LISTEN! Set, pause, engage: No DNA, just RSA

SPOTLIGHT: Just like their male counterparts, the Springbok Women have established themselves as a formidable set-piece team with success in converting their dominance in those areas into points.

Therefore, there are no reasons why they should move away from that area of excellence when they play Spain in Elche on Saturday, in what will be South Africa’s first Test of the year, scrum coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt stated.

The Springbok Women (12th with 66.18 ranking points) open their international season against Spain (13th with 65.59 points) on Saturday, and for Johannes-Haupt, that could play a role in their approach.

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“They have been together for five weeks now and had four wins so far, so their improvement is real,” said Johannes-Haupt.

“They will come in well prepared, while we are only starting our season. That said, we have had several camps back home where we worked on a few aspects and variety in our game, and we would like to implement that.”

The Bok Women’s scrum power is no secret and, for Johannes-Haupt, not something they are moving away from soon.

“We don’t want to move away from what we are good at; we just want to perfect what we are good at.”

The two sides met twice last year, once in Valladolid and once in Cape Town, with the Springbok Women enjoying 94% success rate in scrums on their own feed and Spain 74%. The South Africans also won 25 of 28 lineouts (89%), while Spain won nine from 14 (64%).

The Bok Women scored eight tries in those two matches – three of which were from mauls and two from scrums – while Spain scored five, with only one from a lineout and one from a scrum.

“We are certainly a set-piece team, and we want to remain prominent and dominant in that area, but we also want to spice it up and add more to our play than just scrums and mauls, as successful as it is for us,” she said.

“This match will be about a solid foundation, and we will target the set piece, but more so because we want to give the backs ball to run with. If we provide the platforms for them to launch from, they will have ample opportunity to finish.

“I feel our defence has been reliable as well and we are working to add some attacking flair to our effort.”

The Springbok Women team to face Spain on Saturday will be named on Wednesday.