Durban — The Springbok women have been given the honour of playing the opening game of the World Cup in New Zealand on Saturday when they tackle highly-rated France in a Pool C match (3.30am kickoff).
It will be the biggest match the South Africans have ever played and while they will all play above themselves, Mike Greenaway looks at five players who than can inspire their team to an upset win.
Nadine Roos
The female version of the famed Bok pocket rocket, Brent Russell, they do not come tougher and more enterprising than the dynamic Roos. She was abandoned by her mother as a baby and she knows all about mental fortitude and overcoming odds, while the fullback has the physical attributes to carve defences to shreds.
Aphiwe Ngwevu
The 24-year-old pocket battleship is the female equivalent of Andre Esterhuizen at inside centre and will be a prime weapon to get over the advantage line against the French. But she needed some tough love to get to New Zealand — coach Stanley Raubenheimer dropped her a year ago because she was carrying excess weight, following an unexpected pregnancy. She is now in prime condition and in her last three Test matches against Japan and Spain, Ngwevu had 40 ball carries, three line breaks, two offloads, completed 17 of 20 tackles and beat 12 defenders.
Aseza Hele
The long braids of the Bok No 8 flying behind her as she rampages through the opposition defence is a fine sight, and Hele’s teammates need to see plenty of that against the French. She is a vital part of the Bok attack and the good news is that Hele is in a fighting mood. “We are a sisterhood, we know each other’s stories and journeys to get to this point, and we will fight for each other. Our fans must get up early to see what we can do,” Hele said.
Nolusindiso Booi
The captain is in the heart of the engine room at No 4 lock and she must both inspire, but also keep her youthful teammates calm. This is Booi’s third World Cup and I like the measured words she spoke on the eve of the biggest match of her long career. “We need a lot more than just passionately singing the anthem. We need to prove that we are a team worth investing in, whether it is financially or emotionally. We have this golden opportunity to prove ourselves in front of thousands and thousands of eyes,” Booi said.
Tayla Kinsey
The Durbanite is the most capped Bok woman in the team to play France (21 Tests) and that is 21 more Tests than she ever dreamed of as a rugby-playing child, because there was no Bok women’s team to aspire to. She played in her brother’s team from seven to nine years old, and at high school was limited to women’s touch rugby. But she kept fighting and as the women’s game grew, she grew with it, and now the scrumhalf is one of the keys to the team’s success.
IOL Sport