schools.

Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.

Worcester wing Aisea Havili scored a hat-trick of tries as his side recorded a manful 34-25 over Northampton at Franklin's Garden on Saturday - a result that take the Warriors through to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Die Brandwag Hoërskool of Uitenhage held the first day of its annual three-day Rugby Festival on 31 March. These are the results.

Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.

Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.

Gloucester exorcised their domestic demons by booking a place in the European Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of an empathic seven-try 46-13 victory over Brive on Saturday - albeit in front of Kingsholm's second lowest crowd of the season.

Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.

Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.

Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.

Kokstad College are holding their annual rugby festival on 31 March and 1 April. There will be 14 matches over the two days.

Newcastle progressed to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over Connacht on Friday, thanks to a commanding performance from 20-year-old fly-half Toby Flood.

Rugby referees in the Arabian Gulf are taking centre stage in a series of prestigious events in different countries over the next few weeks. And the high profile being enjoyed by officials has led sponsors Power Development International (PDI) to extend its support of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Referees' Society through to the end of the 2006/07 season and also back the Asian RFU's elite referees panel.

The Super 14 certainly is racketing along past half way, and we shall be using incidents from the matches for our law discussion this week. There is one really difficult one, again concerning the maul.

Marais Viljoen of Alberton marched on Jeppe and beat the home side 48-11 on Wednesday.

Hoërskool Durbanville are kicking off April with their second rugby festival with some teams that have come from afar.

Ten senior schools and two primary schools took part in the annual Western Province Rugby Day for Schools held at Newlands on Tuesday 27 March. The games were contested over two twenty-minute halves, with no conversions.

The Challenge Cup has entered the business end of proceeding with eight sides - five English, two French and one Irish - striving to fill the four semi-final berths. We preview all the action...

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.

The Heineken is back in town and rushing into the cut-throat quarter-finals.

Voortrekker Hoërskool of Pietermaritzburg held its 15th annual Rugby Day, part of a more general sports festival, again attracting a large crowd to the school near the river.

It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.

Union High of Graaff-Reinet is holding its annual rugby Festival on Saturday 1 April and Monday 3 April.

Die Brandwag of Uitenhage, a keen rugby school, is again hosting its rugby festival and again there is a strong group of schools attending.

Gloucester welcome Brive in the Challenge Cup on Saturday facing a front-row crisis after the sending-off of Terry Sigley during their Guinness Premiership defeat to Bristol last weekend.

Rugby festivals have mushroomed all over South Africa. Here we give the fixtures for several of them.

It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.

The Michel Series for 16 top schools is nearing the knock-out stages with strong performances by some

Hoërskool Merensky of Tzaneen is hosting its 21st Annual Festival in early April.

Northampton Saints fly-half Carlos Spencer may miss Saturday’s European Challenge Cup game against Worcester Warriors as a result of a knock to his leg against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership last Sunday.

SANZAR has announced the appointment of match officials for Weeks 9 & 10 of Super 14. Jonathan Kaplan seems to have the most desirable match – Crusaders vs Waratahs in Christchurch.

It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.

It has not always been an easy ride for Bayonne this season, but as they travel to meet in-form London Irish on Saturday, coach Gilbert Doucet says his team must be proud of their achievements.

Referees have been accused of killing a game or blowing game to death, but an Italian referee has been honoured for rescuing two young children from drowning off a Sicilian beach.

Oakdale’s annual rugby festival in Riversdale will take place on 1 and 3 April 2006 with 22 schools taking part.

The fourth annual Western Province Schools Rugby Festival takes place at Newlands on Tuesday afternoon and evening, 28 March 2006. In the main match Paarl Gim play Paul Roos.

After two pleasing wins on a mini-tour to Pretoria, 29-15 against John Vorster and 20-16 against Menlo Park, College played their first match of the season in Pietermaritzburg, at the Voortrekker Festival, now in its fifteenth year, and beat Pionier of Vryheid 24-0.

KES went over to Jeppe for the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006 and won 31-0.

The games played at the Graeme College Rugby Day in Grahamstown on Saturday produced some surprises, some runaway victories, as well as some tight matches which ensured that this was an entertaining day’s rugby.

It is March and almost winter but already schools rugby is in full swing. The first FNB Classic Clash has happened already, won handsomely by KES in the Johannesburg wet.

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool managed to beat the new kids on the block, Eldoraigne, by 23-16 in a Michelin Series match in Pretoria on Saturday, although they were made to work much harder for this victory than they would have expected.

The annual Voortrekker Hoërskool Rugby Day takes place in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday with 22 matches.

Gareth Simmonds of Cardiff is a highly experienced referee - one of Wales's international referees and still active, though mainly on the touch-line. He speaks about the maul. It is good to listen to a man of his calibre.

KES go across Johannesburg to face old rivals Jeppe in the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006. In general and especially recently KES have dominated the 1st XV matches.

Schools rugby is well on the god in the northern regions of South Africa, which may be part of the reason why they pack up in mid winter!

Jeppe are at home to KES in the first FNB Classic Clash of 2006. Sifisa Vilikazi will be capatining and hoping to inspire the Jeppe side.

The Six Nations has ended, for some with shouts of joy, for others with a deflation of air. And there was also the spice of controversy.

After all the hectic activity and criticism on match officials on both sides of the equator, let's hope this weekend is a quiet and gentle one.

Peter Shortell of Cheltenham who takes a keen interest in the laws, their history and workings,, has sent us his reaction to the suggested law changes that emerged from experimentation done at the University of Stellenbosch recently.

The combined Gauteng-KwaZulu Natal Rugby Festival take place at Fourways High School over the two days of 29 April and 1 May this year. In it Gauteng Schools play against KwaZulu Natal schools, ten schools from each province. There are 11 on the first day.

Hoërskool Strand held its programme of shortened matches recently. Each match lasted just 20 minutes. But each team plays three matches, giving them an hour's rugby but against different opponents.

Grey High Schools turns 150 this year and, like Grey Bloem last year, has rugby as a part of its celebrations at the beginning of April. Many of the schools are old friends - as happens at birthday parties. FNB are coming to the party as well.

King Edward VII School of Houghton, Johannesburg, are hosting their annual Easter Rugby and Hockey Festival again this year.

As a born and bred Johannesburg boy who has attended KES from Grade 1 to 11, Josh Carstens is well aware of the magnitude of the task facing his team on Saturday when Jeppe host KES in an FNB Classic Clash.

Wales beat all five of their Six Nations opponents at Under-19 level, thus ending with a Grand Slam.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.

The defending Michelin Series champion, Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria, is still in line to qualify for the quarter-final of this competition after beating Ermelo Hoërskool 33 -16 in Pretoria on Friday afternoon.

Suddenly the Six Nations with all its hurly burly, is done. Anticlimax is upon is. Just to mop up, we shall give the stats, some of which add up to totals for the Six Nations on 2006.

Linston Manuels, the controversial television match official that came in for severe censure for his blunder in the Bulls versus Hurricanes Super 14 match at the weekend, have been "axed" from the Super 14 TMO panel. But he is to remain on the panel as a touch judge - a considerably more important position.

England Under-21 were comfortable winners of the 2006 U21 Six Nations and did so with a Grand Slam.

The psalmist said: The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. The Irish would probably agree, the English vehemently disagree after three incidents in the Six Nations match between England and Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.

Sarel Cilliers High School held its annual rugby festival on 10-11 March at the school in Glencoe.

The non-try by Akona Ndungane of the Bulls in the match with the Hurricanes was the big talking point in South Africa on Friday evening and the talk was angry.

