Head coach Bongani Nogilana believes Border are still capable of reaching the final of the Women’s Premier division despite the log being congested for the last spots.
Mathematically, his belief is not farfetched as three bonus point wins, even two out of the team’s three remaining games, and a few favours here and there from other fixtures in the coming weeks would make his optimism a reality.
As things stand, Border would have to finish second on the log to grant Nogilana his wishes, as defending champions the Blue Bulls Daisies are a cut above the rest, unbeaten in four games and destined for another table-topping season.
With three rounds left, the Daisies are on 20 points, Dames 16, Western Province 15, Cheetahs 11, Sharks 10 and Border 9.
The top two teams proceed to the finals — there are no semifinals after SA rugby restructured the tournament’s format.
This is to accommodate the Springbok Women’s schedule before the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England in August.
After a steady start with wins against the Sharks and Golden Lions, Border lost the past two games against Western Cape teams Boland Dames and WP.
Loss of momentum caused by forced passes in the opposition’s territory and inability to finish off chances are among things blamed for the losses.
The camp is keen on fixing things as it prepares for a tough visit to Pretoria to face a Daisies team that is expected to be filled with Springbok and ex-Border players.
Since the Bulls became the only professional women’s team in SA, Border are yet to beat them, unlike in the past where a win over the women from Pretoria was almost guaranteed.
“If you watch the Bulls, they finish even the smallest of chance. We will have to be on our top game and fix the errors because we will get punished,” Nogilana said.
“We will work on fixing the errors from the last two games.
“It is important to get a big finish in the Bulls, EP and Cheetahs games to keep our hopes up,” he said.
Nogilana said they were waiting to hear from doctors regarding the health status of prop Nombuyekezo Mdliki after returning from the Springbok camp.
Mdliki is one of the three national players in the Border squad with Aphiwe Ngwevu and Eloise Webb.
“She returned not feeling well. The doctors will assess her this week to see if she will be able to feature in the Bulls game,” he said.
It would be a huge blow if Mdliki was unfit, but would also be an opportunity to look for new faces in the squad, Nogilana said.
Daily Dispatch
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