Springbok Women experiment with Nadine Roos at scrumhalf for second Canada Test
Springboks Women Performance coach Swys de Bruin has moved Byrhandré Dolf and Eloise Webb from the bench into the starting line-up for the second Test against Canada on Saturday in Gqeberha.
The Bok Women are hoping to redeem themselves after a 50-20 thumping last week in Pretoria at the hands of the Canadians in what served as the curtain-raiser for the Springboks Men's Test against Italy.
Dolf will be playing at fullback and Webb will assume the flyhalf role for the second Test, which kicks off at 1.30pm at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It will be the first time both players will play in those positions.
In a surprise move, Nadine Roos has also shuffled around and will play at scrumhalf instead of fullback. Libbie Janse van Rensburg will play inside centre after starting at flyhalf in Pretoria.
Upfront, Catha Jacobs will pack down on the side of the scrum, while the front five remain unchanged for the second test.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
18 hours ago
- The Citizen
Rassie: U20 stars won't play for Springboks this year
Three U20 players joined the Springbok training camp while players like Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, Makazole Mapimpi, and others were left out. None of the three World Rugby U20 Championship winners included in the current Springbok training camp will play for the senior side this year. Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed this after the inclusion of Bathobele Hlekani (loose forward), Cheswill Jooste (winger), and Haashim Pead (scrumhalf) at the cost of several experienced players raised eyebrows. The trio joined 37 Test-capped players for the two-week training camp in Johannesburg ahead of South Africa's Rugby Championship openers against Australia on 16 and 23 August. The three players shone for South Africa during their U20 Championship win in Italy. However, Boks Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, Makazole Mapimpi, Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Neethling Fouche and Vincent Tshituka were named as standby players for the squad, and missed the camp altogether as Erasmus cut his squad down to size. Other Springboks also missed out, being sent back to their franchises to train there. Experiencing the Bok environment When asked about this decision, Erasmus reiterated his goal of building a player base at least three positions deep, while getting youth involved. He said they were looking at all 'possibilities of players' ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia. 'We definitely don't see those guys playing Test matches this year,' he explained. 'But getting them used to the environment here and wherever they go, their franchises or clubs, if still U20 as one will still be next season. 'It's for us to understand, like we did for Ntokozo [Makhaza], how quickly guys can make the step-up and settle into the whole environment, the energy they bring. The three of them know 100% well that there is no chance, apart from if they really knock down the door and blow us away in training sessions.' Springbok coaches aren't using kid gloves On that note, Erasmus said he and his assistant coaches were not going easy on the youngsters. The trio have been included in all field and study room sessions, getting the full Springbok training experience. 'It's not like we keep them out of certain things, for them to just sit and listen and learn. It's for them to take part and to make sure the older guys know this is who is coming through. 'So yes, they are fitting in well and I think they are enjoying it and they are keeping up. They are really keeping up with the other guys, so that is great.'
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Libbie Janse van Rensburg happy to play musical chairs in Springbok Women backline
Springbok Women's flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg tries to hand off Black Ferns XV centre Kelsey Teneti at Athlone Stadium. Picture: Henk Kruger Independent Media Image: Henk Kruger Independent Media TALL, athletic, with her blonde pigtails hidden under a bucket hat, Libbie Janse van Rensburg is instantly recognisable at every Springbok Women's training. She's also usually the player calling the shots in every offensive move. But of late, the Springbok flyhalf has been moved around the backline with coach Swys de Bruin still testing out combinations less than a month away from the Boks' Rugby World Cup opener against Brazil in Northampton. Janse van Rensburg started at No 10 with Tayla Kinsey as her halfback partner against the Black Ferns XI last Saturday at the Athlone Stadium before De Bruin made a complete switch with Zintle Mpupha slotting into the flyhalf position along with Nadine Roos shifting from fullback to No 9 in the second half. 'I think it's exciting, especially for me. I've been playing at 10 for a very long time,' Janse van Rensburg told the media at UCT on Monday. 'I like the challenge of having to play at different positions as well. Although I find comfort in playing at 10, I know what's expected of me. It's also good to test yourself as a player so you don't become too complacent. 'As we saw in the second half of the last game, the coaches will make positions and sometimes put you in a position that maybe you haven't trained at or maybe you haven't had a run there. I's good for us all to be able to slot into any position. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'Like I say, anything happens at a World Cup. Anyone can pick up an injury and then you're going to have to adapt to it. I think it's good for our girls to play in those different positions. 