Key events
37 min: A big territorial win for NZ after Dolf’s clearing kick, following a hoof from Demant, skews off her shin. NZ get the line-out inside SA’s half. They try to work a move down the line off the top but can’t stitch it together. A quick rush on defence from Somoya forced the spill. Scrum for SA. After a slick opening, this half is unravelling slightly with errors from both teams.
35 min: The Sa scrum is clicking. Hele gets a good pick up off the base. Rather than run herself she passes for Janse van Rensburg who passes as well. The ball to Mphupha on the charge is above her head and the cantering centre can’t hold on. So we’ll get another scrum, this time for New Zealand towards their right touch inside their own half.
32 min: SA are back on the ball inside NZ’s 22 thanks to a stiff carry from Ngwevu and a show and go from Roos following a dominant scrum. But the Black Ferns keep their composure even as they’re going backwards and they swarm over an isolated carrier and steal another penalty on the deck.
TRY! New Zealand 10-5 South Africa (Sorensen-McGee 29)
Too easy! That’s slick from NZ. A strong shove off the scrum, they went down the right in a flash. One pass, two and then Sorensen-McGee had a simple run in after finding the edge. Holmes shanks the conversion, missing by some distance to the right of the poles.
28 min: Momentum has totally swung. NZ win a penalty off the restart and Demant hoofs it long. Malinga fields and delays. She then passes to Dolf who delays. You just don’t have the time at this level and in a flash the SA fullback is snaffled and shoved back over her own line. NZ now have the scrum five metres out almost right in front of the poles. They’re lining up a one on one down the big blind on the right.
TRY! New Zealand 5-5 South Africa (Stefano, 26)
Oh what a gimme from the Saffas! They had the scrum feed but Roos dallied as she lined up her pass for Janse van Rensburg. That gave Joseph enough time to get across and block the clearing kick. It landed in the breadbasket of Stefano who had a simple job of scoring from five metres out. What a coach killer!
The win blows the conversion wide of the mark.
25 min: New Zealand think they’ve scored but it’s a stunning tackle from Hele on Mikaele-Tu’u! Wow! That is honestly unreal! It was a howler of a throw from Gwala as she totally missed her jumper. Olsen-Baker got hold of the loose ball and took it within a few metres of the SA line. Mikaele-Tu’u kept it alive and had a clear sight of the try but got hammered by Hele on the cover. SA keep NZ out and have a scrum to clear their lines.
24 min: Inaccurate from the Black Ferns. They worked the move off the scrum well enough, and had Woodman on the ball on the wraparound, but her final pass to Miller in the left tram was poor. The ball never got above knee height and bobbled out of touch. SA will get the line-out and a chance to clear from inside their 22.
22 min: Demant launches the restart long and soon after Roos knocks on the base of the ruck. So NZ get the scrum feed on SA’s 22 with a short blind to the right. Can they strike with their first opportunity?
TRY! New Zealand 0-5 South Africa (Latsha, 21)
Who saw this coming?! Not me. I predicted a shellacking but it’s South Africa who score first. They fully deserve that. Off the scrum, Hele and then Latsha carried well. They inched their way forward. Five short carries later and the prop was on the ball again, stretching over from close range to score.
Dolf can’t land the extras from the left touch.
19 min: SA win the line-out but Olsen-Baker comes up with a steal on the ground shortly after. No matter, there was a knock-on from a Black Fern in the build up to that so SA get the scrum about eight metres short, about 15 in from the left touch.
17 min: Another penalty against New Zealand. That’s seven. Still no warning. What is Cox waiting for? SA have played the perfect game, staying close and tight and amplifying their strengths. NZ just can’t get their hands on the ball. But SA need to come away with points. They have the penalty just outside NZ’s 22 having made no metres off the line-out but went from the left touch to the right.
16 min: New Zealand give away their sixth penalty of the game. How many more before Cox warns them? She doesn’t this time. Janse van Rensburg hoofs it long for a South African line-out just short of the NZ 22.
15 min: South Africa go through the phases. Their continuity is impressive but they can’t find any holes in defence. So Janse van Rensburg tries a dink over the top off the boot for Samboya to chase. She can’t get their so the Black Ferns get a line-out. A bit one dimensional from the Saffas. A bit too easy on defence for the Kiwis.
12 min: Another great steal from a BF means SA leave NZ’s 22 without any points. They cam close again thanks to a slick ball over the top of the line-out that found a runner. They won another penalty on the ground and Roos went quickly, but Viliko got her large frame over the ball and secured the steal.
11 min: Another penalty for South Africa thanks to a mighty maul from the line-out. They got the shove on and then rumbled on and on and on. NZ had no choice but to halt it illegally. The Springboks look ON today. Their challenge will to keep this going for 70 more minutes. They get a chance to attack from inside NZ’s 22 thanks to a solid touch finder by Janse van Rensburg.
10 min: South Africa go through the phases until they launch down the right. Solontsi in the tram finds space and keeps the move alive with a lovely pass back infield for the onrushing Malinga. But Woodman is swift over the ball and comes up with a great steal. Soon after a long raking kick pins SA in their own 22 but slick hands and accurate passing means the Boks have worked their way out of trouble with a break down the right. They then win a penalty on the floor. Wow, this is high quality from both teams. Janse van Rensburg hoofs the penalty out around halfway and everyone takes a quick breather after a frantic passage.
8 min: NZ win the line-out. They sent it wide and find an edge across the park. Mahutariki-Fakalelu carried well before they hoof it down town. Malinga fields and counters. SA are back on the ball over halfway. They’re sticking with short and narrow carries. NZ’s defence is up to the task. Physical stuff from both teams so far. Very cagey.
