Latest news with #DeJager
IOL News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Lood de Jager is back and it's scary . . . but not for Rassie Erasmus' Springboks
FILE - Springboks lock Lood de Jager rises high to take a lineout ball in their match against the Barbarians in Cape Town. It was clear from the very first kickoff in the Springboks' match against the Barbarians that Lood de Jager was keen to make up for lost time in the green and gold jersey. Saturday saw De Jager run out for the Springboks for the first time in almost two years after missing out on the Rugby World Cup squad due to a heart condition. He got back on the rugby field with Japan side Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan in 2024, playing some good rugby, but suffered a serious rotator-cuff shoulder injury towards the end of the season which required surgery. Ahead of the match against the Barbarians, coach Rassie Erasmus said he didn't want to put any extra pressure on De Jager following such a long absence from international rugby. '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 (for his Bok career), and he won't play again. But here he is and hopefully, he gets a good run.'
The Citizen
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Bok update: Lood back with a bang, but Kleyn ruled out with injury
The Boks will now turn their attention to the first Test against Italy in Pretoria this coming weekend. There was good and bad news on the lock front for the Springboks following the season-opening match against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday. The good news is the return to full fitness and form of Lood de Jager, who played a full 80 minutes in Cape Town in his first match back in the green and gold for two years. De Jager in fine form De Jager also missed out on the 2023 World Cup because of injuries and there were fears following the 2019 World Cup win in Japan that the tall lock's career might be on the line because of injury. But, De Jager was back to his best on Saturday, calling the lineouts, which worked a treat for the Boks, while his all-action performance, in the lineouts and loose, was excellent. De Jager made several tackles and carried regularly in a performance which delighted his coach Rassie Erasmus. 'The condition that he had was almost career ending, but when we did the fitness testing three weeks ago, he was exceptional,' said Erasmus of De Jager, who's been playing rugby in Japan for the last season. 'His body might be 32 or 33, but he has had some two or three years 'rest' in the last couple of years, and I think that showed. I also thought Jean Kleyn went deep into the game very well. We're very glad Lood came through it, and we have some nice depth at lock now.' Kleyn out Kleyn though picked up an undisclosed injury in the match and he has been ruled out of the upcoming Tests against Italy (two) and Georgia. 'We feel for Jean,' said Erasmus, 'but injuries are part of the game, and we are fortunate to have good depth at lock within the squad, so there is no need for us to replace him at this stage.' Kleyn will return to Irish club Munster to recover from the injury and undergo the necessary rehabilitation. Besides De Jager, the other locks in the squad are Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman, Franco Mostert, Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortje, and Cobus Wiese, while Jean-Luc du Preez and Pieter-Steph du Toit are also comfortable playing in the second row. The Boks travel to Joburg on Sunday and get their preparations under way for the first Test against Italy, at Loftus this coming Saturday, on Monday. Erasmus will name his team for the first Italy Test on Tuesday.
eNCA
28-06-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Debutant Tshituka scores twice as Springboks crush BaaBaas
Debutant flanker Vincent Tshituka scored two tries as world champions South Africa launched a 14-match season with a 54-7 victory over the Barbarians in wet and cold Cape Town on Saturday. Hooker Malcolm Marx, winger Cheslin Kolbe, prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, lock Lood de Jager and centre Damian de Allende were the other try scorers for the Springboks. Fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted two of the three first-half tries before his replacement, Manie Libbok, added the extra points to all five second-half scores. Full-back Melvyn Jaminet claimed the lone try for the Barbarians and converted it in a non-cap exhibition match at Cape Town Stadium. Record four-time Rugby World Cup winners South Africa were ahead within six minutes through a pushover Marx try, led 19-0 by half-time and were in control throughout. "I am unbelievably proud of the boys and how we played under the conditions -- the rain was coming down pretty heavy at one stage," said stand-in South Africa captain Jesse Kriel. "We have had a great two weeks of preparation in Johannesburg with some of the toughest training I have been through in a Springbok camp. "The boys really worked hard in the build-up and I think it showed in the game. I think we are looking good ahead of the Test season." - 'Tough and physical' - Centre Kriel was deputising as skipper for flanker Siya Kolisi, who withdrew from the starting line-up on Friday due to a stiff neck. Barbarians skipper Peter O'Mahony, who retired from Test and club rugby this year, said: "The game against the world champions was as tough and physical as I expected. "The Springboks showed their class and we had a superb week. Cape Town looked after us incredibly well and I am proud of the boys." It did not help the Barbarians' cause that loose forward Lachlan Boshier was sin-binned soon after coming off the bench in the second half following a head-to-head clash with Arendse. During his 10-minute absence, the world champions scored two of their eight tries through Arendse and De Jager, who impressed on his recall after a two-year absence due to illness and injuries. South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus pledged before the match that his team would treat the match as a Test. The Springboks fulfilled the promise with a structured, limited-risk performance, and man-of-the-match award winner Kolbe and De Jager will be among those satisfied with their form. Renowned for ball-in-hand play, the Barbarians rarely got a chance to demonstrate their skills, but held their own at scrum time against opponents famed for their set-piece work. Among those supporting the Springboks were cricketers Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada, two stars of the World Test Championship final triumph by South Africa over Australia this month. It was a first victory for South Africa over the Barbarians since winning by 10 points in Cardiff 25 years ago.
