After a 34-7 defeat to Japan in their final pool match, the South Africans recorded a good 26-14 victory over Spain in their ninth-place semi-final - a wonderful birthday present to their head coach, Renfred Dazel - to end the day with a win and a defeat.

It was the same on Friday, when the Bok Women beat the USA by 14-12 in the opening game, but followed that with a 49-0 reversal against France.

The South Africans started well against Japan, with a try by Ayanda Malinga, converted by Nadine Roos, giving them a 7-5 lead after their opponents scored early.

Liske Lategan was shown a yellow card late in the first half and in that time, Japan scored twice - just before the break, to give them a 12-7 first-half lead, and shortly after the restart.

Japan then pulled away in the second half to score three more unanswered tries, all of them going to Yukino Tsujisaki.

The Bok Women Sevens scored four tries against Spain and led by 14-7 at the break.

Nadine Roos opened the scoring in the third minute and converted her own try, before Maria Tshiremba added a second try - also converted by Roos - two minutes later.

Spain hit back with two converted tries on either side of the half-time break to make it 14-14, but the South Africans held their nerve and clinced the victory with two more tries.

The second half was a bit of an arm wrestle, but Tshiremba added her second before Malinga sealed the deal with the team's fourth try at the death.

South Africa's final game in Singapore will be a rematch against the USA for ninth place at 06h14 (SA time) on Sunday.

Scorers:

South Africa 7 (7) Japan 34 (12)
South Africa - Try: Ayanda Malinga. Conversion: Nadine Roos.
Japan - Tries: Marin Kajiki, Hanako Utsumi, Chiharu Namakura, Yukino Tsujisaki (3). Conversions: Utsumi, Arisa Nishi.

South Africa 26 (14) Spain 14 (7)
South Africa - Tries: Nadine Roos, Maria Tshiremba (2), Ayanda Malinga. Conversions: Roos (3).
Spain - Tries: Paula Requena, Amaia Erbina. Conversions: Anne Fernandez de Corres, Jimena Blanco-Hortiguera Pedreno.