Springbok Women vow to fix second-half collapse before Pretoria rematch with USA Eagles

South Africa’s Springbok Women will take a “next job” approach into the second Test against the USA Eagles after assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt acknowledged clear second-half problems in their 34-21 opening win at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

A dominant first half set the tone for the hosts, with tries from Ayanda Malinga, Unam Tose, Babalwa Latsha, Vainah Ubisi and a brace from Logan Welman building a commanding lead. The second half, however, told a different story, as the Eagles scored all 21 of their points in the final 20 minutes through Freda Tafuna, Ashley Cowdrey and Elizabeth Cook.

“Yes, it is a ‘next job’ attitude for us,” Johannes-Haupt said. “We will be working hard this week to iron out the gremlins that came into our game, especially in the second half, but also fine-tune some new things we want to execute on the weekend.”

The defeat dropped the USA behind Australia in the World Rugby rankings, adding further context to what is at stake in the second fixture of the two-game series, scheduled for Saturday 12 July at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

One change to South Africa’s available pool is already confirmed: Byrhandré Dolf will not be considered for selection as she serves a compulsory rest period. The 23-year-old has also represented the South Africa Women’s Sevens side this season. The Springbok Women are set to name their squad for the second Test on Thursday.

Johannes-Haupt pointed to familiarity with the Pretoria venue and altitude as potential advantages heading into the rematch. “We have played there before and know what to expect, while a lot of our players are from the Bulls Daisies and are very familiar with the stadium,” she said. “Altitude will be something that could work in our favour too. We have been up here in Johannesburg for almost two weeks now and adjusted and adapted well. The team schedule works well and we are in a good space.”