Joël Jutge, the French referee appointed to referee the Twickenham clash between England and Ireland, has had to withdraw because of injury. His place is taken by Nigel Whitehouse of Wales.

The fourth round of the Six Nations has flown by, just the last round remaining. We are going to look at three little line-out incidents and a straightforward off-side.

Wales have won four with one to play. The Grand Slam is within their grasp.

England Under-21 are poised to win the Under-21 Six Nations Championship with a Grand Slam They have played four and won four Just the Irish challenge remains.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.

In the third week of the Six Nations, there was France's massive victory over England in Paris, one of record proportions. Ireland beat the dogged Scots in the Dublin wet and Wales managed a draw against Italy in Cardiff though the Italians had the better of the second half.

Recently there was a workshop on the laws of the game from which there emanated a series of proposals which could have a radical effect on the way the game is played.

Ezio Galon played fullback for Italy against Wales at Millennium Stadium on Saturday. The big, fast 27-year-old plays for Overmach Parma and was first capped for Italy in 2001. None of that explains how close he was to one of international rugby's most bizarre occurrences.

The Six Nations reaches its denoument. Four teams could win the Championship with France the most likely. There are some interesting "other" matches.

With just Ireland to play England Under-21 are set fair to win the Under-21 Six Nations with a Grand Slam.

Their seniors may not be unbeaten but France and England are undefeated at Under-21 level and they meet this week in a match which will determine who the Under-21 Champions of the Six Nations will be. All the teams will have an eye on the IRB Under-21 World Championship later this year.

The Super 14 has already reached week 14 as it rushes on its way. There are few tiny matters to talk about, including this business of the deliberate wheel, and we shall bring forward some comment/questions from readers. One is a really difficult one from Sydney.

The Six Nations bursts out again this weekend with the big crunch at Stade de France in Paris. In fact, there are several matches between French teams and English teams.

Wales have beaten England, Scotland and Ireland at Under-19 level this season and are in line to add a Grand Slam to their Triple Crown.

Much has been said and argued about stamping on players on the ground this year - as in Ireland's matches with Italy and Wales and as in the match between the Hurricanes and the Cats. Compared to the hacking of old, stamping is a pastime of innocents.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.

This is a progressive records of the tries each team has scored in the 2006 Super 14 and the number of times they have kicked the ball.

In this section we give the progessive record of penalties and sanctions in the 2006 Super 14.

Argentina's Under-19 side, the Pumitas, are set to take the South American Under-19 Championship yet again.

In this section we discuss some incidents from Super 14 matches last weekend and answer a reader's question.

SANZAR has announced the appointments of match officials for Weeks 6-8 of the Super 14. Chris Pollock gets his first taste of refereeing Super rugby abroad when he heads for Sydney.

Australia have announced their squad of 26 players for the World Under-19 tournament to be played in Dubai in April. Two of the players have made their Super 14 debuts.

We discuss some incidents involving the television match official from the match between Ireland and Wales in Dublin in last weekend's Six Nations matches.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs.

Almost astonishingly there are no senior Tests this weekend but there are big regional and club matches as the Powergen Cup goes to its semi-finals and the Super 14 and the Celtic League speed on.

Just because they are of immediate interest we shall discuss two refereeing decisions from Round Three of the Six nations - one in Edinburgh and one in Dublin.

In the third week of the Six Nations, France beat Italy in Paris, Ireland beat Wales in Dublin and then, in their second surprise this championship, Scotland beat England at Murrayfield, which will soon be dubbed Fortress Murrayfield. In this section we give some statistics from the matches.

In this part we give a progressive table of penalties conceded and sanctions - yellow cards, red cards and citings with suspension - received.

In this section we give a running table of the number of tries each team scores and the number of times it kicks the ball

Following their victories over England and Scotland Wales have become the Under-19 Triple Crown winners with their big victory over Ireland in Ireland.

In Round 3 of the Six Nations for Under-21s, England and France had big and expected victories while in Ireland Wales got home by just one point.

We have dealt with some statistics and with the red card given to Thys Stoltz. Now we are going to look at more general incidents, including some comment by the commentators which may not have been helpful.

If Wales beat Ireland at Blackrock College on Saturday afternoon, they will win the Under-19 Triple Crown.

The Six Nations Under-21 matches continue this weekend. A glance suggests that England and France will win easily but the Ireland-Wales match could be close.

Readers have asked several questions or statements concerning the laws of the game. We give them below with some comment.

In the match between the Cats and the Chiefs at Ellis Park on Friday, the referee gave Willem Stoltz of the Cats a red card for use of the boot on a player's neck. That was just before half-time.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs. We also give some tables to show accumulation of penalties and sanctions, and tries and kicks.

The Six Nations is back in action with only England unbeaten as they go to Murrayfield for the Calcutta Cup match.

As we did last week we give tables which we will run accumulatively each week throughout the Super 14. The tables in this section have a record of penalties and sanctions, i.e. red and yellow cards and citings with suspension.

In this section of statistics we give tables reflecting the number of tries a team has scored and the number of times a team kicked the ball.

It's a little over 36 hours since WRU Chief Executive Steve Lewis ruined most of Britain's Rugby journalists' Valentine's dinners by announcing the departure of Mike Ruddock.

Mercifully, the first week of Super 14 passed almost without controversy - apart from an advantage in Bloemfontein and an early tackle in Christchurch - but there are still some points of law worth discussing, as we shall do here. It has indeed been a busy week with three RBS Six Nations matches and seven Super 14 matches.

There has been so much to talk about this week after the ten big matches last weekend that we shall keep this one short. After all we did discuss the big issues of the penalty try and the sending off at length.

We give tables here which will be updated each week. The first table has penalties and sanctionary cards, the second table tries and kicks.

There is a breather in the RBS Six Nations this weekend but the marathon Super 14 rumbles on, and the clubs are back in action.

The big talking point of Week 2 of the RBS Six Nations was the sending off of Scott Murray of Scotland. This overshadowed even the penalty try against Scotland earlier in the match. We shall look at both of these issues.

We give tables here which will be updated each week. This table gives a record of tries and kicks.

In the second week of the Six Nations, France beat Ireland in Paris, England beat Italy in Rome and Wales beat Scotland in Cardiff. In this section we give some statistics from the matches. Later we shall discuss incidents, firstly the penalty try and the sending off, and then other incidents.

Rugby Tests have been played since 1871. Over a century later the first player was sent off in a match in the International Championship - now called the Six Nations. The most recent was Scott Murray of Scotland.

Here we give stats concerning getting possession, mainly at scrums and line-outs. We shall also give some tables in Stats 2 and shall discuss some incidents in Part 2.

In cold Biella up near the Alps England beat Italy 48-3 in an Under-21 encounter on Thursday. Topsy Ojo scored four tries for the winners

South African referees are fit and well prepared for the season ahead - the top ones at least after several courses around the country.

SANZAR has issued a statement of key factors in its dealings with disciplinary matters in Super 14. We have added the IRB's recommended tariff of penalties for foul play.

In cold Biella up near the Alps England beat Italy 48-3 in an Under-21 encounter on Thursday. Speedster Topsy Ojo scored four tries for the winners.

Errors cost the Ireland Under-21s as they went down 29-10 to their French counterparts in Strasbourg in the second round of Under-21 Six Nations matches.

In the two Under-19 internationals othis week, Wales beat Scotland 48-10 on Thursday and England beat Italy 34-26 at Stadio delle Tre Fontane in Rome on Friday afternoon, a match which started in sunshine but was overtaken by rain.

