Nadine Roos and Libbie Janse van Rensburg, two standouts in rising Springbok side
Nadine Roos (with the ball) and Libbie Janse van Rensburg’s exceptional performances led the Springbok women to their first-ever Rugby World Cup knockout stages, marking a historic achievement for South African women’s rugby.Picture: Joe Toth/Shutterstock via BackpagePix
Image: Joe Toth/Shutterstock via BackpagePix
Following their milestone victory over Italy over the weekend, a couple of players stood out with their fine performances, which led to the Springboks women qualifying for the Rugby World Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Though it was undoubtedly a combined team effort, player of the match Libbie Janse van Rensburg at flyhalf truly shone.
With Nadine Roos shifting from fullback to scrumhalf during the match, the partnership with Janse van Rensburg resulted in some dominant phases of play and most notably a couple of vital scores.
Both Roos and Janse van Rensburg combined for a key team try during the encounter, as the understanding between the two star players proved pivotal.
Roos and Van Rensburg: An unstoppable force
“Libbie and I go way back … from 2015 when the two of us played for Tuks together, so we’ve played rugby together for about nine to 10 years,” Roos told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.
“I think our ability to understand each other’s game and how we complement each other on the field is something that won’t stop. We have had that flair for a long time, and it’s really nice having to share these moments and see them pay off for the team.”
While Janse van Rensburg received most of the praise after the game, there’s no disputing that the efforts of Roos were also invaluable.
How Roos' Leadership Shaped the Game
At 29 and playing in her second RWC, the experience of players like Roos has made the difference.
“I know in these high-pressure games we always focused on the outcome, but moments in the game will need that composure and experience and I think for me it was really important to bring that aspect to the game as well."
“I’m a big believer in consistency and discipline. You can do all things right, but if those components in such a crucial game aren’t in place, it will definitely come back and shoot you in the foot. We as a group had massive discussions from the start of the week about how we need to believe that we can beat them. We spoke a lot about our discipline in this game and how important it will be.”