Latsha leads experienced Bok Women into NZ battle

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. The 13h30 fixture at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will be broadcast on SuperSport.

Latsha is of six players in the pack that started against the Black Ferns just under a year ago in the quarter-finals 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.”

Springbok Women team to face New Zealand in Johannesburg:

15 Byrhandré Dolf (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 29 caps, 81 points (8 tries, 19 conversions, 1 penalty goal)

14 Alichia Arries (DHL Western Province) – 9 caps, 25 points (5 tries)

13 Zintle Mpupha (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) - 31 caps, 106 points (20 tries, 3 conversions)

12 Aphiwe Ngwevu (Border Ladies) – 35 caps, 80 points (165 tries)

11 Ayanda Malinga (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 19 caps, 85 points (17 tries)

10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 34 caps, 221 points (14 tries, 56 conversions, 12 penalty goals, 1 drop goal)

9 Unam Tose (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 31 caps, 17 points (3 tries, 1 conversion)

8 Aseza Hele (Sanlam Boland Dames) - 34 caps, 85 points (17 tries)

7 Catha Jacobs (Golden Lions Women) – 30 caps, 5 points (1 try)

6 Sizophila Solontsi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 35 caps, 50 points (10 tries)

5 Danelle Lochner (Harlequins Women) – 24 caps, 10 points (2 tries)

4 Vainah Ubisi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 26 caps, 35 points (7 tries)

3 Babalwa Latsha (captain, DHL Western Province) – 43 caps, 40 points (8 tries)

2 Lindelwa Gwala (Sharks Women) - 40 caps, 85 points (17 tries)

1 Sanelisiwe Charlie (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 32 caps, 10 points (2 tries)

Replacements:

16 Anushka Groenewald (DHL Western Province) – 10 caps, 0 points

17 Yonela Ngxingolo (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 46 caps, 20 points (4 tries)

18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border Ladies) – 15 caps, 10 points (2 tries)

19 Nomsa Mokwai (DHL Western Province) – 19 caps, 0 points

20 Shiniqwa Lamprecht (Sanlam Boland Dames) - 2 caps, 0 points

21 Logan Welman (DHL Western Province) – 5 caps, 25 points (5 tries)

22 Anacadia Minnaar (EP Queens) – 8 caps, 3 points (1 penalty goal)

23 Maceala Samboya (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 10 caps, 25 points (5 tries)