Wales outscored Scotland by four tries to two as the hosts won an entertaining under-21s clash 34-24 in Newport.

SANZAR, the body which runs rugby played in the Tri-Nations and the Super 14, has a judicial committee. One of its members, Jannie Lubbe, drew our attention to two decisions by SANZAR's judicial committee on the matter of rucking.

We have already discussed stamping and trampling and we have given the stats of the first-round matches in the 2006 Six Nations Championship. Now we shall look at some incidents from those three matches - Ireland vs Italy, England vs Wales and Scotland vs France.

After the first Under-21 round in the Six Nations, the clash between Ireland and France in Strasbourg in the far east of France looks the critical one.

Judged by the first round of Under-19 matches at the time of the Six Nations, it would seem that the one between Wales and Scotland at Aberavon on Thursday could be a close-run affair. And Italy may just be able to put pressure on England in Rome.

Italy and England meet at Under-21 level on Thursday night in Biella, an industrial centre in Piedmont..

On the first week of the RBS Six Nations Ireland played Italy, England played Wales and Scotland played France - all matches won by the home sides.

The Super 14, with brand new sides in the Cheetahs and the Western Force, gets into action this weekend, with Bryce Lawrence to blow it into life.

The Six Nations got under way with an interesting couple of days, reaching a climax with that thriller in Edinburgh. We are going to do three sections to our law discussion this week, starting with the burning question of stamping in the Ireland-Italy match.

France Under-21 beat Scotland Under-21 37-0 in Falkirk Stadium. It was a disappointing performance for the Scots.

Leicester Tigers centre Matt Cornwell will captain England Under-21 in the side's Six Nations opener against Wales at Worcester's Sixways ground on Friday evening.

In the first round of Six Nations matches Ireland host Italy at Dubarry Park in Athlone on Friday evening.

The Six Nations starts with excitement and tradition. Dave Pearson of England, newly promoted to the A Panel, gets his first RBS Six Nations match.

Wales Under-21 play England Under-21 at Sixways Stadium, Worcester on Friday, 3 February, kick off at 20.05.

England Under-19 and Wales Under-19 meet at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, 3 February. The kick-off is at 19.45.

England's National Academy coach Jim Mallinder has confirmed the Under-21 squad for the opening Six Nations match against Wales at Worcester on February 3.

We are taking some things from five Heineken Cup matches in Round 6 - Leeds Tykes vs Cardiff Blues, Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester Tigers, Sale vs Munster and Bath vs Leinster.

Bryce Lawrence of New Zealand will blow the whistle to start the Super 14. This is an appointment made by SANZAR which has released its appointments of match officials for the first five weeks.

The national selectors have invited a large group of players to set in motion the selection of an Under-21 team to defend their IRB Under-21 World Championship title in Paris later this year.

South Africa has announced the national Under-19-squad to defend its world crown at the IRB Under-19 World Championships to be held in April in Dubai.

The Northern Hemisphere catches it breath with club activities before international competitions burst forth. In the South SANZAR starts flexing its muscles.

It was busy Monday in France. Not only were the senior team and the A team announced but also the Under-21 team which will play Scotland at Falkirk on 3 February, the opening day of the Six Nations.

Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.

Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.

Chris Pollock of Hawke's Bay becomes New Zealand sixth full-time referee.

Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.

Pool Five has been the most exciting of the Challenge Cup pools, with Connacht and Worcester's battle for its supremacy going right down to the wire.

The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.

The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.

The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.

The quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup have been decided in the wake of Round Six - Gloucester will host Brive, London Irish will welcome Bayonne, Worcester will visit Northampton and Connacht will make the trip Newcastle.

Worcester's 44-8 win over Catania has edged them ahead of Connacht on the table, but they will be looking to return from Montpellier with five points this weekend.

Newcastle Falcons know a win in the last round will clinch a top-two ranking for the quarter-finals, but they won't have things all their own way in Brive. The French club are sitting on 17 points, but will need at least a bonus point - if not a victory - against the Falcons to play any further part in this tournament.

Gloucester are in arguably the best position of any of the 20 Cup sides. They have 24 out of a possible 25 points, and their 43 tries will prove valuable if they finish level on points with Newcastle Falcons (42 tries).

London Irish's scratchy eight-point win over Rugby Parma in Italy on Saturday confirmed their place in the quarter-finals, but they need to beat Pau this weekend to clinch a home play-off.

Northampton Saints should confirm their place in the play-offs with a win over bottom-placed Viadana this weekend, but they need a bonus point to guarantee a home match in the next round.

We are going to talk about some incidents from a few of the matches in Round 5 of the Heineken Cup - Castres vs Munster, Cardiff Blues vs Perpignan, Sale Sharks vs Dragon and that match with the astounding finish between Leicester Tigers and Stade Français.

Ian Paxton, Scotland's Under-21 coach has chosen a "core" squad of 26 players for this year's campaign which includes the Six Nations and the IRB's World Championship in France in June.

Gianluca Guidi and Mario Pavin, the coaches of Italy's Under-19 team, have chosen a squad of 25 players to start their preparations on 28 and 19 January in preparation for the 2006 campaign.

The International Rugby Board (IRB's) Under-21 World Championship is taking place in France in June. Twelve teams will take part, with the reigning champions, South Africa, seeded top.

The pool matches in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup end this weekend. They will decide who the quarter-finalists are, but the quarter-finals are not till the end of March/beginning of April.

With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.

With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.

With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.

With quarter-final spots up for grabs, Bayonne kicked off Round Five of the European Challenge Cup by thumping Toulon.

Paul Marks will be refereeing in the Super 14 competition this year, his first experience of refereeing at this level - a young referee obviously going places.

England have chosen an Under-19 squad which is preparing for the IRB's Under-19 World Championship in Dubai in late March-April.

Six Nations fixtures 2012.

The high-flying Falcons may not have it all their own way but you would expect Brive to beat L'Aquila even in the lovely Italian mountain town.

The top two teams meet in what could be a decisive clash.

The top two are playing the bottom two, and they are doing it at home.

Top play bottom when London Irish head off for Parma with its cheese, ham and baptistry, a match the Exiles would be expected to win wherever played.

SARU has announced the referees for several pre-season friendlies, several of them warm-ups for the Super 14. One of them involves Russia, another the top Italian club..

The Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup return this weekend.

We have had a rest from Law Discussions as we have been digesting other things over the Festive Season. For fear of getting too far behind with readers' comment, we give some of it here.

This season’s Home Unions Under-18 Tournament will be staged at four grounds in Gloucestershire in April.

Rugby continues at club level in the Six Nations, as Italy's Super 10 gets back into action after the festive break. Iberia also get into action again.

The European Rugby Cup, the body controlling the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup, has announced the referees for Round 5 of its competitions.

Wales's international rugby referees are all set to be 'capped' in the new year when the Welsh Rugby Union honours their services to the game.

When England played New Zealand at Twickenham in November, Irish referee Alan Lewis showed three New Zealanders yellow cards, which signified their departure for the sin bin.

While most of the world relaxes in post-indulgence lethargy, rugby goes on at a high level in the Four Home Unions as the Celtic League and England's Premiership try to fit in as many matches for the players as possible.

The New Zealand RFU has announced referees for its Sevens, the IRB Sevens, the Super 14 panels and the warm-up matches in the Super 14.

It's over to our readers this time. They have their say. Just before they do one tiny word.

You would have thought as the world calms down for Christmas that the rugby would have been filled with love and warmth. Instead it has been more like frantic Christmas shopping than joining the shepherds on a starry Bethlehem night.

