Johannesburg - Springbok women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer has tweaked his team that beat Japan two weeks ago for Saturday’s match against Spain, in a curtain-raiser to the big Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park.
Catha Jacobs will start at lock and Rights Mkhari at flank, while Raubenheimer has given a debut to scrumhalf Unam Tose while Chumisa Qawe has been promoted to the starting team after playing off the bench in that historic victory against Japan.
It will be a first start for Tose in her ninth Test for South Africa, having made all her appearances off the bench and she replaces Tayla Kinsey, who was not considered for Saturday’s match.
Upfront, Raubenheimer tweaked his loose-trio combination as well, with Aseza Hele returning from the bench to start at No 8, with Sizophila Solontsi wearing the No 6 jersey and Mkhari slotting in on the other side of the back row.
Solontsi, who started at No 8 against Japan, takes over from Lusanda Dumke, who will play off the bench.
Jacobs made a successful return to play off the bench in Kumagaya, following an ankle injury, and will join captain Nolusindiso Booi in the engine room, with Mkhari moving to the side of the scrum in place of Sinazo Mcatshulwa.
In the backs, Chumisa Qawe will start in place of Aphiwe Ngwevu, while there are significant changes among the replacements. Rumandi Potgieter is back in the fray at scrumhalf to take Tose’s spot on the bench, while there is also a return to action for Zenay Jordaan.
Jordaan, the most capped player in the squad, missed the Japan trip due to injury, but re-joined the team this week.
Raubenheimer’s decision to select Chuma Qawe for the Spain series means a reunion with her older twin, Chumisa, and a return to the national team for the first time since 2019.
The Western Province fullback missed a chunk of action last year and the start of the current season after knee surgery, but she has worked her way back to fitness and into World Cup contention.
The twins could potentially play together again for their country for the first time since 2019, when they shared the field against Scotland.
Roseline Botes is also back in the fray, having played against Namibia earlier this year, but missed out on the Japan tour selection.
Raubenheimer said the changes were all made for a specific reason.
“Some of our players need the game time, with others I want to see how combinations function and in Unam’s case for example, I want to see how she copes with starting a Test match,” said Raubenheimer.
“I know exactly what she can do for the team off the bench, so this will be a different challenge for her and I am keen to see how she goes in the opening half.”
Raubenheimer added that the players also need to realise that no one is guaranteed a place in the starting team.
“Spain will offer different challenges to Japan and we need to adapt to that,” he said. “We might want to change our approach and need a different player in the squad to fulfil a specific task. We did well in Japan and that win was wonderful, but we need to improve even more and build on that as we get closer and closer to the World Cup.”
Springbok women's team to face Spain: 15 Nadine Roos 14 Ayanda Malinga 13 Zintle Mpupha 12 Chumisa Qawe 11 Simamkele Namba 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg 9 Unam Tose 8 Aseza Hele 7 Rights Mkhari 6 Sizophila Solontsi 5 Catha Jacobs 4 Nolusindiso Booi (captain) 3 Babalwa Latsha 2 Lindelwa Gwala 1 Asithandile Ntoyanto
Replacements: 16 Roseline Botes 17 Yonela Ngxingolo 18 Monica Mazibukwana 19 Lerato Makua 20 Lusanda Dumke 21 Rumandi Potgieter 22 Zenay Jordaan 23 Chuma Qawe
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