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Possession remains key for Springbok Women – Raubenheimer

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The objectives of their November tour are still firmly in place for the Springbok Women when they take on Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, and they will keep on trying to implement those at Cardiff Arms Park.

Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer said that although some weaknesses in the execution of their overall strategy and game plan that were exposed by France in Vannes last week, these have been addressed and the main focus will still be to implement those structures decided upon before departing South Africa.

“We were pleased about a number of things after the France game as we did many good things, considering the base we started from,” said Raubenheimer.

“We did make some mistakes though, which proved costly. France managed to disrupt us at the breakdown and our defence then faltered, something they exploited well.

“We had a look at that and adjusted for this game against Wales, but we are again trying to go out there to improve in areas we identified. We want to keep our ball longer and have a bigger say in which areas of the field we play.

“If we keep the ball the territorial advantage will follow, so that will again be a very important area for us.”

Raubenheimer said the expected change in weather and a first experience of a 4G pitch will be amongst the challenges in Wales, as well as the home side’s confidence after victory against Japan last week.

“They must be favourites for this match, as they are playing at home and have the experience of playing in this weather and on this field,” he said.

“We will experience it for the first time on tour, but that is part of our challenge and experience. We want the players to be tested in different conditions and get the game time they so desperately need under the belt.

“We are working towards the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year, and preparing the squad as well as possible for that. This Test match will be important in that regard.”

Looking at the opposition, Raubenheimer said they are expecting a physical approach from the Welsh: “They love to use their forwards and have physical ball carriers, while some of their backs are well-respected and also pose threats.

“We have plans to counter that and one of those is looking after our own ball when in possession. If we do that and create territorial pressure, we will put ourselves in a good position to have a positive result.”

Match information

Date: Saturday 13 November 2021

Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Kick-off: 14h15 (SA time)

Referee: Clara Munarini (Italy)

TV: SABC 2 (delayed at 19h00)

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.