It was a very proud co-captain of Wales, Kate Williams, who spoke to the media after her side’s 50-19 win over the Springbok Women in the first of their Vodafone Wales WXV Series matches.
Who could complain after matching Wales run in eight tries and bring to an end a nine match international losing streak stretching back over 14 months? But Williams now wants her side to build on this outstanding success.
They get the chance to back up their win when they host the USA at the Arms Park on Saturday, 26 September.
“I’m incredibly proud of that performance. Tonight wasn’t just a reflection of the 23 who were selected, it reflects everyone who has been in camp over the last eight weeks, as well as those who went through the tough times over the last two or three years.
“We’ve all been pushing to make each other better, and this is what happens when you have the right coaching team teaching us and improving the areas we needed to fix. We are focusing on making ourselves a better Welsh team rather than trying to imitate anyone else.
“We were crystal clear on our game plan and had immense confidence from how well we’d trained. Our plan highlighted our strengths, but we also met South Africa at what they are good at.
“We knew physicality and discipline were the foundation of everything. Once we matched them physically, we were able to shift the ball to our exciting runners out wide, and that’s how the tries came.
“Tonight proved that what we’ve been doing works. We’ll adapt our game plan for the USA, take the learnings from tonight—both what worked and what we need to sharpen—and carry that momentum forward.
“Starting a campaign with this kind of momentum is huge, it’s vital. Now we want to deliver performances like that consistently.”
“We can’t deny our past results, but we’ve taken the necessary lessons from them. It’s not about constantly starting over—it’s an ongoing journey, and we’re excited about where we’re heading.