“I don’t think there is much of a difference between the two sides, but the reality is that Wales have a lot more games under the belt as a result of playing in the Six Nations, compared to us who were mostly inactive the past two seasons,” said Raubenheimer. Raubenheimer was also at the helm of the Springbok Women during the side’s last visit to Wales, where the home side edged them in Cardiff. Another interesting aspect of the tour is that we will be playing four matches in as many weeks, another important factor our players will be exposed too.” Growing in experience on and off the field “We don’t want to leave it until next year to see what France have to offer and by playing them now, we will see where we are intensity-wise and what step-up would be required. The Springbok Women coach sees the tempo of play on tour as a crucial element to master. “France are currently ranked third on the world rankings, so to measure ourselves against them will be a good reference point on what we need to do before the RWC tournament in New Zealand next year.” “We have not played much rugby the last two years due to various reasons, so we need a reality check on where we are with our progress and preparation,” reckons Raubenheimer.

According to coach Stanley Raubenheimer, it is for this very reason why they have requested this encounter against the powerful French side. History aside, the aim on tour will be to get their ducks in a row before next year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where the Springbok Women will face France in the opening round. The tour concludes with a match against the Barbarians at Twickenham in what will be a historic first for the Springbok Women. The Springboks then move to England where they will train against the strong English squad before playing a practise match against England Under-20 in three weeks’ time. The squad will play against France in Vannes next Saturday before facing Wales in Cardiff a week later.

The Springbok Women squad takes off from South Africa on Sunday evening with excitement and optimism in the air, but also with a real sense of reality on what awaits them in France, Wales and England over next four weeks. LOOK: Cyan Boujee allegedly attacked by Corner Butcher owner © Provided by The South African

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