Bok Women opt for experience against Black Ferns amid coaching drama
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Babalwa Latsha will lead the Springbok Women into battle against the Black Ferns on Saturday when South Africa welcome the New Zealand women’s side for a first Test on local soil.
Latsha is of six players in the pack that started against the Black Ferns just under a year ago in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Vainah Ubisi and Catha Jacobs were on the bench in that fixture, won 46-17 by New Zealand. They replace and Nolusindiso Booi (retired) and Sinazo Mcatshulwa (injured) in the starting team this weekend.
Latsha, Sanelisiwe Charlie and Lindelwa Gwala will again form the front row, Ubisi will lock up with Danelle Locher in the engine room, and Jacobs will slot in with Sizo Solontsi and Aseza Hele in the back row.
On the forwards bench, Anuschka Groenewald (hooker), Nomsa Mokwai and Logan Welman, as well as hybrid player Shiniqwa Lamprecht will face the Black Ferns for the first time.
Amongst the backs, five players will be starting again They are Byrhandré Dolf, Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Ayanda Malinga and Libbie Janse van Rensburg. At scrumhalf, Unam Tose will start in place of the injured Nadine Roos, while Maceala Samboya will play off the bench this time, with Alichia Arries starting on the wing. Anacadia Minnaar comes in as replacement scrumhalf.
Tose, Minnaar and Arries will face the Black Ferns for the first time as well.
Laurian Johannes-Haupt said the coaching staff had some good options when they named the final group and expressed her confidence in the squad selected for this historic match.
“We have managed to build some extra depth since that match earlier this season when we played in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and the two series against the USA Eagles Women and Fijiana,” said Johannes-Haupt, who co-coaches the team this week with Franzel September.
“We believe this is the right squad for this game, and we go to FNB Stadium with a very specific game plan in mind.
“We have certain characteristics as Springbok Women and that include being very physical in our first phase, so there is no reason to move away from that. We are aware of what the Black Ferns will bring, but selected this group because we want to play a certain way, not in reaction to who might be in their team.”
On the historic nature of the fixture, Johannes-Haupt, who played against the Black Ferns in the 2010 Women’s World Cup, said it will do justice to the growth of the team and the women’s game in general: “This is a big moment for us as a team, but we will make sure the focus remains between the four lines, where the Blacks Ferns will no doubt come with a massive onslaught.”
Meanwhile, the Bok Women will be without Swys de Bruin, after he stepped down from his role as head coach.
South Africa: 15 Byrhandré Dolf, 14 Alichia Arries, 13 Zintle Mpupha,
12 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 11 Ayanda Malinga, 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg, 9 Unam Tose, 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Catha Jacobs, 6 Sizophila Solontsi, 5 Danelle Lochner, 4 Vainah Ubisi, 3 Babalwa Latsha (captain), 2 Lindelwa Gwala,
1 Sanelisiwe Charlie.
Replacements: 16 Anushka Groenewald, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 19 Nomsa Mokwai, 20 Shiniqwa Lamprecht, 21 Logan Welman, 22 Anacadia Minnaar, 23 Maceala Samboya
Date: Saturday, September 5
Venue: FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 13.30 (11.30 GMT; 23.30 NZT)
Referee: Zoe Naude
Assistant Referees: Giana Viljoen, Angie Bezuidenhout
TMO: Quinton Immelman
