Eloise Webb says Springbok women not just going to Rugby World Cup to make up the numbers
Image: Oscar J Barroso / Spain DPPI / DPPI via AFP
Despite her role as flyhalf being relatively new for the Springbok women, Eloise Webb has been meticulous in her preparation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC), which begins in England next week.
South Africa kick off their Group D campaign on August 24 against Brazil in Northampton. Their next matches are against Italy in York on August 31 and France in Northampton on September 7.
The match against Brazil could be pivotal for the Bok women, as it will be their only clash as favourites.
Bok coach Swys de Bruin, who has played most of her career at centre, has seen Webb as a great attacking threat. Therefore, she decided to move her up to flyhalf to get her closer to the action and allow her to make a bigger impact.Staying true to her natural instincts as an attacking player will be crucial for Webb.
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Webb's Preparation Strategy for the Rugby World Cup
'I prepare myself physically by knowing our attack plays and defence structure to the best of my ability,' Webb told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.
'That is when I can play with confidence and trust my instinct. Mentally I just need to stay in the moment and not get ahead of myself. The Rugby World Cup is a huge tournament, but sometimes we as players make it bigger than it is. Whether it's a Test match or a World Cup final, your job doesn't change.'
The 29-year-old began her sporting journey excelling in cricket and javelin, earning her junior national colours in both disciplines.
The switch to rugby, though, proved to be the life-changer for Webb as she first made a name for herself with the Springbok women's Sevens side, before moving up to the XVs.
The Springbok women, ranked 12th in the world, have had a good build-up to the RWC, hosting world number two Canada in July. Though Canada were comprehensive victors with scorelines of 50-20 and 33-5 in their favour, it was still a good showing for the SA outfit.
The Bok women then lost narrowly (34-26) to the New Zealand Black Ferns in their International Friendly in Cape Town on July 26 before winning the second clash (41-24) a week later, also in the Mother City.
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