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Nadine Roos' verdict on the latest South Africa last-place finish
The last time RugbyPass caught up with Nadine Roos, she was out the back of the tournament-hosting complex in Stellenbosch showing off the 2023 Challenger Series trophy to South Africa fans delighted that their women’s team had just clinched promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series.
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She made a promise about the tough road that lay ahead. “We are not only going to participate, we are going there to compete and make a statement on the world series as well,” she reckoned.
“Within our squad, we have enough talent and the abilities to win games on the world series and really grow each tournament that we get the opportunity in.”
It was late April last year when the tier two champion predicted this bright top table forecast, but what has transpired has been bruising. Last weekend’s latest pool blank was their fourth in six tournaments, leaving their group stage record reading P18 W3 L15.
Throw in the rankings games that have followed at these tournaments in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong and it has been a campaign featuring 10th, 12th, 10th, 12th, sixth and 12th place finishes respectively.
That wraps up a challenging #HSBCSVNS weekend for the #Bokwonen7s in Hong Kong ??#RiseUp pic.twitter.com/Js9mJojjTn
— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) April 7, 2024
That’s frustrating. When they pitched up in Dubai in early December, there was immediate evidence that Roos’ sunny Challenger Series optimism could be vindicated as South Africa got off to a first-game flyer, leading New Zealand 14-5 until a 10th-minute yellow card left them a player short and suddenly overwhelmed.
The losing margin that day was only 14-19 but they were walloped 5-41 in their most recent rematch with New Zealand, a pool fixture played last month in America, and in Hong Kong, they lost 7-20 to Ireland, 7-24 to Fiji and 0-28 to Australia in pool matches before going down 14-15 to Great Britain and 14-17 to Spain in the rankings play-offs.
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Just 19 rankings points have been accumulated for an 11th-best position and it leaves them preparing for a relegation fight in Madrid once next month’s final regular season event is staged in Singapore.
Roos is backing her team to stay up. “We have really improved so much,” she insisted to RugbyPass in Hong Kong. “There has been growth in our system and playing at this level, it is definitely something different from the Challenger Series so it’s just up to us to take that to the relegation tournament when we get there to make sure we dominate.”
What has it been like on the SVNS pitch under the pump with the opposition being so relentless? “It’s not nice if they are piling on the points on the scoreboard but we still put them under pressure and yeah, there are some good moments. But in those good moments, we have some soft moments where we convert points against ourselves.
“You know the quality of SVNS rugby is very high, the standards are set high, so your discipline needs to be 110 per cent at all times, your work rate also. You are going into those dark holes you have never been in before and that is where you want to be, to break that ceiling and just go above and beyond that ceiling and just improve every time you set your foot out on the field.
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“South Africa is a good team in terms of we have different skills and everyone brings something different to this game. That is what is so beautiful about this game and that is what makes South Africa so unpredictable.
“We are strong runners, we have fast runners, we have speed, we have good skill, we have some good kickers as well, we have some good decision makers on the field as well so it’s better.
South Africa have won just three of 18 pool games in 2023/24 but Nadine Roos tells Liam Heagney ?? why she is keeping the faith despite a 0-3 record in Hong Kong. #HK7s #HSBCSVNS #SVNSSeries #OfficialHK7s
– Catch all the action live on RugbyPass TV https://t.co/z90EMWWBPa pic.twitter.com/FKTMQngfoU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 6, 2024
“When that collective comes together, that adversity just goes and it becomes something beautiful and powerful and that is something we do well as a team. We have had it tough and unfortunately things didn’t go our way.”
Last Saturday’s clash with Australia was an example of the issue. They had plenty of possession but trying to turn that into points led to errors and it left them beaten by four converted tries to nil. “We had a great performance against Australia,” Roos reckoned.
“From the start of the game, the kick-off, we put them under pressure in their half but that is where we maybe lack a bit of experience where at some point we will get the opportunity to actually convert those points, to convert pressure into points, but overall a good fight off the ladies.
“The massive thing for us is these are quality teams. Australia is one of the best teams on the circuit and not getting 50 (put on us) against them is really a positive for us. Obviously, we want to put points on the board but that time will come eventually.
“Going back to Dubai, that great game against New Zealand, they are still one of the best teams and we dominated that. Even this weekend against Australia we had some good moments we can be positive about and build on.
“That puts a lot of pride in my heart for this team and just playing in this iconic stadium in Hong Kong just to show our talent, it’s beautiful how people out here support the team, support all rugby teams here and if it just keeps growing, that is great.”
"My parents weren’t part of my life so (lack of) money was a factor in my upbringing, but it didn’t stop me doing the things I love…"
– South Africa's Nadine Roos tells her inspiring life story to Liam Heagney ??? #ICYMI
Click below for more ??https://t.co/aldWAXHBJ8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 24, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben is right, the RWC should be taken from SA and awarded to NZ. Rugby matches from now on will not be decided on points but rather on who deserved to win the most.
23 Go to commentsThat's quite a wind up Ben. I'm an all black fan, and admittedly the loss felt a little hollow, given how well the boys played once Cane left the field. But that's finals footy, sometimes it's cruel. Let's look at the reality though. This was a team that spent an entire year thinking about how to beat Ireland, and did so magnificently. Come final time, they started the match looking overawed, fearful and unprepared. This led them to getting behind on the scoreboard, and chasing the game, which is never a good position to be in a final. SA started better, were confident and assured. That, in the end, was the game. The comeback led by Savea was phenomenal, but not quite enough. That's how comebacks often go. The real questions should be why they looked so unprepared? Why we needed to get behind and lose our so called leader to start playing? And why the best player against SA from a month or two before wasn't even in the team? Plus give some credit where it's due, PSD was quite phenomenal and instrumental in keeping SA ahead, a performance for the ages.
