Lerato Makua will make a welcome return to the Springbok Women's team as a flanker when they take on the San Clemente Rhinos at False Bay Rugby Club in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Makua last played for South Africa at the Rugby Africa Women's Cup in Madagascar in May. She picked up an injury in the final of the Women's Premier Division for the Bulls Daisies last month but has been cleared to return to match action.
While Makua will not add to her 10 Test caps, as the match against the Rhinos is a friendly, her performance will be of importance as Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen will be finalising his squad for WXV 2 by the end of the weekend.
Koen also called up Yolanda Ntibane for this match. The EP Queens loose forward was part of two alignment camps in Stellenbosch recently and will get a run with all three options at No 8, Aseza Hele, Aliyah Tchogna Njamen and Lusanda Dumke, not available for selection.
Boland Dames outside back Machaela Samboya will get a first run in the green and gold jumper at wing, as will flyhalf Lara Schats, who represented Hong Kong in two tests in 2019 but has more recently donned the maroon jersey of Maties as she was waiting for her international clearance to potentially play for South Africa.
New York Rugby Club's Samantha Els (lock) will also get a first opportunity to show her worth, as will Mastercard Golden Lions Women prop Xoliswa Khuzwayo.
Els will be locked in with regular captain Nolusindiso Booi, who will start her first match for the Springbok Women since 1 April, when she picked up an injury. Booi came off the bench against Kenya on Saturday for her 36th Test cap, a Springbok Women record she now shares with Zenay Jordaan.
“I was mindful of the fact that we played in a test match only two days ago on Saturday, and we will be playing another match this coming Saturday against a high-ranked Barbarians team,” Koen said.
“We needed to rotate players for this match, while also giving some of those who had been working hard at camp an opportunity to put that practice into match action.
“The Rhinos are a well-balanced side with numerous international players in their team, so this will be a very competitive match and exactly what we need in our final stretch towards WXV 2 in October.
“This team will have to protect the badge as much as the group that played against Kenya on the weekend.”
The Springbok Women’s team to face the Rhinos in Cape Town:
15. Mary Zulu
14. Machaela Samboya
13. Veroeshka Grain
12. Chuma Qawe
11. Unathi Mali
10. Lara Schats
9. Unam Tose
8. Yolanda Ntibane
7. Sinelitha Noxeke
6. Lerato Makua
5. Samantha Els
4. Nolusindiso Booi (captain)
3. Amber Schonert
2. Luchell Hanekom
1. Xoliswa Khuzwayo
Replacements:
16. Micke Gunter
17. Asithandile Ntoyanto
18. Yonela Ngxingolo
19. Vainah Ubisi
20. Nompumelelo Mathe
21. Rumandi Potgieter
22. Libbie Janse van Rensburg
23. Jakkie Cilliers
Match details: Springbok Women v San Clemente Rhinos
Venue: False Bay Rugby Club, Cape Town
Date: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Kick-off: 16h00
Referee: Bulela Qwane
Livestream: Official Springbok YouTube channel