It was a hot and humid night in Kumagaya when Ayanda Malinga last faced Japan, but the memory of that special Test 26 months ago still fuels the Springbok Women winger.
Malinga scored two tries in a 20-10 win, in what turned out to be a first victory by the Springbok Women on foreign soil.
Fast forward to Friday, and Malinga is yet again fired up and ready to run hard at her opponents – whom she respects a lot, especially after encountering them again on the HSBC SVNS fields of the world in 2023 and 2024.
But despite the opportunities and passport stamps, not to mention the inevitable Olympic Games tattoo that sevens rugby brought Malinga since 2022, she desperately wanted to amend for the pain of missing out on the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.
Back then, the 26-year old missed out due to injury, ironically sustained at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, played at the same venue where she will re-enter the fifteens fray to earn a ninth Test cap.
“It was a huge blow for me being injured before the Rugby World Cup, as I wanted to play in both those World Cups in one year, but that was not to be,” said Malinga after the squad completed their preparations for the 16h00 kick-off against Japan on Friday.
“It still feels that my rugby ambitions are incomplete because of missing out on the Rugby World Cup. That is why I am so happy to be back playing for the Springbok Women and be in contention for next year’s tournament in England.”
Having faced Japan a number of times in the sevens code, Malinga warned her teammates to be ready for a “busy” afternoon: “They are really committed and very capable at the breakdown and because of their size, can go really low. We will have to work hard in that area if we want dominance. They will be fit and disciplined no doubt, but we have our own strengths and plans for this match.”
Malinga’s last outing at DHL Stadium, when they faced the Barbarians Women on 7 September, resulted in two well-taken tries by the winger, something she hopes to get more of come Friday.
“It is one of my main jobs on the field, to score tries,” she said.
“If I do that and do it well, we will have a chance to win the game. I really believe we are in with a good chance, especially with our current style of play where I know I will get the ball in space. If we execute well and play as a team, we will be tough to beat. I like the unity in the team and that gives me positive feelings about the game.”
Malinga is also excited her WXV 2 debut: “I was busy with the sevens last year, so could not attend all the games played, but I did manage to go and watch a couple.
“It is a wonderful tournament where we will be measured against teams that are all better ranked than us. We need to beat them to improve our ranking, which will again place us in a better position for the draw to next year’s Rugby World Cup. What more motivation do we need than that?”
Revised Springbok Women team to face Japan in Cape Town:
15. Libbie Janse van Rensburg (Bulls Daisies) – 23 caps, 204 points (11 tries, 55 conversions, 12 penalty goals, 1 drop goal)
14. Jakkie Cilliers (Bulls Daisies) – 14 caps, 74 points (7 tries, 15 conversions, 3 penalty goals)
13. Eloise Webb (Border Ladies) – 11 caps, 30 points (6 tries)
12. Chumisa Qawe (Bulls Daisies) – 16 caps, 15 points (3 tries)
11. Ayanda Malinga (Bulls Daisies) – 8 Tests, 50 points (10 tries)
10. Nadine Roos (unattached) – 12 caps, 25 points (5 tries)
9. Tayla Kinsey (Sharks Women) – 36 caps, 48 points (2 tries, 16 conversions, 2 penalty goals)
8. Aseza Hele (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 22 caps, 45 points (9 tries)
7. Sinazo Mcatshulwa (DHL Western Province) – 32 caps, 45 points (9 tries)
6. Sizophila Solontsi (Bulls Daisies) – 22 caps, 40 points (8 tries)
5. Vainah Ubisi (Bulls Daisies) – 15 caps, 15 points (3 tries)
4. Nolusindiso Booi (captain, DHL Western Province) – 46 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
3. Babalwa Latsha (Harlequins Women) – 30 caps, 25 points (5 tries)
2. Roseline Botes (DHL Western Province) – 20 caps, 45 points (9 tries)
1. Sanelisiwe Charlie (Bulls Daisies) – 19 caps, 5 points (1 try)
Replacements:
16. Micke Gunter (Bulls Daisies) – 8 caps, 0 points
17. Yonela Ngxingolo (Bulls Daisies) – 29 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
18. Azisa Mkiva (DHL Western Province) – 10 caps, 0 points
19. Danelle Lochner (Harlequins Women) – 13 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
20. Catha Jacobs (Leicester Tigers Women) – 16 caps, 5 points (1 try)
21. Anathi Qolo (Bulls Daisies) – 4 caps, 0 points
22. Unam Tose (Bulls Daisies) – 20 Tests, 0 points
23. Zintle Mpupha (Bulls Daisies) – 21 caps, 101 points (19 tries, 3 conversions)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