We hope that it is a time of peace for all referees of goodwill - for all men of goodwill, in fact. And that it is a happy time for individuals and families and groups all over the world. But our good wishes go out especially to 'match officials', the men of goodwill who make rugby orderly.

Wow, what a weekend that was! The last-gasp wins in Swansea and Bourgoin, Wasps' destruction of the team that beat them soundly just seven days before, the video call in Watford, and the apparent punches and niggles in Cardiff.

Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.

Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.

Northampton got Round Four of the European Challenge Cup underway with a classy 22-7 victory in Narbonne on Friday night; Bayonne bagged a predictable 45-6 win over Bucuresti.

We deal with a few incidents based on last weekend's Heineken Cup matches and then discuss some questions from readers.

The South African referees' management with the assessors have just announced their panels for 2006. Jonathan Kaplan is, unsurprisingly, in top spot. Some of the younger referees who have performed well during 2005 have earned promotion.

We are going to look at some incidents from the Heineken Cup this past weekend but really make retaliation and the retaliator the focus of our attention. It is an interesting topic. We shall deal with it on its own and then talk about other things.

Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.

Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.

Brive are currently lying third in their Pool, seven points behind leaders Newcastle and two behind Borders, but they have played both their away matches against the top two teams.

It's Round 4 of Heineken and Challenge Cups, a repeat of Round 3 but with venues changed.

Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.

Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.

Bristol kept their European dreams alive with a valuable win over Viadana in Italy as the third round of the European Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.

What happens when the television match official cannot see the grounding of the ball? It happened more than once in the last weekend of November.

Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.

Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.

Gloucester play the first of two crucial back-to-back European Challenge Cup matches against Toulon on Saturday, looking for the two wins that will almost certainly pave their way into the quarter-finals.

Incredible as it seems, we have run out of Test matches. There are still the Sevens in George and the big European competitions get into action again.

Andrew Cole of Australia has decided to retire from refereeing at the age of 45 after an illustrious career.

The European Rugby Cup has announced the referees for Round 4 of the Heineken Cup and of the Challenge Cup, starting on 16 December.

We are going to look at some incidents from the final weekend of Tests for November 2005. The matches watched were England vs Samoa, France vs South Africa, Ireland vs Australia, Italy vs Fiji, Scotland vs New Zealand and Wales vs Australia.

After the flurry of Tests, things look almost quiet this weekend with one in Buenos Aires and the last of the FIRA-AER Tests for this year as rugby in the freezing cold hibernates.

For the last weekend of November Tests, while saluting the All Blacks for their successful campaign, we go to mundane things and look at six Tests, their stats and then later certain incidents, including a funny "drop".

There has been a change of referee for Saturday’s Test between Scotland and New Zealand at Murrayfield.

The cold snap has hit Europe but the heat of Tests continues unabated and so, too, the discussion and banter that are so much part of sport's fun.

It seems likely that it will be the day in Edinburgh when New Zealand clinch their Grand Slam.

As we are doing throughout this month, wherever we can, we give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.

Playing fullback for South Africa against Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, Percy Montgomery was given two yellow cards. Two yellow cards in the same match meant that he was sent off. Being sent off meant having to go to an inquiry, probably on Wednesday. We look at the sins of Percy.

The world's papers are unanimous in their verdict of New Zealand's 23-19 victory over England at Twickenham - 'an epic'. And they are pretty sure who the star of the show was - the 'sublime' Daniel Carter. But opinions were divided as to the actual worth of England's efforts and the role of the officials...

Syd Millar, the chairman of the International Rugby Board, announced that New Zealand would host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He also said, in an interview, that the process had been transparent.

The spear tackle is not going to die and in fact judgement/sentence still awaits Ma'a Nonu who was cited for a dangerous tackle of the spear variety when Ireland played New Zealand.

We have already given the statistics for the second weekend in November and have discussed the prickly matter of the spear tackle. Now we are going to look at some incidents from six matches, including a penalty try at Murrayfield and a mark at Twickenham.

There are Tests again this weekend and a United Nations of referees all over Europe - and goal judges in Bucharest.

Ma'a Nonu has been cited for his tackle on Gordon D'Arcy in which the New Zealand centre lifted the Irish centre off his feet. D'Arcy fell to ground and received treatment. The referee spoke to Nonu and penalised him. We shall discuss this - and four other cases over the weekend. Four! At least four.

As we shall do throughout this month, wherever we can, we shall give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.

Tests have broken out again in November, their intensity to be increased in the second week when the invasion of Europe takes place in earnest.

After a period of great Scottish refereeing with the likes of Brian Anderson and Jim Fleming, Scottish refereeing has been a bit thin. But there are great hopes for young Peter Allan who referees his first Test on Saturday.

The IRB Sevens circuit starts in Dubai on 1-2 December and then moves down to George 9-10 December. Of course, referees have been appointed, mainly the same set for both tournaments.

Jonathan Kaplan will be come South Africa's most capped referee when he breaks the record held by André Watson at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. And congratulations to Peter Allen of Scotland who will be refereeing his very first Test!

On Saturday, when Ireland play New Zealand, Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa will referee his 28th Test, thus breaking the record he held jointly with André Watson.

Tomáš Tuma of the Czech Republic was appointed - late - to referee the Intercontinental match between Georgia and Uruguay in Tbilissi. He tells his story.

The IRB's top referees and some top coaches from around the world met at the Lensbury Club at Teddington, London, last week for discussions on the application of the Laws of the Game.

As we shall do throughout this month wherever we can, we shall give some statistics on each match with some comparisons from match to match.

Round 2 of the Heineken Cup has just been played with all that high drama in High Wycombe. We shall discuss some incidents from the weekend, including the last action of that match and an interesting scrum award earlier in the match.

Not that other rugby stops, but the focus of attention this month is on the international matches, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, and this week there is already an outbreak of such matches, from Tokyo to Buenos Aires, and the European Nations Cup - the Six Nations B - kicks off this weekend as well. And there are CAR semi-finals.

Gloucester have handed Henry Paul a final written warning and have fined him three weeks' wages after he missed three successive training sessions earlier this month.

Gloucester have handed Henry Paul a final written warning and have fined him three weeks' wages after he missed three successive training sessions earlier this month.

Steve Strydom died in Cape Town on 28 November 2005 after a great life in sport, especially in the rugby, after a brave, nine-year battle against cancer.

Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...

Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...

Connacht got Round Two of the European Challenge Cup with a fine win over Montpellier in France. Narbonne hit back for France with a victory in Italy - but it wasn't easy...

Unorthodox official Glynn James reaches an astonishing rugby landmark when he takes charge of his 3,000th game in Cambridge next month.

For the third week we have had problems with unwarranted interference by non-players with a match in progress.

Nineteen of the top referees on the IRB international panels will meet at the Lensbury Conference Centre, London, on 2-3 November to discuss current trends in the game and to look at ways to improve refereeing in crucial areas of the game.

André Watson, the only man to have refereed two Rugby World Cup Finals, has written his autobiography which makes its appearance now, at a time when books by rugby people seem fashionable.

They say there is no use crying over spilt milk. Yet the shadowy marketing figures lurking in the lucrative wake of Gavin Henson and Brian O'Driscoll's glittering careers - among others - appear to be encouraging their 'products' to set off a bomb in a dairy and then check in for a year's post-traumatic stress counselling.

Inspired by the example set by some of rugby's finest players, our editor has decided to publish a warts-and-all account of life in the Planet Rugby offices.

Tappe Henning, one of South Africa's first group of full-time referees, has decided to end his Test career when he referees the match between Italy and Fiji in Milan on 26 November. It will be his 21st Test.

