Vern Cotter has extended his Scotland contract until 2017 in a major show of faith from the Scottish Rugby Union ahead of the World Cup.

Chris Robshaw admits England’s autumn outlook hinges on one final assault at Twickenham and failure against Australia would leave two months to stew over a dismal series.

Coach Heyneke Meyer has announced the South African team that will play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday in the first of Ireland’s Autumn rugby internationals.

South Africa prop Tendai Mtawarira was treated in hospital today after suffering mild heart palpitations.

South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer has entrusted 22-year-old Pat Lambie with flyhalf responsibilities for Saturday’s meeting with Ireland in the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm).

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South Africa coach Peter De Villiers will rely on the core of the squad that became world champions four years ago after naming his 30-man World Cup squad tonight.

South Africa 9 Australia 14

Juan Smith will captain South Africa when they take on the Barbarians next weekend in their final match of the season, it has been announced today.

WHAT odds Munster and Leinster topping their respective Heineken Cup pools of pain only two weeks ago when both were experiencing difficulties with form and injuries.

South Africa head coach Peter de Villiers has named 11 uncapped players in his preliminary 39-man training squad for their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Allister Coetzee insists there is no truth in reports of a planned coup involving himself and Jake White aimed at toppling national coach Peter de Villiers.

Front row pair BJ Botha and Tendai Mtawarira are among five player that have been dropped from the South Africa squad to face New Zealand in their Tri Nations encounter in Johannesburg on Saturday.

John Smit and Victor Matfield are among a group of 10 players to be awarded national contracts by the South African Rugby Union that will run until next year’s World Cup.

THE CLASH of the Northern Hemisphere grand slam winners and the Tri-Nations and world champions at Croke Park this afternoon assumes even greater significance now that both sides are able to field as close to full-strength as makes no difference.

Rob Kearney has warned South Africa that Ireland are ready to match them in the physicality stakes at Croke Park tomorrow.

BIGGER THAN the Lions, and bigger than the Tri-Nations decider. That’s how the visiting World Cup champion Springboks are looking at tomorrow’s clash with Ireland in Croke Park, according to assistant coach Gary Gold, who said yesterday that he “had not encountered anything as big as the build-up to Saturday . . . the pressure and expectations are bigger than they were before the first Lions Test in Durban or that final Tri-Nations clash in Hamilton.”

South Africa have made six changes for Saturday’s test at Croke Park against Ireland.

A WIN of any kind may seem to be a low benchmark for the world champions as they take on Italy, but such has been the disastrous nature of South Africa’s northern hemisphere tour that they are taking nothing for granted in Udine today (2pm Irish time).

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made four changes from the team beaten by France last weekend for Saturday’s clash with Italy in Udine.

WORLD champions South Africa suffered a second successive loss on their northern hemisphere tour as France triumphed in Toulouse last night.

CONFUSION surrounds the international future of South Africa prop Tendai Mtawarira after it emerged he may not be eligible to play for the Springboks.

SOUTH AFRICAN prop Tendai Mtawarira’s participation in tonight’s Test against France in Toulouse is in doubt due to ongoing confusion surrounding his citizenship.

SPRINGBOKS coach Peter de Villiers yesterday accused sections of the British and Irish Lions travelling press of trying to whip up unnecessary controversy during the current tour.

Peter de Villiers has made 10 changes to his South Africa side to face the British and Irish Lions in the third Test at Ellis Park on Saturday.

FOUR DAYS on, and that defeat in Pretoria is still pretty hard to take, especially from a smug South African support base who are slow to recognise the limitations within their own set up. Let’s face it; the Lions could have done with winning last Saturday or even in the circumstances holding on for the draw which their herculean efforts over the last two weekends have deserved.

IT COULD have been one of the greatest Lions victories of all time, in fact even a draw would have offered something tangible to play for in Johannesburg next Saturday. To lose that opportunity and the series as a whole to a last ditch penalty converted from five metres inside the opposition half makes the second Lions test defeat even more harrowing.

THIS is it. A week before schedule, the point of no return has been reached. A victory for the Springboks would signal mission accomplished and they could even make wholesale changes for the third and final test, downgrading its importance.

LUKE Fitzgerald was handed the biggest Test experience of his life when selected to play for the Lions against South Africa in Pretoria tomorrow, adding another amazing Irish chapter in the history of the touring side.

Adam Jones was told by Phil Vickery to “make sure you stuff him” after being picked to face ’The Beast’ in Saturday’s second Test against South Africa.

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Peter de Villiers has named three uncapped players in his South African XV to face a Namibian Invitational XV in Windhoek on Friday.

Scotland 10 South Africa 14

Bakkies Botha has been named in a full-strength South Africa XV for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

Bakkies Botha has been named in a full-strength South Africa XV for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers sprang several surprises when naming his 30-man squad for the Tests against Wales and Italy next month.