South Africa faced Kazakhstan in the cold morning rain as both teams were hungry for their first win in the tournament. Excellent handling in the backs, despite wet frigid weather, gave Kazakhstan early momentum and they never slowed down in the 36-0 shutout.
Two minutes into the match, lock Olga Rudoy started the scoring, diving over the line after several phases from a lineout in the South African 22. Irina Radzivil made the difficult kick to open the match with a 7-0 lead.
South Africa came back hard on the kick off. After a knock-on, they were awarded a scrum and fly half Zandile Nojoko started a huge run. Kazakhstan rallied and vice captain Anastassiya Khamova stole the ball, evading several tackles and setting up a solid ruck. Flanker Alfiya Mustafina dove over the line to score and Radzivil again split the posts for a 14-0 lead.
Kazakhstan kept the pressure on through the rest of the half, dotting tries from Khamova and Svetlana Zhernovonikova. South Africa snapped awake near the whistle, with a 40 metre run from Yolanda Meiring. Several phases saw them right on Kazakhstan’s line, but they couldn’t cross it, leaving Kazakhstan ahead 24-0 at half time.
South Africa came out running in the second half, pressuring the Kazakhstan line for 10 minutes before Tatyana Tur snatched the ball and sprinted into the South African 22. After several phases, prop Larissa Chuprikova rumbled over the line to score, injuring her ankle in the process. Radzivil’s kick put them ahead 31-0.
Refusing to give up, South Africa used their boots with several well-placed kicks and near-tries. Dazzling runs from the backs and good support from both teams made for an exciting half. Despite hard defence from South Africa, they could not slow Kazakhstan’s momentum. In the last minute of the match, Svetlana Klyuchnikova darted around the outside to score, finishing off a 36-0 victory for Kazakhstan.
Quotes
South Africa coach Mteteleli David Dobela
“We gained a lot of experience and learned a lot of things. I think the girls have learned a lot and will be developed and better players when they return.”
South Africa captain Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe
“We learned a lot at this tournament and it was a positive experience. Each team we played against said it was a hard game, so we did our best here. When we go back home, we will just have to step up our game. I know for a fact we will be better when we come back again.”
Kazakhstan coach Popov Valeriy
“In our previous games we made some mistakes. We missed 10 or 15 crucial points. Today, we landed the 15 crucial points.
“The game brings positive results for our team and the opportunity to grow. The big problem is after the tournament, it will be difficult to maintain this level of growth. We have few opportunities to practice and get international competition at home.”
Kazakhstan captain Anastassiya Khamova
“The secret to our victory today? It was the last battle. We wanted a win.
“We hoped to be in the top 10, but we are very glad we are among the 12 best teams, to be at this tournament.”