As the Southern Hemisphere closes down for some serious aestivating and heads for beaches, the Northern Hemisphere gets more and more serious about their rugby.

We are looking at some incidents in the NPC final, the Currie Cup final and some Heineken Cup matches as a way of refreshing our knowledge of the laws in action.

There were two big finals in the Southern Hemisphere - the NPC in Auckland and the Currie Cup in Pretoria. We look at some statistical comparisons between the two.

Pat Sanderson's quest for a third European Challenge Cup medal got off to a flying start as Worcester bagged a good win over Montpellier. Elsewhere, the Falcons hammered Brive and Gloucester conquered Bayonne. We review all the Round One action...

Pat Sanderson's quest for a third European Challenge Cup medal got off to a flying start as Worcester bagged a good win over Montpellier. Elsewhere, the Falcons hammered Brive and Gloucester conquered Bayonne. We review all the Round One action...

Pat Sanderson's quest for a third European Challenge Cup medal got off to a flying start as Worcester bagged a good win over Montpellier. Elsewhere, the Falcons hammered Brive and Gloucester conquered Bayonne. We review all the Round One action...

The Blue Bulls and the Cheetahs, a.k.a. Northern Transvaal and Orange Free State, have met in five finals. The Blue Bulls have won them all.

As the 2005 NPC  prepares for the grand final in Auckland, we give the results of finals since 1992 when the first final was held.

Steve Walsh of North Harbour has been appointed to referee the final of the 2005 NPC when Auckland play Otago at Eden Park on Saturday. Not surprisingly he is happy about the appointment.

Steve Walsh has been appointed to referee the 2005 NPC final between Auckland and Otago.

In our most recent Law discussion we discussed a reader's comments about a conversion kick by Andy Goode of Leicester Tigers which was part of their scoring in their drawn match with the Newcastle Falcons. We are, with help, going to look at it again.

New Zealand international referee Steve Walsh has been sidelined by the International Rugby Board (IRB) following a complaint made by the British & Irish Lions about an incident when he was a touch judge in the tourists' match against Taranaki in June.

There are really big ones in New Zealand and South Africa with the playing of the finals of the NPC and the Currie Cup. In Europe the Heineken Cup and the Challenge Cup get going. And Greece will be playing its first rugby international.

We are going to deal with our weekly law discussion earlier than perhaps is usual, only because we have had so much comment on an incident - a critical one - in the Celtic League match between Connacht and the Ospreys this past weekend.

Jonathan Kaplan, one of the world's top referees, has been appointed to referee the 2005 Currie Cup final. It will be his second.

Jonathan Kaplan becomes just the eighth referee in South Africa's rugby history to have refereed more than one Currie Cup Final. In fact only 22 referees have refereed finals. But then there have been only 44 finals.

Again we take some questions from readers, all of them practical, all of them interesting, all of them sharpening up our knowledge and practice of the Laws of the Game.

Canterbury and Otago have never met in an NPC semi-final but Auckland and North Harbour have done so three times.

The Cheetahs and Western Province have met three times in semi-finals, each time at Newlands where they meet this week for the fourth time in semi-finals.

The Currie Cup and the NPC head go into knock-out stages with all those crunch decisions for referees. In Ireland the All Ireland League kicks off.

There were not always semi-finals in the NPC, New Zealand's premier domestic competition. Originally there was just a league system. Semi-finals, and finals, only began in 1992, after 16 years of a league system.

Northern Transvaal, as the Blue Bulls were before they changed their name, were born out of the Transvaal, as the Golden Lions were before their name-change, in 1938.

Many matches are being beamed around the world but there have been no universally high profile matches of late. Still readers have written in to keep our minds ticking over brightly.

At a meeting in Melrose on Thursday night the Border Rugby Referees' Society decided to withdraw from refereeing this weekend in protest against the Scottish Rugby Union's decision to scrap the post of Referees' Development Officer for the Border area.

The strike of the Border referees, agreed amongst referees on Thursday for this weekend, has been suspended pending talks with the Scottish Rugby Union.

It was the biggest semi-final shock in Currie Cup history - September 29, 1984 in hot and humid Durban.

There is a massive clash in New Zealand this weekend when Auckland meet titleholders Canterbury in the last round of the NPC in a match which doubles as a Ranfurly Shield match.

The Currie Cup has been in competition since 1892. For nearly 50 years there were no finals. For nearly 80 years there were no semi-finals. Now they are a part of our lives.

This weekend sees a relaxation in tension as the semi-finalists are decided and so are, barring a miracle of the Lazarus kind, the home venues. Semi-finals have not always been with us - not by a long chalk. In fact they are not even 40 years old.

In a repeat of an FNB Classic Clash earlier this year Zweliyandila met Ntsonkotha in the final of the Dennis Botha Tournament in Mdantsane, East London, on Friday, 30 September.

The European Cup has announced the appointments of referees for the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup till December.

The new Powergen Cup, for England's premiership clubs and Wales's regions, starts this week. And there are World Cup qualifiers, and lots of refereeing activity.

With only one round of the South African Under-19 tournament left, there are just two unbeaten sides - the Golden Lions and Western Province.

It was the first final of the Lions Cup and Free Sate were the first winners, beating Transvaal at the brand new Ellis Park 24-12.

It was just the third year of the Lion Cup and Free State's third final but Naas Botha was lying in wait.

Chris Micklewood of Westville Boys' High, KwaZulu Natal and South Africa is our FNB Player of the Week.

There are no Tests for big people but lots of enthusiastic rugby as the Australians get close to Grand Finals, the NPC and the Currie Cup breathe fire and the clubs get more and more excited in Europe - in fact too excited in Biarritz last weekend. And the South American B Championship sgtarts.

In the absence of universally watched big matches we are going to talk about some questions from readers, one of which is odd.

With much thought and searching, questioning and weighing, we have produced the final FNB Top 20 for 2005. In the end Hoërskool Monument of Krugersdorp are again out on top, as they have been all season.

When Western Province go to Loftus Versfeld, fur is sure to fly. Certainly emotions will not be muted. It is a day to pick sides and do it with all your strength.

There will be two Tests in Africa this weekend in the Confederation of African Rugby's Top 9. Spain and the Arabian Gulf start their competitions.

Rob Debney has been named England's sixth full-time referee, a move welcomed by Ed Morrison.

The IRB has announced the match officials for the November Tests in Europe.

The IRB has announced the appointments of match officials for the 2006 RBS Six Nations. Dave Pearson of England, newly promoted to the A Panel, gets his first RSB Six Nations match.

Dave Pearson of England, Bryce Lawrence of New Zealand, Marius Jonker of South Africa and George Ayoub of Australia have all received promotion in the newly announced IRB Match Official Panels.

After all the excitement of internationals on all continents from February on, we actually have an hiatus and a chance to say Whew! It means that referees will have a better chance to catch up on home life for a while!

Conraad Britz of Oakdale Landbou, South Western Districts and South Africa is our FNB Player of the Week.

The finals of Die Burger's competition were played at Outeniqua Park in George on Saturday. Outeniqua of George, Worcester Gim and Itembelihle of Port Elizabeth won.

Not surprisingly Bishops won the popular Villager Sevens. What was surprising is that Reddam won the plate.

The All Blacks did what was expected of them in beating the Wallabies but the Wallabies proved that, injuries notwithstanding, they have the ability and character, to be up there with the best.

Outeniqua who won the Media24 competition last year added the new trophy, organised by Die Burger this year when they beat Drostdy in the final.

