Latest news with #WorldCup-winners
IOL News
7 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rassie Erasmus involves Junior Bok stars in Springboks' preparations for Wallabies Tests
Junior Springboks star Bathobele Hlekani will get an opportunity to train with the Springboks ahead of the Rugby Championship Tests against Australia. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during the recent matches against Italy and Georgia. The Bok coach also invited three young guns, who were members of the triumphant Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship squad – Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead – to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg starting on Sunday 27 July, to orientate them into the Springbok culture. The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are Ethan Hooker (utility back), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Boan Venter (both props), Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), and Cobus Wiese (utility forward). Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, although he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise, while No 8 Jasper Wiese is currently serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad.
TimesLIVE
7 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Erasmus names experience and young blood in Bok squad for Australia Tests
Three players from Junior Boks will train with senior team ahead of Rugby Championship kickoff Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during their successful Incoming Series. The Bok coach also invited three young players who were members of the triumphant Junior Bok World Rugby Under-20 Championship squad — Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead — to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg starting on Sunday. The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are utility back Ethan Hooker, props Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and utility forward Cobus Wiese. Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, though he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise. No 8 Jasper Wiese is serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad. Five tries in three starts 🇿🇦🔥 Has Edwill van der Merwe locked in his spot in The Rugby Championship squad? 🤔💭 #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 22, 2025 A handful of players have been released to their respective franchises to build up game time in the Currie Cup, though a few of them have been placed on standby for the Wallaby Tests. The standby players are centre Lukhanyo Am, who missed the July Tests due to a knee niggle; scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, wing Makazole Mapimpi, lock Salmaan Moerat, No 8 Evan Roos, prop Neethling Fouche and flank Vincent Tshituka. The squad has 20 forwards and 17 backline players. The Springboks face the Wallabies in Johannesburg on August 16 and Cape Town on August 23. 'It's always challenging to reduce the squad, especially given how the expanded group of players put up their hands during the Incoming Series, but we always said we would select a smaller, more manageable squad during the Rugby Championship,' Erasmus said. 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Rassie Erasmus has named his squad that will face the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship next month 🇿🇦 Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead have been invited to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Joburg. #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 23, 2025 'This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys who grabbed their chances in the last few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches. 'We have informed the players on standby what our plans are and what we expect from them so all of them are ready to step up if needed.' Erasmus elaborated on the composition of the squad. 'We probably have three players who can cover each position, which is important in this competition. 'One of our key pillars as a team is to build squad depth, and there is no better way to see what some of the younger players are capable of than to expose them to some of the top teams in the world.' Erasmus expects a completely different challenge in the Rugby Championship to that against the Barbarians, Italy, and Georgia. 'Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina are all ranked in the top seven in the world and if one considers we won the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 last year, it is clear this will be a completely different kettle of fish. 'All three teams have beaten us in the last few years and they play a different style of rugby to the other opposition we have faced thus far, but we are pleased with the foundation we laid in the last few weeks and we know exactly what areas of our game we need to work on.' Erasmus will announce his squad for the two-match tour to New Zealand in September before making the journey Down Under, where they will face their arch-rivals at Eden Park in Auckland on September 6, and the Sky Stadium in Wellington on September 13. The Boks wrap up their campaign with Tests against Argentina in Durban on September 27 and in London on October 4. Springbok squad Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Bulls) Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), André Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Handré Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers)
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Attack-happy Springboks will never abandon their physicality and set-piece dominance, promises Handre Pollard
Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown has been credited with transforming the team's attack SPRINGBOK assistant coach Tony Brown has transformed the World Champions game-approach although there are assurances of physicality not being lost. | AFP 'We are not talking about massive, crazy changes on attack, just minor adjustments here and there.' 'That is who we are as a team, and we will never shy away from that. Our set-piece dominance will always be key to every game we play, but if we can sprinkle a little something on our attack to take us to the next level, that is the goal. 'The core of our game will always be our physicality and being direct,' the veteran flyhalf said. Pollard has reassuring words for Bok purists who fear the World Cup-winners might get carried away with cavalier attack and forget their roots. The sharpened Springbok attack is attacking headlines, but flyhalf general Handre Pollard says the Boks will never deviate from their core DNA of physicality and set-piece dominance. The main key to adding attacking arrows to the Springbok quiver is New Zealander Tony Brown, and Pollard cannot speak highly enough of the former All Black flyhalf. Brown is in his second year with the Boks and is adding fresh nuances to their game. 'With Browny, every week is a next step,' Pollard said. 'He is such an 'involving' coach. He is always looking for something extra. It is refreshing working with him, and it is fun at the same time. 'We have not yet unlocked all our potential on attack. This team has a lot more in it. But it will take time. The more we play together, the more it will come together. We have unbelievable players, so the more time and space we can create for the boys outside, the more dangerous we will be.' A renewed focus on attack is a global phenomenon, and the British and Irish Lions are a case in point — they have played exhilarating rugby in their first two tour games in Australia. 'For a few years now, defences have been overpowering attacks a little bit,' Pollard explained. 'The backs have to get creative on attack, and they are. With the Boks, it is evident that we are enjoying attacking a lot more. We are scoring a lot more points and making it tougher for defences. 'We are enjoying the focus on attacking rugby,' the 31-year-old said. 'Each team has its own way of doing it. We trust a system that we think is the best for us. It is a good thing, and I am sure the spectators enjoy it as well.' But Pollard has a caveat to the focus on adventurous rugby. "Defences are still the key to winning World Cups and competitions. It will be a core fundamental of any winning team, as will a good kicking game, but I just think there was room for improvement with us on attack over these last few years. 'The New Zealand teams unlocked it years ago, and we were trusting our defence and kicking game more at that time, but we understand that there is another layer to us that we can unlock, and that is our attack.' This week in Pretoria, fast dry conditions are expected after the wet of the Barbarians game. This presents an opportunity for the Boks to kick on. 'After the rain, we can take it to another level this week,' Pollard agreed. 'That is the plan, but listen, Italy are a good team. We are not going to underestimate anything they bring to the party. They are physical and passionate. We have to put in the hard yards before we put in the pretty stuff on the edges. 'So it will be a tough start to the game, that is for sure, but we are ready for that, and we will see what happens from there.'
The Star
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Rugby World Cup 1995: How Os Du Randt went from unknown to cornerstone of the Springboks' triumph
A year out from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Os du Randt was a 21-year-old diesel mechanic. He did not have the faintest clue that months later he would be wearing a World Cup-winners medal. How did he go from rugby unknown to anchor of the Springboks' World Cup-winning scrum? Let's look at the making of a Bok legend. Pieter du Randt was a farm boy from remote Elliot in the Eastern Cape, the same rural town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randt's tight-five teammate in the '95 team. Natural strength ran in the Du Randt family. It was developed by tough, physical labour on the land the family has farmed for generations. Handling livestock and hauling bags of mealies around was part of a day's work. That was the young Os' 'gym' workout. He has said that his family didn't have a television until he was 13 and PlayStation-type games were banned by parents who preferred a more old-fashioned way of life. Instead, Os amused himself outdoors with his brothers— fishing, hunting, and climbing trees was their life. In his autobiography Os, he tells of taking apart electrical appliances to see what they looked like inside and trying to successfully put them together again. He once created his own motorbike from the scraps of broken ones. The steering didn't work too well and he sometimes crashed into the ditches of farm roads. The absence of a TV in his younger days meant he didn't get to watch much sport and while he enjoyed rugby at school, he didn't have a burning passion to become a rugby star. He says he had no sporting heroes. Os recalls that rugby grew on him as he continued to grow into, well, an ox. He hadn't been overly big at primary school, but at high school, he had a growth spurt that earned him his nickname. The story goes that a bunch of senior bullies tried to initiate him and that would include pinning him down and shaving his nether regions. They discovered that it was easier said than done because Du Randt did an impersonation of Bruce Banner and transformed into The Hulk. 'They could not pin me down,' Du Randt smiled. 'They called me an 'Os' and that has been my name ever since.' Os was at school at Adelaide Gimnasium and in 1990 played SA Schools but, curiously, fell off the rugby radar when he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein. Du Randt's love of things mechanical was fostered at the School of Armour and after national service, he remained in Bloem and worked as an apprentice at Barlows Caterpillar, a company specialising in earth-moving equipment. It was when he was playing for the Free State under-20s that his career suddenly took off like a runaway train. He was called up to the senior Free State side when Ollie le Roux was picked for the Boks in June 1994. Os had played just nine Currie Cup games before he himself was picked for the Boks later that year when Argentina toured. He then also played on the Boks' end-of-year tour to the UK. In the space of a season, he went from the Free State Under-20s to the Cheetahs and the Boks, leapfrogging Le Roux in the latter two teams. Almost overnight, Os became a fixture in the Bok front row under Kitch Christie, who had taken over as coach in 1994 from Ian McIntosh. Kitch had listened wisely when the influential Transvaal and Bok hooker Uli Schmidt told him that he had played