Ken Borland

Springbok women's coach Lawrence Sephaka

Former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka is the man responsible for gathering South Africa’s women’s rugby forces for a World Cup challenge just five weeks from now, and the coach yesterday pronounced himself happy with preparations as his team trained at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria.

“There’s excitement all round, the players are all on a high and things are going good. It’s important to me that we keep on improving, because we have higher places to get to, and this is a great bunch of girls, very funny and sociable. There’s a great camaraderie,” Sephaka told The Pretoria News yesterday.

South Africa have been drawn with big guns Australia and hosts France, as well as Wales, in the World Cup, which starts on August 1, but Sephaka is more concerned with continuing the process of improvement that has been so apparent with the women’s Springboks, rather than individual matches.

“We are a rugby-loving nation and it’s worrying that we are only ranked 10^th in the world. We’re a proud nation so we want to improve on that, but we need to follow the steps to get there, otherwise we could miss some things and stumble. So we’re not going to focus on individual games, but rather on our implementation. That will determine how we grow,” Sephaka said.

The owner of 24 Springbok caps said South Africa’s success at the World Cup would be down to quality set-pieces and physicality.

“We pride ourselves on our set-pieces because that will give us good ball to play from. If we don’t get good ball then we can’t strike through our backs and I believe we have a pretty talented backline. But we need to put them on the front foot. We need to take whatever pressure we’re under and also convert our chances,” Sephaka said.

“But if we cut out physicality from our game then we’ll also have a problem. We must embrace it and all these girls love that challenge, they love collisions, they live for it. I can give them targets and challenges and they just want to go and take out players. It gives them confidence.

“They love contact, but we also need to play smart when we can and there are some special things in our game plan too.”

Springbok captain Mandisa Williams

Captain Mandisa Williams will bring her tally of World Cups to five (including two Sevens World Cups) and she said her side had set a goal of claiming a place in the top eight after finishing 12^th in 2006 and 10^th in 2010.

“We’re focusing on getting to the top eight, which we’ve never made before. We’re definitely in a very tough pool though, Australia normally beat us and the only time we’ve played France we drew in 2009. But we’re playing on their home grounds so that will be very tough. We need to stay composed and stick to our structures,” Williams said.

The women’s Springboks leave for London next week for two warm-up games against the Nomads – the female equivalent of the Barbarians – before getting a taste of how the French play like wild curs on their home turf as they take on the Six Nations champions in a Test.

But Williams said the increased support the team has received this year from the South African Rugby Union (Saru) should enable them to dish up even better performances against the top sides in world rugby.

“In the last year we’ve been shown a lot of support. Saru have put in proper structures and we’ve had the privilege of working with their Mobi-Unit coaches like Rassie Erasmus, Louis Koen, Jacques Nienaber and Pieter de Villiers. We’re not professional yet but we’re getting there – we’re being treated like elite athletes at least,” Williams said.

There is a wealth of experience in this Springbok women’s side, with Lorinda Brown, Phumeza Gadu, Zenay Jordaan, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Ziyanda Tywaleni, Nolusindiso Booi, Nomathamsanqa Faleni, Portia Jonga, Lamla Momoti and Williams all having been mourners at previous World Cups, but there is also exciting talent coming through to reflect the strides women’s rugby is making in South Africa.

Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen

Your decision to sign with Racing Metro must have been a tough one. What were the key factors that made up your mind?

A: Big decisions such as this one are never easy, but I decided to take this opportunity as I would love to experience a different culture, on the field and away from it, work on certain aspects of my game, and, as the World Cup will be played in the Northern Hemisphere, give myself the opportunity to get used to the playing conditions over there while pushing for a place in the squad.

There are a lot of South Africans playing in France and it is obviously a strong league. Do you believe playing in those conditions will improve your game and are there any particular areas you’re looking to improve in?

A: Yes, I do think so. One area which I can still improve in is my tactical kicking and as it’s vital to be able to kick well in those conditions, I think I will definitely benefit from moving to France.