France 24
28-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Debutant Tshituka scores twice as Springboks crush BaaBaas
Hooker Malcolm Marx, winger Cheslin Kolbe, prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels, winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, lock Lood de Jager and centre Damian de Allende were the other try scorers for the Springboks. Fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted two of the three first-half tries before his replacement, Manie Libbok, added the extra points to all five second-half scores. Full-back Melvyn Jaminet claimed the lone try for the Barbarians and converted it in a non-cap exhibition match at Cape Town Stadium. Record four-time Rugby World Cup winners South Africa were ahead within six minutes through a pushover Marx try, led 19-0 by half-time and were in control throughout. It did not help the Barbarians' cause that loose forward Lachlan Boshier was sin-binned soon after coming off the bench in the second half after a head-to-head clash with Arendse. During his 10-minute absence, the world champions scored two of their eight tries through Arendse and De Jager, who impressed on his recall after a two-year absence due to illness and injuries. South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus pledged before the match that his team would treat the match as a Test. The Springboks fulfilled the promise with a structured, limited-risk performance, and man-of-the-match award winner Kolbe and De Jager will be among those satisfied with their form. Renowned for ball-in-hand play, the Barbarians rarely got a chance to demonstrate their skills, but held their own at scrum time against opponents famed for their set-piece work. Among those supporting the Springboks were cricketers Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada, two stars of the World Test Championship triumph final by South Africa over Australia this month. It was a first victory for South Africa over the Barbarians since winning by 10 points in Cardiff 25 years ago.
IOL News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
COMMENT: Morné van den Berg the big winner, Lood de Jager back with a bang as Springboks bash Barbarians
Kurt-Lee Arendse was full of running for the Springboks against the Barbarians, and was rewarded with a deserved try. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Comment by Ashfak Mohamed You would've expected a bit more from the Barbarians – especially with the calibre of players selected – but it was the Springboks who put on a show in a wet Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The 54-7 scoreline was a bit jarring, as the Boks didn't need to get out of third gear – or even second – to dispatch Robbie Deans' bunch of all stars, which included Irish duo Cian Healy and Peter O'Mahony, as well as All Black speedster Mark Tele'a. But for a first game of the year, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus would have been satisfied with what he saw, especially in the conditions. The South Africans weren't tested at scrum-time or in the lineouts, but the return of Lood de Jager was a significant highlight. Plagued by injuries and illness in recent seasons, De Jager seemed to wind back the clock and was full of his usual energy. He stole an early Barbarians lineout, carried the ball with conviction at close quarters, and was even involved in a tussle with prop Paul Alo-Emile to demonstrate that he was really up for it. Another Japan-based stalwart in wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was full of running, putting in a few dazzling surges and getting a well-deserved try, while back-three partners Cheslin Kolbe and Aphelele Fassi weren't far behind. Fassi had a hand in the first two Bok tries with a couple of classy grubbers, although considering that it wasn't more than an exhibition game, perhaps he should've kept those kinds of tricks in the back pocket for more important occasions – such as the All Blacks at Eden Park. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also pulled off some moves from the Tony Brown playbook that got the drenched 45,000-strong crowd up on their feet. But the biggest winner of the day was scrumhalf Morné van den Berg, who produced a strong kicking display to make it a nightmare for the Barbarians catchers, while he cleaned up some scrappy ball at the breakdowns with aplomb. Van den Berg backed up Erasmus' pre-match praise, and proved that he is a viable option as a starter and back-up to Grant Williams. It was a pity that debutants such as Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Vincent Tshituka didn't get much ball in hand, even though the Sharks loose forward grabbed two tries. Hard-running No 8 Jean-Luc du Preez was in the same boat, and was the unfortunate victim of 'friendly fire' in a clean-out from De Jager that saw him leave the field just before halftime. Erasmus pulled off a trick of his own by introducing his entire bench early in the second half, and employing Sharks centre André Esterhuizen at flank – where he started his senior career. Esterhuizen made some decent clean-outs, although his running lines weren't always suited to a loose forward, while he shifted out to the midfield a few times as well. But his versatility could be a valuable tool to employ ahead of the 2027 World Cup, particularly if Erasmus opts for a seven-one split where Esterhuizen can cover both the midfield and loose trio. Another important box ticked were the Bok debuts for hooker Marnus van der Merwe and tighthead prop Neethling Fouché, who both got involved with vigour in the tight-loose and scrums. Italy will provide a far more searching test of the world champions' abilities in next Saturday's first Test at Loftus Versfeld, but it was a sound start for Erasmus' team in a big year of international rugby. Points-Scorers Springboks 54 – Tries: Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe, Vincent Tshituka (2), Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lood de Jager, Damian de Allende. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Manie Libbok (5). Barbarians 7 – Try: Melvyn Jaminet. Conversion: Jaminet (1).
