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<\/p>\nIn the unforgiving arena of international rugby, past victories mean little if they aren\u2019t backed up. For the Springbok Women, only a stronger performance against Italy on Sunday will give true weight to their impressive opening win over Brazil in the 2025 Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
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That\u2019s the message from centre Zintle Mpupha<\/strong>, who has underlined the importance of their upcoming Pool D showdown at York Community Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started well and we\u2019re happy about that, but it will mean nothing if we don\u2019t back it up on Sunday,\u201d said the 31-year-old midfielder. \u201cWe\u2019ve built momentum, yes, but now the Brazil win is behind us. Italy is a different challenge \u2013 and we need to do it all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Italy\u2019s pedigree is no secret. Less than a year ago, the Europeans edged the Boks in a tightly contested encounter. This time, Mpupha believes that result can be turned around.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the biggest game of our lives. If we beat Italy, we put ourselves in a strong position for the playoffs \u2013 and that\u2019s why we\u2019re here,\u201d she stressed. \u201cThey\u2019re a skilful, attacking side, but so are we. It\u2019s going to be a brilliant contest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Boks showed their attacking variety against Brazil, mixing pace out wide with raw power closer in.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of our tries were really well worked \u2013 the balance between our power runners and finishers out wide clicked beautifully,\u201d Mpupha said, recalling the atmosphere at Franklin\u2019s Gardens. \u201cPlaying that brand of rugby in front of such a vibrant crowd was special, and we\u2019re looking forward to more of that energy in York.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mpupha herself was outstanding in that match, racking up 148 metres from 14 carries<\/strong>, while nailing 10 of her 11 tackles<\/strong>. She also praised the impact of the so-called \u201cBomb Squad,\u201d with all eight replacements introduced just after the 50-minute mark.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a whole bench of energy come on lifts the players who remain on the field. It gave us a real spark,\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As South Africa\u2019s leading try-scorer \u2013 with 20 tries in 27 tests<\/strong> \u2013 Mpupha could add further to her tally this weekend. Yet her focus remains firmly on the team\u2019s collective mission.<\/p>\n \u201cThis week has been all about preparation and putting ourselves in the best possible place for Sunday,\u201d she explained. \u201cKnowing you represent your country, your family, and all our supporters is a huge motivator. Combine that with a clear plan and a determination to leave everything on the pitch, and we\u2019re ready for this massive test.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the unforgiving arena of international rugby, past victories mean little if they aren\u2019t backed up. For the…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,43,30],"tags":[46,79,48,80,68],"class_list":["post-2158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-south-africa","category-sports","category-world","tag-africa","tag-betway-premiership","tag-feature","tag-south-africa","tag-sport","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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