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Cape Town - Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer said on Monday his team is expecting a challenging task against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday as they switch their focus to their first Test in four years.
The Springbok Women kicked off their European tour on a winning note on Friday with a 31-12 victory against the UK Armed Forces in Richmond, but they got back to business on Sunday after enjoying a recovery day on Saturday.
“There is a reason it is called a Test match, so there will certainly be more pressure going into this game,” said Raubenheimer.
“We have not been involved a full-out Test for a while now, so we are expecting a bit of nerves. But that said, we do not want to make a big deal about it.
“So our focus in camp is on our preparation and doing more of the same thing at training this week with an eye on improving our performance on field.”
Raubenheimer said the team were in high spirits after Friday’s victory, and he had no doubt that it would boost their confidence looking forward.
“The vibe in the squad is good,” Raubenheimer said.
“The girls had a good recovery day on Saturday, and we kicked off our preparation for the Wales Test yesterday with analysis of the UK Armed Forces match.
“The victory definitely gave us confidence in our ability to complete on tour, and hopefully we will be able to sustain this positive approach as the tour progresses.”
While Raubenheimer was pleased with their performance against the UK Armed Forces, he admitted that there were areas they needed to work on as they prepare for back-to-back Tests against Wales, Italy and Spain.
“I was satisfied with the team’s performance against the UK Armed Forces,” said Raubenheimer.
“The players stuck to the plan, and we got the result, so I am very proud of them. Our first-phase possession, in particular, was good and it allowed us to build a platform to play from. But our breakdowns need more work, and we need to be more accurate with ball in hand.”
Saturday’s Test will be followed by clashes against Spain in Villajoyosa on Saturday, 17 November, and Italy in Prato on Sunday, 25 November.
