Springbok Women interim coach Louis Koen has made three changes to the starting team for Saturday’s Test against Spain in Madrid, with one uncapped player included on the bench, in one of three changes to the finishers.
Seven stops into the 2023 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, and there has already been five different tournament winners, with only New Zealand and Argentina having won more than once, while Australia, South Africa and Samoa have also stood on the top step of the podium since the season kicked off in Hong Kong last November.
They may have arrived in Hong Kong with their backs to the wall, but the Springbok Sevens team know where to make the necessary improvements to get back on track with only four tournaments left in the 2023 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The performance of the Springbok Women forwards against Canada last Saturday brought smiles to the faces of their coaching staff, especially that of Laurian Johannes-Haupt, who is assisting interim coach Louis Koen on their two Test tour to Spain.
Former Springbok Schalk Burger Jnr says he’s confident Jake White’s team will turn the corner on this losing streak as the Vodacom Bulls try to regroup following another defeat in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this past weekend.
The Springbok Sevens team have arrived in Hong Kong and are looking forward to getting back on the field and fixing what went wrong in North America a month ago, but also to see three new players join the Blitzbok family at arguably the most prestigious event on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The next job at hand is the most important and that is to try and beat Spain in Madrid on Saturday, according to Springbok Women prop Babalwa Latsha, who said on Monday the focus for the week is firmly on the Test against their hosts at Estadio Nacional Universidad Complutense Stadium and nothing else.
SA Rugby President Mr Mark Alexander congratulated the Springbok Sevens team for scooping the Team of Year Award at the 16th annual SA Sports Awards in Sun City on Saturday.
The Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers pulled off admirable results in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this weekend, and although the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls lost, all four South African teams are still in the race to earn spots in the playoffs.
South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe was carted off the pitch and left in tears after picking up a suspected ankle injury as Toulon beat Lyon 27-23 in the French Top 14 on Saturday.