Wing Alichia Arries scored the first of the Springbok Women's three tries in the 26-19 defeat against the USA Women's Eagles at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.
The USA Eagles had promised a fierce response after being comprehensively outmuscled by the Springbok Women in the opening Test, and they delivered emphatically on that vow with a thoroughly deserved 26-19 victory in Saturday's second match at Loftus Versfeld.
Having trailed 34-0 before launching a belated fightback in Johannesburg a week earlier, Jack Hanratty's charges arrived with far greater intensity. They pinned the Bok Women deep inside their own half from the opening whistle through powerful carries and relentless pressure at the contact area.
Whilst the visitors forced a string of early penalties, South Africa managed to survive the opening onslaught. However, it was immediately clear that the Eagles were determined to erase all memories of the previous week's mauling up front. The opening quarter remained scrappy, with both sides struggling to engineer fluid momentum as errors disrupted the flow of the contest.
The Bok scrum briefly demonstrated its raw strength by forcing a penalty in the 15th minute, only for South Africa to surrender possession at the breakdown moments later as the clinical Eagles continued to dominate that crucial facet of play.
