Forward depth to be tested this weekend – Myners
Although it only has the status of a friendly encounter, Sunday’s match between the Springbok Women and the England Under-20 team still hold a significant status for the South Africans on their four-week November tour, with a number of players in line for a first chance to play in the green and gold.
The two Test matches against France and Wales gave the coaching staff a good look at their current preferred starting team, and resulted in some points to ponder.
This weekends’ action at Hazelwood Centre, home of English Premiership club London Irish, will hopefully not only expand their options for the future, but give some of the new players in the team the opportunity to prove to the brains trust that they need to be on the plane to New Zealand next year.
For Eddie Myners, the match will be of particular significance. The current pack are fairly experienced and settled, but the Springbok Women forwards coach made it clear that no forward has a ticket booked to New Zealand yet, and he underlined that message as the squad were put through their paces during a lively training session at the University of South Wales outside of Cardiff on Monday.
“The time to talk is gone, we need action on the field, not off the field,” Myners told the players in no uncertain terms.
“No player is guaranteed a place to go to the World Cup and that is a message we are conveying to them at every session. We want to see who the players are who want to make that squad, not only in match performances, but also how they react to training sessions, especially under pressure.”
For a number of players, this weekend will be the ideal opportunity to stake a claim, but more importantly, they will also get a unique chance to train with some of the best players in the world.
The Bok Women will train with England, comfortably the top-ranked team in the world, on Wednesday and Thursday, when they hope to gain some valuable experience from some of the best players on the planet.
“That would be ideal, especially for the younger players,” said Myners.
“We brought a bigger squad to have a good look at how a number of younger players respond at the demands of touring and playing against top class players. We have a fairly experienced core, but we want the younger players to push hard for places currently held by those senior players.
“We are looking to find the right combinations and players that will represent the country with distinction at the World Cup in New Zealand.”
The pack of forwards have also been bolstered by the arrival of Tanya Scholtz, who joined up with the team on Saturday. The Guernsey-based hooker took part in a training camp with the squad in Cape Town early in 2019, but she has been in the UK ever since, working as an accountant and playing for the local club.
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