Victories for Sanlam Boland Dames and DHL Western Province in round six of the Women’s Premier Division on Saturday will ensure that both of them will remain in the race to the final on 29 March – along with the unbeaten Bulls Daisies – while the Golden Lions Women and EP Queens will try to sidestep the wooden spoon this season.
The Lions face an uphill battle when they host the Daisies, rampant as ever, at Wits Rugby Club in Johannesburg, while the Queens travel to Cape Town, where they face Province.
The Dames will have one final league match at home and welcome the Sharks Women in Wellington. The Free State Women also return to Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein and will take on Border Ladies in a match that could go a long way to restore confidence following their big defeat from last weekend.
The Queens arrive in Cape Town fresh on the back of their first victory of the season. EP coach Con van Rooyen made some tweaks with Anacadia Minnaar moving to her more regular position of flyhalf and Sibabalwe Klaas starting at scrumhalf. Former Bulls Daisies and Springbok Women’s Sevens player, Unathi Mali, is playing off the bench, a good strategy to counter the energetic DHL WP bench.
The home side, returning to City Park for the first time this season, will start as huge favourites and a bonus point win will keep the pressure on Boland, who are just one point better on the log.
The Dames have Lara Schats back at flyhalf, with the former Hong Kong international’s trusted boot an asset to the home side, already loaded with strike power in the backline. Schats has kicked 18 conversions so far this season and generally guided the backline with aplomb.
A big crowd is expected at Boland Stadium in Wellington and the Sharks Women could be in for a long afternoon. KZN captain Tayla Kinsey will again play at flyhalf, while Mary Zulu dons the inside centre jersey, but whether that will change their fortunes remains to be seen.
Bulls Daisies captain Libbie Janse van Rensburg will start at flyhalf in Johannesburg, giving Zintle Nonkasana a run at fullback, while more significantly, the Qawe twins, Chumisa and Chuma, will form a rare midfield pairing.
Regular Bulls hooker Micke Gunter finds herself at openside flanker this weekend, a role she has fulfilled in the past.
The Lions have been unlucky in a couple of outings, losing at the death twice, but the form book suggests a tough afternoon at Wits for the home team. A lot will depend on the performance of Rumandi Potgieter, who will face her former Daisies teammates for the first time, and the duel between her and fellow Springbok Women’s scrumhalf Unam Tose will be worth watching.
Another battle that will justify the entrance fee will be between props Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Lions) and Sanelisiwe Charlie (Daisies). Charlie, who starts at tighthead, is the incumbent Springbok loosehead and Khuzwayo her lieutenant, so an interesting tussle is on the cards.
Free State Women coach Anchin Klein has made several changes to his squad following their second half mishap against Boland last weekend. Mekyla Bennet moves from the back to the side of the scrum, while a new front row will also run on. Lonele Fuzile will start on the wing against her former teammates.
The Border Ladies have run hot and cold this year and depending on how well they recovered from the mauling by the Bulls Daisies last weekend, could just edge their hosts, who are two points the better on the log. Both have won twice, and this will be a close match.
Match information:
Sanlam Boland Dames vs Sharks Women
Date: Saturday, 8 March
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 11h30
Referee: Stiaan Marx
DHL Western Province vs EP Queens
Date: Saturday, 8 March
Venue: City Park, Athlone
Kick-off: 11h30
Referee: Luvuyo Maceba
TV: SuperSport Variety 1
Golden Lions Women vs Bulls Daisies
Date: Saturday, 8 March
Venue: Wits Rugby Club, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 13h30
Referee: Siya Mhana
Livestream: Official Springbok YouTube
Free State Women vs Border Ladies
Date: Saturday, 8 March
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Richard Bruno
Rink Ruler
Jim Laker once took 19 wickets in a Test match.
Raggedy Ann
Alistair Cook – 294 Runs, Edgbaston 2011; Michael Clarke – 329 Runs, Sydney 2012; Brendon McCullum – 302 Runs, Wellington 2014. They were all dropped by Ishant Sharma early on in their innings.