Spain 7s vs Uruguay 7s

Spain's blistering start was the decisive factor. They led 14-0 inside three minutes and never let Uruguay build any first-half momentum. The six-try blitz in the opening 14 minutes effectively ended the contest before half-time, forcing Uruguay to chase the game in the second half.

Nicolas Nieto (Spain 7s) — scored two of Spain's six tries, showing sharp finishing on the wing. His second try in the 9th minute killed off any lingering hope of a Uruguay comeback.

Juan Ramos (Spain 7s) — the captain was perfect with the boot, converting all six tries (6/6) for 12 points, and orchestrated play from the halves.

Paco Cosculluela (Spain 7s) — contributed a try and was a constant threat in the loose, beating defenders with pace and footwork.

The match stats from the Stade de Bordeaux show a game defined by Spain's efficiency in attack. Spain scored 6 tries from 22 carries and 331 metres gained, compared to Uruguay's 3 tries from 32 carries and 170 metres. Spain beat 10 defenders and made 5 clean breaks to Uruguay's 6 and 1 respectively. The telling difference came at the breakdown: Spain won 14 of 17 first-phase rucks and conceded only 3 penalties, while Uruguay won 18 of 21 rucks but could not turn that possession into first-half points.

Defensively, Spain made 27 tackles with only 6 missed, while Uruguay missed 10 tackles — a significant gap that allowed Spain's carriers to offload and maintain continuity. Spain also forced 4 turnovers to Uruguay's 1.

The win gave Spain a crucial bonus-point start in Pool B after their earlier 24-19 defeat to USA on the same day. Combined with USA's shock 19-17 win over Australia, the pool was wide open heading into day two. Uruguay, who had lost 43-12 to Australia earlier on Friday, sat bottom of the pool with no points after two matches.

Spain's next match was against Australia on Saturday 6 June, while Uruguay faced USA in a must-win clash to keep their quarter-final hopes alive. The HSBC SVNS World Championship, the third and final leg of the series, ran from 5-7 June in Bordeaux.

Spain finished the overall 2026 HSBC SVNS season in third place — equalling their best-ever finish — while South Africa were crowned men's World Champions.

Spain's first-half blitz was as clinical as it was ruthless. Six tries in 14 minutes against a Uruguay side that competed well in the second half tells the story of a match decided by explosive early execution. For Uruguay, the damage was already done before they found their rhythm. For Spain, this performance set the platform for a weekend that would ultimately see them finish third overall.