Las Leonas vow to build on promising signs despite Fijiana comeback defeat in Hong Kong

Spain’s Las Leonas lost 38-32 to Fijiana in the opening round of the WXV Global Series Challenger at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground in Hong Kong, conceding a second-half comeback after leading at the interval — but the squad left the pitch convinced they are moving in the right direction.

The match swung twice. Spain had trailed 12-3 before rallying to take a 20-19 lead by half-time, only for Fijiana to produce their own turnaround and seal the win in the closing stages. It was Las Leonas’ first competitive outing since April, a gap captain and lock Lourdes Alameda cited as important context.

“This team simply needs more game time together to continue refining key areas of our performance and sharpening the finer details,” Alameda said. “We are on the right path, and the new game plan suits us well. I think that is already beginning to show.”

The most eye-catching individual story came from utility forward Alba Capell, who made her return from a long-term injury sustained in March — almost a year after her last appearance. Playing at hooker for the first time, she broke through six tackles, made two line breaks and claimed a jackal in a display that underlined her intent.

“For me, it was like my debut, as it was my first time playing in the hooker position,” said the Sale Sharks forward. “I went in with the mindset that I would be the best available option for the role, no matter what happened. No excuses, no jitters or self-doubt. I just wanted to get in and help my teammates and country.”

Capell was equally measured in her assessment of the defeat, acknowledging Fijiana’s preparation while pointing to Spain’s own strengths. “Fiji had been working prior to the competition and was determined to prove that they were one of the best nations in the world. However, I felt that we managed to showcase some of our best traits, like our speed and kicking game.”

Alameda echoed that sentiment, noting that the reigning WXV 3 champions had achieved several of their pre-match objectives despite the scoreline. “We managed to accomplish some of the goals we had agreed on for this match, and I think, overall, we put in a good performance.”

Spain will need to regroup quickly as the WXV Global Series Challenger continues, with the squad targeting improvement in the areas that allowed Fijiana to overturn a half-time deficit and claim the four points.