Canada celebrated their first test on South African soil with a dominant 50-20 victory at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon. The Maple Leafs looked a class above from the start and scored a regular intervals with eight tries in all, including doubles for Alysha Corrigan and Florence Symonds.
Barely five minutes were on the clock when DaLeaka Menin punched her way over at the end of several attacking phases. Jakkie Cilliers got her side on the board with a well-struck penalty goal, but a knock-on just after the restart conceded an attacking scrum to the Canadians. The backs executed a set play to perfection and Fancy Bermudez was wide open for the score on the left side.
Laetitia Royer ripped away possession near halfway to set up a third try for the visitors. Bermudez took an outside line and fed Symonds back on her inside for a 55-meter breakaway finish. A fourth Canadian try went to Royer herself, the flanker bursting on to an offload from Menin and showing the defense a clean pair of heels from 40 meters out.
Bermudez had to be carried off the pitch after taking the worst of a heavy tackle just moments into the second half. Post-game reports indicated that the winger had been medically cleared and was back in the Canadian camp. It was her opposite, Cilliers, who would give the Springboks some life with a searing break from the right side, swerving back into the middle of the pitch for a fine individual effort.
A mistake on the restart, however, handed the points straight back to the Maple Leafs. Corrigan pounced on a loose ball for the easiest of tries. She would grab a brace on the end of a fine passing sequence with clean hands straight down the backline. Another injury then hit the Maple Leafs when Olivia Apps had to be helped off as she gingerly limped to the sideline.
Byrhandré Dolf showed her pace to break free for second South African try just after the hour mark. The home side would grab a fourth try via Sizophila Solontsi after setting up a rolling maul on a tap penalty. Symonds notched her second with a relatively simple finish after the forwards had done the hard yards, and Caroline Crossley put the finishing touch on the result with an intercept try from near halfway in the final minute of play.
It’s another double-header next weekend, this time in Port Elizabeth. The Maple Leafs rematch the Springbok Women before the Springbok Men take on the Azzurri for a second straight week.
| SCORING |
SOUTH AFRICA 20
Tries (3) – J. Cilliers (43′), B. Dolf (61′), S. Solontsi (69′)
Cons (1) – J. Cilliers 1/3 (44′)
Pens (1) – J. Cilliers 1/1 (14′)
CANADA 50
Tries (8) – D. Menin (5′), F. Bermudez (16′), F. Symonds 2 (28′, 76′), L. Royer (33′), A. Corrigan 2 (45′, 57′), C. Crossley (80′)
Cons (5) – J. Schell 5/8 (6′, 29′, 34′, 58′, 77′)
| TEAMS |
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Sanelisiwe Charlie, 2 Micke Gunter, 3 Babalwa Latsha, 4 Nolusindiso Booi (capt.), 5 Danelle Lochner, 6 Sizophila Solontsi, 7 Sinazo Mcatshulwa, 8 Aseza Hele, 9 Tayla Kinsey, 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg, 11 Ayanda Malinga, 12 Chumisa Qawe, 13 Zintle Mpupha, 14 Jakkie Cilliers, 15 Nadie Roos
Replacements: 16 Luchell Hanekom, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Nombuyekozo Moliki, 19 Nomsa Mokwai, 20 Lerato Makua, 21 Catha Jacobs, 22 Byrhandré Dolf, 23 Eloise Webb
CANADA
1 McKinley Hunt, 2 Gillian Boag, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Caroline Crossley, 5 Courtney O’Donnell, 6 Laetitia Royer, 6 , 7 Fabiola Forteza, 8 Gabrielle Senft, 9 Olivia Apps, 10 Taylor Perry, 11 Fancy Bermudez, 12 Alex Tessier (capt.), 13 Florence Symonds, 14 Alysha Corrigan, 15 Julia Schell
Replacements: 16 Holly Phillips, 17 Mikiela Nelson, 18 Rori Wood, 19 Rachel Smith, 20 Tyson Beukeboom, 21 Pamphinette Buisa, 22 Justine Pelletier, 23 Shoshanah Seumanutafa
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, July 5
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kickoff: 13:30 local
Weather: sunny, 65°F (18°C), wind W 6-9mph (10-14km/h)
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Clara Munarini (Italy)
Assistants: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) & Zoë Naudé (South Africa)
TMO: Egon Seconds (South Africa)
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