Springbok Women chase Ireland revenge in Athlone finale

A finale with a score to settle

The Springbok Women return to Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 31 October 2026 with a clear task: beat Ireland, level the series, and finish their season as they believe they should. Kick-off for the second WXV Global Series Test is at 15:00, at the same ground where Ireland won the first Test a week earlier.

A crowd of 3,709 watched the first Test.

What happened in the first Test

Ireland won the first Test 40-27 at Athlone Stadium on Saturday 24 October 2026, leading 21-17 at half-time. South Africa scored five tries and Ireland scored six, and the difference was Ireland's composure when chances arrived.

South Africa's tries came from Aseza Hele, Vainah Ubisi, Maria Tshiremba, Lerato Makua and Alichia Arries, with Jakkie Cilliers adding one conversion. Ireland's tries came from Aoife Dalton, Linda Djougang twice, Jane Clohessy, Beibhinn Parsons and Erin King, with Dannah O'Brien converting five.

The match also carried a personal milestone. Yonela Ngxingolo came off the bench to earn her 50th Test cap. She now moves into a starting role for the rematch, giving the finale extra meaning for the home side.

Ireland struck first through Dalton, but South Africa responded and at times led. The game stayed alive deep into the second half, until Parsons scored soon after the restart, King powered over after a yellow card, and Djougang's second try in the 74th minute closed the door before Arries crossed late.

The soft moments that decided it

Co-head coach Franzel September pinpointed what he called soft moments as the main reason for defeat: handling errors, defensive lapses, and missed chances close to the Irish line.

"We did a lot of good things today but ultimately made some unforced errors which allowed Ireland to capitalise, regroup and turn the momentum around," September said afterwards. "We had a number of opportunities in their red zone and then spilled it. That is not us. We had two mauls stopped five meters from their line. That is not us. We can fix that though, so that is why I believe we can turn this around next weekend."

Fellow co-head coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt agreed that South Africa could correct what went wrong.

"They outplayed us at times but we can fix what happened," Johannes-Haupt said. "We will come back next week more determined to make sure we are clinical. We scored five good tries and could have had more if we were more clinical when on attack. Our defence was also not accurate enough at times."

The attack does not need reinventing. Execution in the red zone, tackling, and discipline at key moments need to be sharper.

A reshuffled team for the rematch

The matchday 23 named on 29 October 2026 confirms a reshuffled side, with one enforced change and several planned rotations. Sizophila Solontsi captains the side, with regular captain Babalwa Latsha ruled out with an ankle injury. Unam Tose starts at scrumhalf.

The biggest enforced change is in the front row. Experienced loosehead prop Sanelisiwe Charlie sustained a serious knee injury in training during the week and has been ruled out. Ngxingolo takes over in the starting front row, with Anuschka Ekron coming into the squad as loosehead cover from the bench.

Elsewhere in the pack, Lindelwa Gwala starts at hooker, with Anushka Groenewald on the bench. Danelle Lochner starts at lock alongside Ubisi, while Catha Jacobs moves from lock to flanker. Makua moves to the bench, and Nomsa Mokwai comes in as loose-forward cover in place of Logan Welman.

The backline has also been reorganised. Byrhandre Dolf moves from flyhalf to fullback, Mary Zulu is promoted to start at flyhalf, Cilliers moves to the right wing, and Arries moves to the left wing. Tshiremba provides pace from the bench, with Insaaf Levy as back-up scrumhalf.

Johannes-Haupt stressed that, apart from Charlie's injury, the changes were planned rotation for the final Test of the year. "Apart from Sanelisiwe, who unfortunately injured her knee this week, no other changes were forced on us, and we could continue with our planned rotation for our final test of the year," she said. "We believe the changes will provide a better outcome against Ireland." Her message for Saturday was blunt: "We are not going to Athlone to lose on Saturday."

Why this finale matters

Saturday is the season finale, and that gives the rematch weight beyond a single result. As background only, South Africa reached a historic ninth place in the World Rugby rankings on 26 October 2026, their highest ever position, after winning eight of 12 Tests in 2026. That context explains why this team believes it belongs in contests like this one, but it is not the reason to watch Saturday. The reason is revenge, and a series to level.

A win would reward the home crowd and prove the lessons from the first Test were learned in a week.

Ireland, ranked fifth in the world, will not need extra motivation. They have already shown they can win in Cape Town, manage territory, and punish errors. South Africa's task is harder, but clearer. Cut out the soft moments, finish the red-zone chances, defend with greater accuracy, and let the home crowd push them over the line.

The Springbok Women face Ireland at Athlone Stadium, Cape Town, on Saturday 31 October 2026 at 15:00, in the final Test of South Africa's 2026 season. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.