Bok Women’s Sevens bounce back in Spain

The Springbok Women's Sevens hopes of playing in the HSBC SVNS Series next season hang by the thinnest of threads after they failed to win any of their pool matches in Valladolid this weekend, but they qualified for the ninth-place final after beating Argentina 19-17 in their second match on Saturday.

The South Africans will face Brazil on Sunday at 12.15pm (SAST), with the action live on SuperSport.

The final Pool B match against Fiji ended in an agonizing 17-12 defeat. The result means that they, bar a miracle in Bordeaux next weekend, will not earn enough log points to finish in the top eight, the passport to the 2027 season.

After much improved performances on Friday in hard fought defeats against Australia and the USA, the South Africans came out flying against Fiji in a match where they needed to win and prevent their opponents from getting a bonus point.

Lerato Makua, who returned from suspension, boosted their day two hopes, while SA coach Cecil Afrika's decision to start with both Eloise Webb and Byrhandré Dolf added to their playmaking options.

It was a great start from South Africa. They launched several good attacks – Ayanda Malinga was stopped near the line and then Maria Tshiremba lost the ball over the line. From the resulting scrum though, Fiji lost ball in their in-goal and Dolf scored, with the try well deserved for pressure applied.

Fiji responded well to get a try back, with a number of attacks tiring out the SA defence. They converted for a 7-5 lead.

From the restart Fiji regained and scored in what can only be described as cheap points and poor execution by the team in green and gold. That score took Fiji to a 12-5 lead at the break.

They soon extended that when Reapi Ulunisau ghosted past several defenders to score in the corner to extend the lead to 17-5. It was the 100th HSBC SVNS try scored by the Fijian veteran and a spectacular one at that.

South Africa had to score next and they did as Tshiremba confirmed her growing reputation with a try and the conversion by Dolf cut the deficit to 17-12.

Tshiremba was then yellow carded for a high tackle, but despite that setback, South Africa stayed in the match, looking for the winning score. It seemed on the cards with a late attack but sadly a stray final pass from Malinga confirmed the story of the match and the season.

Against Argentina in the ninth-place semi-final, the Dolf/Webb combination again worked wonders.

Argentina won the four previous encounters against South Africa and scored first but then the South Africans answered in style.

Webb straightened the line and sent Malinga away on a 60m dash. Dolf converted for a 7-5 lead.

Provider turned scorer as Webb ran onto a Dolf grubber and the converted try extended the lead to 12-5.

Argentina scored early in the second half restart when SA fluffed the restart and at 12-10 it was all to play for.

Bok Women captain Zintle Mpupha broke though and set off on a try-scoring run after a deft Dolf pass and with the conversion good, the lead was 19-10. Argentina scored after the buzzer, but too late as South African celebrated a win.

Scores

South Africa 19 (12), Argentina 17 (5)

SA – Tries: Ayanda Malinga, Eloise Webb, Zintle Mpupha. Conversions: Byrhandré Dolf (2).

Argentina – Tries: Sofia Gonzalez (2), Marianela Escalante. Conversion: Gonzalez.

South Africa 12 (5), Fiji 17 (12)

SA – Tries: Byrhandré Dolf, Maria Tshiremba. Conversion: Dolf.

Fiji – Tries: Atelaite Buna Ralivanawa, Rogosau Adimereani, Reapi Ulunisau. Conversion: Mariana Talatoka.