French test for Bok Women

THE Springbok women are keen to measure their progress when they face France at Stade de la Rabine in Vannes tomorrow (4pm SA time kick-off).

The team arrived in Paris on Monday from Johannesburg via Frankfurt.

Coach Stanley Raubenheimer mixed experience and fresh talent for the November series opener in Vannes, with Nolusindiso Booi leading the team for the first time since 2018.

The experienced Booi makes her return to the squad that also features the returning Tayla Kinsey, Babalwa Latsha and Rights Mkhari.

The trio missed out on the

August Test series against Kenya in Stellenbosch due to injury.

Raubenheimer also included flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg and the uncapped Nadine Roos in his run-on side.

It will be Janse van Rensburg’s first start, while Roos will make her debut in a starting berth.

Roos, who has played for the Springbok women’s Sevens team since 2016, took her skills to fifteens last year, while Janse van Rensburg, made her debut against Kenya.

Booi (24 caps) and Kinsey (15 caps) are the most experienced players in the squad and alongside replacement prop Asithandile Ntoyanto, are the only players with World Cup experience.

Front-rowers Roseline Botes and Amahle Nyoba are the other uncapped players in the squad and are in line to make their Test debuts from the bench.

Raubenheimer explained that the Test against France should serve as a good progress indicator ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

“Only Zenay Jordaan, who picked up a bug last week, was not considered as she could not train with the squad in the last couple of days,” said Raubenheimer.

“I have confidence in the players selected, but there can be no doubt that we will be up against a very good side.

“France are in the top tier of international women’s rugby and we are outside the top 10, but be it as it may, we are determined to take as much out of this game as possible.

“We will play France again in less than 11 months when we face them as our first opponents at the World Cup in New Zealand and after Saturday will have a better understanding of where we are in our preparation.”

Raubenheimer hopes a tweak in their tactical approach and attitude about protecting the ball will be executed by his squad.

“This is very much about what we want to achieve in certain areas of the game,” the Bok coach said.

“We want to hold onto the ball for longer and have tweaked our kicking game as well after the 50/22 law came into effect.

“France bring an all-round game to the field, and we will find their intensity a huge challenge.

“That said, we wanted to play them for a reason, which is to be confronted by that intensity.

“We have to measure ourselves against the best teams in the world and this is such a test for us.”