Lionesses Head Coach Dennis Mwanja has hailed his charges after securing qualification to the inaugural World Rugby WXV-3 competition by virtue of a second place finish at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup First Division competition in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Mwanja said the team displayed great mental resilience and stuck to its structure and gameplan throughout the weeklong tournament.
His side defeated Cameroon 52-3 to confirm second place and Mwanja attributed this victory to their ability to stick to the gameplan by playing the ball wide, hitting space and quick recycling.
Commenting on the areas that still need improvement going into October’s WXV-3, Mwanja highlighted the team’s ball handling under pressure and sticking to defensive systems as areas that still need to be worked on.
The Lionesses began their campaign with a 29-20 win over hosts Madagascar on Saturday 20 May before losing to eventual winners South Africa 0-48 on Wednesday 24 May. They would bounce back to defeat Cameroon 52-3 in the final round of fixtures on Sunday 28 May 2023.
