WATCH - 'No answers': Black Ferns on Bok Women's tactics
The Black Ferns head coach Allan Bunting and captain Ruahei Demant have heaped praise on the Springbok Women following their fiercely contested Rugby World Cup 2025 quarterfinal match at Sandy Park.
New Zealand booked their place in the semifinals with a 46-17 win over South Africa, but the reigning champions were made to work hard by a determined Springbok side that held them to a 10-10 draw at halftime – a first in Black Ferns’ World Cup history.
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“Swys [de Bruin] and the South African women deserve massive respect,” said Bunting.
“What he and the coaching group have done with the ladies, and what they’re playing for, is massive for women’s rugby.
Some of the innovation out there was pretty cool.”
Despite the final scoreline, the Springbok Women dominated the physical exchanges and were rewarded with the opening try of the match through prop Babalwa Latsha.
Their set-piece execution was also praised, especially under high-pressure conditions.
One of the standout tactical moves came from head coach Swys de Bruin, who employed an audacious line-out strategy that saw all 15 players – including backs – joining the maul. Scrumhalf Nadine Roos and fullback Byrhandra Dolf were even used as jumpers at different stages.
The unorthodox approach caught New Zealand off guard.
“We had no answer for that,” admitted captain Ruahei Demant.
“As a backline player, I remember standing in the line-out thinking, ‘What am I even doing here?’ I asked our hooker, Georgia Ponsonby, what the plan was.
“It was gutting looking at our forwards and seeing the work they had to do, especially on defence. The South African girls had a plan, they were coming through the front door, and they were really accurate with it.”
Despite the early challenges, the Black Ferns adjusted in the second half and ran in a total of eight tries to secure the win. Demant praised her side’s resilience and the halftime turnaround.
“We understood they were playing for something beyond the rugby field today,” she said.
“It took us a long time – longer than it should have – to adapt to that.
“I’m really proud of the way we digested the halftime messages and approached the second half.”
The Black Ferns now advance to the semifinals, where they will face Canada on Friday in Bristol.
