Swys opts for continuity in Cape Town

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok Women performance coach Swys de Bruin has made two changes to the starting team that will face Spain at Cape Town Stadium on Thursday, and three tweaks to the bench from their comprehensive victory over the Barbarians just over a week ago.

Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Azisa Mkiva have been promoted from the bench and will start at fullback and tighthead prop respectively, while Roseline Botes, Catha Jacobs and Shaunique Hess were included amongst the replacements after not featuring against the Barbarians, a game South Africa won by 59-17.

De Bruin named a squad with a total of 438 combined Test caps in what will be their second clash this year against Spain, with South Africa edging their hosts 15-13 in Valladolid on March 23.

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On that day at Estadio Pepe Rojo, the Springbok Women boasted 287 caps, with only 10 of those players involved again on Thursday.

In the backs, only Jakkie Cilliers (wing) and Tayla Kinsey (scrumhalf) will start again, while in the pack just four players who started – the lock pairing of Vainah Ubisi and Nolusindiso Booi, Sinazo Mcatshulwa (flank) and Lindelwa Gwala (hooker) – will do so again.

Babalwa Latsha, a starter in Spain, will play off the bench this time, while Sanelisiwe Charlie will run out in the starting front row again after her finisher role in Valladolid. Botes and Danelle Lochner (lock) will again play off the bench in this encounter.

Booi will captain the side for the 19th time in her 46th Test, the leading mark in test caps for Springbok Women. Jacobs and Hess will make their first appearance for the squad this year, with both missing the March tour to Europe and the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup due to injury.

Hess, Yonela Ngxingolo, Janse van Rensburg, Zintle Mpupha and Chumisa Qawe last played in a Test in 2023, while Eloise Webb, Ayanda Malinga and Nadine Roos will return to Test rugby for the first time since the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand.

Felicia Jacobs will add to her five caps for the first time since 2021, with her last outing against Kenya in Stellenbosch that year.

De Bruin said the Spain Test will provide a vital opportunity for the team to test their progress of the last month.

“Continuity in selection is important, but we also want to tweak where necessary, in this case at fifteen, where Libbie will come in for Byrhandré Dolf,” said De Bruin

“I like to play with two playmakers at 10 and 15, so we will implement that against Spain.

“We played well against BaaBaas, but the real test will be to execute the same way against Spain. We managed to beat a lot of defenders last time out and that was encouraging, but I would like to see our support play improve against Spain.”

De Bruin said the Spanish Test will be a real contest: “If you look at where they are on the world ranking, so close to us, it is clear that there are not much between the two sides, so we need to be switched on come Thursday. It will be about the team that wants this win most.

“We certainly need this win to continue with the confident start we had against the BaaBaas. I have watched recent Spain games and they are well-coached and in a way, play like we do. So, it will be all about execution on the day.”

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 Shaunique Hess.

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: Local
TMO: Local