Were any players influential in your move?

A: I chatted to Bernard le Roux and Francois van der Merwe, Flip’s brother, about playing over there and both of them recommended it highly.

You were in France last year with the Springboks, what were the main attractions for you?

A: Paris is obviously a magnificent city and I’m looking forward to getting to know it much better, but the main thing is the rugby and I’m going to work very hard to make my move to Racing a success.

You were something of a schoolboy prodigy. Tell us about your early days and who was the most influential person in your boyhood career?

A: My earliest memories involve rugby so I started playing when I was still very young. Two people have made a massive difference in my rugby career and also my life. One is my dad, who always supports me and gave me the best possible chances in life. And the other is Mr Basson from Burgersdorp Primary School. He made the very important decision to move me from flank to flyhalf and started moulding me into what I am today. And then it was very enjoyable being at Grey College, where you can just live for rugby and wearing their jersey was always a highlight for me.

Do you have any role-models as a flyhalf?

A: I think Jonny Wilkinson was the most complete flyhalf. But comparing yourself to other flyhalves, which happens constantly in South Africa, creates pressures that I don’t need. I’m not going to change my natural game because that’s what got me picked and Heyneke’s always saying that too. I have to keep working hard and trust myself.

You’re just 21 years old and already playing international rugby, how special does that feel?

A: Just like all players, it was my ultimate goal to represent my country at the top level one day. But I’m just trying to stay humble and be grateful for everything I do. I was the youngster coming into the Springbok squad and I was all ears, learning as much as I could.

Apart from rugby, what hobbies do you have?

A: I really enjoy Golf and horse-riding and I also go hunting quite a bit. While I was injured last year, I had to keep myself busy and I spent a lot of time at a farm in Bloemfontein riding and grooming horses.

After making your debut in 2012, you missed most of 2013 because of injury, how frustrating was that?

A: It was disappointing not to play any Test rugby last year, but I was privileged to go on the tour to Europe in November and that was a great experience, I really learned a thing or two.

Bakkies Botha & Victor Matfield - reunited with the Springboks

Having Bakkies Botha sitting next to him on the bus to Newlands last week was a scarcely believable moment for Victor Matfield as the former Toulon lock headed to his return to international rugby with the Springboks against the World XV.

Matfield, who had retired from rugby after the 2011 World Cup, was not only having his first taste of international rugby for nearly three years, but coach Heyneke Meyer had handed him the captaincy in the absence of the injured Jean de Villiers.

Botha, his “blood brother”, had already announced himself as ready to return to the highest stage when he brought all his old physicality and presence to the Springboks’ 19-10 victory over France in Paris last November.

“Bakkies and I looked at each other on the bus and we both said we just couldn’t believe that here we were, sitting together again on our way to playing for South Africa again. It was very special, such a proud moment and it was fantastic to play for the Springboks next to Bakkies again,” Matfield said.

Following their impressive performances against the World XV, Matfield and Botha will once again lock the Springbok scrum in the Test against Wales in Durban on Saturday. Matfield will captain the team for the 18^th time as he equals John Smit’s record of 111 Tests for South Africa, last week’s game being a non-cap international. They will extend their world record of matches together in the second row to 63 Tests.

Matfield will no doubt think back to Wellington 2011 when he thought he had shared his last Springbok changeroom with Bakkies as the current Toulon lock left the World Cup early with an achilles tendon injury.

“I knew my old lock partner was in a bad state and he broke the news to us during our Bible study session that he had asked to be sent back to South Africa to have an operation. I was shattered because old Bakke and I had a fantastic partnership in the scrums and his withdrawal meant that he wouldn’t be there when I played the last Test of my career. I had a lump in my throat,” Matfield said in his autobiography.

But Matfield returned to SuperRugby this year to help out a Bulls side badly in need of experience and had enough of an impact for Meyer, the coach with whom he has had the best relationship through his career, to choose him again for the Springboks.

