The Bok Women's Seven downed Argentina and later Brazil to finish in ninth place at the Valladolid Sevens in Spain at the weekend.
Image: @WomenBoks on X
The Springbok Women's Sevens may still be staring down the barrel, but a stirring late fightback at the Valladolid Sevens has given them a glimmer of hope in their battle to secure core status on the HSBC SVNS Series.
South Africa arrived in Spain at the foot of the World Championship standings and in desperate need of a turnaround. While they ultimately fell short of a Top 8 finish that would have boosted their promotion prospects, successive victories over Argentina and Brazil saw them finish ninth and collect four crucial log points ahead of next weekend's final round in Bordeaux.
The result lifted the Bok Women to 10th in the standings, above Argentina and Great Britain. Although they remain outsiders in the race for a top-eight finish that would secure promotion from SVNS2, they at least head to France with momentum and renewed belief.
There were encouraging signs throughout the tournament. Despite opening defeats to Australia and the US, South Africa produced vastly improved performances and pushed Fiji all the way in a heartbreaking 17-12 loss that effectively ended their hopes of a major points haul in Valladolid and a place in the Cup quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams.
The match against Fiji summed up much of their season. Cecil Afrika's side created opportunities, with Byrhandré Dolf scoring after sustained pressure and Maria Tshiremba crossing late to set up a tense finish. But costly errors and missed chances ultimately proved decisive as Fiji escaped with victory.
The South Africans responded impressively in the ninth-place semi-final against Argentina. Having lost their previous four meetings against the South Americans, they finally broke the hoodoo with a hard-fought 19-17 win.
The influential Dolf-Eloise Webb combination played a key role, while Ayanda Malinga and captain Zintle Mpupha both crossed the whitewash in a performance that showcased the attacking threat South Africa has displayed in patches throughout the season.
That confidence carried into Sunday's ninth-place play-off against Brazil. After falling 7-0 behind and losing Dolf to a head injury, the Bok Women dominated proceedings through aggressive defence and relentless pressure.
Malinga's try on the stroke of half-time sparked the comeback before Maceala Samboya scored her maiden SVNS try after latching onto a clever Webb kick. Mpupha then produced the decisive moment, slicing through the Brazilian defence to score under the posts and seal a deserved 19-12 victory.
“It was pleasing to finish with wins over Argentina and Brazil and coming so close against Fiji,” said Afrika. “We want to be in playing amongst the top eight sides and there is no reason why we cannot keep improving next weekend.”
South Africa (5) 19
Tries: Ayanda Malinga, Maceala Samboya, Zintle Mpupha; Conversions: Eloise Webb (2)
Brazil (7) 12
Tries: Yasmim Soares, Camilla Carvalho; Conversions: Gisele Gomes Dos Santos (2)