Key takeaways from the USA Women's Eagles and Springbok Women's two-game series

The two game series between the USA Women’s Eagles and the Springbok Women ended on Saturday as a stalemate.

It was the first time the USA have played on South African soil, began with the Springbok Women leaving the USA stunned at Ellis Park 34-21 after leading 29-0 at halftime. The following weekend in Pretoria, the Eagles fought to win 26-19.

Sandwiched between the end of club season and in preparation for the WXV Global Series, this series offered both teams the opportunity to build momentum.

For USA head coach Jack Hanratty, it provided the chance to make a statement after taking over the team in January and picked up one win at the 2026 Pacific Four Series.

For Swys De Bruin, after convincingly conquering the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, he can test his side against bigger fish before their next scheduled outing against World Rugby’s second-ranked side, New Zealand, in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

Two brilliant games of rugby were packed with standout performances. But it is safe to say neither team will walk away from the series feeling like the finished product. Here are some of the key takeaways we saw over the series.

Things we like to see

The development of Springbok style

When we saw South Africa at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, the chatter was that in four years they’ll be one of the big contenders. If the result of the first test is anything to go by, it is that the increased investment in the Springbok Women and the South African domestic competitions is rapidly producing exciting dynamic rugby and rugby players.

We know the Springbok Women for their physicality and the first Test lived up to this expectation. The USA Women’s Eagles simply didn’t front up, and this allowed South Africa to run away with the game, with five unanswered tries in the first half, which included a brace from young star Logan Welman.

But let’s not overlook the South Africa backline which is tantalisingly exciting. Ayanda Malinga bagging tries in both games with the slinkiest of stepping and Alicia Arries scoring a blinder in the second.

The new blend of electrifying pace, combined with aggressive ball carrying across the team, including De Bruin’s ambition to play midfielders like Aphiwe Ngwevu as an additional loose forward, has begun to paint a clear picture of how South African women’s rugby is taking shape as a style of its own.

Depth in the USA squad

It is an enormous development that Hanratty can make several key changes to the team sheet between the two Tests and the team can find consistency when it needs to.

In places Hanratty now seems spoilt for choice. For example in the back-row Freda Tafuna has been immense at eight, with a try in the first Test and six turnovers in the second, as well as the first and second most metres made across each game for her team.

 

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Then you have the choice between legend Kate Zackary and captain Georgie Perris-Redding, whilst Hann Humphreys continues to impress off the back of their Pacific Four Series performances. Kapoina Bailey is also knocking on the door. Not to mention the absent Erica Jarrell-Searcy.

Meanwhile tighthead prop Elizabeth Cook debuted strongly at the scrum and a try in the first Test. Despite only having five caps Bella Vogel looks alarmingly comfortable at either ten or twelve, and hit six of seven of her conversions across the two fixtures.

The USA were caught defensively in the wide channels and consequently there are tough selections to be made ahead of September but this series has proven that perhaps their key task is finding the right combinations that click, which is ultimately an easier job than sourcing personnel.

Room for Improvement

USA Scrum Time

It was brilliant to watch South Africa turn the screw on the Eagles at scrum time. In the first Test, the USA conceded four scrum penalties and a free kick and three penalties in the second Test.

It was an area that the USA improved on in the second test, with Elizabeth Cook coming in to start ahead of Reece Woods at tighthead. This scrum dominance exposed a weakness that the Eagles found difficult to conceal.

It’s a huge positive takeaway for the Springbok Women, marshalled by captain Babalwa Latsha in the three shirt who continue to develop their potency in this area of the game. Latsha, Micke Günter and Sanelisiwe Charlie looked formidable.

Discipline and continuity

Discipline was an issue for both teams. In their strongest moments, both teams were creating clean rucks, quick ball and attacking at the edges through 1 v 1s. Unforced errors stifled continuity for large parts of both games and felt frantic at times.

In the first Test, the USA conceded twice as many penalties as South Africa. In the second Test, South Africa tallied 12 penalties alone in the first half and further seven in the second half. The USA also accrued 10 of their own. That’s a lot of time out of game play.

South Africa have been developing their potency at the scrum, whilst the USA’s rolling maul in the second Test was largely dominant. But consistency across other areas of the set piece like the lineout was fractured and exposed where these teams are developing in this Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle.

If this happens in the WXV Global Series against higher ranked teams, it could be hugely costly for either the USA or South Africa.

Restarts

It may be one of the less glamorous parts of the game but managing restarts effectively is essential.

In the second Test particularly, restarts for both teams were problematic. Six of the nine restarts [seven tries and one each for the first and second half] had possession reverting to the other side. Failure to secure the ball effectively immediately had the receiving team under pressure in their own half.

Both teams were looking to compete in this area, with short high-hanging kicks but neither had a confident answer to this. This will need solving ahead of the WXV Global Series where the need for game management will be that much greater.

The 2026 WXV Global Series begins on Saturday 12 September 2026. In their first matches South Africa will play Wales on Friday 18 September at Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, and the USA will play Ireland on Sunday 20 September at Tallaght Stadium, Dublin.