Four tries in the second half by the Springbok Women secured a comprehensive 36-19 victory against Spain as they completed their World Rugby WXV2 preparations at the DHL Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The South Africans entered the clash on the back of an impressive 57-17 win over the Barbarians a fortnight ago. The two teams were meeting for the second time this year after the Boks Women secured a nail-biting 15-13 win against their opponents in Valladolid earlier this year.

The hosts began the clash on the back foot and were forced to defend their try line with just three minutes played courtesy of great interlinking play between Spain’s flyhalf, Amalia Argudo, and fullback, Claudia Pena. That relentless pressure by the hosts resulted in loosehead prop, Sanelisiwe Charlie getting shown a yellow card after repeated infringements.

Despite playing with a player down, the Bok Women survived that wave of attack and kept Spain scoreless after a rough opening 10 minutes. The visitors did, however, open the scoring in the 19th minute after a smart play between scrumhalf, Lucia Diaz, and Argudo. A deadly inside ball saw Argudo slice through the South African defense before stepping past Jacomina Clilliers to dot over for the match’s opening score.

The score was converted by Diaz. The Boks Women hit back almost immediately. After winning a scrum inside the opponents’ 22-metre line, powerful number eight Aseza Hele picked up from the base of the scrum before bulldozing her way over the white line for her side’s opening score of the day.

It took the hosts almost 12 minutes to score again when Lindelwa Gwala crashed over after a rolling maul to hand her side a 12-7 lead at halftime courtesy of a conversion by Jacomina Cilliers. The Boks Women, unlike in the first stanza started the brightest in the second half with the forwards imposing their physicality and not allowing Spain any opportunities.  

In the 52nd minute, Spain’s Claudia Perez was shown a yellow card, and the floodgates opened up for coach Swys De Bruin’s team. They scored two back-to-back tries courtesy of Gwala after another maul before fullback, Libbie Janse Van Rensburg dotted over to reach 200+ points in Green and Gold.

Spain responded through replacement Martina Marquez to make it 24-12, but South Africa, for a second time in the match responded with two scores courtesy of Vainah Ubisi, who had a cracker of a match before Shaunique Hess intercepted the ball from her half to extend her team’s lead with eight minutes remaining. Spain scored a consolation try after the hooter through Zahia Perez which was converted to see the clash end 36-19.