Swys de Bruin, praised the defensive attitude and attacking prowess of the Springbok Women in their 36-19 win over Spain at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Thursday. De Bruin, the team’s Performance Coach, hailed the display as another step forward in the preparations towards the WXV 2 and next year’s Rugby World Cup.
De Bruin was pleased with the way the side defended in the opening quarter of the match when Spain came hard and fast at the Springbok Women, and in the last ten minutes, when the opponents produced waves of concerted attack once again.
“You have to give credit to Spain who really never stopped trying and really tested us in many areas,” said De Bruyn, “but I cannot fault our team for their effort on defence. What I am also very proud of on attack was the way we used our opportunities.
“People might not realise how tough the conditions were, with a swirling wind really affecting the handling for both sides. We made some errors due to that, but I cannot fault this team for effort.
“I’m very happy with the result. We are still growing in many areas and I would have loved for us not to concede that very late try, but Spain showed their determination to score. Overall, it was a great game to showcase the women’s game.”
De Bruin said the impact of of the work done by the assistant coaches was clear to see.
“They are top class and I’m pleased to have them. Their contributions are clear to see.”
Player of the Match, Aseza Hele, said the award was thanks to a team effort.
“We play like we train and I can attest to our training sessions being very tough. We push each other hard, but once on the field, we play for each other, our jersey and our country. The effort out there was real and it was great to have some really passionate supporters in the stadium as well,” she said.
“The Spanish team certainly gave us some food for thought, but we will work on our mistakes and get ready for our first game in the WXV 2 against Japan.”
Nadine Roos said the team was finding its feet nicely, and she was excited about the prospects of being tested by Japan, Australia and Italy in the next three weeks.
“We made some mistakes which we can learn from, but also showed some very good phases of play and we will get confidence from that,” she said.
“The crowd support was great and we really hope we can see more of that next Friday when we come back to DHL Stadium to play Japan in our opening match.”
Issued by SA Rugby Communications.
Venom Charms
In case of windy conditions during a match, the umpires may decide to have the bails removed to avoid having them blown off. They may also be replaced by heavier bails to keep them secure on the stumps. Although the bails may not be present, they are assumed to still be on the stump. It will then be up to the umpires to decide if the wicket had been broken or not.
Disco Thunder
Sport Trivia: At the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona, Ghana took a bronze medal in which team event? Answer: Soccer. Ghana topped their group (D) during the preliminary rounds, when they beat Australia 3-1, and drew 0-0 with Denmark and 1-1 with Mexico. They then beat Australia again 1-0 in the playoff to win the bronze medal.