World Champion Blitzboks into Bordeaux semi-finals

The Springbok Sevens outlasted Fiji by 14-12 in the HSBC SVNS Bordeaux quarter-final in a dramatic afternoon in France, with the result ensuring that South Africa retain their World Championship title, despite what happens on Sunday.

The World Championship triumph came as a repeat of last season, when the team claimed the top gong in a single tournament, played in Los Angeles.

This time around, a tournament win in Hong Kong and a second place in Valladolid – combined with their closest rivals on the standings, Argentina and Australia failing to make the top four – meant that the South Africans could add the World Championship crown to the HSBC SVNS Series title they won earlier in the season.

The quarter-final against Fiji was brutal, with emotions running high and the South Sea Islanders determined to use as much physicality as was legally allowed in the match. Ryan Oosthuizen was yellow carded early and Fiji scored with an extra attacker in their side.

They were at it again soon after as they quick-tapped from a penalty and raced away for a 12-0 lead.

Slowly but surely though, the Blitzboks started to get more momentum into their play and from an attacking opportunity to the left, got a break when a Fijian slapped the final pass down.

Playing with a numerical advantage, the Blitzboks kicked into gear with Sebastiaan Jobb scoring in the corner. Ricardo Duarttee kicked the conversion to make it 12-7.

They were back in it after cleverly moved the ball from side to side. As the Fijian defence tired out, Jobb dotted down for a second and Duarttee’s conversion gave the Blitzboks a 14-12 lead.

The last minutes were played in a frantic rush of blood, adrenalin and tactical awareness by the team in green and gold. It was almost justice, when the final play came from a Fijian being penalised for pushing.

Earlier on Saturday, the Blitzboks lost their final pool game by 15-12 against the Fijians, with the losing bonus point allowing them to crucially qualify for the quarter-finals.

At the final whistle, it seemed that the Blitzboks had blown their World Championship hopes but when Argentina lost to New Zealand the South Americans, who were South Africa’s closest rivals on the standings, crashed out of the top eight. That meant they could not overhaul the Blitzboks and left Australia as the only side to still pip South Africa.

The match was chaos, as it often is against Fiji. An early Tristan Leyds break looked promising, but Fiji managed to stop the Blitzbok attack in a match where South Africa suffered a number of disciplinary calls. The first was to Siviwe Soyizwapi, for what in football would be called a foul and due to the extra attacker, Fiji managed the opening try.

Leyds again set off on a brilliant run and Shilton van Wyk scored. It started with Duarttee from way out in his own half and the counter-attack score pushed South Africa ahead 7-5.

Fiji scored next to take a 10-7 lead into the break and soon after the restart ran 80m to score and extend the lead to 17-7.

A yellow card for a high tackle left Fiji with six players and Jobb finished in the corner to cut the islanders’ lead to one score. Although the Blitzboks attacked strongly at the end, a desperate tackle by Fiji forced a scrum with the hooter in the background and a despondent SA side left the match thinking they lost the title.

But then New Zealand beat Argentina by 24-21 and the rest was history. The Blitzboks now face home favourites, France, in the semi-final at 1.14pm (SA time) on Sunday afternoon.

Scores

Pool game: South Africa 12 (7), Fiji 15 (10)

SA – Tries: Shilton van Wyk, Sebastiaan Jobb. Conversion: Ricardo Duarttee.

Fiji – Tries: Apete Narogo, George Bose, Viwa Naduvalo.

Quarter-final: South Africa 14 (7), Fiji 12 (12)

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

Fiji – Tries: Viwa Naduvalo, Kavekini Tanivanuakula. Conversion: Terio Veilawa.