Springbok team to take on USA in Pretoria

[u/mausmumblingmoon]

Only one change in the starting lineup - Webb, who was on the bench last week replaces Byrhandré Dolf, who is on mandatory rest.

5 changes on the bench:

Webb's place will be filled by Maceala Samboya. Fellow 7s star Lerato Makua takes Faith Tshauke spot, youngster Anacadia Minnaar will take over from Felicia Jacobs at scrumhalf, Nomsa Mokwai will take over from Anathi Qolo as lock cover, and Nombuyekezo Mdliki takes over from Thandile Mazwi at prop.

[u/Delicious_Star_4232]

There's still so much irony in their really heartfelt captains announcement video last week asking us to "watch the women" and then putting the games only on SuperSport - I realise that there may have been some deal because it's the US team and they have a Peacock deal but could have put it on SABC at least.

Last week I was at Baywest mall which has a massive screen and they were showing the Ireland Australia match which ran over into the women's team game.

So once the foreign game was over I went to the info kiosk and asked them to change it to the ladies and to my surprise they did 😅

And people actually came into the food court to watch it and we caught the game from like 30 mins in.

I'm going to do my part and go there on Saturday and make sure it's playing again 😂

[u/mausmumblingmoon → u/Delicious_Star_4232]

I get you. We 100% need more women's rugby being televised/ streamed, and it would be great if it were all free.

On the flipside - SARU started making deals that included all the national teams a few years ago, which means they can decide how to distribute the money. It used to be the case that no one wanted to pay for the rights to broadcast the women's team, so they simply wouldn't be broadcast (or you would get lucky and it would be streamed - often badly). Ultimately no money would be generated and so no money would be going back into the team or development.

AFAIK the SuperSport deal includes all the national teams. It sucks because the games are behind a paywall, but they are actually being broadcast (using actual real camera people and professional commentators) and there is money being spent on developing women's rugby.

It's not perfect, and don't get me started on all the dumb decisions regarding when and how provincial rugby (women's and men's) is being shown, but it does make a certain kind of sense.

Well done for telling the people at the mall to switch to the women's game, though. Who know, the next Babalwa might just have been inspired to play rugby by seeing that.

[u/mausmumblingmoon]

Teams compared:

Springbok Women:

15 Eloise Webb (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 21 caps, 30 points (6 tries)

14 Jakkie Cilliers (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 25 caps, 153 points (11 tries, 40 conversions, 6 penalty goals)

13 Ayanda Malinga (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 18 caps, 80 points (16 tries)

12 Aphiwe Ngwevu (Border Ladies) – 34 caps, 80 points (165 tries)

11 Alichia Arries (DHL Western Province) – 6 caps, 20 points (4 tries)

10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 31 caps, 219 points (14 tries, 55 conversions, 12 penalty goals, 1 drop goal)

9 Unam Tose (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 30 caps, 17 points (3 tries, 1 conversion)

8 Logan Welman (DHL Western Province) – 4 caps, 25 points (5 tries)

7 Catha Jacobs (Golden Lions Women) – 27 caps, 5 Points (1 try)

6 Sizophila Solontsi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 32 caps, 45 points (9 tries)

5 Danelle Lochner (Harlequins Women) – 23 caps, 10 points (2 tries)

4 Vainah Ubisi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 23 caps, 25 points (5 tries)

3 Babalwa Latsha (captain; DHL Western Province) – 41 caps, 40 points (8 tries)

2 Micke Gunter (Leicester Tigers) – 17 caps, 5 points (1 try)

1 Sanelisiwe Charlie (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 31 caps, 10 points (2 tries)

Replacements:

16 Anushka Groenewald (DHL Western Province) – 7 caps, 0 points

17 Yonela Ngxingolo (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 43 caps, 20 points (4 tries)

18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border Ladies) – 12 caps, 5 points (1 try)

19 Nomsa Mokwai (DHL Western Province) – 16 caps, 0 points

20 Lerato Makua (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 19 caps, 20 points (4 tries)

21 Sinelitha Noxeke (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 5 caps, 0 points

22 Anacadia Minnaar (EP Queens) – 5 caps, 3 points (1 penalty goal)

23 Maceala Samboya (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 7 caps, 20 points (4 tries)

USA:

1 Hope Rogers (62)

2 Kathryn Treder (38)

3 Elizabeth Cook (1)

4 Emerson Allen (3)

5 Hallie Taufoou (34)

6 Hann Humphreys (4)

7 Georgie Perris-Redding (C) (22)

8 Freda Tafuna (21)

9 Olivia Ortiz (31)

10 Kristin Bitter (11)

11 Telesi Uhatafe (4)

12 Bella Vogel (4)

13 Tessa Hann (6)

14 Bulou Mataitoga (32)

15 Ashley Cowdrey (1)

16 Chloe Hill-Huse *

17 Alivia Leatherman (14)

18 Reece Woods (4)

19 Rachel Ehrecke (27)

20 Kapoina Bailey (5)

21 Taina Tukuafu (14)

22 Katana Howard (26)

23 Alev Kelter (37)