The last time the Springbok Women played against Spain, they needed a late penalty to emerge victorious, and they will hope for an easier outing in today’s Test at the Cape Town Stadium (5pm start).
The match is part of the Bok Women’s preparations for the upcoming WXV 2 tournament in the same region, with fixtures against Japan (September 27, Cape Town Stadium, 4pm) and Australia (October 5, Athlone Stadium, 5pm) ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Jakkie Cilliers had to slot a three-pointer in the closing 10 minutes to seal a 15-13 win for South Africa against Spain in Valladolid in March, but with new coach Swys de Bruin in tow, they will be keen to showcase their attacking skills this afternoon.
The Bok Women dominated up front in their clash against Spain, but battled to convert that ascendancy into points with a number of handling errors and poor execution.
The South Africans, though, scored some classy tries in dispatching the Barbarians 59-17 in a warm-up game at Cape Town Stadium, which was the curtain-raiser to the Springboks beating the All Blacks 18-12 on September 7.
Captain Nolusindiso Booi said during a media conference in a rainy Mother City yesterday that the Bok Women have embraced De Bruin’s well-known attacking philosophy.
The former Bok men’s backline coach and Lions mentor made a major change by selecting speedster Nadine Roos at flyhalf against the Barbarians, and it had the necessary effect.
Cilliers, fullback Libbie Janse van Rensburg and centre Eloise Webb will hope to continue pouncing with ball in hand, along with powerful forwards such as Aseza Hele, Vainah Ubisi and Lindelwa Gwala.
“Coaches come and go, and whoever works with us, we don’t make it a big deal. They also make things easier for us,” SA skipper and No 4 lock Booi said yesterday.
“He (De Bruin) wants a fast game – a game that is moving. So, he is trying to give us some new tricks, which the girls are buying into.
“Sometimes it becomes difficult, and we know that we will play the situation in front of us. But we are buying into what the coaches are trying to implement and teach us.
“Everyone is excited to play the Test, because playing against the Barbarians was one of our preparations for the (Spain match) and the WXV (tournament), in order for us to get to the World Cup (next year) feeling confident enough.
“We know that each and every team go back home and are prepared, and we know that it is not going to be an easy one.
“But with the way we’ve prepared for it, we will make sure that we will win the game and come home with the points.
“I’m not quite sure about (Spain), because we don’t want to focus more on the opposition. All we want to do is to dominate our set pieces and make sure we set a good platform for our backline, because our backline is good!
“Whenever we give them good ball, they will do magic for us.”
Springbok Women’s Team
15 Libbie Janse van Rensburg 14 Jakkie Cilliers 13 Eloise Webb 12 Chumisa Qawe 11 Shaunique Hess 10 Nadine Roos 9 Tayla Kinsey 8 Aseza Hele 7 Sinazo Mcatshulwa 6 Sizophila Solontsi 5 Vainah Ubisi 4 Nolusindiso Booi (captain) 3 Azisa Mkiva 2 Lindelwa Gwala 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie.
Bench: 16 Roseline Botes 17 Yonela Ngxingolo 18 Babalwa Latsha 19 Danelle Lochner 20 Catha Jacobs 21 Felicia Jacobs 22 Zintle Mpupha 23 Aphiwe Ngwevu.