South Africa Women’s Rugby World Cup Squad 2022 – England 75-0 South Africa

Sarah Mockford

Springbok Women concede 13 tries in defeat by Red Roses

South Africa Women’s Rugby World Cup Squad 2022

South Africa brought plenty of physicality to their final Rugby World Cup pool game but they simply couldn’t compete with England’s ruthlessly efficient driving lineout and lost 75-0.

All five tries that they conceded in the first half came from that facet of play as the Springbok Women couldn’t stop that maul getting into gear, even when infringing.

Their ill-discipline didn’t help their cause as South Africa leaked three times as many penalties as England in the first half and had two players sin-binned – Catha Jacobs for a dangerous tackle and Nolusindiso Boi after a succession of maul infringements. Those penalties allowed the Red Roses to kick for touch and deploy their lineout maul once again.

They conceded another eight tries in the second half, as they were overwhelmed by the Red Roses, and end their World Cup campaign in bottom spot in Pool C.

South Africa team to play England – Sunday 23 October

Eloise Webb; Nomawethu Mabenge, Zintle Mpupha, Chumisa Qawe, Nadine Roos; Zenay Jordaan, Tayla Kinsey; Sanelisiwe Charlie, Roseline Botes, Babalwa Latsha, Nolusindiso Booi (captain), Catha Jacobs, Lusanda Dumke, Lerato Makua, Aseza Hele.

Replacements: Micke Gunter, Yonela Ngxingolo, Azisa Mkiva, Nompumelelo Mathe, Sizophila Solontsi, Rumandi Potgieter, Jakkie Cilliers, Chuma Qawe.

Fiji 21-17 South Africa

Fiji and South Africa delivered probably the most entertaining match of the Rugby World Cup so far at Waitakere Stadium on Sunday. And it was a last-minute try that gave Fiji the win.

They may be two of the lower-ranked teams at the tournament in New Zealand but they produced a high-octane finale to the second round of pool games. It was harum-scarum stuff and, quite frankly, it was brilliant!

At times, it was like a 15-a-side sevens game as possession switched hands at regular intervals and both teams did not shy away from risky passes to keep their attack going. The crowd fed off the players’ energy to generate a brilliant atmosphere too.

It was billed as a clash of styles but in reality it was the attacking intent of both teams that made it such an intriguing spectacle. Fiji may have played at a faster tempo, taking plenty of quick taps, while South Africa were more likely to seek content and try to use their power to break tackles, but they were both keen to keep ball in hand and test their opponents defensively.

South Africa trailed 14-7 at the break, their one try coming from Zintle Mpupha, whose arcing run from just outside the 22 caught out Fiji and she crossed under the posts, but they levelled things up at the hour mark when No 8 Aseza Hele powered over under the posts.

South Africa thought they had won it when Libbie Janse van Rensburg slotted a penalty in the final minutes but from the restart Fiji secured possession and then won a penalty. Vika Matarugu took a quick tap and Karalaini Naisewa surged under the posts for the winning try.

A fittingly dramatic finish to the match.

South Africa team to play Fiji – Sunday 16 October

Nadine Roos; Nomawethu Mabenge, Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Simamkele Namba; Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Tayla Kinsey; Sanelisiwe Charlie, Lindelwa Gwala, Babalwa Latsha, Nolusindiso Booi (captain), Rights Mkhari, Sizophila Solontsi, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Aseza Hele.

Replacements: Roseline Botes, Asithandile Ntoyanto, Monica Mazibukwana, Lerato Makua, Lusanda Dumke, Unam Tose, Zenay Jordaan, Eloise Webb.

South Africa 5-40 France

South Africa may have lost 40-5 but they frustrated France for much of the opening game of the 2022 Rugby World Cup.

The Springbok women leaked three tries in the opening quarter and three in the last quarter – their defence could certainly have been better – but they did not let the favourites run away with the match. In fact, they held them out for 50 minutes between tries three and four, and crossed for one of their own.

South Africa were able to gain an edge against their higher-ranked opponents at several scrums, disrupted French attacks with their physicality and became more adventurous in attack as the game wore on.

Zenay Jordaan’s arrival at fly-half in place of Libbie Janse van Rensburg midway through the first half sparked more of a running game and it was the experienced playmaker who provided the key pass for Nomawethu Mabenge to score their try in the 49th minute.

The opportunity was created after a succession of driving mauls in the French 22 and after securing another penalty, a quick tap-and-go led to them gaining territory close to the posts before Jordaan swung play back the other way and Mabenge crossed in the corner.

