By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Springbok Women have made a plenty of changes in their squad as they look to recover from a huge defeat by Wales in their WXV Global Series clash at Cardiff’s Arm Park.
Unam Tose returns at scrumhalf and will share the captaincy with Sizo Solontsi at the Stadio Omero Tognon in Pordenone, in Italy’s Fontanafredda region, where Lerato Makua and Alichia Arries, who missed the Wales Test due to injury, are back in the squad after being declared fit.
It will be a debut captaincy run for Tose and Solontsi in Test rugby, although Solontsi captained the Springbok Women’s Sevens team various times earlier in her career.
Regular captain Babalwa Latsha is one of six starters in Wales who will play off the bench against Italy, giving the replacements a real ‘Bomb Squad’ feeling.
Only three backs that started in Wales have been retained. Maceala Samboya remains at outside centre, while fellow Cardiff try scorer, Maria Tshiremba, will move from the right to the left wing, and Byrhandré Dolf moves from fullback to flyhalf.
Arries, Tose and Shiniqwa Lamprecht (inside centre) are all starting, while Jakkie Cilliers has been elevated from the bench to start at fullback for this match. Felicia Jacobs, Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Aphiwe Ngwevu have been named amongst the replacements.
In the completely reshuffled pack, a new front row, lock pairing and loose trio will take the field.
Nombuyekezo Mdliki will start at tighthead prop, with hooker Anushka Groenewald and loosehead prop Yonela Ngxingolo complete the front row. Groenewald comes in for Lindelwa Gwala, while Ngxingolo will wear the green and gold for the 48th time and is the second most capped player ever for the Springbok Women.
Lock Danelle Lochner’s disciplinary hearing, in which she had her red card rescinded, did impact selections, with Catha Jacobs moving in from flanker to the second row alongside Vainah Ubisi.
Makua, who last played against Fiji in Suva, comes in at blindside flanker, and Aseza Hele is back at No 8, swopping jerseys with Logan Welman, who will play off the bench this time around.
Springbok Women co-head coach Franzel September said the changes were part of their planning as they are busy building a squad with an eye on the 2028 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
“We were stung in Cardiff, but no player has been dropped as such for this match against Italy,” said September.
“We were always going to test combinations, bring players back from injury and give newer players more Test match opportunities. This match-up is the one we believe will have the best chance of success against a very capable Italian side.”
September said the style of play expected from the South Africans will remain the same, as they will stick to their core strength in set piece play, but the change in personnel in certain positions will see them make some tweaks on attack and in their kicking game.
“We are only focussed on our outcomes for this one, we know Italy will pose certain challenges with the way they approach the game and we need to combat those of course,” he said.
“We prepared well for this match, and the coaches are confident that we can put up a very competitive performance. Last year’s win against them was a wonderful injection to our programme and the self-belief of the squad, but this is a new challenge, and we start afresh for this one.”
Springbok Women – 15 Jakkie Cilliers, 14 Alichia Arries, 13 Maceala Samboya, 12 Shiniqwa Lamprecht, 11 Maria Tshiremba, 10 Byrhandré Dolf, 9 Unam Tose (c), 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Lerato Makua, 6 Sizophila Solontsi (c), 5 Catha Jacobs, 4 Vainah Ubisi, 3 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 2 Anushka Groenewald, 1 Yonela Ngxingolo.
Bench: 16 Micke Gunter, 17 Sanelisiwe Charlie, 18 Babalwa Latsha, 19 Nomsa Mokwai, 20 Logan Welman, 21 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 22 Felicia Jacobs, 23 Libbie Janse van Rensburg.