Latest news with #SwysdeBruin
IOL News
7 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
De Bruin praises experimental Bok Women's half-back pairing of Roos and Webb
Springbok Women's Sevens star Eloise Webb got her first start at flyhalf for the Springbok Women against Canada on Saturday. Springbok Women's performance coach Swys de Bruin is happy with the early signs from his experimental half-back pairing of Nadine Roos and Eloise Webb. Roos started at scrumhalf after she had started at fullback in the first Test at Loftus, with regular centre Webb coming off the bench to start at flyhalf in Saturday's second Test against Canada in Gqeberha. The move was part of a backline reshuffle that had also seen Byrhandré Dolf start at fullback. Libbie Janse van Rensburg, who started at flyhalf in Pretoria, slotted in at inside centre. The South Africans succumbed 33-5 to the world's No 2 team in the second Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after losing the first 50-20. 'For the amount of pressure, it was a tough ask of Eloise to play her first game ever at 10. Apart from two little mistakes she recovered lovely. And Nadine plays great wherever she plays,' De Bruin said in his post-match media conference. 'I thought all our steppers, the faster girls, did well. Dolfy was superb, Jakkie (Cilliers) had a few good runs, Zintle (Mpupha) also had good runs. So the score mustn't now confuse what we're doing.'
IOL News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Springbok Women's coach reflects on missed opportunities in defeat to Canada
Springbok Women's performance coach Swys de Bruin feels had they converted the breaks they created in the defeat against Canada, it could have been a different story. The South Africans were left to rue missed opportunities as they succumbed 33-5 to the world's No 2 team in the second Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday afternoon. But with 15 minutes to go in the match, De Bruin felt the Springbok Women were still in the contest. 'At 19-5 and we get three line breaks, scoring chances, with 15 minutes to go I thought, 'okay, they're number two and we're number 12, we've closed the gap',' he said at the post-match media conference. 'I mustn't let the fact that they scored those two tries at the and pull the wool over my eyes. We had so many line breaks against a top side like that. 'And then we almost get the jitters when someone runs through, we're not used to it. Because Jakkie (Cilliers) went weak, Libbie (Janse van Rensburg) is through and just lost the ball, Zintle (Mpupha) is through and just drops the ball, where they finished. "That was the difference. Every one of their points came from great finishing and we got the line breaks but we didn't finish. I felt if we could finish, it would have been a totally different story.' The Springbok Women did well to recover from an error-strewn first Test at Loftus in Pretoria last weekend against one of the favourites for next month's World Cup. De Bruin said the growth the team has shown over the past two weeks against the second-ranked team in the world was commendable and made him a proud coach. 'I will be the first one to admit that we are far from the finished product, but the improvement was real and we were in this match for a long time,' he said. 'We only scored once, but had so many other opportunities and that was very pleasing. Those are all fixable errors. "We needed these two Test matches to see where we are, and I am very happy with the report card thus far.'
IOL News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Springbok Women experiment with Nadine Roos at scrumhalf for second Canada Test
Springbok Women back Nadine Roos will play at scrumhalf in the second Test against Canada 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.
Daily Maverick
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Springbok Women's matches against Canada provide a litmus test of team's growth
The Bok Women will be looking for an improved showing against Canada as they build towards next month's Rugby World Cup. The Springbok Women have been on a steep upward trajectory across the last year but received a reality check against Canada at Loftus Versfeld last weekend, suffering a 50-20 loss. They face the same opponents in Gqeberha on Saturday, 12 July. The Bok Women have grown significantly since experienced coach Swys de Bruin and former Junior Springbok coach Bafana Nhleko have been at the mantle since August last year. The coaching changes were put in place with the goal of the team reaching new heights at the Rugby World Cup 2025, which gets underway next month in England. So far, everything has run smoothly. But for the first time in 11 months, the team have faced their biggest hurdle and suffered their biggest defeat in that time against second-ranked Canada. Outplayed The Springbok Women were completely outplayed at Loftus, with Canada creating linebreaks seemingly at will. The first half was particularly poor from the national women's side, as they were lucky to go into the break only 26-3 down. The breakdown was a mess as well, with the Bok Women at sea, conceding penalty after penalty in the first 40 minutes. 'We gave away four soft tries and that was 28 points gone,' De Bruin said after the match. 'Against a team like Canada, who is really skilful and have a good style of rugby, that is never going to give you the result you want. 'Also, six of the first seven penalties against us were for breakdown infringements, and that is something we will have to look at this coming week.' They came out with a renewed intensity in the second stanza and scored 17 points, although the defence still had gapping holes, conceding 24 points. Still improving Since De Bruin took the reins, the Bok Women were within a bounce of a ball away from beating Australia and Italy, two teams also much higher on the rankings than the Boks, in sixth and eighth respectively. South Africa (SA) is languishing in 12th place. While SA wasn't able to replicate the form they have displayed recently, which include a 48-26 over Spain earlier this year, De Bruin remains pleased about the progress his side has made. 