De Bruin praises experimental Bok Women’s half-back pairing of Roos and Webb
Rugby
Springbok Women's Sevens star Eloise Webb got her first start at flyhalf for the Springbok Women against Canada on Saturday.
Image: Phando Jikelo/Independent Media
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.”
Springbok Women's utility-back Nadine Roos slotted in comfortably at scrumhalf in the second Test against Canada.
Image: Backpagepix
The coach feels now is the ideal time to try combinations, especially with the halfback pairing, with the World Cup in England looming next month.
“If you play Nadine at nine or 10, it doesn’t matter where you play her, she’s good. So are the other players. Looking at the combinations, they worked as well.
“We’ve got a couple of flyhalves. Mary Zulu was very good in the Africa Cup, though there was much less pressure.
"We know how good Libbie is at 10, Dolfy can play 10. So 10 is such a vital position.
“And if you speak to Rassie (Springbok Men’s coach Rassie Erasmus) as well, he’ll tell you that he’ll try Manie (Libbok) there, he’ll try … because you’ve got to look at combinations. It was a pure combination test after the second half at Loftus for the same halfback pairing.”
De Bruin urged for patience with Webb in her transition to a new role.
“It’s important that we are not too tough on Eloise in playing her first game at flyhalf under a rush defence. I thought she did very well in stages.”
The Springbok Women will next gear up for two matches against the Black Ferns XV.