Blitzboks ride day-one momentum into Cape Town Sevens play-offs

THE BLITZBOKS head into day two of the Cape Town Sevens with momentum firmly behind them after sweeping their pool on Saturday to secure a semi-final place against France at 12.22PM on Sunday.

South Africa won all three of their matches at DHL Stadium, edging Fiji 24-21 on the buzzer, beating New Zealand 19-14 and closing out the day with a commanding 41-7 win over Great Britain. 

The performances kept their title defence on track in front of a day one crowd of 36,183 passionate supporters.

Coach Philip Snyman said the resilience shown in the tight wins over Fiji and New Zealand reflected the character of the squad.

“We came back in the second half of both matches and that was rewarding for us as a coaching staff to see,” said Snyman. “Look, we were far from perfect and will have to be better tomorrow, especially in the execution of our plays, but the guys really dug deep. 

“That minute before the halftime break against New Zealand, when we kept them out despite being a man down, was a crucial moment in our day.”

Strong finish to the pool stages

The Blitzboks ended their pool campaign on a confident note against Great Britain, scoring seven tries and showing better control as the day progressed.

Snyman said their composure in the final game gave them a lift heading into the playoffs: “We controlled the game nicely and left very little out there for them. That was a good finish to the day.”

In the Fiji opener, Shilton van Wyk completed a hat-trick with a try on the hooter after a quick tap by Ronald Brown opened the space near the line. The win reversed the result of last weekend’s meeting in Dubai.

Against New Zealand, the Blitzboks spent long stretches defending after two first-half yellow cards, but hit back through Donavan Don, a turnover try by Van Wyk, and a late grounding by Brown that the TMO confirmed. New Zealand crossed after the buzzer, but South Africa had done enough to take the match 19-14.

Their final match produced tries from Don (two), Ricardo Duarttee, Impi Visser, David Brits, Christie Grobbelaar and debutant Nabo Sokoyi.

Focus shifts to France

South Africa face France next — a side they beat in Dubai last weekend — but Snyman stressed that Sunday will bring a fresh challenge.

“That was then, this is now,” he said. “We will have to come out tomorrow (Sunday), be clinical and even better than today. We will have a look at them later in the evening, to see what we can expect from them tomorrow. 

“What I do know is that we will be able to draw massive energy from the crowd on Sunday, they really are like an extra player for us.”

Snyman said the medical assessments after day one would determine the availability of Selvyn Davids and Ronald Brown, while Zander Reynders was rested for the final pool game.

The other semi-final features Argentina against Fiji at 12.44pm.