Brave Springbok Women fall to Black Ferns in epic Rugby World Cup quarter-final showdown

The Springbok Women took the fight to defending champions New Zealand but seemed to run out of steam in the second half to lose 46-17 in their Women’s World Cup quarter-final at Sandy Park in Exeter on Saturday afternoon.

The Bok Women’s power game and invention was evident from a rolling maul direct off a 15-player lineout in the first few minutes as they rumbled the ball up into the Black Ferns’ 22 and won an early penalty. They continued to be strong with the pick-and-drive but were held up short of the line. Their early dominance would set the tone for the rest of the half.

Centre Aphiwe Ngwevu was strong in the carry throughout the half, alongside the likes of flank Sizophila Solontsi, skipper Nolusinido Booi and prop Babalwa Latsha. They also showed the desire to spread the ball wide and strike runners like Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Zintle Mpupha looked dangerous in space.

Coach Swys de Bruin seemed to have borrowed from Bok coach Rassie Erasmus’ bag of tricks, his surprise tactics including the 15-player lineout and maul. The tactic would bear fruit late in the half.      

The relentless early SA pressure told in the 19th minute when Latsha drove over the line for the first points of the match. Fullback Byrhandré Dolf missed a difficult conversion attempt.

But New Zealand punished SA's inability to capitalise on repeated visits to the Black Ferns 22, Theresa Setefano pouncing on an attempted goal-line clearance (5-5).

Wing Braxton Sorensen-McGee then scored in the corner to give the Black Ferns the lead for the first time (10-5) with just over 10 minutes left in the half.

The Bok Women refused to go away, though, and were sill in the contest, and full of running. A drive off another full 15-player lineout, with scrumhalf Nadine Roos the jumper, caused panic in the Black Ferns defence and the Boks did well to carry the ball through the phases. A charging Solontsi could not be kept out as SA drew level after the half-time hooter had sounded.

The score was 10-10 at the break. 

The Black Ferns struck twice in the first five minutes of the second half, Renee Holmes exploiting an overlap out wide, while Sorensen-McGee, the tournament’s leading scorer, got her second. They then expertly exploited space behind the SA defence for No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker to extend the lead to 25-10.

De Bruin made a number of changes to the forwards, bringing on the Nuke Squad in an effort to arrest the slide and inject fresh momentum into the team. The SA pack duly won a scrum penalty, but it was the Black Ferns who would land the next big blow, with Holmes’ second try 15 minutes into the stanza.  

The Bok Women fought bravely as the champions put the squeeze on, the wide defensive channels continuing to be their Achilles heel. A try-saving Vaina Ubisi tackle denied Sorensen-McGee her hat-trick in the 63rd minute, but Holmes would not be denied hers minutes later.  

In a credit to their never-say-die attitude, De Bruin’s charges pushed for their first points of the second half. They were camped in the Black Ferns’ 22, keeping the ball tight, and a strong leg drive by Yonela Ngxingolo took her over the line. Unfortunately, the try was ruled out. 

Roos showed off her line-breaking ability in evading a number of tackles in the 73rd minute and the forwards again rumbled the ball up close to the New Zealand try line. A Roos tap-and-go was held up but replacement forward Lerato Makua would not be denied a few phases later. Dolf kicked the conversion to make the score 39-17 with minutes to go.

A converted try by Katelyn Vahaʻakolo would round off the scoring for the Black Ferns, who progressed to the semi-finals with the 46-17 victory. 

Points-scorers
South Africa 17 (10)
Tries: Latsha, Solontsi,Ngxingolo; Conversion: Dolf

New Zealand 44 (10)
Tries: Setefano, Sorensen-McGee (2), Holmes (3), Olsen-Baker, Vahaʻakolo ; Conversions: Holmes, Sorensen-McGee (2)