Springbok men and women gear up for pivotal rugby clashes

South Africa’s sporting hopes will rest on the shoulders of the Springbok men’s and women’s teams this weekend as they play crucial matches in Cape Town and Northampton, respectively.

While the Boks will have their backs against the wall at DHL Stadium (5:10 pm kick-off) on Saturday, looking to overturn a poor start to the Rugby Championship against Australia, the nation will watch with bated breath on Sunday when the women’s side opens its Rugby World Cup campaign at Franklin’s Gardens against Brazil.

Immediate attention will be on the Springboks’ response following their 38–22 loss in the opener against the Wallabies. They have a point to prove as they aim to get their campaign back on track and avoid consecutive defeats to the Australians.

South Africa put in a strong display against the Barbarians the last time they played in the Mother City, and their rugby-hungry supporters will hope there are no lingering scars from the defeat in Johannesburg. Rain and wet conditions may influence the game, but the Boks can be assured of passionate support from thousands of fans, even if there may be many empty seats in the stadium.

Against the Barbarians, it was a festival of rugby, but Bok supporters should expect more of a grind this time. The focus will be on securing a hard-fought victory in tricky conditions to stay in contention to defend the Rugby Championship title they currently hold.

Over in England, the hopes of the nation will rest on captain Nolusindiso Booi and her Bok Women as they face Brazil on Sunday afternoon (3:45 pm).

It will be a challenging opener as they navigate the early stages of a World Cup campaign that could potentially see them reach the quarter-finals if they reproduce the kind of performances they have put up over the past few years.

A strong victory over Brazil could lay the perfect platform for their all-important clash with Italy on Sunday 31 August — a match likely to determine whether they progress to the playoffs. South Africa will also face France on 7 September in Pool D.

Assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt admitted that returning to a Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, where she represented the Springbok Women in 2010, was an emotional moment for her.

“This is such a huge moment for me, to now see where we are as a team and the journey we’ve taken since 2010,” she said.

“It is so fulfilling to see how these players are living the dream we had back then. I am incredibly proud of how they carry themselves as Springbok Women and how much pride they take in representing us.

“We have a massive responsibility to take this team to a level it has never reached before.”

Cape Times