Latest news with #KwaggaSmith
TimesLIVE
17-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Boks still get bang for their Bomb Squad: Kwagga
The Bomb Squad still gives the Boks bang for their buck insists Kwagga Smith. As a long time Bomb Squad linchpin flanker and utility player Smith is understandably protective of the much vaunted Bok bench whose destructive powers have terrorised the rugby world over the last six or so years. The bench, however, did not detonate with the same explosiveness in the first Test against Italy at Loftus Versfeld. Smith explained finding cohesion can be tricky when players have been apart for six months but he is hoping they can deliver a more coherent effort when the Boks play Georgia in Mbombela this weekend. 'In the Loftus match we didn't make the impact we wanted,' admitted Smith of the Boks' at times laboured 42-24 victory in the capital earlier this month. 'We didn't have that much influence on the game but Italy also played a lot better in the second half than they did in the first. They found each other a bit better and they gelled, We have to take that into consideration.' Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche will make their Springbok debut this weekend 👏 Coach Rassie explains the thinking behind his front row choice. "If they can come through this, we'll know more about their test match potential." 🗣️ #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 15, 2025 Smith insists the Bomb Squad should remain an element of the Boks' armoury that strikes fear into the opposition. 'We want to re-establish that reputation. You can't play 40 games off the bench and it goes well and then you have one where it doesn't go so well and then come to the conclusion the Bomb Squad is no longer effective, 'We set our own standards and that is important to us. We know we weren't at our best but it is something we want to correct. We go into this game with a five/three bench split, so it won't be a full Bomb Squad.' Though Georgia are renowned for their physicality and robustness in the scrum, the Boks opted not to load their bench with a forward heavy bench split. Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman and Smith are the forwards charged with bringing energy and urgency from the bench this weekend, while double Rugby World Cup winners Faf de Klerk, Handré Pollard and Damian Willemse are the backup backs. Smith's role in the cavalry hasn't changed much. What makes him a formidable opponent is his unrelenting energy and work ethic. The Bok brains trust places a high premium on players who are able to get involved in as many battles and skirmishes as humanly possible. In that regard Smith spreads himself thin across the park. 🗣️ "It's good to learn, even from primary schools and high schools." The Springboks are taking inspiration and innovation from all ages across the country. #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 14, 2025 'That is the thing I try to replicate from Sevens. There is no time to rest. I try really hard to get back on my feet and get involved in as many battles as possible. You have to use every opportunity.' Saturday's game will be the Boks' last before they go into the Rugby Championship that kicks off next month. Smith believes the four matches against the Barbarians, Italy (two) and Georgia would have served their purpose in preparing the Springboks for the defence of their title. 'The guys will get good game time across the four matches and that is great preparation for us ahead of the Rugby Championship. That was one of the goals,' said Smith. 'For me it was about getting back into the system. You don't see each other for six months and though we have alignment camps it is on the field where you learn. There are new guys coming in and you have to learn how they play. A lot of different combinations have been played so that goal has been achieved. 'We just have to make sure we get better with each game. After the Pretoria we were better and it is now our responsibility to keep that up,' said the utility forward.
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- 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
17-07-2025
- 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.'
