The promise of a new dawn for the Springbok Women will be assessed with more scrutiny at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Thursday, when South Africa take on Spain in a final Test before their WXV 2 campaign later this month and according to team captain, Nolusindiso Booi, they start with a clear aim.
The Bok Women started their five-match campaign on home soil with a convincing 59-17 win over Barbarians almost two weeks ago, and Booi said that victory gave them a lot of confidence.
“We now need to show momentum and progression in our game against Spain, a team that will test us in all areas of play much more than the Baabaas did,” said Booi.
“They have been playing together for quite some time and unlike the Baabaas, will have much better cohesion on attack and defence. We will be tested in all areas of our game and that is exactly what we need.”
The two teams played earlier this year as well, where the Springboks Women squeezed a 15-13 result in Valladolid, and for Booi, their performance on Thursday will be a perfect yardstick.
“We know where we were as a team back in March and we are excited about where we perceive ourselves to be right now as a squad,” she said.
“That perception will be tested against Spain tomorrow and we cannot wait for this reality check. I believe we have made good progress and some of that showed against the Baabaas, but we are very close to Spain on the world rankings and as the last result showed, on the field as well.
“So we are looking for a performance that will not only justify the hard work over the last couple of weeks, but also reflect on the progress we made.”
Booi’s sentiments are shared by Springbok Women’s assistant coach Franzel September, who feels that the test will be a good reality check.
“We played them earlier in the year and just as we have improved, so did they,” said September.
“I watched their last couple of test matches and their style of play is pretty much what we are hoping to get out of the game as well. They love to keep the ball in hand and change direction quite often when on attack.
“Their set pieces are also good, so we are expecting a good challenge to our systems tomorrow. That is exactly what we want with the WXV coming up soon. Ultimately, we are also preparing for next year’s Rugby World Cup. Tomorrow will be small, but important steps for us.”
September said he is hoping for a good crowd for the late afternoon kick-off: “It meant a lot to the players when so many people came out earlier than usual to come and support them in the curtain-raiser of the Springboks win over New Zealand.
“We hope to get a crowd again as that will afford us the opportunity to showcase what the team is about and aspiring to become. The Baabaas match was a good start, it gave the players confidence and motivation to keep setting the bar higher. All signs point in a positive direction for the Springbok Women and we need to keep that momentum going.”
The Springbok Women had a late change to their match-23. Ayanda Malinga will be replaced by Shaunique Hess on the wing, with Aphiwe Ngwevu coming onto the bench to take over from Hess.
Head-to-Head:
17 August 2014 (Paris): Spain 36, South Africa 0
17 November 2018 (Villajoyosa): Spain 17, South Africa 5
21 September 2019 (Despatch): South Africa 12, Spain 29
13 August 2022 (Johannesburg): South Africa 44, Spain 5
19 August 2022 (Potchefstroom): South Africa 37, Spain 14
1 April 2023 (Madrid): Spain 20, South Africa 35
23 March 2024 (Valladolid): Spain 13, South Africa 15