womens
internationals-womens
Laurian Johannes-Haupt, co-head coach of the Springbok Women, provided a candid evaluation of her team’s defeat to Ireland with a score of 40-27 at Athlone Stadium.
As both squads continued their WXV Global Series 2026 journeys, Ireland secured a notable win in Cape Town, with Linda Djougang managing to score twice during the match.
The hosts struggled, contributing to their own woes through several unforced mistakes and falling short in capitalizing on advantageous field positions on numerous occasions.
“There were times when they played better than us, but we have the ability to rectify what went wrong,” stated Johannes-Haupt.
“Next week we will return with greater determination to ensure we execute our plans effectively. While we managed to score five commendable tries, we could have achieved more if we had been sharper in our offensive plays. Our defense also lacked precision at junctures.”
She mentioned that candid discussions would take place during the post-match analysis, but emphasized that there were also positives as they are aware of what needs adjustment: “We will return to training on Monday and put in the effort to make amends for the following weekend.”
The two teams will reconvene shortly, with their rematch scheduled for the following Saturday at the same venue, concluding a two-match series.
For the Springbok Women, their objective will be to finish the year on a positive note. Up until September, the tenth-ranked team in the world had a string of successful performances.
Before Swys de Bruin’s unexpected departure, the team had effectively defended their title at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, shared a Test series with the USA Women’s Eagles, and completed a clean sweep against Fiji.
However, following that, the team suffered a significant defeat against the Black Ferns and faced another setback against Wales in their WXV Global Series opening match.
Now back on home turf as they wrap up 2026, the motivation to end the year positively is palpable.
“We understand whom we represent and the purpose behind our sport,” Tose remarked. “We let a lot of supporters down today by failing to achieve the result we know we are capable of delivering.
“Our aim is to motivate others, particularly young girls to engage with the sport, but we must also make them proud. This is why today’s result was so hard to accept.”
