South Africa W v Spain W - teams and prediction
PREVIEW: The South Africa Women will take on Spain Women on Thursday in their final Test before the WXV 2 tournament.
The Springboks Women and Spain will clash at the Cape Town Stadium.
The fixture will be another exciting outing between the 12th-ranked side South Africa and Spain, who is No.13 on the World Rugby Rankings.
Only 0.02 points separate the two teams.
The last time they met, the Springboks W recorded a 15-13 win in Valladolid in March.
The Bok Women were forced to come from behind after trailing 5-13 at the break.
A lot has changed for the Boks W since then, they have a new coaching set-up, spearheaded by performance coach Swys de Bruin.
Under the guidance of De Bruin, the side has already shown heaps of improvement, beating the Barbarians 59-17 in the Mother City earlier this month.
In that game, the Boks scored nine tries and it seems they will want to keep that attacking mentality as De Bruin employed Libby Janse van Rensburg at fullback and Nadine Roos at flyhalf.
Janse van Rensburg and Azisa Mkiva have been promoted from the bench.
De Bruin named a squad with a total of 438 combined Test caps, while captain Nolusindiso Booi will lead the side for the 19th time in her 46th Test.
She will cement her place as the most capped player in Springboks Women’s history.
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Being part of the team that secured the victory at Estadio Pepe Rojo, Booi knows that Spain will pose a major challenge.
“Is not going to be an easy one,” said Booi ahead of the match.
“But the way we have prepared we are going to make sure we are in the best position to win the game.”
She added: “We don’t want to focus on the opportunity too much.
“We want to dominate our set-pieces and make sure we set a good platform for our backline.
“We have a good backline and if we give them a good ball they will utilise it.”
The captain said playing at Cape Town Stadium again is an incredible opportunity.
“For us, it is a good thing. Playing in front of the big crowds and in a big stadium gives us extra motivation and confidence.”
Meanwhile, South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) president Mark Alexander has urged the public to show their support for the Springbok Women.
“We have an incredible opportunity to come together and support our Springbok Women’s team,” said Alexander.
“This match is more than just a game; it’s a chance for us to stand behind our women and show our commitment to rectifying the imbalances in our society.
“The team have trained tirelessly and demonstrated immense dedication to represent our nation on the international stage. By filling the stands and cheering them on, we not only boost their morale but also send a powerful message of unity and support for gender equality in sports.”
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Springboks W by 12 points
Teams:
South Africa Women: 15 Libbie Janse van Rensburg, 14 Jakkie Cilliers, 13 Eloise Webb, 12 Chumisa Qawe, 11 Ayanda Malinga, 10 Nadine Roos, 9 Tayla Kinsey, 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Sinazo Mcatshulwa, 6 Sizophila Solontsi, 5 Vainah Ubisi, 4 Nolusindiso Booi (captain)3 Azisa Mkiva, 2 Lindelwa Gwala, 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie.
Replacements: 16 Roseline Botes, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Babalwa Latsha, 19 Danelle Lochner, 20 Catha Jacobs, 21 Felicia Jacobs, 22 Zintle Mpupha, 23 Aphiwe Ngwevu.
Spain Women: TBC
Date: Thursday, September 19
Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT; 17.00 CEST)
Referee: Zoe Naude (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Dylen November
TMO: Quinton Immelman
