The Springbok women made too many mistakes as they lost the final second Test to the US 19-26 at Loftus on Saturday to share the series 1-1.
On no fewer than four occasions the South Africans, in promising attacking positions, passed the ball to nobody to give up their advantage.
After winning the first match by 13 points a week ago, the Boks were unable to find a momentum, despite a strong showing from their forwards and, when in a bit of space, their dangerous backs.
The American pack was also more cohesive and they mauled effectively and scored their first two tries through pushovers by prop Hope Rogers.
The visitors were also guilty of handling errors that killed the flow of the game and made the match unnecessarily scrappy, especially in the first half.
But when the ball finally got to left wing Alichia Arries with some space down the left, she sliced through various gaps from inside her half to the tryline for the Bok women to level matters at 7-7.
Hooker Micke Gunter went over in the corner after a nice spell of attacking play, spreading the ball down the line.
The US stretched their lead early in the second half when left wing Telesi Uhatafe, from around the halfway line, beat her opposite number, Jacomina Cilliers, and fullback Eloise Webb with a great run down the touchline to dot down.
South Africa looked dangerous for most of the 10 minutes that No 8 Logan Welman was off after being yellow-carded for a high tackle, but they couldn’t break through.
Only after Uhatafe’s second try did South Africa breach the American defence, again during open play, when outside centre Ayanda Malinga scythed through defenders to narrow the deficit to a one-score game.
They had the upper hand in the finishing stages, but silly errors cost them in the end.
Scorers
Springboks: 19 (12)
Tries: Alichia Arries, Micke Gunter, Ayanda Malinga
Conversions: Jacomina Cilliers (2)
US: 26 (14)
Tries: Hope Rogers (2), Telesi Uhatafe (2),
Conversions: Bella Vogel (3)