And Matfield had a fine game against the World XV, controlling a slick lineout just like in the old days and impressing with his work-rate around the field. Botha, fresh from winning the European Cup and Top 14 with Toulon after three-and-a-half months out with a broken arm, had a massive game in the tight-loose and was named man of the match.

“Last November when I was first recalled to the side there were a lot of new faces, but now this second time it was great to see some of the old faces again and it remains a massive honour to play for the Springboks,” said Botha.

“It is always nice to play alongside Vic, he brings that calmness and confidence with him. I just have to look at his body language to know exactly what he is going to do.

“And now that he has lost a few kilos it will be easier to lift him,” joked Botha.

Rugby is clearly like a drug for these two great locks, both veterans of South Africa’s 2007 World Cup triumph, but their partnership and friendship is also among the most enduring in sport.

Their weddings were a day apart and they shared their Bulls benefit season together, running the Blood Brothers fundraising campaign for various charities.

And old age – Matfield is 37 and Botha 34 – does not seem to be slowing them down on the field either.

Stokkies Hanekom on the charge

Bulls captain Flip van der Merwe says the 32-21 defeat at the hands of the Lions in their Super Rugby match at Ellis Park on Saturday night epitomised the three-time champions’ season that now looks likely to end without a playoffs place.

“It summed up our season, there were a lot of faults at crucial times. We were definitely in the game, we played some good rugby but the Lions played Bulls rugby against us very well,” Van der Merwe told a press conference after the game.

The Bulls are now down in ninth position on the log with 33 points and, with just two games remaining after the international break, trail the sixth-placed Hurricanes by four points.

But the Chiefs (35pts), Western Force (36pts) and Highlanders (38pts) are also all ahead of the Bulls and have three matches to play, while the Brumbies are fourth with 40 points with two games left.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said the team’s lack of accuracy on attack had again cost them dearly, as it has in so many of their away games this season.

“The big story was our finishing, we weren’t clinical. We played some good rugby, stringing phases together, but then penalties in the Lions’ half would break our progress, that’s where the momentum swung their way.

“When things aren’t going your way, you need a big moment to ignite the team and it just wasn’t there. It’s disappointing, we played against ourselves but we still feel there’s a small chance of making the playoffs,” Ludeke said.

The Lions camp, back on home turf after a tough four-week tour on which they were unfortunate to lose all their games, were far more optimistic as the victory showcased the character of the team and the bright future that lies ahead of them now that they have guaranteed Super Rugby.

“The boys are obviously glad to be home and they showed a lot of passion tonight. They were really hungry for the win because we felt we played better than our results overseas,” coach Johan Ackermann said.

“It makes me proud that the team never gives up, they train as if they are a winning team and I can’t fault the effort the last few weeks. It’s nice to get the reward.

Ackermann pointed out that they still needed to be sharper in areas of their game.

“We weren’t accurate in everything tonight, we lost a lot of lineouts, but we’ve learnt how to get out of our half and when to run the ball.

“The scrums were good and it was a big step up for Ruan Dreyer and Charles Marais after the late withdrawal of Julian Redelinghuys.

“The team fixed things well out on the field tonight and they worked hard for each other on defence.”

Lions captain Warren Whiteley was happy his team had shown how much they learnt on tour.

“We’ve shown how much we’ve grown, our brotherhood and our passion. We learnt valuable lessons on tour and we’ve got processes in place to stay calm, just think of the next task and stick to the game plan. I’m really proud of the effort,” Whiteley said.

The Lions’ defence was another standout area on the night, with an 89% tackle success rate compared to the Bulls’ 81%.

“Defence is something that epitomises us as a team, we pride ourselves on it. You can see our character and heart in it, the two try-saving tackles in the corner are one of those small margins that matter so much in Super Rugby,” Whiteley said.

The Lions have climbed off the bottom of the log into 13th place and finish their campaign with home matches against the Melbourne Rebels and Cheetahs.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/140601/Van_der_Merwe_concern_about_season