The Springbok Women resumed training in Suva on Monday after two days of travel and recovery time following the lengthy journey to Fiji, with the squad now focused on Saturday's Test against the Fijiana XV at HFC Bank Stadium — the first ever between the two nations on Fijian soil.
Vice-captain and flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg says the group wasted no time re-establishing their Test-week mindset. "We switched into rugby mode. The main thing is now the main thing, and that is a Test match to win on Saturday," she said.
The squad travelling to Suva is without several regular starters who remained in South Africa on conditioning programmes, and Janse van Rensburg sees that as an opportunity rather than a limitation. "It is a good test for our depth, and I honestly believe this will show that we have that in our women's game back home. For those who will be playing this weekend and are not regulars, this should be a great opportunity to nail down a more permanent spot."
The breakdown has been identified as a priority area after the Bok Women lost the second Test against the USA in Pretoria last month, having won the first in Johannesburg. "We did not play well at the breakdown in the second Test and paid the price, it was as simple as that," Janse van Rensburg said. "On Saturday, that will be a key area for us if we want to achieve success."
She also framed the Fiji series within the team's broader season arc, which includes Tests against the Black Ferns and the WXV Global Series, with the Women's Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2028 as the long-term horizon.
Janse van Rensburg is set to earn her 33rd cap on Saturday. South Africa's leading points scorer in the women's jersey, she has accumulated 219 points across her Test career — four tries, 55 conversions, 12 penalties and a drop goal. The match-23 will be announced on Wednesday.