Experienced campaigners Ayanda Malinga, Danelle Lochner and Lindelwa Gwala will return to the Springbok Women match-23 for Saturday’s second international friendly against the Black Ferns XV as Swys de Bruin again tweaked combinations for their final match before the Rugby World Cup in England next month.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV have been bolstered by experience and youthful success as they negotiate their way through the Carling Currie Cup, eying the Vodacom Blue Bulls for their second round clash this Saturday.
Final tweaks aside, a positive result will be massively important for the Springbok Women when they take on the Black Ferns XV at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, as this will be their final match before the Rugby World Cup starts in England next month.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the team were gearing up for a testing Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign, which kicks off against the Wallabies on Saturday 16 August in Johannesburg, and stressed the importance of their two-week training camp saying it was vital in ensuring that the coaches, players, and entire management team were aligned and prepared for the competition.
They were caught napping at times and were outplayed at others, but the Springbok Women resumed their training on Monday with renewed energy as they prepare to take on New Zealand’s Black Ferns XV for a second time this weekend.
The Springbok Women took another positive step towards the Rugby World Cup in England as they recovered from being outplayed by New Zealand’s Black Ferns XV in the first half of their match at Athlone Stadium on Saturday, to “winning” the second half.
The talented Nick Hatton will lead the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, having stepped into the leadership role last year, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV open their Carling Currie Cup campaign this weekend against the Fidelity ADT Lions in Johannesburg.
Babalwa Latsha will lead the Springbok Women in the first of two international friendlies against the Blacks Ferns XV on Saturday, with both matches to be played at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote will get a glimpse of what the future holds when he and his coaching team work with the two SA Under-18 squads announced on Wednesday for next month’s U18 International Series in and around Paarl, in the Western Cape.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 Rugby World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during their successful Castle Lager Incoming Series.