'For me, I'm just doing whatever the coach wants me to do. Whatever he thinks is best for the team is where I'm at. I'm comfortable at 10, I'm comfortable at 12, comfortable at 15. So, like I say, whatever he makes the call. 'I think the team is very comfortable with me at 10. I think they find good cohesion around me at 10. So yeah, wherever the coach puts me at the end of the day, I'm happy to serve the team.' While De Bruin has stressed throughout the team's build-up to next month's Rugby World Cup that he is comfortable switching the players around in the backline as he believes they all have the similar attacking skill-sets, the constant rotation of roles can disrupt the defensive alignment, which the Black Ferns XV capitalised on by exploiting the spaces out wide when the Boks rushed up in defence last Saturday. Van Rensburg feels that this is not entirely due to the halfback pairing being chopped and changed as the responsibility lies with the centres to organise the players on defence. 'So, the rush defence comes more from our 12-13 channels,' she said. 'But in the end, it's the whole connection of the backline that has to call that rush.' The Black Ferns XV may have been a hastily assembled unit, but they certainly have a genuine playmaker in young Hannah King, who was desperately unlucky not to make the Black Ferns 32-player Rugby World Cup squad announced last Friday. The young pivot certainly showed the Black Ferns selectors that she would be ready for a call-up should there be an injury in England with an assured performance at first five-eight as she set up her centre-pairing of Hollyrae Mete-Renata and Kelsey Teneti alongside for four tries on the night. King's little pop passes to Mete-Renata were particularly telling with the hard-running No 12 directly attacking Janse van Rensburg defensive channel. 'That's why we're playing against opposition like that, because they put so much pressure on us. We're playing against the best that we can strive to become. I think it's been working for us,' she said. 'I had a bit of a chat with her (King) afterwards and she said, well done to our team and what we brought to them. We also tested them. 'I think it's so good for us to be playing against girls like that. They constantly trained at such a high level. It's a great opportunity for us. 'I think the preparations are going really well. We've been building such solid foundations throughout the last three games and I think it's absolutely great for us to have this kind of preparation leading into a World Cup.'
IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Physicality pays off: Springbok Women's shift in tactics delivers
Springbok Women flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg takes on the Black Ferns defence. Photo: Henk Kruger Independent Media Image: Henk Kruger Independent Media Performance coach Swys de Bruin admitted that a shift in the Springbok Women's approach after half-time bore fruit as they came close to a come-from-behind win against the Black Ferns XV at Athlone Stadium on Saturday. South Africa were more direct and physical in the second half, keeping the ball tight and employing crash-ball tactics after being outplayed in the opening 40 minutes. 'We simply did not get going in the first half, but I have to give credit to the team for the way they adapted in the second half, where we created numerous chances,' De Bruin said after the 34–26 defeat to the New Zealanders, who led 20–12 at the break. 'If we did not have one of our tries disallowed at a crucial stage in the second half, who knows what could have happened at the end.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Powering up The Bok defence conceded four tries in the first half and only two in the second, with the South Africans gaining momentum through a more confrontational approach and the impact of a strong bench. 'We made a call at half-time to change our approach and play more direct, and that worked for us tonight,' said De Bruin. 'It was a night where we needed physicality and the shortest route forward, and we almost managed to turn the result around, something that I am very pleased about. It is all part of the learning curve as we head to the Rugby World Cup next month. 'We had some combinations that worked earlier in the season, like in the match against Spain where we scored several backline tries. But tonight we needed physical ball-carriers, and those combinations were better suited against a very skilful Black Ferns XV.' Swys de Bruin: 'We made a call at half-time to change our approach and play more direct, and that worked for us' - more here: 🗣#BokWomen #MakeItCount — SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) July 26, 2025 Leading from the front One of those who embraced the change in tactics was captain and No 8 Babalwa Latsha, who scored one of the Bok Women's four tries. She said the players were comfortable with a more forward-driven strategy. 'We don't mind that at all – we are good in close-range rugby where we can use our physicality,' said Latsha. 'But the Black Ferns deserve credit as they showed good skills on a windy afternoon, and they really used their scoring opportunities well. Not so much for us – we created a lot of chances but didn't take them all, and that will again be a work-on for us this week.' It remains to be seen whether the Springboks will stick with the direct strategy when the sides meet again at the same venue next weekend – their final official outing before the World Cup. 'We wanted these games to see what we need to do better or where we are doing well, so next weekend will be that final test for the team and the combinations,' said De Bruin. 'I am very proud of our effort in that second half and the clarity that gave the coaching staff.'
