Latest news with #Springboks'
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Kwagga Smith urges Boks to maintain intensity ahead of The Rugby Championship
After a much-improved performance in the breakdown battle during the Springboks' second Test against Italy in Gqeberha at the weekend, loose forward Kwagga Smith says the South Africans need to maintain that standard as they head into their final match before The Rugby Championship. According to The Citizen, the Springboks will face Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday (kick-off 17:10), with the 11th-ranked side having lost both of their previous meetings (2003 and 2021). The fixture follows South Africa's commanding 45–0 win over Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, despite playing with 14 men for an hour. The Springboks showed a turnaround in the breakdown battle after Italy had dominated that area, winning turnovers and slowing down play during their 42–24 win at Loftus the previous week. Breakdown needed more prep 'I think the mindset against Italy at Loftus maybe wasn't up there as it should have been,' Smith said. 'After you get a beating in some departments, you go and rectify it. So obviously it was better the next weekend.' He said their opponents are 'hard people' known for their strength and would offer a similar challenge to Italy. 'They grew up in a rural country and are strong people. They have a lot of passion. Everyone wants to measure themselves against the Springboks, so it will be a tough battle this weekend. 'They are going to be physical. They are one team that never steps back. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard is, those guys will keep fighting, keep on playing.' Georgian players have personal motivation against Boks Smith said the game has special significance for Georgian players who hope to impress on the international stage and secure contracts in France or elsewhere, where several top Georgians already play. 'They want to measure themselves against us, the Springboks, because that might give them an opportunity to get a contract in France or wherever in the world. It's a huge opportunity for them to prove themselves against the best and that might open their career forward.' Smith said it was up to the Springboks to keep improving ahead of The Rugby Championship, which kicks off against Australia at Ellis Park on August 16. 'For us, it is to make sure we get better every game and it speaks for itself – the game went better after the Pretoria–Italy match. For us playing this weekend, we have a responsibility to keep that standard up and keep getting better.'
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Kwagga: No drop in breakdown intensity against Georgia
Loose forward Kwagga Smith said the Springboks had rectified mistakes in the breakdown battle against Italy but needed to maintain that standard. After a much-improved performance in the breakdown battle during the Springboks' second Test against Italy in Gqeberha on the weekend, loose forward Kwagga Smith said the South Africans need to maintain that standard as they head into their final match before the Rugby Championship. The Springboks take on Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm), with the 11th-ranked nation losing both of the teams' previous two matches (2003 and 2021). The game follows South Africa's commanding 45–0 win against Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium despite having 14 men for an hour. The Springboks showed a turnaround in the breakdown battle, after Italy were far superior in that regard, winning turnovers or at least slowing down play, during their 42–24 defeat at Loftus the week before. Breakdown needed more prep 'I think the mindset against Italy at Loftus maybe wasn't up there as it should have been,' Smith said. 'After you get a beating in some departments, you go and rectify it. So obviously it was better the next weekend.' He said Georgians were a 'hard people' known for their strength, and would offer a similar challenge to the Italians. 'They grew up in a rural country and are strong people. They have a lot of passion. Everyone wants to measure themselves against the Springboks, so it will be a tough battle this weekend. 'They are going to be physical. They are one team that never steps back. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard is, those guys will keep fighting, keep on playing.' Georgian players have personal motivation against Boks He said the game has special significance for Georgian players who wish to impress on the international stage and earn contracts in France, for instance, where several top Georgians already play. 'They want to measure themselves against us, the Springboks because that might give them an opportunity to get a contract in France or wherever in the world. It's a huge opportunity for them to prove themselves against the best and that might open their career forward.' Smith said it was up to the South Africans to improve whatever they could ahead of the Rugby Championship, which kicks off against Australia at Ellis Park on 16 August. 'For us, it is to make sure we get better every game and it speaks for itself the game went better after the Pretoria–Italy game. For us playing this weekend, we have a responsibility to keep that standard up and keep getting better.'
The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Makazole Mapimpi steps onto Springboks' try-scoring 'podium'
Makazole Mapimpi moved into third place in the list of Springbok try-scorers with his five-pointer against Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha last Saturday. Mapimpi broke out of a tie with Jaque Fourie to stand third on his own. His 33 tries have come in just 47 Tests, giving him by far the best 'tries per Test' ratio for any player to have scored 20 or more tries. Up next for Mapimpi is Joost van der Westhuizen who scored 38 times in his 89 Tests. However, time is not on Mapimpi's side as he'll turn 35 on 26 July 2025. Bryan Habana is South Africa's all-time leading Test try-scorer with 67. It's a record that's unlikely to ever be broken with the modern day shift to selecting bigger squads and managing player workloads. Meanwhile, hooker Malcolm Marx remains the Springboks' all-time leading Test try-scorer for a forward with an impressive 22 tries in 78 Tests. His ratio of 0.28 tries per Test is better than both Jean de Villiers and Percy Montgomery. Player Tries Tests Tries/Test Bryan Habana 67 124 0.54 Joost van der Westhuizen 38 89 0.43 Makazole Mapimpi 33 47 0.70 Jaque Fourie 32 72 0.44 Jean de Villiers 27 109 0.25 Breyton Paulse 26 64 0.41 Percy Montgomery 25 102 0.25 JP Pietersen 24 70 0.34 Malcolm Marx 22 78 0.28 Pieter Rossouw 21 43 0.49 James Small 20 47 0.43 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Springbok forward Jasper Wiese's headbutt leads to four-match suspension
MBOMBELA, South Africa (AP) — South Africa back-rower Jasper Wiese's headbutt cost him a four-match suspension on Tuesday. Wiese deliberately knocked heads with Italy prop Danilo Fischetti on Saturday and was sent off with nearly an hour remaining. The Springboks still won 45-0. Wiese will miss the Springboks' game against Georgia in Mbombela this Saturday and the first three rounds of the Rugby Championship in August and September. They involve two home games against Australia and a test in New Zealand. At his disciplinary hearing, Wiese accepted he committed foul play but not a red card offense. The panel disagreed. Wiese's first international red card meant he missed a chance to play with his younger brother Cobus, who made his Springboks test debut against Italy in the second half. ___ AP rugby:
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Springbok forward Jasper Wiese's headbutt leads to four-match suspension
MBOMBELA, South Africa (AP) — South Africa back-rower Jasper Wiese's headbutt cost him a four-match suspension on Tuesday. Wiese deliberately knocked heads with Italy prop Danilo Fischetti on Saturday and was sent off with nearly an hour remaining. The Springboks still won 45-0. Wiese will miss the Springboks' game against Georgia in Mbombela this Saturday and the first three rounds of the Rugby Championship in August and September. They involve two home games against Australia and a test in New Zealand. At his disciplinary hearing, Wiese accepted he committed foul play but not a red card offense. The panel disagreed. Wiese's first international red card meant he missed a chance to play with his younger brother Cobus, who made his Springboks test debut against Italy in the second half.
