The Kenya Lionesses put up a spirited fight but ultimately fell 12-19 to South Africa in their second match of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup on Wednesday.
South Africa struck early, with Aphiwe Ngwevu crossing the try line and Mary Zulu adding the extras to give the Bok Women a 7-0 lead. Lerato Makua followed up with another try soon after, though the conversion attempt was off target, stretching their advantage to 12-0.
Despite relentless pressure, the Lionesses held firm for the remainder of the first half, showing solid defensive organization to deny the South Africans a third try before the break.
The second half saw both teams locked in a tight contest, with neither side making headway until the 67th minute.
South Africa finally broke through when Nobuhle Mjwara dotted down under the posts, and the successful conversion extended the lead to 19-0.
Refusing to go down quietly, Kenya launched a late surge. A quick move from a breakdown saw the ball swung wide to speedster Freshia Oduor, who blazed past her defender to score under the posts. The conversion narrowed the gap to 19-7.
Just minutes later, the Lionesses capitalized on a series of South African infringements. Noleen Khaleyi spotted an opening close to the try line and powered through to score Kenya’s second try. Unfortunately, the conversion attempt missed, sealing the final score at 19-12.
The Lionesses will now regroup and set their sights on their final clash against Uganda, scheduled for June 15.