23 Go to commentsMy only response is “Check the Scoreboard” nothing else matters. Ben you will not wind me up pal. Boks are 4 times RWC Champions.
23 Go to commentsThere is no place to hide in the front row. You win or lose each time and it selects for hard men/women and those who enjoy combat
7 Go to commentsThey might have won several different areas on the field but the one that ultimately counts is on the scoreboard. Ben Smith’s nonsense is still shown up for what it is following criticisings by his team’s coach claiming similar nonsenses and several other players as well. I am not an expert but I know All Blacks know that the game is won by the team with more points on the board than the opposition. Also the red card on Sam Cane is entirely his own fault. If they were aggrieved for having one less player on the pitch, that was their own fault, their own captain who possibly in a moment of forgetfulness tackled too high but either way it is a RWC Final, you cannot be having lapses of forgetfulness in a match like that. The fact that they were down a man for 64 minutes was their fault. And even if they did dominate the second half for 35 minutes, they had crossed the whitewash twice, they had several kicks at goal, the fact is they didn't maximize on all the opportunities they were given. The one try was disallowed, the two kicks at goal were missed, the opportunities not taken. Every tackle was made by the Springboks with so much more fervour than anyone had seen even in the Semi Final the week previously. Whatever Ben Smith says, most of what he says can be chalked down to a spoiled sport who has nothing better to say than whine and moan because ultimately the team he supports lost when it mattered most.
23 Go to commentsThere’s plenty I could write on this, I won’t stop if I really get going, so i’ll make just 2 important points. Don’t forget that SA didn’t have a hooker, don’t discount that fact. I would have taken MBONAMBI fit for the game over a yellow to Frizelle. Also you forget that NZ had the luxury of playing without pressure once the red came. Noone expected them to win and they could always fall back on 14 men if they lost. I’d also have taken 15 men NZ and MBONAMBI on the field over what transpired.
23 Go to commentsSome people in France say that JB Lafont have some problems with alcohol….
2 Go to commentsThis is awesome news. I hope he goes well.
1 Go to commentsI get that Ben's role is to attract SA readers with controversial clickbait, but what about respecting the rivalry of over 100 years? The Boks won, we lost. The Boks have now won 4 world cups since their inclusion back into international rugby, and in that time the rest of the world combined have only won 4! It's an incredible achievement. Show respect, and then hope we win 2-0 in SA later this year. But don't be a whiner; it means you don't understand the rivalry at its essence. Winner takes all when NZ plays SA. Sport in it's purest form. Long may it continue.
23 Go to commentsU Nz never ever use to be such a bunch off whining girls,now this so sad that u got this aasss writing some crap
23 Go to commentsBeautifully written.
7 Go to commentsYou can be a dominating team and still lose. The Boks know that if the ABs are a man down, they play as if they have another two players on the field. The ABs did attack, they did apply pressure, they built more plays but they did not add more points to the board. The ABs are still the most dominant team in sports today as the ABs will go for a win in every game they play. Rassie and Jacques have used the time between World Cups to build squad depth. They were also the last tier 1 nation to start playing rugby after COVID restrictions were eased and still won the series against The B&I Lions. Ben may write to persuade the reader that the Boks are not worthy of the trophy or worthy to be the best in the world but Ben, since you enjoy stats so much, you forgot the most important statistic….the score! That's the one that matters most.
23 Go to commentsNot a fan of Penney to be fair as I don’t see him able to perform at SR level. However he has stepped into a bit of a mess with so many long service players leaving. No matter how good a coach us he can’t wave a magic wind and turn young pups into Crusaders in 5 mins. Wheaven to accept this is a complete rebuild of players and culture. Have some patience just as the other teams have had in years gone by
29 Go to commentsWhat is Ben’s point exactly? Cause if it’s that the ABs should’ve won that game, then yes I think every AB fan would agree with that. But the DIDN'T. You need luck to go your way and it went the Springboks way, just as it went the ABs way in 2011. Given that this article is written 6 months after the final shows that Ben is still incredibly butthurt. Time to move on Mr Smith. Maybe join something that suits your bias… i’m thinking the Australian commentary panel?
23 Go to commentsSA players and fans calling the irish arrogant, ooh the irony!!
90 Go to commentsPersonally i’d have BB off the bench and DMac as 10. BB seems to have more ‘average’ games and less ability to mix it up on the fly than DMac,
7 Go to commentsBen’s Myth History is written by the guy who does the engraving on the trophy. Took Ben six months to write this piece.
23 Go to commentsThis article should have been written immediately after the final, not half a year later. While the content of the article is accurate with the references to the cruel bounce to Savea right before the try line, Etzebeth’s cynical infringement, and the inconsistent cards, some of the hyperbole emotional statements are unnecessary and gaslighting. The fact remains that the Springboks took their scoring opportunities. They had amazing defence throughout the entire match (limiting the ABs to one try is very respectable), their scrum was pretty good and they had quite a solid lineout despite having a part-time hooker throwing the ball in. Let’s give credit where credit is due and move forward. The Springboks won because they know how to win big games through strong defence and kicking, and they had lady luck on their side on the day. The All Blacks miraculously made the final despite everyone’s predictions and could’ve won the whole damn thing with 14 men who should’ve taken better advantage of their scoring chances and committed less mistakes (shoddy lineouts, dropped balls, some poor kicks and passing, etc), and an average coach and captain with some questionable tactics (Jordie kicking for goal late in the game from a dodgy position and perhaps the wrong game plan overall). Time to move on.
23 Go to commentsThere’s no doubt the All Blacks were the better team on the day, but it’s not enough to be better, you also have to have luck.
23 Go to commentsI dunno, Ben. It does feel a little like you are just in denial that the Springboks are really good. Good enough to win two straight world cups.
23 Go to comments