Outeniqua of George, winners in 2004 of the Media24 trophy, became the first winners of the new competition organised by Die Burger when they beat HTS Drostdy of Worcester 24-9 at Outeniqua Park in George on Saturday afternoon.

From our Law Discussion earlier this week, a reader spoke about communication from the stand to the field.

The fixture list for the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup has been announced, with Agen set to play their 50th match in the competition when they travel to Parma on October 22.

The fixture list for the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup has been announced, with Agen set to play their 50th match in the competition when they travel to Parma on October 22.

There was hardly any schools rugby beyond the Southern Cape fringe this past weekend. But there was a bit one in the strong Port Elizabeth winds.

It's the final match of the Tri-Nations with New Zealand looking like winners. Elsewhere the Celtic League, the English, Italian and the Welsh leagues swing into action.

As predicted by www.fnbclassicclashes.co.za Wynberg Boy’s High beat South African College High School (SACS) 8-3 at Wynberg on Saturday afternoon. In a reversal of the first round fixture once again it was the home team that triumphed.

What a clash in Dunedin! It really was gripping stuff. We now give some stats, discuss briefly an incident which provoked many questions and answer some readers' questions.

The fixture list for the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup has been announced, with Agen set to play their 50th match in the competition when they travel to Parma on October 22.

Byron Godfrey, fullback for Monument and the Golden Lions, is our FNB Player of the Week - a young man of enormous potential.

Bishops beat Rondebosch 14-12 at Rondebosch on Saturday as the two close neighbours brought the curtain down on the 2005 season.

The six semi-finals for the new competition for schools organised by Die Burger were played on Saturday, producing the finalists in the Bog Schools, Medium Schools and Small Schools categories.

There are very few results this week and there will be even fewer next week.

South Africa has never won a Test at Carisbrook in Dunedin. They will be at it again this Saturday, the Springboks in hope of making history.

In the last match for each side for 2005, close neighbours and keen rivals Rondebosch and Bishops meet at Rondebosch on Saturday morning.

Schoonspruit and Wesbank, both keen rugby schools in Malmesbury, meet in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday three matches were played to decide who would represent Eastern Province in Die Burger's new competition for Big, Medium and Small schools

The traditional end-of-season clash between arguably the two oldest schools in South Africa, Wynberg Boy’s High and the South African College High School (SACS), promises a hard-fought affair and certainly one brim full of emotion.

Marlow Landbou from just outside Cradock beat Cradock High Schools 18-7 in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.

There are many observant readers and they, bless them, bring up interesting topics for us to discuss on matters of law - from what they have seen of the laws in action.

Wesbank of Malmesbury play their derby match against Schoonspruit of Malmesbury on Saturday, an FNB Classic Clash. Gerrit Dixon captains Wesbank.

Schoonspruit of Malmesbury play Wesbank of Malmesbury in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday, an exciting derby for the Boland town.

Schoonspruit Senior Secondary is a big school in Malmesbury in the peaceful heart of the Boland wheatlands.

In a peculiar quirk of fate, New Zealand's three top referees are all injured and out of action for this weekend!

Monnas won the Beeld Trophy for the 1st XVs of Big Schools, but there were other winners - Medium Schools, Small Schools, Under-16, Under-15 and Under-14 on the gigantic Saturday last week.

Joël Jutge, with a multinational support team, has the big match at Carisbrook in Round 5 of the Tri-Nations this weekend.

The Queen’s College 1st XV ended their season with a conclusive 23-13 victory over traditional rivals Dale College, in King William’s Town on Saturday afternoon, to secure the “double”, after a 17-6 victory in Queenstown earlier in the season.

The third week and a huge crowd in Perth to see South Africa score a victory that was both gritty and opportunistic.

Rondebosch beat SACS 17-3 in Saturday's wintry sunshine.

There is a little change in the FNB Top 20 this week. For one thing Noord-Kaap of Kimberley make their first appearance.

Monument won the Beeld Trophy for the very first time when they beat Waterkloof 30-17 in Pretoria on Saturday.

Grey Bloem, with the freshening wind at their backs in the second half, came from behind to beat Paul Roos 16-11 in an FNB Classic Clash at the Markötter Field in Stellenbosch on Saturday afternoon.

Adelaide Gymnasium won their FNB Classic Clash when they beat Winterberg Landbou of Fort Beaufort 13-6 in Adelaide on a perfect Saturday afternoon.

The 12 teams for the semi-finals of Die Burger's new schools competition have now been finalised.

Jenny Bentel, South Africa's first and only women's Test referee, has become the first woman appointed to a men's provincial match.

Jimmy Stonerhouse, great and experienced schoolmaster and coach, speaks of Pieter Meyer, our FNB Player of the week, in glowing terms - as a person, as a leader and as a player.

It's a final to crown a new Beeld Trophy winner and, being a final anything can happen an two of South Africa's top schools meet - Monument and Waterkloof, Monnas and Klofies.

Winterberg Landbou travel the 28 km into Adelaide to play the Gymnasium in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.

Cradock High play Marlow Landbou from just 10 km outside Cradock in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday. It is a great occasion for the town.

Darryn Lentoor is the captain of Adelaide Gimnasium who play on Saturday their big Interschools - against Winterberg Landbou 37 km down the road to the east - an FNB Classic Clash.

Cradock High play Marlow Landbou from just outside Cradock in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday, a great occasion.

Charl Marais, not a man of many words, is a leader. He is headboy of Winterberg Agricultural School, head of the koshuis and captain of the 1st XV as it prepares for its FNB Classic Clash with Adelaide Gimnasium on Saturday.

There was no repeat of 2004 when Grey played Selborne in Port Elizabeth. This time Grey won 62-3, scoring nine tries.

Paul Roos play their final game of the season on Saturday against Grey College from Bloemfontein, an FNB Classic Clash. Jacques Southey is the third player to captain Paul Roos Gimnasium 1stXV this season.

Grey College Bloemfontein is arguably South Africa’s premier rugby school. Captaining the Grey College First XV is an honour bestowed on few and one happily accepted by born-and-bred Free Stater Coenraad Pieterse.

There were few matches but some startling results which affect our 15th FNB Top 20 of the season.

Queen's College of Queenstown beat Cambridge of East London 77-3 in Queenstown on Saturday.

Alain Rolland has the fourth Tri-Nations match for 2005 at Subiaco Oval in Perth, a match South Africa would enter with hope, Australia with desperation.

Marlow Landbou captain Stean Vorster in better known to all in Marlow as Dexter. As he approaches the biggest game of the season and his life on Saturday, he will be hoping that he is remembered at Marlow for more than just his name.

Down at half-time in the East London wind, Daniël Pienaar came back with the wind at their backs to beat Port Rex 40-13 in Saturday

There will be a new holder of the Beeld Trophy for Big Schools after Saturday's final between Waterkloof of Pretoria and Monument of Krugersdorp.

Muir College of Uitenhage beat Graeme College of Grahamstown 35-28 on Saturday, a rare victory for Muir and enjoyed all the more for being rare.

The third week and a huge crowd in Sydney to see New Zealand score a convincing victory as Australia picked up more injuries.

Bishops beat SACS 26-7 at SACS in a match that may date back to 1862, making it one of the oldest rugby fixtures in the world..

With the Wallabies reeling form three consecutive defeats, Jeremy Balkin - a reader from Australia - reflects on what went wrong and what needs putting right.

The surprise result of the weekend was Paul Roos's win - and a big one - over Paarl Gim, just Gimmies' second defeat of the season.

Weltevrede beat Bergrivier 12-8 at the Boland Stadium on Saturday afternoon in an FNB Classic Clash, the big Wellington derby.

