Cape Town — The Springbok Women secured their second century in as many weeks when they defeated Namibia 128-3 in Pool A of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in a cold and wet Cape Town on Thursday.
Stanley Raubenheimer’s side ran in 20 tries, 14 converted, at City Park, while the visitors only managed a penalty conversion.
Last week, the Bok Women beat Zimbabwe 108-0, and while the conditions were tough, the South Africans managed to make it rain tries.
The hosts led 54-3 at half time as they racked up half a century in what would become their highest score in a Test match.
Flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg converted 14 tries and scored two of her own for a personal contribution of 38 points.
Centre Zintle Mpupha and replacement lock Simamkele Namba scored four tries apiece, while second-row forward Lerato Makua was named Player of the Match in her first Test start for South Africa.
Aphiwe Ngwevu opened the scoring with a try, and Libbie Janse van Rensburg followed with one of her own after making the opening try a seven-point one with the conversion (14-0).
The South Africans were dealt a blow when their skipper, Babalwa Latsha was red carded early in the game, but they didn’t slow down at all.
Mpupha got their third try to go 21-0 up, and her brace soon followed as the Women Boks took it to 28-0 after 20 minutes.
Mpupha, one of the more experienced players in the group, scored her 15th career try to give Raubenheimer’s group a commanding 33-0 lead in the second quarter.
Sizo Solontsi added her name to the growing try-scorers’ list with a converted score (40-0), before Ayanda Malinga stretched it even further (47-0).
The SA side weren’t done yet and ran in one more before the break by Nompumelelo Mathe, which took the half-time score to 54-3.
The conditions didn’t get much better as the game progressed, but the Springbok Women weren’t deterred by the weather as they picked up right where they left off after the break.
Mpupha scored her fourth try early in the second half (59-3), before Sinazo Mcatshulwa followed to take the score to 66-3.
Mathe scored her second before fullback Nadine Roos also visited Namibia’s in-goal (80-3), and replacement centre Simamkele Namba made it an extra special day as she scored her first Test try (87-3). She wasted no time in getting her second, before Roos also crossed the whitewash for her brace.
Janse van Rensburg took the side 100 up with a try and a conversion (106-3), and they didn’t stop there.
Namba went in for her hat-trick and Mcatshulwa grabbed her second to take the score to 116-3, before Asithandile Ntoyanto also got in on the action (123-3).
Namba scored her fourth off the bench to seal a 128-3 win for the Springbok Women.
IOL Sport