Cape Town – For Springbok women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer, his team’s recent results are a step in the right direction as they prepare for the Cup.
The women’s showpiece will take place in New Zealand in October.
The South Africans completed a 2-0 series clean sweep over Spain, and those two victories took them to five wins in their six matches for the year – all against higher-ranked opposition.
Prior to their positive results against the Spanish, they also secured two consecutive wins over Japan, losing just one in Kamaishi last month.
Moving up one position on the world rankings is of course a pleasing aspect for Raubenheimer, but it’s not the most important by-product from their run of results.
“It is great to move in the right direction when it comes to world ranking, but we did not start this journey four years ago with that in mind,” Raubenheimer said after their second win over Spain on Friday.
“We needed to get a team ready and competitive to play at the biggest stage, the Rugby Cup in New Zealand and I am pleased with where we are after today’s match, our last in that whole journey.
“There has been a lot of work and planning done to get everything in place for the Cup. We used almost 60 players over the four years and managed to end up with a squad at this camp that will be pretty close to the one going to New Zealand. We wanted a settled squad to travel there, and I think we managed to get pretty close to that. We finished the Spain camp with 34 players, with 32 allowed to go to the Cup.”
At the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom on Friday, the Boks scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to beat Spain 37-14 after trailing 14-10 at the break.
The W in the North West marked their second victory over Spain in five attempts, having lost the previous three in a row.
While their ability to fight back was a standout feature from the game on Friday, Raubenheimer would have liked to see more patience from his group in their first-ever Test played in Potch.
“We were just too eager and pushing too hard in that first half. Once we calmed things down and dictated the pace of the game, the tries came,” said Raubenheimer.
In the first Test against Spain, the Boks soared to a 44-5 victory at Ellis Park to claim a first home victory against their European counterparts.
In the curtain-raiser, the Junior Bok women returned to international action in style, thrashing the Zimbabwe Under-20 team 55-0 after leading 19-0 at the break.
The match was their first since 2019.
Scorers:
South Africa 37 (10) – Tries: Roseline Botes, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Nomawethu Mabenge, Nadine Roos, Lusanda Dumke. Conversions: Zenay Jordaan. Libbie Janse van Rensburg (2). Penalty: Janse van Rensburg. Drop Goal: Libbie Janse van Rensburg
Spain 14 (14) – Tries: Alba Capell, Penalty try. Conversion: Inés Bueso-Inchausti
Scorers:
Junior Springbok Women 55 (19) – Tries – Johnerecia Booysen, Vainah Ubisi, Lebogang Ralebona (2), Asiphe Mayabe, Ruscha Garsman (2), Elme Kruger, Anelisa Ndamase. Conversions: Byrhandre Dolf Dolf (3), Kruger (2).
Zimbabwe Junior Sables Women 0