Grey High marched up from Port Elizabeth to East London and beat Selborne. That is no guarantee that they will beat then in the return match in Port Elizabeth.

Warren Bell, the outstanding sportsman at Grey High in Port Elizabeth, is our FNB Player of the Week this week. Sadly, it looks as if rugby will lose him.

On Wednesday afternoon SACS played host to Millfield Schools from Somerset, England, and beat them 31-7.

For the second Saturday in recent times the Faure Street Sportsground will host a big Interschools, an FNB Classic Clash. This time the contesting teams are Klein Nederburg and New Orleans.

Klein Nederburg play great Paarl rivals New Orelans in an FNB Classic Clash at Faure Street Sportsgrounds on Saturday. Audrin van Schoor captains Klein Nederburg.

On Saturday Bergrivier and Weltevrede play in the big Wellington derby at Boland Stadium, an FNB Classic Clash, which will be televised.

Bergrivier play Weltevrede in the big Wellington derby on Saturday, an FNB Classic Clash which will be broadcast on national television. Ryan Mouton captains Bergrivier.

Weltevrede Hoërskool is a relatively new school situated in beautiful Wellington, a big school that was born big.

You drop down into beautiful Wellington in a comfortable basin amidst mountains, just beyond Paarl, about 72 km from Cape Town. People have lived their since the Stone Age, one hopes as happily as they do now.

Weltevrede of Wellington play rivals Bergrivier at Boland Stadium in an FNB Classic Clash and the captain of Weltevrede is Christo Fransman.

Herschall Collins, still in Std 9, is the captain of New Orleans and will lead them out onto Faure Street Ground this Saturday in an FNB Classic Clash.

Monument beat Affies with their powerful pack to advance to the semi-finals of the Beeld Trophy for Big Schools.

The Tri-Nations goes into Round 3 with a desperate match for the Wallabies and the All Blacks who both need a win. In New Zealand the NPC starts, as Europe continues to warm up.

There are two readers who have asked questions about the law and how it pertained to Jean de Villiers's intercept in the Tri-Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday. They are worth discussing as they fall into the "new to me" category!

Two tense Tri-Nations matches are over now. We give some statistics and some comment about the one at Newlands between South Africa and New Zealand, give some comparative statistics from the first match, between South Africa and Australia, and comment on some incidents.

In the final game of their season, Maritzburg College beat Glenwood 30-7 on Goldstone's on Saturday.

Johan van Deventer, Monument's industrious flank is our FNB Player of the Week this week.

The number of schools rugby matches has dwindled in many parts of South Africa but there were still some big ones.

The Hangklip 1st XV pulled off a surprise victory over an out-of-sorts Queen’s team, in a bruising encounter played on the Rec on Thursday afternoon.

Daniël Pienaar of Uitenhage beat Despatch 45-3 on Thursday.

Andrew Cole is a quiet man, slight of build, gentle of speech and he is the man responsible for seeing orderly, sporting behaviour between two of rugby's greatest rivals, South Africa and New Zealand at Newlands in the second Tri-Nations encounter of 2005, his second huge match this year.

There was every sincere intention of dealing with readers' questions earlier and it is happening now. The incidents may have faded in the minds but the law principles stay worthwhile.

It's going to be tough, exciting, and close at the Botanics Sportsground in Graaff-Reinet on Saturday when the Volkskool and Union High meet in their Interschools, an FNB Classic Clash.

Hoërskool Outeniqua of George, the Kwaggas, beat Hoërskool Oudtshoorn, the Struisies, 38-13 in their annual Interschools in George on Saturday, this year an FNB Classic Clash.

Union High play near neighbours Volkskool in an FNB Classic Clash in lovely Graaff-Reinet on Saturday. Flank Pierre van Schalkwyk is the captain - and more - of Union High.

On Saturday in Graaff-Reinet, Volkskool play their close neighbours Union High in an FNB Classic Clash. Flank Ettiene Terblanché is the captain of Volkskool.

Recent results have helped to plot the way forward for teams still involved in Beeld Trophy matches in the three divisions.

On Saturday, AJ Ferreira of Upington beat neighbours Carlton-Van Heerden 14-5 to win the FNB Classic Clash on a day of great festivity.

There have been tough matches in the schools this term - those in Northvaal highly competitive. It is tough at the top of the FNB Top 20.

Andrew Cole of Australia jets into Cape Town for the second Tri-Nations match, this time between South Africa and New Zeraland. Eva Mafi of Tonga jets into Rauratonga for the decider of the Weast Zone of the Oceania World Cup Qualifiers.

On Saturday in King William's Town Dale beat Daniël Pienaar of Uitenhage 27-21 after the visitors had led 15-14 at half-time.

In Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon Grey Bloem, 150 years old this year, beat Grey PE, 149 years old this year, 22-16, scoring four tries to one.

In a fiercely contested derby encounter played against Selborne at the Rec on Saturday afternoon, Queen’s emerged as worthy 14-3 winners after leading narrowly by 6-3 at half-time.

Tri-Nations kicked off with a tense affair at Loftus Versfeld where South Africa beat Australia 22-16 but did so only late in the match.

Maritzburg College took its school up over the Drakensburg to play Pretoria Boys' High in Pretoria on Satuirday. The College 1st XV won at tight 7-6.

There were three FNB Classic Clashes this weekend, amongst many other matches of serious important. Even if fewer schools are playing there are quality matches all over the country.

Bishops beat Drostdy of Worcester 33-5 on the Piley Rees Field at Bishops on Saturday as they recovered their rugby legs from the holiday excesses that had destroyed them in the second half against Paarl Gim the previous Saturday.

The South African Academy side beat the South African Schools side 30-24 in the lunchtime match at Loftus on Saturday, a curtainraiser to the Tri-Nations Test. The Academy thoroughly deserved the victory.

Rugby matches do not come bigger for schoolboys than the Interschools when Paarl Gim play Paarl Boys' High, and Van Zyl Vorster has the responsibility of leading Gimmies in this FNB Classic Clash.

Grey College of Bloemfontein, celebrating their 150th birthday, entertain Grey High of Port Elizabeth who celebrate their 150th birthday next year. They are two of South Africa's top schools and their rugby rivalry is one of the keenest in South Africa.

There is not a bigger schools match in South Africa for a captain than Interschools in the Paarl. This year De Kock Steenkamp is captaining Paarl Boys' High at the FNB Classic Clash when Paarl Boys' High meet Paarl Gim. And he is looking forward to it

In Northvaal, rugby competitions are important. Each province has it s own then the Battle for the Beeld starts.

South African Schools beat the touring France Under-18 side 52-13 at Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria on Tuesday. The South Africans scored eight tries to one.

Hoërskool Oudtshoorn plays Hoërskool Outeniqua of George in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday, and the captain of Oudtshoorn is Louw Kemp.

Oudtshoorn are about to come down over the Outeniqua Pass to George to play Outeniqua in an FNB Classic Clash on Saturday, Kwaggas against Struisies. Scrumhalf Jaco Colyn captains Outeniqua.

The Tri-Nations starts in Pretoria with the third match between Australia and South Africa.

The dust of Craven Week has settled, and many schools are back with all the fun and enthusiasm of schools rugby. After the first weekend of rugby for most, we produce our FNB Top 20.

Maritzburg College beat Michaelhouse of Balgowan 27-20 on Goldstone's at College on Saturday.

At half-time in Paarl  on  Saturday the home side led by a penalty - 3-0. SACS had effectively closed down all their scoring opportunities.

