South Africa Springbok Women secured their second victory at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup by overwhelming Kenya Lionesses with a resounding 63-5 win in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Wednesday.
Despite facing challenging windy conditions at Stade Makis, the Springbok Women asserted their dominance early on, with Lusanda Dumke and Vainah Ubisi leading the charge in the forward pack.
The Kenyan defense put up a spirited fight but struggled to contain the relentless attack from the South African side.
The scoring opened in the fifth minute when Dumke powered through for the first try after a strong run from Aphiwe Ngwevu. However, the Springbok Women initially found themselves frustrated by unforced errors and resilient Kenyan defense in the early stages.
The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when debutant wing Sikholiwe Mdletshe crossed over for her first Test try following a clever attacking scrum move.
Jakkie Cilliers, operating at outside center, showcased her prowess with a hat-trick of tries and added four conversions, despite the tricky wind conditions affecting her kicking accuracy.
South Africa continued to build momentum with Mdletshe and Cilliers each notching their second tries before halftime, establishing a comfortable 34-5 lead.
Kenya’s Rose Otieno managed to breach the Springbok Women’s defense to score a try, but it was Ubisi who had the final say of the half, crashing over for South Africa’s sixth try and extending the lead to 34-5 at the break.
Entering the second half, the Springbok Women maintained their intensity, with Nomawethu Mabenge wasting no time in adding to the scoreline with her 14th Test try. Cilliers completed her hat-trick shortly after, stretching South Africa’s lead to 46-5 within the first ten minutes of the second half.
The dominance of the Springbok Women’s pack was highlighted as Lindelwa Gwala scored two maul tries, further extending the lead as the match progressed.
Mabenge capped off an outstanding performance by scoring her second try in the final minute of the match, propelling the Springbok Women past the 60-point mark.
Despite their comprehensive victory, the Springbok Women acknowledged areas for improvement, notably in minimizing errors and refining set-piece execution.
However, their overall performance showcased the depth of talent within the squad and their determination to defend their African title and secure a place at the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.
With this convincing win over Kenya, the Springbok Women remain on course to achieve their goals in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup. Their next challenge awaits as they continue their campaign, aiming to maintain their winning momentum and deliver more impressive performances on the international stage.
