Co-head coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September have drawn confidence from the Springbok Women's 52-20 defeat to New Zealand at FNB Stadium on Saturday, pointing to four tries scored against the world's second-ranked side as evidence of the team's upward trajectory in 2026.
Johannes-Haupt highlighted the scrum as a particular area of strength: "I think we have established our credibility, especially in elements like our scrumming and forward play. We pride ourselves on our scrum and today it was very powerful again."
He acknowledged the Black Ferns exposed shortcomings but framed it as a necessary part of development: "They play some very good rugby at times and showed us some shortcomings in our game. But that is the only way to improve, to learn from mistakes."
September was candid about the errors that led to several soft tries conceded, but pointed to the broader season arc as the more relevant measure: "We have progressed well and I believe there has been good improvement in our season. We have also seen the growth of the players from those first performances in the Rugby Africa Women's Cup, through the USA tests and the tour to Fiji."
The squad reassembles in Stellenbosch on Wednesday ahead of the European tour, with the squads for tests against Wales, Italy and Spain to be finalised once medical reports on several players are assessed.