They arrived in Hong Kong as the 11th-ranked team out of 12, had some misfortunes on the injury front, and four players who will experience the intensity of the world stage for the first time, but if you ask Ayanda Malinga, you write off the Springbok Women’s Sevens at your own peril.
The hard-running wing, who has scored 14 tries in eight tournaments at this level, said the absence of regular captain, Nadine Roos, and experienced players like Liske Lategan and Simamkele Namba, will have an impact at the first of three HSBC SVNS Rugby Championship events, but it will be up to the squad to overcome those obstacles at the Kai Pak Sport Park in Hong Kong.
“It was not only going to be a physical adjustment, but a mental one as well, losing those impact players in our squad, and for the mental part, I think we adapted well,” said Malinga, who will take over the captaincy from Roos.
“For the physical part, that will only play out on the field on Friday. We have done what we can. We came in on Monday, had a good flush out the next day and played chukkas against Fiji, which went well, so we are going into the weekend looking forward to the challenges that we will encounter.
“It will be up to the senior players to make the step up and show we can overcome the loss of Nadine, in particular. After all, the senior players have been around long enough to know what is expected and what we are capable of as a team.”
Replacing someone of the calibre of Roos is not easy, and Malinga said others now need to make the step up: “Nadine does make a difference, but this is now the chance for others to make the step up. We must keep on believing and keep fighting till the very end.”
When asked about what effect the captaincy will have on her own game, Malinga said she still needs to finish when she has the ball in hand.
“I will have to take notice of the players around me as well to see whether I need to encourage them, but for me, it is still making an impact when I have the ball in my hand – that is still a main role for me,” she said.
The Bok Women have never beaten Australia or Canada in sevens, but had some very close games with Great Britain, who they will play Saturday morning, and Malinga said playing in the HSBC SVNS 2 series gave them a platform.
“We set a standard there, and if we keep up with that, we have a chance in every match we play,” she said.
“Some good things came out of those tournaments and moulded us as a team, so we have a platform to play from, I believe.
“We can beat teams ranked above us; we have shown that in SVNS 2, so our goal of wanting to win two matches is not daydreaming.
“This is a wonderful tournament to play in, and the crowds are just so responsive to the players and what they are doing on the field. We are all looking forward to this opportunity.”
They are also well aware of how they managed to qualify for the HSBC SVNS World Championship: “We believe in enjoying the moment, and this will be no different. We have this massive opportunity here in Hong Kong, and it will be criminal to waste it. We can control certain things, but not all, so if we stick to our processes, we will have a say in the outcome of all our matches.”
Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for Hong Kong (with HSBC SVNS records):
#2 Asisipho Plaatjies – 4 tournaments, 0 points
#4 Zintle Mpupha – 12 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)
#7 Maria Tshiremba – 6 tournaments, 50 points (10 tries)
#10 Byrhandré Dolf – 3 tournaments, 0 points
#16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht - 8 tournaments, 0 points
#19 Shanidiné Bezuidenhout – uncapped
#20 Catha Jacobs – 1 tournament, 0 points
#21 Jané Mulder – uncapped
#22 Owami Mohuli – uncapped
#23 Ayanda Malinga (captain) – 8 tournaments, 70 points (14 tries)
#26 Lerato Makua – 1 tournament, 0 points
#27 Maceala Samboya – uncapped
#30 Eloise Webb – 9 tournaments, 7 points (1 try, 1 conversion)
Pools:
A: New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, Brazil
B: Australia, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa
C: USA, France, Spain, Argentina
Springbok Women's Sevens pool schedule (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport):
Friday, 17 April
06h25 Australia
09h12 Canada
Saturday, 18 April
05h04 Great Britain
