Black Ferns stumped by ‘insane’ South Africa lineout in scrappy Rugby World Cup win
Sunday, 14 September 2025
The Black Ferns were undone by an “insane” South African lineout including all 15 of their players that was amazingly claimed by the halfback.
The sight of Springbok women No 9 Nadine Roos being lifted by her forwards in their women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal might be an enduring image of South Africa’s innovation with set plays.
The Black Ferns were too strong in a match they were always likely to win comfortably. They did, 46-17, to earn a semifinal with world No 2 Canada in Bristol next Saturday (NZ time).
Allan Bunting’s side were still troubled by South Africa’s forceful first-half performance in which they applied intense physical pressure and bamboozled the world champions.
Chief among their confusion tactics were quirky lineouts, starting with two players stood alongside the Black Ferns’ forwards, one enormous overthrow and extra backs joining driving mauls.
On one occasion all 15 players were involved in a unique lineout that led to Aphiwe Ngwevu’s try on the stroke of half-time.
Hooker Lindelwa Gwala tossed the ball in play and Roos, one of the smallest players on the field, was raised highest to regather and the whole team piled into the maul to outnumber the Black Ferns.
With that overwhelming force, and another penalty advantage against the Black Ferns, the Springbok women drove 10 metres forwards before prop Sanelisiwe Charlie emerged with the ball.
She had no team-mate to pass to and had to bury her head into a carry to begin an onslaught of phases inside the Black Ferns’ 22.
South Africa battered away at the Black Ferns’ defensive line and close-quarter collisions by the ruck laid the platform for Ngwevu to score, levelling the match at 10-10.
Their resistance faded in the second half as the Black Ferns’ attack found its groove. The Springbok women were a nuisance up front, however, and loved the occasion to follow their shock win over Italy in the pool stages.
What they said
No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker, the Black Ferns’ player of the match with two tries, led their physical response to the South African challenge that was a mighty test before their semifinal against Canada.
Of their 15-player lineout, she said: “I knew South Africa were going to bring out something different, but I didn’t think they were going to bring out that, which was insane.”
Black Ferns coach Bunting added: 'For me, just massive respect to [coach] Swys [De Bruin] and South Africa.
“They've done an incredible job in such a short space of time and what they're doing for rugby and for women in South Africa is massive.
'When you give away seven penalties [in the 17 minutes] that's what happens. They threw in some awesome innovation and put us under some pressure but that's a good thing for us at this point in the tournament.'
South Africa prop Babalwa Latsha said: “The spirit of our team is buying in and doing things together. We just bought in to it straight off the bat, we fell in love with the plan and we were eager to execute it to see what type of response we would get.
“Having 15 people in the lineout is quite innovative and just that’s an expression of doing what we whatever we want.”
‘Nose intact’
It was a remarkable finish to the half in South Africa’s first knockout game at the women’s Rugby World Cup, facing the six-time winners in an enormous mismatch.
The Black Ferns were stunned and needed a flurry of tries after the break to see off the determined underdogs.
Doubles from Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Renee Holmes settled their nerves after a shaky first half littered with handling errors.
Co-captain Ruahei Demant said: 'We got a bit of a rark up in the sheds, particularly us backs. Our accuracy wasn't good enough. It wasn't the standards that this jersey demands.“
The favourites were starved of possession and didn’t have the ball outside of their 22 until the 23rd minute.
Astonishingly, their tackle count was triple South Africa’s tally (252-84) and their scrum was put under massive pressure.
Black Ferns centre Stacey Waaka said her “nose was just about intact”.
“’I don't look the greatest, but it's all good. It's part of rugby, isn't it? It is what it is. I haven't tackled that many forwards in my life.”
Canada will have watched South Africa’s tactics with interest after routing Australia 46-5 in their quarterfinal in Bristol on Sunday (NZ time).
The Black Ferns have not beaten Canada in their last two clashes in Christchurch, drawing 27-27 in May and suffering their first defeat to them (22-19) in 2024.
The World Cup has reached its business end and the Black Ferns will need to lift again, although they are unlikely to lob their halfback into a lineout.