Their second alignment camp ticked a couple of boxes for the Springbok Women coaching staff and players, with assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt emphasising some good outcomes from the planned objectives at the conclusion of the three-day camp in Pretoria.
A squad of 33 players assembled on Sunday and attention to set pieces, general play and defence were part of the programme.
“There is a lot of preparation to do as we slowly but surely get into the Rugby World Cup mindset, so these camps are great to have the players understand that road to England better,” said Johannes-Haupt.
“We go into a lot of detail and dissect every aspect of play to make sure the players understand why we do things.”
Johannes-Haupt, who represented South Africa at the 2010 Rugby World Cup and was part of the coaching staff at the New Zealand showpiece last time around, said the preparations are good as it has ever been.
“We are fortunate to have very good access to the players this year and that helps a lot,” she said.
“They are also involved in the Women’s Premier Division that kicked off a few weeks ago, which also helps us to keep an eye on their form. That competition is also like trial matches for us, as we can judge contenders coming up against each other.
“The Premier Division also affords the players the opportunity to play often and that improves their game even more.”
National team captain Nolusindiso Booi agreed with Johannes-Haupt: “This is such a massive year for women’s rugby, and we all want to be part of that group that will represent South Africa at the Rugby World Cup in England.
“These camps are great as it gives us that sense of purpose towards the World Cup. Each player gets the opportunity to work with the coaches and learn what is needed by them for the team to play at its maximum ability. It is great to be part of that process.”
B@D B0Y
Sport Trivia: Where did Naas Botha play his first test match for South Africa? Answer: Wanderers – Naas Botha was selected to play for South Africa at Rugby Union after playing for the SA Under 20 squad. He made his debut against South America on 26 April 1980 at the Wanderers Stadium, recognised as a cricket ground. This was due to the fact that Ellis Park had been demolished in 1979 to be rebuilt.
Bad Princess
Two Robin Singhs have played Test cricket for India and both never got to play after their debut Test – Robin Singh – India\’s one-day specialist played one Test match in his career against Zimbabwe in 1998. His namesake Robin Singh junior was a fast bowler who played his only Test against New Zealand in 1999.