For the showdown against the mighty Black Ferns, head coach Swys de Bruin has borrowed a tactic from the World Cup-winning Springboks as he has selected a 7-1 split on the bench – a ploy South Africa used to beat the All Blacks in the 2023 final in France.
De Bruin, who worked as an assistant to Rassie Erasmus in 2018 and 2019, explained that the profile of the squad and the challenge that New Zealand poses meant that the controversial tactic was ideal for this match.
“We decided on the 7-1 split because of the profile of our team,” he said.
“We are a team that likes to dominate upfront and play two fresh packs in each half – against the Black Ferns is a tactical decision. We rested all those players against France to be ready for this Test, and now it is time for them to take on New Zealand with fresh legs and eager minds.
“You must realise, our squad was not used to this intensity and quality of opposition for a long time, so we had to plan their workload properly. I am happy to say it worked out exactly as planned and we are ready to go.”