Blitzboks bounce back in Bordeaux

The Springbok Sevens team delivered one of their worst performances of the 2026 season in their HSBC SVNS Bordeaux opener on Friday and then bounced back to the standards set earlier in the season in their second match to restore some dignity, pride and momentum into Saturday, when they will face Fiji at 11.06am (SAST) in a Pool A decider.

The Blitzboks lost 19-14 in extra-time to 12th-placed Great Britain in their opening match and then totally outplayed Kenya, currently in eighth place, 26-5 to restore their status as potential HSBC SVNS World Championship winners.

The good news first.

After a dismal defeat to Great Britain, the Blitzboks bounced back in spectacular fashion against Kenya. Their opening try was sevens rugby at its best. Every ball carrier ran hard into space, offloading at the right time and supported at the breakdown on time. The result was a Shilton van Wyk try and a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes.

The second try was even better on the principles of sevens – support runners, working off the ball and then, speed. Quewin Nortje and Van Wyk, the two quickest players in the team, using their pace after the power secured ball to the outside, with Van Wyk dotting down. At the break, the Blitzboks held all the momentum and a 12-0 lead.

The second half continued in the same fashion, with South Africa on attack and Kenya starting to feel the physical approach of their opponents.

The next try belonged to Nortje, who ran onto a looping Ricardo Duarttee pass from a scrum and the conversion took their lead to 19-0.

Nortje added a second, this time down the blind side from a scrum, with the wing's pace and the speed of Duarttee's pass in harmony.

Keyna scored in the final play of the match, finally getting some rhythm on their attack but by then the horse had bolted, was calmed and had a nap.

The first game on the opening day was a totally different story though as the Blitzboks looked fast asleep in starting their final thrust towards the title, losing 19-14 to Great Britain.

The match went into extra-time after scores were tied at 14-14 at the end of regulation play. Extra-time went on for another three minutes, with unnecessary energy spent by the South Africans, something that could catch up with them later this weekend.

It would have been hard to believe that the team at the top of the log played in green and the team at the bottom in blue, as GB were all over the Blitzboks for most of the game.

The inclusion of Darcy Graham, who is Scotland’s most prolific try scorer in Tests, boosted the UK squad and it was clear why. Graham bossed the Blitzboks, who delivered a very subdued effort, almost as if their minds were somewhere else.

GB scored two quick tries, with the first coming after a long attack, with the Blitzboks’ defence found wanting.

A forward pass fluffed a promising Blitzbok attack and as soon as GB were back in possession, Graham crashed through some weak defence to score a second try under the sticks and suddenly the Britons were 14-0 up.

To make matters worse, Jayden Nell had to leave the field after he attempted a tackle after a fluffed line-out throw, resulting in a long stoppage of play as Nell needed to be carted off.

That shook the Blitzboks into action. GB had a player yellow carded and, in that time, the Blitzboks scored twice, both times via Duarttee. The first came just before the break, resulting in a 14-7 scoreline at half-time, and the second shortly after the restart to level the scores.

The first try came when the Blitzboks played the numbers and the second when Duarttee intercepted and ran 60m to score. He converted both his tries as well to make it 14-14.

Sebastiaan Jobb was then yellow carded but the Blitzboks managed to keep GB out.

The final three minutes were tense and dramatic. The Blitzboks were given a second lifeline when a GB try was ruled out by the TMO, and extra time was called.

Duarttee then turned villain when he was sent to the sin bin for a tip tackle, which gave GB the numerical advantage to score the match-winning golden points.

Scores

South Africa 14 (7), Great Britain 19 (14) - aet

SA – Tries: Ricardo Duarttee (2). Conversions: Duarttee (2).

GB – Tries: Marcus Kershaw, Darcy Graham, Finley Lloyd-Gilmour. Conversions: Kaleem Barreto.

South Africa 26 (12), Kenya 5 (0)

SA – Tries: Shilton van Wyk (2), Quewin Nortje (2). Conversions: Ricardo Duarttee (3).

Kenya – Try: George Ooro Angeyo.