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IOL News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Siya Kolisi's potential return sparks No 8 jersey debate for Springboks ahead of Georgia clash
After missing out on the first three matches of the season due to a couple of niggles, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi could be in line to play his first Bok Test this year on Saturday in Nelspruit. Image: BackpagePix The Springboks are weighing up the option of playing Siya Kolisi at eighth man should he be fit to face Georgia in the final mid-year Test on Saturday in Nelspruit. With a ban hanging over the head of Jasper Wiese, who was red-carded for a headbutt against Italy this past weekend, the world champions are a bit thin when it comes to the eighth man position. Stormers bruiser Evan Roos was the replacement on Saturday, and he is another strong candidate for the jersey, seeing that he hasn't had many minutes for the Boks this season. Roos made a telling impact when he took to the field and gained some valuable running meters with the ball in hand. He was also solid on defence. 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 ✕ Kolisi missed the last three games due to neck and Achilles niggles, but Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus alluded to playing him against Georgia to give him game time. Should the Bok captain be selected, it will be the only playing minutes he will have ahead of the Rugby Championship. Marco van Staden 'We have a bunch of versatile players in the squad, like Siya who has played primarily for us at six, but have played at No 8 for the Sharks,' Deon Davids, Springbok assistant coach, said on Monday. 'Evan Roos played this weekend, Marco van Staden played in that position. There are different players we can look at who we feel can play there. It will depend on the mix of the loose trio and pack. All the players are available for selection and Siya is one of many players who are part of the discussion.' The volume in the stadium 🔊📈 Siya Kolisi bringing the Web Ellis Cup onto the pitch in Gqeberha before kick-off 🏆🇿🇦#SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 13, 2025 Davids added that they won't rest on their laurels against the physical Georgians. The Boks expect a big onslaught from their visitors, despite their loss to provincial side, the Cheetahs, this past weekend. The Springboks come off a resounding win in Gqeberha and will look to continue with that momentum, despite the prospect of fielding a changed lineup. 'We see every Test as an important game because we want to win it. We never underestimate our opponents and understand Georgia's DNA. They are a team that brings a lot of physicality and leaves everything out there. They were competitive in their last couple of games. The Jasper Wiese headbutt incident. Some say it was soft and should have only been a yellow. It's not about the result or even intent ... it's about the action. Headbutt is a headbutt is a headbutt basically. Red card all day long unfortunately for Jasper. — Front Row Rugby (@FrontRowRugbyXV) July 13, 2025 'They have their own goals and are pressing hard to be part of the Six Nations. Them coming here is another step in that direction. We expect a competitive game and want to continue setting our standards and improve looking at the Rugby Championship and the rest of the year.' The Bok assistant coach added that it is unfortunate that Wiese got himself on the wrong side of the law, but they are a physical team that tries to do things with intent. He added that the team will support Wiese and that they trust the disciplinary process. 'As a team, we work very hard to stay on the right side of the law. That is why we have Jaco Peyper here and we train with him to stay inside the laws. World Rugby have laid out the procedure they will follow, and we trust the decision and process.'
