Argentina 7s W beat South Africa 7s W 17–5 at HSBC SVNS Bordeaux 2026. María Brigido Chamorro scored two second-half tries to seal Pool A victory.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
South Africa drew first blood. After a busy opening shift, wing Maria Tshiremba sliced through the Argentine defence to dot down the game's opening try, putting the Springbok Women ahead 5–0 midway through the first half. The conversion was missed.
Argentina hit back before the break. Scrum-half Antonella Reding sparked the reply with a powerful charge from halfway, offloading in contact to set María Brigido Chamorro free down the left edge. Brigido stepped inside the final defender and scored. The conversion was wide, and the sides went to the sheds locked at 5–5.
The second half belonged entirely to Argentina.
Brigido struck again early in the second period, taking a quick penalty tap herself and racing 40 metres untouched to put Argentina ahead for the first time. Sofía Gonzalez added the extras from in front — the only successful conversion of the match — to make it 12–5.
Reding capped the scoring with a try of her own, finishing a sweeping move that started from turnover ball inside Argentina's half. The conversion was missed, but the 17–5 lead was safe. South Africa pushed for a late score but were held up over the line as the hooter sounded.
The Turning Point
Brigido's quick-tap penalty try in the opening minute of the second half. South Africa had defended stoutly through the first seven minutes, but a lapse in concentration at the restart — Brigido spotted the defensive line still retreating, tapped and went — turned momentum decisively. From 5–5 to 12–5 inside 45 seconds, Argentina never looked back.
Key Performers
María Brigido Chamorro (Argentina 7s W) — Two well-taken tries: the first finished off a Reding offload, the second a solo effort that showed sevens instinct at its sharpest. Player of the match.
Antonella Reding (Argentina 7s W) — A try and a try assist. Her bust through the midfield in the first half created Brigido's opening score, and she dotted down herself in the second half to seal the result.
Maria Tshiremba (South Africa 7s W) — Lively throughout and took her try well, stepping off the left foot to beat two defenders. South Africa's most dangerous attacking threat on the day.
By the Numbers
Argentina scored 12 unanswered points in the second half after a 5–5 halftime stalemate, converting one of three tries. South Africa managed just the one try and could not convert any of several promising second-half entries into points. The 17–5 scoreline marked Argentina's first win over South Africa in women's sevens since 2024 (the sides had met four times previously, with SA leading the H2H 3–1).
What It Means
The result left South Africa 7s W winless in Pool A (0–3) after prior losses to France (22–7) and New Zealand (42–0) on day one. Argentina finished third in the pool with one win and qualified for the 9th-place semi-finals, where they would later face Uruguay. South Africa dropped into the 11th-place play-off against Brazil on Sunday. The tournament formed the grand finale of the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series season.
Verdict
A tale of two halves. South Africa matched Argentina physically in the first seven minutes but were undone by individual brilliance from Brigido after the break. Argentina's speed around the ruck and quick-tap awareness proved the difference against a Springbok side that lacked ruthlessness in the red zone.
Score: South Africa 7s W 5 – 17 Argentina 7s W HT: 5–5 Tries: Maria Tshiremba (SA) — María Brigido Chamorro 2, Antonella Reding (ARG) Conversion: Sofía Gonzalez (ARG, 1/3) Referee: Sunny Lee Venue: Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Rivalry since 2024
South Africa 7s W vs Argentina 7s W Head to Head Results· 4
South Africa 7s W and Argentina 7s W have met 4 times — South Africa 7s W won 3, Argentina 7s W won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. South Africa 7s W leads the head-to-head with 3 victories from 4 meetings. A combined 137 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 34.25 per match (77 for the home side, 60 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 4 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 4 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 22–17 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jun 2026