Proteas gear up for Scotland

“Since I’ve coached the Proteas we’ve never played them, but we cannot take them lightly,” Kotze said yesterday.

“We’re thankful of this opportunity and we’ll need to be tough and clinical against them.”

There’s a bigger picture at stake, with both teams gearing up for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month and while the world No 13-ranked side will have their work cut out for them against the sixth best team in the world, Kotze admitted that there is some element of danger for her team.

“Their team is very well prepared, because they’ve had so much invested in them due to the fact that they are hosting the Commonwealth Games. But we’re taking the same approach as when we take on any of the top four sides in the world,” Kotze said.

The squad will link up in Cape Town on Friday and Kotze outlined a rigorous training schedule that includes sessions with renowned vision specialist Dr Sherylle Calder.

Three new faces form part of the 12-member squad, with Lenise Potgieter, Kefiloe Tsotetsi and Phumza Maweni all earning call-ups for the series and Kotze is excited to see how the newcomers fare.

“Scotland is the best opportunity for us to rate our new caps. It’s not like going against one of the big sides, which can be damaging to a young player,” Kotze said, before adding that her final squad for the Games has yet to be decided.

“There can be changes. We have three new, young caps in our side who I’m really excited about,” she said.

There’s also the added incentive of moving up one spot in the world rankings should the Proteas sweep the series, which begins on June 19.