Springbok Women shift focus to Ferns after bruising Canada Tests

WITH their two-Test series against Canada now behind them, the Springbok Women will turn their full attention to the upcoming showdowns against the Black Ferns XV ~ as World Cup preparations enter a critical fine-tuning phase.

- LANCE FREDERICKS

The squad will reconvene in Cape Town on Sunday, July 20, ahead of their next big challenge: two fixtures at Athlone Stadium on July 26 and August 2 against a powerful New Zealand outfit.

Springbok Women's performance coach Swys de Bruin believes the tests against Canada — ranked second in the world — offered the kind of high-pressure learning the team needed.

“We will regroup in a week and then start focusing on the Black Ferns XV matches and tweak and fine-tune as we close our preparation for the World Cup,” said De Bruin. “We wanted to play the best and I am happy with the outcomes so far.

“Make no mistake, this Canadian team is very, very good and we took them to the wire today.”

That “wire” came late in the second match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, where the Springbok Women, trailing just 19-5 with 10 minutes to play, were pressing hard for a second score. But two late tries from Canada ultimately sealed a 33-5 result.