Jenny van Dyk leads Team SA to impressive Commonwealth Games run

South Africa recorded a dominant 78-30 win over Northern Ireland to keep their hopes of securing a podium spot alive.

Speaking to SABC Sport, van Dyk says while she was happy with the result, the team is also aware of the areas that still require improvement ahead of their remaining Pool A fixtures.

“Good result and scoreline for us against Northern Ireland. They put us under all sorts of pressure in the first quarter of the game, so well done to them. I am happy, though, that we managed to absorb the pressure and keep collecting the points. I am also happy that we are now aware of the areas that still need improvement,” said van Dyk.

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South Africa have enjoyed a strong start in Glasgow, opening their campaign with a 65-44 victory over Malawi before defeating Tonga 96-42 and Northern Ireland 78-30. van Dyk believes matching the intensity of the world’s top teams has been key to her side’s success so far.

“To compete against the best, you need to keep up with the intensity. The players are fighting for the badge and playing as a unit. That is what is needed in high-performance competitions. We have made a lot of changes because it is important for us to rotate our players. We are looking at the bigger picture to help grow the squad,” added van Dyk.

The 43-year-old mentor also reflected on her side’s performance against Northern Ireland, praising the squad’s versatility and ability to adapt to different styles of play.

“I am happy that the team can be unpredictable and take on any opposition. I am pleased with the combinations because you have 12 players who can step up in any situation. I am impressed that we can face teams with different styles of play and still find a way to win,” she expressed.