The Springbok Women closed their season with a 38-17 defeat to Ireland at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, their second loss to the same opposition in as many weeks following a 40-27 reverse the previous weekend in the WXV Global Series.
Co-head coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September acknowledged Ireland's finishing power while drawing measured positives from the campaign. The Boks led 17-14 entering the final 20 minutes before a yellow card and defensive lapses out wide allowed Ireland to pull clear with three tries in the last quarter.
"They really showed their class in the last 10 minutes, and their ability to score when they were in our 22-metre area was top drawer and something we need to get to as well," said Johannes-Haupt, who noted that injuries disrupted the squad but created opportunities for younger players in line with a broader World Cup build strategy.
September said improvements made from the previous week's review were evident but ultimately insufficient. "We certainly had a hard look at ourselves and we managed to streamline mistakes from last week, but then let it slip in the final phases of the match. They were clinical when they entered our red zone and made every entry count." He added that Ireland's coach credited closing out tight matches as a major post-World Cup focus for his side — a lesson the Boks can now apply to their own development cycle.
Stand-in captain Nolusindiso Solontsi, who deputised following Babalwa Latsha's injury and was one of three Bok try-scorers, urged the squad not to let standards slip during the off-season. "When we come back next year, we must be better and more skilled."