The Springbok Women closed out their WXV Global Series European tour with a 20-0 victory over Spain at the Estadio Olímpico de la Cartuja in Seville on Sunday, recording their seventh successive win over the Spanish side.
The Bok Women led 10-0 at half-time and kept a clean sheet despite Spain's persistent pace and ball-in-hand game thoroughly testing their defence throughout.
Catha Jacobs opened the scoring on 14 minutes, finishing off a patient attacking move in Spain's 22 that was sparked by a big carry from Aseza Hele off the back of a scrum. Jakkie Cilliers converted for 7-0 before landing a 30th-minute penalty to push the lead to 10-0 at the break.
Hele added the second try early in the second half, crashing over after a turnover in the Spanish 22, though Cilliers pushed the conversion wide to leave it 15-0. With Spain reduced to 14 after repeated infringements in their own 22, Cilliers went over in the corner to complete the scoring at 20-0, her conversion attempt also failing.
The afternoon was not without disruption — Nombuyekezo Mdliki was stretchered off, forcing Babalwa Latsha to return to the field having already been withdrawn as a precautionary measure.
While the error count was higher than the coaching staff would have liked — with handling errors and wayward kicks to touch from penalties among the blemishes — the scrum grew in authority as the match progressed and the defensive effort was near-faultless.