Learn Rugby 101 with the Philippine Volcanoes in ‘Us Girls’

Dubbed as the Volcanoes, the Philippine national rugby team is popularizing rugby football in the country as it continues to get international attention by crushing other countries’ squads.

Guest host Cesca Litton and the highly touted Volcanoes will give a crash course on rugby tomorrow (Sep 29) in “Us Girls.” Get to know the players and learn why the sport is starting to engage our athletic Kabarkadas.

Iya Villania, Angel Aquino, and Chesca Garcia-Kramer, on the other hand, will take you to an extraordinary restaurant that boasts a creative menu of celebrity-named dishes such as Pokwang Baboy, Rice Ganda, and Sam Milky.

Also, get to watch the exclusive unveiling of mom-to-be Chesca’s clothing line and get a sneak peek of beauty queen turned TV host Bianca Manalo’s “home away from home” or her very own car.

All these and more tomorrow (Sep 29) in “Us Girls,” 9:30 PM on Studio 23, or watch it online on http://www.studio23.tv.

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Rugby: South Africa beat Wales

By Gareth Roberts
BBC Sport Wales Tries: F Steyn, HougaardCons: M Steyn 2Pen: M Steyn Tries: FaletauCons: HookPens: Hook 3 Frans Steyn celebrates his opening try against Wales Reigning World Cup holders South Africa survived a huge scare in their defence opener as Wales ran them close in Wellington.

Warren Gatland's side took a 16-10 lead after 54 minutes through their only try, by Toby Faletau.

But Francois Hougaard's try and Morne Steyn's conversion killed Welsh hopes.

Hougaard's was one of two Springbok tries, Frans Steyn going over early on while Morne Steyn and James Hook kicked the rest of their side's points.

The pre-match hype belonged to a Welsh team never shy of expressing confidence that they could compete on equal terms with the Springboks in the wake of recent history.

But the opening minutes belonged to Peter de Villiers' side as they launched an efficient, try-building attack that belied South Africa's reputation as masters of kick-and-chase.

Instead from Priestland's kick-off, the ball moved through numerous hands and after a brief break for a scrum, the assault continued until Frans Steyn fended off Shane Williams and Hook to score at the corner.

The move featured a rare, but crucial missed tackle on Jacque Fourie by Wales captain Sam Warburton.

Morne Steyn added the conversion from the touchline to underline his side's confident start.

Much of the rest of the 2007 champions' opening period tactics reverted to the type that Gatland predicted.

But if the Boks' approach was familiar, so was Wales' as they attempted to keep ball in hand to move South Africa's forwards around the field as much as possible.

Morne Steyn kicked a penalty in the 19th minute after Danny Lydiate went offside at a ruck.

Wales' reward for their efforts, however, was not the try they hoped for, but two Hook penalties, the second after JP Pietersen's high tackle on Mike Phillips.

Hook also had a penalty overruled in the opening period, referee Wayne Barnes adjudging it had gone wide although TV replays suggested it may have drifted in.

At the back Hook and George North suffered occasional wobbles under South Africa's aerial barrage while up front both sides won scrum penalties and the line-out contest was also fairly even.

Number eight Toby Faletau dives over to score Wales' try

However, Wales were on top at the breakdown for large periods while the Boks could boast a capable defence as they went into the break 10-6 ahead.

John Smit's side began the second half with the same attacking intent as the first, but on this occasion Warburton was equal to the challenge, stripping the Boks' captain of the ball and forcing a penalty.

At the other end Shane Williams' dash down the left set up a superb attacking platform five metres from the line.

But a poor Phillips pass and Faletau's snatched attempt at taking it killed the opportunity.

Having lost centre Jean de Villiers, replaced by Butch James, to injury in the opening period, veteran lock Victor Matfield departed after Wales' early attack came to nothing.

If that was a boost, what followed lifted Welsh hopes to pre-match levels.

Jamie Roberts' charge into the heart of the defence set up a ruck from which Phillips sent Tongan-born number eight Faletau over for try confirmed by the video referee.

As befitted the reigning champions, they took the game back to Wales, drawing another penalty from Lydiate.

But the Boks spurned the penalty shot at goal, instead launching an attack from a line-out that took them back into the lead only 11 minutes after Faletau's score.

Hougaard, on as a replacement for Bryan Habana, finished off the gamble with an unopposed burst through what remained of the Welsh defence and Morne Steyn added the conversion to put them a point ahead.

Wales' response was equally impressive in its construction, but ended with Priestland hooking his drop-goal attempt from in front of the posts.