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Rassie surprises with new bag of tricks for Boks
Daring Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus lifted the lid on his Pandora's box of new tricks when the world champions conjured up a runaway 45-0 win over Italy in Gqeberha on Saturday. Known for his out-of-the-box innovations, Erasmus added new ploys to his evolving playbook against a bamboozled Azzurri outfit in the second Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Boks surprised Italy in the opening seconds when they orchestrated a cheeky scrum penalty from a contrived kickoff, which they hoped would allow them to exert early dominance in the set pieces. Instead of kicking the ball a mandatory 10 metres, Bok flyhalf Manie Libbok chipped the ball, and André Esterhuizen caught it. This resulted in referee Andrew Brace awarding a scrum to Italy, which the Boks had planned for. The volume in the stadium 🔊📈 Siya Kolisi bringing the Web Ellis Cup onto the pitch in Gqeberha before kick-off 🏆🇿🇦 #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 13, 2025 The first-minute ploy did not reap rewards because the Springboks had a free kick awarded against them for going early in the resulting scrum. In another startling move, the Boks set up line-out mauls in open play in a move which took the capacity 45,000 crowd and the tourists by surprise. The novelty kickoff move, however, did not go down well with Italian coach Gonzalo Quesada, who said the world champions had not really needed to use the shock tactic to beat his side. 'I was really surprised and I did not take it really well,' he said. 'I don't think they needed to do it because they can beat us without using these kinds of tactics. A special night for Vincent Tshituka, Cobus Wiese, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Willie le Roux after the Springboks beat Italy 👏🇿🇦 #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 13, 2025 'So I don't have a clue [about it], and for these last couple of weeks we were extremely respectful and we came with a lot of humility to the land of the world champions. 'They are deserved world champions, and the land of rugby and a land where we get inspired. 'Not from today because I came here for the first time in 1994 with my club, and I love coming to South Africa because when you are a rugby fan it's so nice to be here. 'I knew when South Africa prepared for this game they decided to dominate it and show they are the top-ranked team in the world. 'So I was surprised [by the kickoff] because I did not know if it was something we did or said that created that first move. 'I will only say I was really surprised because they did not need to do that to beat us or to show us anything. 'But it is part of their story and it does not concern us to analyse it.' JUST TEASING: Image: FREDLIN ADRIAAN Asked about the kickoff move, Erasmus said: 'Manie just made a mistake at the kickoff. No, I'm just teasing. 'We wanted a scrum to get onto the game. 'The Boks found that last week Italy gave quick channel ones and the ball was out and we wanted to get into the contest scrum quickly with that [kickoff ploy]. 'There are lots of plans and things we do that do not work, which people do not know about. 'People only see the things that sometimes work. That was a typical example of a plan that did not work. 'South Africa wanted to get a scrum where we could lay down the standards. The previous game was a channel one in and out for them. We had a bit of a plan but then we got a free kick against us. 'So it was a good plan in theory, but a bad plan in practice.' On the midfield line-outs, he said: 'Many teams do different tactical moves. 'We did a maul in general play where it's just not a guy on the ground but a guy we lifted. We saw it being done by a Paul Roos U14 team. 'You get all the benefits from what you get in the line-out if you support a guy in general play, so it worked twice for us. Obviously, now people will be alert to that. 'So it's done now for a couple of games, and we are glad it worked.' The Boks managed to blank Italy despite a setback after 22 minutes when No 8 Jasper Wiese was shown a red card by referee Brace for a headbutt on Italian loose-head Danilo Fischetti. Scorers SA 45 — Tries: Grant Williams, Edwill van der Merwe (2), Canan Moodie, Malcolm Marx, Makazole Mapimpi and Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Conversions: Manie Libbok (5). Italy 0 The Herald
The South African
05-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Where is Springbok captain Francois Pienaar now?
Few Mzansi moments are as iconic and culturally significant as Francois Pienaar lifting the Web Ellis Cup alongside Nelson Mandela after the Springbok's 15-12 victory over the All Blacks. It's an image that speaks a thousand words – a symbol for a new, integrated South Africa. Mandela knew the importance of sports and boy, did it deliver. 'It's impossible to describe how important that victory was to everybody in South Africa,' said the former Springbok captain. Pienaar was inducted to World Rugby's Hall of Fame in 2011 and will go down as one of the greatest ever to don the green and gold. It's not only on the pitch where the 58-year-old has made a long-lasting impact, Piennaar founded the Varsity Cup, which has become a melting pot for Springbok talent. '50% of the players from the Boks 2023 World Cup played in the varsity cup' and added that it has been incredible to see the development of talent,' he noted. 'The varsity sports initiative now includes football and netball, offering a stage for young talent across various sports and not only rugby.' Additionally, the Vereeniging-native has veered towards charity work and philanthropy; 'As sportsmen we're blessed to represent our country on the international stage and to see the power of sport,' Pienaar mentioned while participating in Gary Player's player invitational which raises money for Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School. 'But this weekend you also see the love Mr Player has for giving back and the love [Player's late wife] Vivienne had for giving back. The school they founded is remarkable and that is what you want to see with greats like Mr Player. 'But all any of us here are trying to do is a little something to help. We have a debt incurred in life to help people.' 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.