'Last time we played Canada, they won 66-7 and [we] showed that we are closing the gap,' he said. 'The improvement is real and the whole purpose of this match was to show us where our weaknesses are, and we are doing well. 'The same will apply next weekend [against Canada] and when we play the Black Ferns XV in a couple of weeks' time. If we learn from the lessons and eliminate them, we will keep improving as we get closer to the Rugby World Cup.' The positive for the Springbok Women is that their scrum remains one of the most powerful in the game as they dismantled the Canadian pack nearly every time of asking. De Bruin also opted to move dynamic playmaker Nadine Roos to scrumhalf around the 60-minute mark. It allowed SA's most skillful ball player regular access to the pill. Roos has been shifted around the backline spine under De Bruin. He played Roos at flyhalf across the WXV2 last year, before shifting her back to the 15 jumper against Canada and then moving her to scrumhalf. 'I am happy to play wherever the coach wants me to play and it went well when I moved from fullback to scrumhalf in the second half,' Roos said. 'I just want to be around the ball and where the action is, and I'm happy that I got that chance.' Rugby World Cup Every dart being thrown at the board by De Bruin is to see what sticks and what can be implemented at the World Cup in England next month. There the team has a chance to reach the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time. SA has Brazil, Italy and France in their group. They are expected to beat 28th-ranked Brazil, but then should not be reliant on the bounce of the ball to defeat Italy. Their final group game against fourth-ranked France will not have any consequence if they do achieve that. If not, they will need to beat France. The team's next showing against Canada will provide a solid indication of how close the Springbok Women are to defeating the upper echelon of teams. DM
The South African
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Springbok Women embrace pressure as World Cup quarter-final goal takes shape
The Springbok Women have received full backing from SA Rugby and Rugby Rassie Erasmus, as they ramp up preparations for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England. With the goal of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, head coach Swys de Bruin says the current run of international fixtures is critical to testing combinations, building confidence, and developing the physical and tactical edge needed to compete at the World Cup. The Springbok Women have participated in four World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2021), but have not progressed beyond the pool stages because they are yet to win a single match at the tournament. But according to De Bruin, they'll no longer settle for just participating; they're planning to make history. Backed by SA Rugby's top leadership, including Bok coach and director of rugby Erasmus, the squad is taking major strides toward its boldest ambition yet: reaching the quarter-finals of this year's World Cup. Coach Swys de Bruin confirmed the extent of Erasmus' personal investment in the team's journey. 'He's just 100% behind us,' said De Bruin. 'Always with positive messages. When I ran into him at the airport, we had a talk there as well. He's so excited for us and the team.' It's a level of support that goes beyond formality. De Bruin pointed to a shared identity between the women's and men's squads. 'The DNA of the men's team in this beautiful country of ours is the same as the women's team. We like the set piece, we like the physical. There's so much similarity.' The Springbok Women are under no illusions about the road ahead. 'We haven't won a game at the World Cup yet,' De Bruin admitted. 'Now people are talking about quarters. We want to make the quarters—but we understand the challenge.' That challenge includes building cohesion, testing player combinations, and developing mental toughness against the world's top teams. In recent fixtures, the Springbok Women have faced elite opposition—such as Canada and Australia—not just to compete, but to benchmark progress. 'We want to be tested against the best to measure our standard,' De Bruin said. 'That's why these matches are crucial.' De Bruin is clear that every selection and substitution is part of a bigger process. 'It's all about combinations,' he said. 'Our subs will come in as a test for combinations as well. It's a big hurdle—but the aim, we mustn't forget, is still the World Cup.' He added that the squad's current fixtures act as building blocks toward that campaign. Confidence, discipline, and professionalism are all under the spotlight now—so they're ready when it matters most next year. SA Rugby's visible support – including high-profile curtain raiser matches before the men's Springboks—has boosted morale and visibility. 'The ladies are suddenly role models,' said De Bruin. 'There's a big buzz going around them.' With the World Cup less than a year away, the message from inside the camp is clear: South Africa's women are not just preparing to attend—they're preparing to compete. And with Erasmus firmly in their corner, they believe they have the leadership, infrastructure, and belief to have a real go at this year's World Cup. The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup will take place from 22 August to 27 September. The tournament will be hosted by England, with matches held across various venues, including the iconic Twickenham Stadium in London. The Springbok Women kick off their campaign against Brazil in Northampton on 24 August, followed by a clash against Italy in York a week later, on the 31st. They will then complete their pool stage schedule with a blockbuster fixture against France in Northampton on 7 September. Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool England Canada New Zealand South Africa Australia Scotland Ireland France USA Wales Japan Italy Samoa Fiji Spain Brazil DO YOU THINK THE SPRINGBOK WOMEN WILL MAKE IT PAST THE POOL STAGES AT THE RWC? 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.