Moments later Hougaard conceded a penalty for holding on after the Boks tried to counter-attack from Priestland's superb touch-finder.

But from a wide angle, Hook could not hit the mark and when Lydiate was caught on the margins of offside from a scrum, the Boks opted for the line-out and ground out the final minutes to secure victory.

South Africa: F Steyn; Pietersen, Fourie, de Villiers, Habana; M Steyn, du Preez; Mtawarira, Smit, J du Plessis, Rossouw, Matfield, Brussow, Burger, Spies.

Replacements: James for de Villiers (24), Hougaard for Habana (61), Steenkamp for Mtawarira (55), B du Plessis for Smit (57), Muller for Matfield (44), Alberts for Spies (57).

Not Used: van der Linde.

Wales: Hook; North, J Davies, Roberts, Shane Williams; Priestland, Phillips; James, Bennett, Adam Jones, Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau.

Replacements: B Davies for Alun Wyn Jones (66).

Not Used: Burns, Bevington, Powell, Knoyle, Scott Williams, Halfpenny.

Att: 34,500

Ref: Wayne Barnes (RFU).

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Rugby World Cup set for kick-off

Venues: 11 (nine in North Island, two in South Island)Dates: Fri 9 Sept - Sun 23 OctKick-offs: From 0100 BST - 0930 BSTCoverage: Latest scores and reports on the BBC Sport website plus live text commentaries on all home nations matches and other major games; Updates on BBC Radio 5 live; Watch live on ITV1/ITV4, live commentary on TalkSport radio Jeremy Guscott's Rugby World Cup ones to watch

Hosts New Zealand launch the seventh Rugby World Cup against Tonga on Friday hoping to end a 24-year wait for a second global triumph.

The All Blacks, inaugural winners in 1987, have lost in the knock-out stages of each subsequent tournament.

Auckland's Eden Park, which will also stage the final on 23 October, hosts the first of 48 matches in 11 venues.

Tri-Nations champions Australia face Italy on Saturday, when Scotland face Romania and England tackle Argentina.

The other two home nations, Ireland - who play the United States - and Wales, who confront defending champions South Africa, open their campaigns on Sunday.

More than 90,000 supporters are expected to visit New Zealand over the next six weeks, almost a quarter of them from the UK.

Matches will take place from Whangarei in the far north of the North Island, to Invercargill, some 1,290 km (800 miles) away at the bottom of the South Island, where Scotland open their campaign on Saturday.

Fans in Auckland, where All Blacks flags have been draped over many houses and are fluttering from car windows, have been treated to impromptu haka warrior dances by a 54-strong group of young Maori men, who will perform at Friday's opening ceremony.

The opening match (0930 BST, 2030 local time) which follows sees New Zealand, who have never lost a World Cup pool match, kick-start proceedings at the refurbished, 60,000-capacity Eden Park, where they have not lost a Test since 1994.

The All Blacks, who were shocked by France in the quarter-finals in 2007, are desperate to set about proving their status as the world's number one team after months of build-up and reminders of their previous World Cup woes.

NZ clash 'exciting' for Tonga'uiha

"You'd be a mug if you haven't learned in the four years since then," said captain Richie McCaw.

"I've been involved in two [World Cups] where we didn't achieve what we were after and the shock sits in the back of your mind.

"But history has shown that what has happened previously - good or bad - means nothing come kick-off. I think we are just ready to go now. It's been a long time coming I guess."

Tonga, ranked 12th in the world, gave South Africa a major scare at the last World Cup and include a quartet of players who ply their trade in Britain - Northampton prop Soane Tonga'uiha, Worcester hooker Aleki Lutui, Cardiff Blues prop Taufa'ao Filise and Nottingham flanker Sione Kalamafoni.

"I think they will test us physically and they will test us with their athleticism," said All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith. "They are all good rugby players."

England supporters were gathering in Dunedin on the South Island where they meet Argentina, while their counterparts from Wales and South Africa mingled in the capital city of Wellington ahead of Sunday's clash.

In Saturday's other matches, Fiji take on Namibia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament with only a few full-time players, while France play Japan in Auckland's North Harbour stadium.

On Sunday, the Ireland and United States players will observe one minute's silence before their match in New Plymouth to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

"Obviously 9/11 is at the front of their minds, so it will be emotional," said US coach Eddie O'Sullivan, who was in charge of Ireland at the last World Cup.

A group of young Maoris perform a flash mob haka ahead of the World Cup

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