The Springbok Women’s Sevens faced another challenging day at the HSBC SVNS Vancouver, continuing their winless streak at BC Place with defeats against Brazil and Japan. The struggles that plagued them on the first day persisted, as they grappled with the inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
In their final pool match against Brazil, the Bok Women found themselves trailing 10-0 at halftime due to two first-half tries by the Brazilians. Despite a valiant effort with two well-taken tries by Nadine Roos in the second half, time ran out for the South Africans. The 17-12 defeat left them in fourth place in the pool, earning only a bonus point.
The recurring theme of fading in the second half haunted the Springbok Women in the ninth-place play-off against Japan. Roos managed to give her team a 5-0 lead early on, but Japan swiftly equalized a minute later. The second half unfolded as a one-sided affair, with Japan scoring 24 unanswered points and securing a comfortable win.
Nadine Roos showcased her scoring prowess once again, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Japan’s dominance in the closing stages. The defeat set the stage for the Springbok Women’s Sevens to face Great Britain in the 11th-place playoff on Sunday evening.
The challenges in closing out games and maintaining momentum in the latter stages proved to be the Achilles’ heel for the Springbok Women’s Sevens in Vancouver.
As they geared up for their final showdown against Great Britain, the team aimed to salvage some pride in what has been a tough campaign at the HSBC SVNS series. The 11th-place playoff against Great Britain became the last opportunity for the Springbok Women’s Sevens to leave a positive mark on their Vancouver journey.
