Live updates of the Rugby World Cup quarter-final between the Black Ferns and South Africa in Exeter.<\/p>\n
The Black Ferns go in as heavy favourites after topping their group and scoring 24 tries in the three matches. South Africa are playing in the knockout stage for the first time.<\/p>\n
Match preview<\/p>\n
Amy du Plessis\u2019 World Cup campaign has come to an abrupt end because of a shoulder injury suffered in the side\u2019s opening game against Spain.<\/p>\n
The Black Ferns midfielder appeared to pick up the injury when she landed awkwardly in a tackle close to the try line late in the first half. While she was able to make it to halftime in that match, she was replaced at the break.<\/p>\n
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n After missing the second and third pool play matches against Japan and Ireland, du Plessis had been named to return from the bench for tomorrow morning\u2019s quarter-final against South Africa.<\/p>\n However, the Black Ferns updated their team for the clash early this morning, confirming the 26-year-old\u2019s tournament was over.<\/p>\n Katelyn Vahaakolo will return to the matchday squad for her second appearance in this World Cup in du Plessis\u2019 place on the bench.<\/p>\n Du Plessis will remain with the team in England to continue working through the injury, with a replacement player set to join the team in the coming days should they progress into the semifinals.<\/p>\n Tomorrow morning\u2019s match against the Springbok Women will be the second time the two sides have met, with the Black Ferns claiming a resounding win in 2010.<\/p>\n The South Africans split a two-match series against the Black Ferns XV before the World Cup and, after they named a 7-1 bench split for the quarter-final, Black Ferns director of performance Allan Bunting said he had a fair idea of what to expect from the side.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s their DNA, right? They want to go through us,\u201d Bunting said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got some speed out wide too and they\u2019ve got a halfback that likes to speed up things. We haven\u2019t played them, but we\u2019ve watched them quite closely.<\/p>\n