Wallaroos survive Springbok Women comeback

MATCH REPORT: Australia Women hung on to beat the Springbok Women by 33-26 in a WXV 2 match at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

With rain making an appearance following a scorching hot day in Cape Town, the Wallaroos started the match off strong but it was the hosts who managed to fight back and salvage two bonus points in the process.

The hosts struggled to contain Australia’s pace and slick handling, while the visitors enjoyed the majority of the territory in South Africa’s half courtesy of the boot of their flyhalf Faitala Moleka.

South Africa can feel unlucky to not get the desired reward for their scrum, but the hosts were also guilty of soft moments on defence and errors at the line-out.

However, they managed to get some strong runs to keep the Australians busy on defence.

The Bok Women were on the back foot from the outset as they conceded two tries in the space of eight minutes through Wallaroos flank Siokapesi Palu and centre Georgina Friedrichs, which flyhalf Moleka both converted for a 14-0 lead.

The hosts struck back as Unam Tose crossed the whitewash for her maiden Test try when she charged down a kick straight after the restart. Nadine Roos failed to add the extras when she took over the kicking duties from Jakkie Cilliers who left the field with injury.

The Wallaroos scored their third try of the afternoon when prop Eva Karpani ran a great line to go over under the posts but the hosts struck back through flank Sinazo Mcatshulwa to get their second try of the afternoon which Roos converted.

Australia were denied a try by the TMO moments before half-time and the sides went into the break with Australia in the lead by 21-12.

With the rain starting to pour during the second stanza, the visitors started the second half like they did the first, despite a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, wings Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart found space on the outside to each dot down in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

The Bok Women, however, showed great fight and character and after a period of sustained pressure in Australia’s half. Centre Zintle Mpupha crashed over after running a crash ball from Roos, who added the conversion to make it 33-19 with seven minutes of play left.

Micke Gunter went over for the hosts in the 79th minute through a strong rolling maul which Roos converted to make it a seven-point match.

Scorers: 

For South Africa Women:
Tries: Tose, Mcatshulwa, Mpupha, Gunter
Cons: Roos 3

For Australia Women: 
Tries: Palu, Friedrichs, Karpani, Miller, Stewart
Cons: Moleka 4

Teams: 

South Africa Women: 15 Eloise Webb, 14 Jakkie Cilliers, 13 Zintle Mpupha, 12 Chumisa Qawe, 11 Ayanda Malinga, 10 Nadine Roos, 9 Unam Tose, 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Sinazo Mcatshulwa, 6 Lusando Dumke (captain), 5 Vainah Ubisi, 4 Danelle Lochner, 3 Babalwa Latsha, 2 Roseline Botes, 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie.
Replacements: 16 Micke Gunter, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Azisa Mkiva, 19 Nolusindiso Booi, 20 Catha Jacobs, 21 Sizophila Solontsi, 22 Felicia Jacobs, 23 Byrhandre Dolf.

Australia Women: 15 Catilyn Halse, 14 Maya Stewart, 13 Georgina Friedrichs, 12 Cecilia Smith, 11 Desiree Miller, 10 Faitala Moleka, 9 Layne Morgan, 8 Tabua Tuinakauvadra, 7 Ashley Marsters, 6 Siokapesi Palu, 5 Michaela Leonard, 4 Kaitlan Leaney, 3 Evan Karpani, 2 Tania Naden, 1 Bridle O’Gorman
Replacements: 16 Tiarna Molloy, 17 Lydioa Kavoa, 18 Allana Sikimeti, 19 Atasi Lafai, 20 Lucy Dinnen, 21 Samantha Wood, 22 Trilleen Pomare, 23 Lori Cramer

Referee: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe)
Assistant referees: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Maria Latos (Germany)
TMO: Estelle Whaiapu (New Zealand)