Sephaka pleased with Springbok Women’s Tour preparations
Springbok Women’s coach Lawrence Sephaka was pleased on Friday with his team’s early preparations for their Rugby World Cup warm-up tour to London and France next week following a series of productive training sessions at their camp in Pretoria which started on Wednesday.
There was, however, a slight disruption to their preparations on Thursday as 14 of the 26 players had to sit out of the afternoon training session due to a bout of flu, which included captain Mandisa Williams. However, six of the players were back on the training field on Friday.
The team will depart for London next Wednesday, June 25, where they will play two matches against the Nomads, followed by a clash against IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup hosts France in Marcoussis, outside of Paris. All of the World Cup pool matches will be played in Marcoussis, meaning this match will serve as ideal preparation for the team ahead of the international spectacle.
The World Cup will be hosted in France from August 1 to 17. The Springbok Women have been drawn in a challenging pool with Australia, France and Wales.
“The last few days have been very productive, as it has allowed the players to familiarise themselves with each other’s style of play, while also offering them the opportunity to bond off the field,” said Sephaka. “We have managed to work combined and split sessions with the backs and forwards respectively into the training schedule as well as sessions that focus on individual skills, which is important ahead of the warm-up tour and the World Cup.
“Many of the players in the squad have played against the Nomads before, while a handful of players were part of the squad that faced France in the Nations Cup in 2009, so they are aware of the challenge that awaits them on tour. On a personal note, it has been very pleasing to see how focused the players have been on the task at hand and their commitment on the training field, and hopefully that will show on tour.”
Off the field, the players have also participated in sessions to improve their mental strength, which Sephaka hoped would contribute to a strong performance in their matches.
The team will continue their preparations at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria until their departure for London next Wednesday.
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