A GOOD start at the Women’s Rugby World Cup will be crucial for the Springbok women’s side as they aim for their best finish yet at the tournament being staged in France, but they have a tough task with Australia up first.
The tournament starts tomorrowFRI, and today coach Lawrence Sephaka will be naming his side for the opening match against the Wallabies ladies in Marcoussis at 3.45pm.
This will be the third time the SA side will be taking part at the tournament and a look at previous records does not look pretty. At the previous tournament in England — the last time SA and Australia squared up at the international showdown — the South Africans were handed a 62-0 drubbing in 2010.
The sides are again pitted against each other in the pool stages, in what is arguably the group of death. Other teams that they will be up against are hosts France and Wales — both sides SA have had misfortunes against.
In 2010 SA faced Wales twice, beating the Welsh ladies 15-10 in the pool stages before going down 17-29 in the playoff stages.
France is a side Sephaka’s women have faced as recently as a month ago, at the same venue where they will be playing their World Cup matches. They were defeated 46-8 by the Frenchwomen in the friendly.
The Springbok side have never gone past the pool stages at the tournament since their first appearance in 2006. Sephaka has indicated that their main target is to progress to the knockout stages this year.
The side was dealt a triple blow in the build up to the tournament with injuries to lock Nomathamsanqa Faleni (knee), centres Marithy Pienaar (knee) and Ziyanda Tywaleni (hamstring).
However, Sephaka believes he has found adequate replacements in flyhalf Zandile Nojoko, a veteran who has played at the previous two World Cups, utility forward Andrea Mentoor and utility back Sinazo Nobele.
Captain Mandisa Williams will be leading the side from the front. With former captain Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe as team manager and Sephaka, a former Bok who was part of the 2003 World Cup squad, the team is likely to get some insights on what to expect in the tournament.
Eager for some action is the team’s youngest player, 20-year-old scrumhalf Tayla Kinsley.
“I am slightly nervous because I am not certain about what to expect on match day, as this is a World Cup,” Kinsley said yesterday.
“But I am really excited too. My goals for the competition are to play to the best of my ability consistently, to slot over all of my goal kicks and to score my first try. I have never scored a try, and to achieve this at a World Cup would be very special.
“That said, I realise that a massive task awaits, but I believe if each player in the team plays to their potential we can achieve our best finish yet in the World Cup.”
Next Tuesday SA will face hosts France at 8.24pm, then they will round up their pool matches with the clash against Wales next week Saturday
Wallaby women pose major hurdle for Sephaka’s side
A GOOD start at the Women’s Rugby World Cup will be crucial for the Springbok women’s side as they aim for their best finish yet at the tournament being staged in France, but they have a tough task with Australia up first.
The tournament starts tomorrowFRI, and today coach Lawrence Sephaka will be naming his side for the opening match against the Wallabies ladies in Marcoussis at 3.45pm.
This will be the third time the SA side will be taking part at the tournament and a look at previous records does not look pretty. At the previous tournament in England — the last time SA and Australia squared up at the international showdown — the South Africans were handed a 62-0 drubbing in 2010.
The sides are again pitted against each other in the pool stages, in what is arguably the group of death. Other teams that they will be up against are hosts France and Wales — both sides SA have had misfortunes against.
In 2010 SA faced Wales twice, beating the Welsh ladies 15-10 in the pool stages before going down 17-29 in the playoff stages.
France is a side Sephaka’s women have faced as recently as a month ago, at the same venue where they will be playing their World Cup matches. They were defeated 46-8 by the Frenchwomen in the friendly.
The Springbok side have never gone past the pool stages at the tournament since their first appearance in 2006. Sephaka has indicated that their main target is to progress to the knockout stages this year.
The side was dealt a triple blow in the build up to the tournament with injuries to lock Nomathamsanqa Faleni (knee), centres Marithy Pienaar (knee) and Ziyanda Tywaleni (hamstring).
However, Sephaka believes he has found adequate replacements in flyhalf Zandile Nojoko, a veteran who has played at the previous two World Cups, utility forward Andrea Mentoor and utility back Sinazo Nobele.
Captain Mandisa Williams will be leading the side from the front. With former captain Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe as team manager and Sephaka, a former Bok who was part of the 2003 World Cup squad, the team is likely to get some insights on what to expect in the tournament.
Eager for some action is the team’s youngest player, 20-year-old scrumhalf Tayla Kinsley.
“I am slightly nervous because I am not certain about what to expect on match day, as this is a World Cup,” Kinsley said yesterday.
“But I am really excited too. My goals for the competition are to play to the best of my ability consistently, to slot over all of my goal kicks and to score my first try. I have never scored a try, and to achieve this at a World Cup would be very special.
“That said, I realise that a massive task awaits, but I believe if each player in the team plays to their potential we can achieve our best finish yet in the World Cup.”
Next Tuesday SA will face hosts France at 8.24pm, then they will round up their pool matches with the clash against Wales next week Saturday
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