Springbok Women banking on gamble paying off against Black Ferns at Rugby World Cup

Springbok Women’s coach Swys de Bruin and his management team are hoping their gamble to rest key players against France will pay dividends when they face the Black Ferns in Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

The Bok Women opted to rest nine of their regular starters in their final pool match to keep them fresh and injury-free for what is their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance. Several other key players were also withdrawn at half-time.

But the decision came at a hefty cost, as South Africa were thumped 57-10 by a ruthless French outfit in Northampton. It was their first defeat of the tournament, having previously beaten Brazil 66-6 and edged Italy 29-24 to secure their quarter-final spot.

Now, they’ll face defending champions New Zealand — a side that’s hit top gear.

The Black Ferns cruised through the pool stages, beating Spain 54-8 and Japan 62-19. But it was their 40-0 demolition of Ireland — another strong contender — that sent a clear message of intent to the South Africans.

The Bok Women did play a Black Ferns XV, made up of New Zealand’s second and third-choice players, in their World Cup warm-ups. They produced an outstanding all-round performance to win the second match. But Saturday will represent an entirely different challenge.

De Bruin has essentially placed all his eggs in one basket — but it may prove to be a shrewd move, especially after a taxing few weeks in England. This is the game they’ve been preparing for, and they’ll be determined to leave it all on the field.

“The reality is that France are ranked fourth in the world, and that showed,” said De Bruin after Sunday’s loss.

“In fact, the top four sides all scored 40 or more points to win their final pool matches this weekend, which shows the gap between them and the rest right now.

“There are positives, though. We rested nine frontline players who will be fresh and ready for New Zealand. We also exposed nine others to the harsh realities of what World Cups are all about. That’s an investment in the future.”

De Bruin added that his team has enormous respect for the Black Ferns, but having faced a New Zealand development side recently gives them some insight heading into the quarter-final.

“Sixteen teams arrived here and eight are going home,” said De Bruin. “We still have a chance to make more history, despite being massive underdogs.

“As you saw against France, our girls never gave up and scored the final points of the match. That fighting spirit is something that will always give us a chance.”