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WXV 3: Opening weekend team news as Spain ring changes
By Martyn Thomas
Madagascar will make their WXV 3 debut on Friday when they face Spain, who narrowly missed out on the 2023 title, in the United Arab Emirates at 19:00 local time (GMT+4).
The action at The Sevens Stadium will continue on Saturday as Fiji take on another debutant, Hong Kong China (kick-off 18:00), before the Netherlands become the third team to play their first match in the competition, against Samoa at 20:30.
Get all the team news for the opening weekend of WXV 3 matches below as and when it drops.
Spain v Madagascar
Spain head coach Juan Gonzalez Marruecos has made seven changes to the team beaten by South Africa in their final warm-up match in Cape Town last week.
Props Inés Antolínez and Sidorella Bracic form a new front row alongside hooker and captain Cris Blanco, while flankers Lía Piñeiro and María Calvo start either side of Gloucester-Hartpury number eight Carmen Castellucci.
In the backs, there are starts for scrum-half Anne Fernández de Corres and outside centre Claudia Cano.
Madgascar head coach Alain Randriamihaja has made one personnel and several positional changes to the side beaten 63-19 by Kenya in Nairobi last Friday.
The one personnel change comes in the pack where tighthead prop Fenitra Razafindramanga returns to the front row and lock Felana Rakotoarison drops out.
However, there are three positional switches up front. Laurence Rasoanandrasana moves from hooker to number eight, while Nanou Razafializay wears two instead of three and Sarindra Sahondramalala moves into the second row from the base of the scrum.
Spain: 15. Claudia Peña, 14. Claudia Pérez, 13. Claudia Cano, 12. Zahía Pérez, 11. Clara Piquero, 10. Amalia Argudo, 9. Anne Fernández de Corres, 1. Inés Antolínez, 2. Cris Blanco (captain), 3. Sidorella Bracic, 4. Nadina Cisa, 5. Lourdes Alameda, 6. Lía Piñeiro, 7. María Calvo, 8. Carmen Castellucci.
Replacements: 16. Marieta Román, 17. María del Castillo, 18. Laura Delgado, 19. Elena Martínez, 20. Alba Capell, 21. Lucía Díaz, 22. Maider Aresti, 23. Martina Márquez.
Madagascar: 15. Tiana Razanamahefa, 14. Claudia Rasoarimalala, 13. Veronique Rasoanekena, 12. Valisoa Razanakiniana, 11. Zaya Fanantenana, 10. Marie Bodonandrianina, 9. Joela Mirasoa Fenohasina, 1. Mamisoa Rasoarimalala, 2. Nanou Razafializay, 3. Fenitra Razafindramanga, 4. Oliviane Andriatsilavina, 5. Sarindra Sahondramalala, 6. Sariaka Nomenjanahary, 7. Delphine Raharimalala, 8. Laurence Rasoanandrasana.
Replacements: 16. Miora Rabarivelo, 17. Nomenjanahary Rakotozafi, 18. Eleonore Rasoanantenaina, 19. Felana Rakotoarison, 20. Volatiana Rasoanandrasana, 21. Vonjimalala Ranorovololona, 22. Olivia Hanitriniaina, 23. Voahirana Razafiarisoa.
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Latest Comments
You don’t think 3 years is long enough?
Go to commentsA reminder b4 this next B.cup2,
Given Razor white-ant'ed Foster out of his job, &
given Razor threatened to 'take his bat & ball out of NZ' if he didn't get Foster's job, &
in fairness to Foster, & for that matter, any other AB coach, who were reasonably reminded of their winning %,
the Razor gang was the ‘50% gang’ b4 B.cup1 [unless your desperate enough to include the win 3rd tier ranked Fiji in the USA promo game as a success?!] ie against now 10th ranked Wallabies, now lower than Fiji.
I don’t know whether winning only 15minutes of B.cup1, [therefore losing the other 65min against, again 10th ranked, Wallabies ] improves your % ... yer naa.
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