Spain faced a challenging match against the Netherlands in Dubai, breaking their previous unbeaten streak of 13 encounters, as they aimed for qualification in the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The scoring began with Armalia Argudo, the fly-half for Las Leonas, who secured the first points of the game in the 20th minute. However, Spain’s lead was maintained at halftime due to strong Dutch defense and a knock-on from Clara Piquero.
Seven minutes into the second half, Cristina Blanco managed to breach the Dutch defense by leading a driving maul over the try line. This sparked a successful 13-minute period for Spain, resulting in additional tries from Lourdes Alameda and Carmen Castellucci.
Both tries were scored from close range, but the anticipated late-game surge did not materialize as Spain failed to secure a bonus point. Nonetheless, they are in a favorable position heading into their final match against Fiji next weekend, with hopes of clinching both the WXV 3 title and a place in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.