against this kid called Os and wanted him alongside him in the Bok front row. Schmidt didn't make it to the '95 World Cup but he was right about Os. He was just 22 when he came of age in the semi-final against France when the front row of Os, Chris Rossouw and Balie Swart held out against the fearsome French during a frantic finale of set scrums. The Bok front row did not budge, the French were kept at bay, and passage to the final against New Zealand was secured. Likewise, in the final, the unsung heroes against the All Blacks were the front row, who denied the Kiwis the solid platform that would have given the likes of Jonah Lomu dangerous front-foot ball. It is apt that Andrews, the lock who pushed behind Os in so many scrums, best sums up one of the greats of the game: 'The fact that he is larger than most other props is not the extraordinary thing about Os. At six foot three and 128kgs he was able to tackle like Henry Honiball on steroids and run and pass like a loose forward. That gave him an almost unfair advantage over his opponents. 'What makes any Test player special is his ability to do what his position requires of him, yet is consistently able to do what is not expected of him with the same ease. For me, that sums up Os.' Mike Greenaway is the author of best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
IOL News
07-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995: How Os Du Randt went from unknown to cornerstone of the Springboks' triumph
South Africa scrum coach Os du Randt has insisted the world champions can bounce back from their shock 21-17 loss to Scotland. South Africa scrum legend Os du Randt has a special place in Springbok history. | Archives A year out from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Os du Randt was a 21-year-old diesel mechanic. He did not have the faintest clue that months later he would be wearing a World Cup-winners medal. How did he go from rugby unknown to anchor of the Springboks' World Cup-winning scrum? Let's look at the making of a Bok legend. Pieter du Randt was a farm boy from remote Elliot in the Eastern Cape, the same rural town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randt's tight-five teammate in the '95 team. Natural strength ran in the Du Randt family. It was developed by tough, physical labour on the land the family has farmed for generations. Handling livestock and hauling bags of mealies around was part of a day's work. That was the young Os' 'gym' workout. He has said that his family didn't have a television until he was 13 and PlayStation-type games were banned by parents who preferred a more old-fashioned way of life. Instead, Os amused himself outdoors with his brothers— fishing, hunting, and climbing trees was their life. In his autobiography Os, he tells of taking apart electrical appliances to see what they looked like inside and trying to successfully put them together again. He once created his own motorbike from the scraps of broken ones. The steering didn't work too well and he sometimes crashed into the ditches of farm roads. The absence of a TV in his younger days meant he didn't get to watch much sport and while he enjoyed rugby at school, he didn't have a burning passion to become a rugby star. He says he had no sporting heroes. Os recalls that rugby grew on him as he continued to grow into, well, an ox. He hadn't been overly big at primary school, but at high school, he had a growth spurt that earned him his nickname. The story goes that a bunch of senior bullies tried to initiate him and that would include pinning him down and shaving his nether regions. They discovered that it was easier said than done because Du Randt did an impersonation of Bruce Banner and transformed into The Hulk. 'They could not pin me down,' Du Randt smiled. 'They called me an 'Os' and that has been my name ever since.' Os was at school at Adelaide Gimnasium and in 1990 played SA Schools but, curiously, fell off the rugby radar when he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein. Du Randt's love of things mechanical was fostered at the School of Armour and after national service, he remained in Bloem and worked as an apprentice at Barlows Caterpillar, a company specialising in earth-moving equipment. It was when he was playing for the Free State under-20s that his career suddenly took off like a runaway train. He was called up to the senior Free State side when Ollie le Roux was picked for the Boks in June 1994. Os had played just nine Currie Cup games before he himself was picked for the Boks later that year when Argentina toured. He then also played on the Boks' end-of-year tour to the UK. In the space of a season, he went from the Free State Under-20s to the Cheetahs and the Boks, leapfrogging Le Roux in the latter two teams. Almost overnight, Os became a fixture in the Bok front row under Kitch Christie, who had taken over as coach in 1994 from Ian McIntosh. Kitch had listened wisely when the influential Transvaal and Bok hooker Uli Schmidt told him that he had played against this kid called Os and wanted him alongside him in the Bok front row. Schmidt didn't make it to the '95 World Cup but he was right about Os. He was just 22 when he came of age in the semi-final against France when the front row of Os, Chris Rossouw and Balie Swart held out against the fearsome French during a frantic finale of set scrums. The Bok front row did not budge, the French were kept at bay, and passage to the final against New Zealand was secured. Likewise, in the final, the unsung heroes against the All Blacks were the front row, who denied the Kiwis the solid platform that would have given the likes of Jonah Lomu dangerous front-foot ball. It is apt that Andrews, the lock who pushed behind Os in so many scrums, best sums up one of the greats of the game: 'The fact that he is larger than most other props is not the extraordinary thing about Os. At six foot three and 128kgs he was able to tackle like Henry Honiball on steroids and run and pass like a loose forward. That gave him an almost unfair advantage over his opponents. 'What makes any Test player special is his ability to do what his position requires of him, yet is consistently able to do what is not expected of him with the same ease. For me, that sums up Os.' Mike Greenaway is the author of best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
