That is the view of SA head coach Swys de Bruin after his side suffered a disappointing 57-10 defeat to the French at Franklin's Gardens and in the process lined up a quarter-final against the defending champions, New Zealand, in Exeter at 14:00 on Saturday.
"France played very well today and we did not," said De Bruin.
"The reality is that they are ranked fourth in the world and that showed. In fact, the top four sides in the world all scored 40 or more points to win their final pool matches this weekend, which shows the gap between them and the rest right now.
"There are positives though. We rested nine frontline players, and they will be ready and fresh for New Zealand next week. Today also exposed nine players to the harsh realities of what World Cups are all about. One can look at that as an investment into the future."
De Bruin was concerned about a number of areas of this team's play: "We came up against a very good pack and they dominated us. I did not expect that.
"They were very clinical and scored from every opportunity, while our inability to protect our ball also handed them easy points. The red card we received also did not make things easier, but despite all of that, we have something to work with this week."
The SA coach said they have massive respect for the Black Ferns, who beat Ireland by 40-0 in their final pool match, but having played New Zealand's next best side in Cape Town last month will help them in preparing for the quarter-final, the first time they will contest the knock-out stages in the tournament.
"Sixteen teams arrived here and eight are on their way home," said De Bruin.
"We still have a chance to make more history, despite being massive underdogs. As you saw against France, our girls never gave up and scored the last points of the match. That fighting spirit is something that will always give us a chance."
The team will travel to Exeter on Monday and have their first training session on Tuesday.
France proved too strong for the Springbok Women as they eased past South Africa 57-10 in their final pool match of the Women's Rugby World Cup in Northampton on Sunday.
Springbok Women captain Babalwa Latsha says her side is determined to back up their strong start at the Women's Rugby World Cup when they face France in their final pool match in Northampton on Sunday.
With a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal berth already secured, Springbok Women's coach Swys de Bruin has made wholesale changes to his side for Sunday's fixture against France.
The Springbok Women are not getting lost in the permutations of the Women's Rugby World Cup quarterfinals: They are preparing to face the best.