Yes, their campaign has started with a defeat but they will likely take more confidence from this performance than the French and that will be key as they go into their next pool match against Fiji.

South Africa team to play France – Saturday 8 October

Nadine Roos; Nomawethu Mabenge, Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Simamkele Namba; Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Tayla Kinsey; Aseza Hele, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Sizophila Solontsi, Rights Mkhari, Nolusindiso Booi (captain), Babalwa Latsha, Lindelwa Gwala, Sanelisiwe Charlie.

Replacements: Roseline Botes, Asithandile Ntoyanto, Monica Mazibukwana, Catha Jacobs, Lusanda Dumke, Unam Tose, Zenay Jordaan, Eloise Webb.

South Africa Women’s Rugby World Cup Squad 2022

Nolusindiso Booi will captain South Africa in what will be the lock’s third Rugby World Cup. It will also be a third tournament for Zenay Jordaan, who played in 2010 and 2014, while Tayla Kinsey and Asithandile Ntoyanto are heading to their second World Cups.

The rest of the squad, though, will be making their 15s World Cup debuts in New Zealand, although there are six players who featured in the recent Sevens World Cup in Cape Town – Lerato Makua, Zintle Mpupha, Simamkele Namba, Nadine Roos, Sizophila Solontsi and Eloise Webb.

Coach Stanley Raubenheimer said: “The pandemic worked for us as it gave us an extra year to prepare as the tournament was moved to 2022, and we are going to New Zealand knowing that we have given ourselves the best chance possible.

“I feel a sense of anticipation now, thinking back to where we started and how we have grown, and that we are now ready to take on the best teams in the world. We have our objectives and one of them is to not only make the country proud with our effort, but ourselves as well.

“This squad travelled a wonderful journey together and we can now celebrate that by taking on the biggest teams on the biggest stage.”

Here is the South Africa Women’s Rugby World Cup squad.

Backs

(DoB/Team/Position)

Jakkie Cilliers (30 Oct 2000, Blue Bulls/Centre)

Libbie Janse van Rensburg (28 Sep 1994/Blue Bulls/Fly-half)

Zenay Jordaan (4 Apr 1991/EP Queens/Fly-half)

Tayla Kinsey (5 Sep 1993/Sharks/Scrum-half)

Nomawethu Mabenge (27 Aug 1996/EP Queens/Wing)

Zintle Mpupha (25 Dec 1993/Western Province/Centre)

Simamkele Namba (3 Oct 1998/Western Province/Wing)

Aphiwe Ngwevu (14 May 1998/Border/Centre)

Rumandi Potgieter (5 Oct 1997/Blue Bulls/Scrum-half)

Chuma Qawe (Western Province/Wing)

Chumisa Qawe (15 Nov 1999/Western Province/Centre)

Nadine Roos (9 May 1996/Blue Bulls/Wing)

Unam Tose (3 May 2000/Border/Scrum-half)

Eloise Webb (5 Mar 1996/Border/Wing)

Forwards

Nolusindiso Booi (29 Jun 1985/Western Province/Lock)

Roseline Botes (25 Nov 1999/Western Province/Hooker)

Sanelisiwe Charlie (1 May 2000/EP Queens/Prop)

Lusanda Dumke (11 Sep 1996/Border/Back-row)

Micke Gunter (25 Oct 1998/Sharks/Hooker)

Lindelwa Gwala (24 Aug 1997/Sharks/Hooker)

Aseza Hele (26 Nov 1994/Boland/Back-row)

Catha Jacobs (2 Jun 1998/Blue Bulls/Lock)

Babalwa Latsha (31 Mar 1994/Western Province/Prop)

Lerato Makua (12 Jul 1999/Blue Bulls/Lock)

Nompumelelo Mathe (30 Oct 1999/Sharks/Lock)

Monica Mazibukwana (28 May 1998/EP Queens/Prop)

Sinazo Mcatshulwa (24 Dec 1996/Western Province/Back-row)

Rights Mkhari (9 Sep 1994/Blue Bulls/Back-row)

Azisa Mkiva (9 Feb 1999/Western Province/Prop)

Yonela Ngxingolo (3 Mar 1998/Border/Prop)

Asithandile Ntoyanto (6 May 1991/Border/Prop)

Sizophila Solontsi (9 Mar 1992/Sharks/Back-row)

South Africa Women’s Rugby World Cup Fixtures 2022

(All kick-off times are UK & Ireland time)

Pool C

Sat 8 Oct, South Africa 5-40 France

Sun 16 Oct, Fiji 21-17 South Africa

Sun 23 Oct, England 75-0 South Africa

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