Latest news with #Lood
The South African
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Springboks Player Ratings: Who FIRED, Who FLOPPED
The Springboks got their 2025 season off to the perfect start with a 54-7 win over the Barbarians on Saturday. The Springboks demolished the Barbarians 54-7 at the DHL Stadium on Saturday, 28 June 2025. Rassie Eramus and the Boks have plenty to celebrate following their resounding performance en route to claiming their thir successive Qatar Cup. These are the players who stood out as well as a couple of stars who were slightly underwhelming. Lood de Jager – 9/10 Lood hasn't missed a step despite not playing for the Springboks in almost two years. The lanky Bok lock made countlies huge carries, getting over the advantage line at ease. He was also astute defensively and a solid line-out option for the Springboks. Vincent Tshitshuka – 8.5 What a debut. The elusive Sharks flanker scored two tries to cap off a well-rounded performance in his first Springboks test. Tshitshuka agility and skills were on full display. Meanwhile, he was a solid third choice in the line-out. Kurt-Lee Arendse – 8 Welcome back, Arendse. The speedy and skilful Springboks winger reminded the Bulls and SA Rugby what we have been missing since he left for Japan. Arendse finished off a beautiful well-worked team try in the corner and was a constant threat with ball in hand. He beat defenders at will with his fleet-footed stepping and lightning speed. Cheslin Kolbe – 9 The 2024 SA Rugby Player of the Year reminded us all why he was given awarded this honour. Kolbe was one of the stand-out Boks. His try in the corner was just the start of what was another world class display from Kolbe. He was excellent in the air dominating the aerial battle in wet conditions. Kolbe was perfect defensively, putting in one solid hit after the other. He added memorable bounce off on Ricky Riccitelli in the second half and was a threat all afternoon. *Please note that these players did not pay badly at all. They were just not as exceptional as the rest of the pack in what was a comprehensive display and dominance Springboks performance. Jean Kleyn – 6/10 He did not do much wrong but he was certainly overshadowed by his Bok lock team mate, Lood. Kleyn struggled to get over the advantage line or to make dominant tackles. He was solid at line out time and did what he needed to but did not stand out. Morne van den Berg – 6.5/10 He provided quick delivery from the base of the ruck. However, he certainly did not knock the selection door down and was outplayed by his replacement, Cobus Reinach. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Springboks not taking ageing Barbarians for granted in season opener
The Springboks won't be taking an ageing Barbarians team for granted and will be gunning for a win to get their international season up and running on the best possible note when the teams clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 17:10). The first game of the season is always a tricky one as players try to gel together and find their feet, and it is even more so when there are a number of inexperienced players in the mix, The Citizen reports. In their match 23 the Boks have four uncapped players making their first appearance in the green and gold, although it won't count as a Test cap against the famed invitational side, four more players have under 10 caps and another four have under 20. So it is a relatively inexperienced side, backed by a fair few veterans, mostly based in Japan, who will be looking to guide them. On the BaaBaas front, they chock full of experience, with a slew of players having over 100 caps for their respective countries, however many of them are on their way out, with some retiring while others are well into the twilight of their careers. That includes the experienced Irish trio of team captain and loose forward Peter O'Mahoney, prop Cian Healy and scrumhalf Conor Murray, while All Blacks veterans, loose forwards Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell, and scrumhalf Tawara Kerr-Barlow also bolster the team. Boks favourites Despite the Boks arguably being favourites despite some of the inexperience in the match 23, Erasmus cautioned against taking the BaaBaas lightly. 'We last played eight months ago and we've seen what happened to the British and Irish Lions recently against Argentina when they put a team together. Credit, though, must go to Argentina for that victory,' said Erasmus. 'Selecting just an experienced side to win this game would've been beside the point. We know we could've selected our most in-form side, but what happens in 12 months then (if the inexperienced players aren't given a run). 'We want a good start, that is why we selected this side, and we would love to entertain, but we won't fuel their fire.' An exciting moment for the Boks will be the return of veteran lock Lood de Jager, who has not played for the national team in over two years, after illness and then injury ruled him out for long periods of time, and Erasmus is looking forward to seeing him in action again. 'Lood is a student of the game when it comes to lineouts. One positive for a 32-year-old body is that if you have such a long spell of injuries and illness, you get a break and you can focus on your personal life with family,' said Erasmus. 'But then your body also rests. He didn't play 30 games in the last two years. It is kind of like a car that's been parked in the garage. You don't pick up mileage, but you will be a bit rusty. 'I am very excited for Lood. He thought it was all over (his Bok career), and he won't play again. But here he is and hopefully, he gets a good run.' This article first appeared on The Citizen.