IOL News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Springbok Bomb Squad will ignite again, vows Kwagga Smith
Springbok Bomb Squad member Kwagga Smith is ready to light the fire off the bench against Georgia this weekend in Nelspruit. Image: BackpagePix The Springbok Bomb Squad knows they did not have the desired impact in the first Test against Italy, but that does not mean opposition sides have figured out how to defuse the famed replacement bench of the world champions. Utility forward Kwagga Smith, a big role-player in the Bomb Squad, is eager to make an impact off the bench this weekend when the world champions take on Georgia in the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. They haven't selected a 6-2 bench like in the first Test against Italy, but five of the players looking to make an impact on Saturday were on the bench that day, where they failed to fire. 🇿🇦💥 THE BOK BENCH: PURE POWER & OVER 400 CAPS! 💥🇿🇦 Just look at the talent ready to make an impact for the Springboks on Saturday! This is a 'Bomb Squad' packed with 437 caps of experience! 🤯 Rassie knows what he is doing.#Springboks #BombSquad #AllThingsRugby — All Things Rugby (@AllThingsRugbyX) July 16, 2025 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 According to Smith, they don't believe that teams have figured out how to stop the Springbok Bomb Squad. Italy played better in that second half at Loftus Versfeld and didn't allow the replacements to make the desired impact. 'We know we probably weren't playing to the best of our ability against Italy when we came off the bench,' Smith said about the replacements. 'We didn't have the influence we wanted to. Italy played better in the second half, and they found each other and gelled. You must consider that. "e do want to maintain that reputation when coming off the bench. You play together for many matches, and then in one game, things don't go according to plan, and suddenly everyone says they've figured us out. What's better than a training session on a sunny winter's day in the Lowveld? 😍#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold — Springboks (@Springboks) July 16, 2025 'We are not too fazed about it and will look to our standards. However, we want to set things right. Yes, we do have a 5-3 split and not a full Bomb Squad. "But every guy wants to lift the standard. It was the first game of the season, and the last time we played together was six months ago.' Smith says they are aware of the physical threat Georgia will bring. He believes they are well-prepared for it. The Springboks expect them to target the breakdown, like Italy did during that first Test. 'They are tough people, strong and play with a lot of passion. Everyone wants to measure themselves against the Springboks, so we know it will be a battle. They will be physical, and they won't take a step back. 'It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says; they will keep coming at us. For them, this is an important opportunity to prove themselves against the best.' He says they've rectified their shortcomings at the breakdown since taking a 'beating' from Italy two weeks ago. Now, they want to maintain the standard that was set during the second Test in Gqeberha. The utility player believes the Boks have reached some of their goals over the last three matches as they look to tick a couple more off on Saturday. The #Springboks team to face Georgia feature a new-look front row, while Siya Kolisi is back for the first time in 2025 💚💛#ForeverGreenForeverGold — Springboks (@Springboks) July 15, 2025 'Rassie (Erasmus) has used the entire squad well. Each guy is getting a good amount of rugby, and that was maybe part of our goals. For me, I just wanted to get used to the Bok system (again). 'We don't see each other for six months. Yes, we have alignment camps, but on the field is where you learn about each other. "We have a few new guys who have come in, and you must adapt to playing with them. That goal was achieved because we played different combinations over the four games. 'Things went better since Pretoria and the guys playing this weekend, we have a responsibility to maintain that standard and improve.'
The South African
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Springboks vs Italy: Should there be Bomb Squad panic?
The Springboks' second-half slump in their first Test against Italy in Pretoria last weekend certainly was concerning, but to suggest that the Bomb Squad has been permanently diffused is perhaps a bit of a reach. While the Boks secured a 42-24 win in the season-opener at Loftus Versfeld against the Azzurri, you'd be forgiven for thinking they copped a loss. Media reports didn't hold back when it came to voicing disappointment with the Springboks' performance, particularly their second-half showing, and for good reason. After all, the Boks have given us reason upon reason, in the form of international records and back-to-back World Cups, to expect nothing less than sheer dominance and success. But, in their first Test against Italy, the Boks' trusted second-half injection failed to deliver a lethal dose. In fact, the Italians didn't just survive the Bomb Squad; they outplayed them. The visitor's outscored the hosts by 21 points to 14 after the break, while they also topped the Boks in the tries-scored column as they ran in three tries to two in what became a testing 40-minute spell for the home side. The last time any team could boast outscoring the Boks in the second half – in terms of tries or points – was during the 2023 World Cup final. Since then, the world champions have managed to score more tries and points in the second stanza than their opposition in every game. That's all courtesy of the Bomb Squad. Until the Test against Italy. The Springboks made 15 changes to the squad that faced Italy last weekend. While it's an almost entirely new run-on side, last week's bench reinforcements have also swopped. RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert, Bongi Mbonambi, and Vincent Koch all miss out completely after being outperformed last weekend. This week, instead, Erasmus has opted for a 5-3 split and a host of younger players as they look to bounce back. After the game, Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada quipped about his 'Grenade Squad' being the new powerhouse reinforcements. And while they will be eager to prove that their second-half dominance of the Boks was no fluke, the South Africans, the Bomb Squad in particular, will be set on returning to their dominant ways. WILL THE BOMBSQUAD GET IT RIGHT IN GQEBERHA? 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.