6 min: New Zealand win a scrum penalty. SA had the ball within touching distance of the Black Ferns line. Now they’ll have to defend a line-out 30 metres upfield.
4 min: Poor from SA. Why didn’t they scrum? Roos opted for the tap and go and they went down the short side to the left. But they never looked set and eventually Lochner spilled the ball in contact. Let off for New Zealand, though they looked secure on defence. They’re not out of the woods yet. They have to win this scrum with their heels on their own line.
4 min: A short line-out, from the penalty, is won by South Africa. Lochner was lifted in a two-woman set piece so there were plenty of carrying options. They kept it tight and rumbled on. Hele made ground before she copped a high shot. NZ strayed off side and SA get another penalty, this time about five metres short of the line. Will they scrum? No, tap and go.
2 min: South Africa will get the put-in to an early scrum inside NZ’s patch. Can they do anything with it? They’re all the way to the left. They get a huuuge shove on and are suddenly inside the 22. They’re told to use it. They win a penalty. Great start from the Boks pack.
Away we go!
Sara Cox, in her home town, is the referee today.
The Blacks Ferns perform Ko Uhia Mai.
Epic stuff.
Anthems now. The Boks are in their changed strip of white with green shorts. The Black Ferns in all black.
It’s a gorgeous day in Exeter.
The last time these teams met South Africa won 41-24.
Sort of. Not really. The Boks actually beat a Black Ferns XV (a NZ B or C team in fact) last month. Still, it was their first triumph over any team from New Zealand.
And this is what Swys de Bruin had to say:
We were 13th and 12th in the rankings last year, and Italy 7th. So that gave us massive confidence. Even in the Black Ferns game when we played them in Cape Town, their ‘B’ team, to beat them gave us massive confidence. It’s a matter of belief, anything can happen. We believe in miracles, so you never know. I think the pressure if you’re underdogs is on them. There’s nothing on us. I’ve seen with these ladies, if you put the bar there they push it higher. They are unreal if it comes to challenging them.
Here’s what Black Ferns head coach Allan Bunting said in the build up:
We were proud of our performance last week. There’s areas across the field that we want to improve and build on and certainly want to get better, we know what’s coming this weekend with South Africa. We are here on a mission and this weekend is really important for us. Some of it was looking after our players, obviously, but we’re all 32. We picked them here for a reason and we’ve got all the faith in the world of them to go all the way in this tournament and we know they’re going to put the best forward and we know the challenge at is coming.
This is the second New Zealand v South Africa game of the day.
The first was pretty one-side:
I love it when athletes declare their desire for greatness.
New Zealand’s Jorja Miller has done just that. Fair play.
South Africa team
It’s a Bomb Squad!
Swys de Bruin has picked seven forwards on the bench as he signals his intent to keep things tight and punchy in the close quarters.
Perhaps this is an admission that his underdogs won’t be able to land blows in the wide channels. But then he’s simply playing to his team’s strengths.
Libbie Janse van Rensburg returns to fly-half after missing out on the final group game against France last week. She’ll have the pocket rocket Nadine Roos on her inside at scrum-half. With only a centre among the replacements, they’ll both have to play every minute of this match.
Nolusindiso Booi also returns to skipper from the second row and partners Quins enforcer Danelle Lochner.
South Africa: Byrandre Dolf; Maceala Samboya, Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Ayanda Malinga; Libbie Janse van Rensberg, Nadine Roos; Saniliswe Charlie, Lindelwa Gwala, Babalwa Latsha, Nolusindiso Booi, Danelle Lochner, Sizophila Solontsi, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Aseza Hele.
Replacements: Luchell Hannekom, Yonela Ngxingolo, Nombuyekezo Mdliki, Vainah Ubisi, Anatha Qolo, Lerato Makua, Catha Jacobs, Eloise Webb.
New Zealand team
Centre Amy du Plessis has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.
It’s a blow to the Black Ferns, but one they should be able to absorb.
Outside back Katelyn Vahaakolo joins the group and will make an appearance off the bench.
There are 16 players who won the World Cup last time out though it’s hardly a grizzled team. 18-year-old sensation, Braxton Sorensen-McGee make her tournament debut on the wing.
New Zealand: Renee Holmes; Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe; Stacey Waaka, Theresa Stefano; Ruahei Demant, Maia Joseph; Chryss Vilko, Georgia Ponsonby, Vesinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Maiakawanaulani Roos, Alansa Bremner, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Jorja Miller, Kaipo Olsen-Baker.
Replacements: Atlanta Lolohea, Awina Tangen-Wainohu, Kate Henwood, Laura Bayfield, Kenedy Tukuafu, Iritana Hohai, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ayesha Leti-I’iga
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
At last, the business end. The place where every ruck, every tackle, every pass has meaning. A place where there’s no second chance and only victory will suffice.
Welcome to the knockouts of the World Cup. Four teams are clearly head and shoulders above the rest. But that doesn’t mean we have no chance of an upset.
Will we get one today? Unlikely. We kick things off with the reigning champions New Zealand playing the lowest ranked team left in the competition. This is South Africa’s first foray into the latter stages of the tournament. Simply getting here constitutes a victory. Anything other than a romp for the Black Ferns would come as a seismic shock.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to look out for. Can the Kiwis spark and show that they’re the real deal? Can they cause a few scares for their competitors? And can the Springboks underline their progress with a commendable show?
We’ll find out when things kick off at 1pm BST.
Team news, some Saturday reading and other bits to come.