The match between Port Rex and Queen’s played in East London on Saturday failed to meet expectations and was characterised by poor finishing from both sides.  Queen’s did, however, manage to score three good tries and deservedly won 22-0.

After Australia had South Africa 30-12 at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, South Africa turned the tables and beat Australia 33-20 at Ellis Park.  We give some statistics and discuss incidents.

After the excitement of Craven week, schools rugby is back in action with the new term, and Paarl Gim kicked off with a massive win.

Fairly new, certainly smart, pleasantly leafy Hoërskool Pionier in Vryheid can lay claim to being the top rugby school in Northern Natal, but now suffering from the fading interest in the game in the area.

In 1991 there were 22 rugby provinces in South Africa. Then came unity and the number of players grew. In 1997 the number of provinces was reduced to 14. This has affected the schools as well.

Each year there is much excitement when the Struisies play the Kwaggas, i.e. the high schools of Oudtshoorn and George meet, on the rugby field.

The Garden Town of Uitenhage on the banks of the Swartkops River is not far from Port Elizabeth and the sea, an important railway centre which is better known for its automotive industry.

The IRB gave various countries experiments to perform on possible law changes. Argentina was given the scrum, South Africa the line-outs.

The Eastern Province Rugby Football Union has been plunged into disgraceful turmoil, but disunion is nothing new for Eastern Province. Paul Dobson looks at the past troubles in Eastern Cape rugby.

Daniël Pienaar of Uitenhage is the oldest technical school in South Africa - a big school of great achievement, and the achievements include rugby football.

Dewald Potgieter is a young man of enormous talent, and he is the captain of the South African Schools side.

Queenstown, in the midst of dramatic Catberg mountains, was founded by Lieutenant-General Sir George Cathcart in 1853 as a farming centre, especially for sheep farmers, and laid out in a hexagon for easier defence in the Border Wars.  Patriotic Englishman he named the town for his sovereign, Queen Victoria. His own name survives in the town of Cathcart southeast of Queenstown under the Windvoëlberg.

We profile Aliwal North High School - Hoërskool Aliwal-Noord.

Heinrich Olinger is the captain of Aliwal North High School who are preparing to play Hoërskool Hangklip in an FNB Classic Clash in Queenstown on Saturday.

There is a big celebration at Ellis Park when South Africa plays Australia and the world celebrates the 87th birthday of one of the world's great men, Nelson Mandela. The birthday is actually on 18 July but rugby will celebrate it on Saturday. On Sunday rugby runners started to carry a torch from Robben Island to Saturday's match.

Andy Turner, the CEO of the Golden Lions RFU, is to ask South African Rugby to explain the selection of the South African Schools side.

Two leading rival schools in Grahamstown, St Andrew’s College and Kingswood College, faced each other for the 116th time in history in the highly anticipated St Andrew’s College/Kingswood Derby Day on 16 July. St Andrew's won 31-5.

The South African Schools selectors have named the South African Schools and the South African Academy sides. The Golden Lions who gave by some way the best performances of the Craven week have just one player in the SA Schools side - Giant Nkosi of St Stithians.

the Craven Week 2005 is over. The last match at Grey College in Bloemfontein was between Eastern Province and the Golden Lions,

The 2005 Craven Week draws to a close in at Grey College in Bloemfontein on Saturday with a final match between Eastern Province and Golden Lions.

On Saturday, the 2005 Craven Week will come to an end when Eastern Province play the Golden Lions at Grey College in Bloemfontein. Then the selectors will choose two teams.

Eastern Province play Golden Lions in the showpiece main match of the 2005 Craven Week in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The main match is reserved for the teams regarded as having performed the best at Craven Week, which is why many see it as a final.

The wind blew again as Bloemfontein warmed up from a night below freezing for Day 4 of the 42nd Craven Week. The day ended witha brilliant performnace by Eastern Province who scored four tries to nil against KwaZulu Natal.

Ben Skeen of Auckland and Garratt Williamson of Wellington have been added to the list of National Referees chosen by selectors Bob Francis, Tom Doocey, Stuart Beissel and Glenn Wahlstrom.

It seems almost strange to have just one Test on the weekend and that is in Nuku-alofa as the second leg of the home-and-away Pacific Tri-Nations continues.

After arriving at Kingswood from Paul Roos in 2005, Gerber Basson was almost immediately elected as the Kingswood College 1st XV Captain. At 121 kilograms, he is a powerhouse of a tighthead prop. After his scrumming ability, his mobility is his greatest asset.

Boland on a big comeback on Day 3 of the 2005 Craven Week at Grey College in Bloemfontein.

Limpopo and Namibia opened the day in a strange match. But the day ended with two thrillers, one won by KwaZulu Natal, the other a draw when West met East.

On Saturday Chase Minnaar of St Andrew's College will lead his team out onto Lower Field for the Big Match of the year, for it will be K Day - the day Kingswood and St Andrew's meet, the greatest event in the Grahamstown calendar apart from the Grahamstown Festival which is just over.

The two teams which emerged looking strongest on Day 1 of the 2005 Craven Week being played in Bloemfontein, have been pitted against each other on Day 3.

On Thursday, Day 4 of the 2005 Craven Week being played in Bloemfontein, there are some thrilling matches.

The 42nd Craven Week kicks off at Grey College in Bloemfontein on Monday, 11 July.

Border Country Districts did what they had seldom done before - they won a match and, to their credit, they came back when they looked well beaten to do so. The big clash of the day was between Free State and the Golden Lions, which the latter won handsomely.

Australia defeated South Africa 30-12 at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night, scoring five tries to nil. We give some statistics and discuss four incidents in terms of the Laws of the Game.

At the end the Lions' third Test defeat to New Zealand, Sir Clive Woodward prowled the Eden Park pitch with his reputation in tatters but sporting the bravest of smiles.

New Zealand beat the Lions 38-19 at wet Eden Park in Auckland. This completed a whitewash of record proportions for the All Blacks over the Lions.

Craven Week, the greatest schoolboy rugby tournament in the world, seems to have been around forever. But like all things, it had a birth. It was a healthy birth but not universally welcomed. There were those who thought it a bad idea.

The Falcons are the unofficial champions of the Under-13 Craven Week played in Potchefstroom after they beat Western Province in the main match at Olën Park on Friday.

South Africa played France twice in South Africa and then Australia played them in Australia, all in successive weeks - a tough time for the Frenchman just finished with their fierce club championship.

Retiring Test referee Nigel Williams has fired a warning to the players and administrators as he retires from refereeing at the top of the game.

The South African Special Schools Craven Week is taking place at Tshwane University this week.

Nigel Williams of Wales refereed the Test between Australia and France on Brisbane. When he blew the final whistle he also ended his illustrious refereeing career.

We have had criticism of referees on the Lions' tour, a lot of it vague, some of it wrong, much uncharitable, very little unbiased. It may just be worthwhile looking at the volume of the referee's work during 80 hectic minutes on the field.

The Lions kept their unbeaten record intact in midweek matches when they beat Auckland 17-13 on Tuesday evening.

It was Day 2 of the Under-13 Craven Week being played in Potchefstroom with several big scores.

The Under-13 Craven Week started in warm weather in Potchefstroom. The matches were all played at Olën Park, the headquarters of the Leopards Rugby Union.

The fun of the Lions' tour ends on Saturday with all the interest it has attracted. What are we going to talk about next week? And it ends at Eden Park with Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa to referee the match.

New Zealand beat the Lions 48-18 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. It is the highest score against the Lions ever.

Andrew Cole is the man in the hot seat this weekend as the Lions play New Zealand in the second Test in the wake of so much acrimony after the first Test in which he was a touch judge.