Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between New Zealand and South Africa is set to take place this coming Saturday, 13 September, at Sandy Park.
The South African women head coach expressed excitement for this moment stating that the team has been building towards the moment as they have been winning biggest games in their history. The coach said, “We decided on the 7-1 split because of the profile of our team. We like to dominate upfront and playing two fresh packs – in each half against the Black Ferns is a tactical decision”.
“We rested all those players against France to be ready for this test and now it is time for them to take on New Zealand with fresh legs and eager minds”. South African coach De Bruin stated.
Historically, both South Africa and New Zealand have been dominant forces in the international men’s rugby union, having won a combined total of seven Rugby World Cups. New Zealand won six matches of the women’s World Cup, meanwhile, South Africa on the other hand is preparing for its first quarterfinal.
De Bruin also reflected South Africa’s performance in earlier matches including the win over Brazil and Italy, which led to 57-10 defeat to France in the quarterfinal round. The team is aware of the strength that New Zealand possesses, however, they remain confident in their preparation.
“They have won the world Cup six times already. We did not even enter the qualification play-offs in 2017 and lost all our matches in 2022. That is how far behind we are compared to them.’’ De Bruin admitted.
Editor: Thibela Thandeka
