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Cheetahs and Southern Kings could be in Pro12 by September

cheetah

The BBC are reporting today that Super Rugby franchises the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings could be competing in the Pro12 as early as this September.

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Both the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings are expected to be cut from Super Rugby along with at least one Australian franchise.

The South African franchises will learn their fate on July 7th.

However reports from the BBC suggest that they could be integrated into the Pro12 in time for the new season.

What the structure of the new look competition would look like is unclear, but it is speculated that a two conference league could be a solution for an inflated Pro12.

The Pro12 has also held preliminary talks with the German Rugby Union – Deutscher Rugby-Verband (DRV) – about the German national team gaining entry into the league, a move that would appeal to the Pro12 who have made no secret of their desire to expand into new territories and to tap new revenue sources.

When South African rugby stakeholder Tony McKeever revealed in April that he had held discussions with Pro12 CEO Martin Anayi with regards to adding The Cheetahs and Kings to the PRO 12, few took the matter seriously.

However fresh reports today have added fuel to speculation that such a move is both possible and indeed potentially imminent.

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The exact logistics of how a Super Rugby franchise based in South Africa – nearly 10,000km away – could compete in a competition based in Europe are also yet to be explained.

It is widely expected that two of South Africa’s Super Rugby franchises – the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs – are to be culled at the end of the season to streamline the current Super Rugby competition.

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Nickers 20 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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