VIDEO: Swys' honest assessment of Bok Women's win
REACTION: Springbok Women’s performance coach Swys De Bruin hailed his side’s defensive display.
However, the coach gave his team a low grade for the overall performance during the narrow 31-24 win over Japan Women on Friday at the Cape Town Stadium.
South Africa Women were forced to dig deep as they were under pressure for most of the game.
They conceded an early try and were trailing 5-12.
The side eventually managed to find momentum and a try by Vainah Ubisi on the hour mark proved to be the difference.
Japan had a chance to snatch the match in the closing minutes, but brave defence, which included big tackles, by the hosts inside their five-metre line denied the visitors the W.
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Speaking to reporters after the WXV 2 opener, De Bruin said the players showed character and guts.
The former Springbok Men’s attack coach added the victory was crucial for the team’s confidence as they tackle the rest of the WXV 2 campaign.
“I added another 10 years to my youthful age,” the 64-year-old De Bruin joked when asked about the nail-biting conclusion.
“I said it to the girls afterwards, with the amount of mistakes we have made today to show that character on defence means your guts are fantastic.
“They played out of their hearts and for one another. Now we truly can say we are becoming a team.
“From a playing point of view, I can’t give us more than 30 or 40 percent.
“But from a guts point of view; effort and playing for one another point of view I give them a big praise.”
De Bruin added: “The result was so important confidence-wise, especially the way it happened. Fighting and fighting, that is when you start believing in one another.
“If it gets tough and pressure is one the principles of the game and if you can soak it, it makes a team.
“Vital we got the result.”
The win sees the Bok Women move to 11th place on the World Rankings with Japan dropping to 12 – another factor that highlights the magnitude of the result.
“For three years, just Japan team have been together. They have the same coaching staff, same set-up and system.
“One of the coaches in the Japan men’s set-up told me they are a very good team.
“So to stop them was a great effort from our girl.”
De Bruin admitted that a couple of areas need to be reviewed and modified, like the slow start and individual errors.
“We started well against the Barbarians, but we have to look at the [slow starts against Spain and Japan].
“I don’t know if it’s a bit of the warm-up or preparations that must be tweaked,” said De Bruin.
“However it was one or two unforced errors that allowed them [Japan] in the game and that is the little things we need to fix.
“It’s so vital to start well and funny enough that was part of the plan to start well, but Japan started better.”
He added he would never fault the players for individual errors.
“If you normally make so many individual errors, you don’t win.
“They fix their errors.
“I don’t ever want to blame players for individual mistakes because I encourage them to play fearless and have a go. If there is a mistake we will just have to coach a bit better.”
The Springbok Women are back in action next week when they face Australia at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.
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