The second round of the HSBC SVNS 2 burst into life with a thrilling comeback as Argentina edged Spain 19-17 in a pulsating encounter.

Spain came out firing, racing to a 12-7 halftime lead with their trademark attacking flair.

But Argentina returned from the break with renewed intensity, scoring 12 points in the second half while limiting Spain to a single unconverted try to seal a dramatic victory.

In the women’s competition, Brazil stunned South Africa 12-0 in a disciplined display, before China closed out the round with a narrow 15-12 win over hosts Kenya in a tightly contested clash.

Men’s round two: Fightbacks and dominance

The men’s competition continued the comeback theme.

USA secured a hard-fought 17-14 win over Uruguay after trailing 7-5 at halftime. Germany also overturned a 17-5 halftime deficit to claim a 26-17 victory in another spirited second-half performance.

Hosts Kenya proved too strong for Belgium, storming to a commanding 26-0 lead at the break.

Although Belgium attempted to rally in the second half, a last-minute try by Floyd Wabwire, converted by debutant David Nyangige, sealed the emphatic win and crushed any hopes of a comeback.

Men’s competition kicks off in style

The men’s tournament had earlier launched with three high-octane fixtures.

USA Eagles began in ruthless fashion, thrashing Belgium 40-0. The Americans led 21-0 at halftime before adding 19 unanswered points in the second half to cap a dominant performance.

USA head coach praised both the atmosphere at Nyayo National Stadium and his side’s preparations.

“We played a tournament in Fiji as part of our preparations. Our aim was to test ourselves in a hostile environment with the same tropical climate as Nairobi, and from the performance, we look prepared,” he said after the match.

Germany then produced another comeback, overturning a 14-0 deficit to defeat Uruguay 19-14.

Felix Hufnagel sparked the turnaround with a brilliant solo try under the posts before converting it himself to cut the gap to 14-7 at halftime.

He added another try and conversion in the second half, combining with Maximilian Held’s unconverted effort to complete the fightback.

The final clash saw hosts Kenya face Canada in a tense and tactical contest. Patrick Odongo opened the scoring in the corner, with Nygel Amaitsa converting.

Chrissant Ojwang added another try before Odongo grabbed his second of the half to give Kenya a 17-7 halftime lead, despite a converted try from Canada’s Morgan Di Nardo.

Canada threatened a comeback after Kalin Sager crossed early in the second half. But buoyed by a thunderous home crowd, Kenya responded decisively.

Amaitsa powered over for a converted try before Festus Safari sealed the victory in the corner, sending the fans into celebration.

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