Blitzboks fail to reach playoffs in Los Angeles
Image: David Van Der Sandt/Gallo Images
The Springbok Sevens squad will play Canada at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday to avoid the wooden spoon at the Los Angeles Sevens after failing to get out of their pool for a second consecutive tournament.
The Blitzboks finished last Pool A after they suffered defeats to Ireland (17-0 on Friday) and Argentina (17-5). Despite beating Spain 22-19 in their final pool match, they finished fourth on points difference.
South Africa then played Samoa in the ninth-place semifinal and despite leading by 10-0 at the break, the Blitzboks were overhauled by the Pacific Islanders, who scored three second-half tries for a 19-10 win.
The Blitzboks started the second day of action in LA with a fiercely competitive match against the high-riding Los Pumas.
The South Africans took the lead through Rosko Specman and the scores were level at the break (5-5), but a double whammy confirmed the result, with Argentina scoring twice in two minutes in the last quarter.
Honest reflections from @speckmagic11 at #HSBCSVNSLAX defeat to Ireland.#PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/FjD9fchjjk
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) March 2, 2024
Against Spain, Zain Davids scored early before two tries handed their opponents a 12-7 lead at the break. A strong second half yielded three tries for the Blitzboks and though Spain scored a late try, the South Africans could finally taste victory, but they had already dropped into the lower part of the draw.
Specman scored from the kickoff against Samoa and when Darren Adonis got his first try of the tournament just before the break things were looking good for the South Africans. However, they could not contain the physicality of the Samoans in the second half as the team in blue romped away for a win, scoring three unanswered tries.
Their 11th-place clash against Canada will kickoff at 9.48pm SA time. The quarterfinal is see France meet Ireland, Spain against Great Britain, Australia clash against the US and Fiji meet Argentina.
Scorers
South Africa 5 (5) — Try: Rosko Specman.
Argentina 17 (5) — Tries: Joaquin Pellandini, Luciano Gonzalez (2). Conversion: Tobias Wade.
South Africa 22 (5) — Tries: Zain Davids, Selvyn Davids, Rosko Specman, David Brits. Conversion: Selvyn Davids.
Spain 19 (12) — Tries: Josep Serres, Eduardo Lopez, Anton Anso. Conversions: Francisco Cosculluela (2).
South Africa 10 (10) — Tries: Rosko Specman, Darren Adonis.
Samoa 19 (0) — Tries: Elisapeta Alofipo, Tom Maiava, Uaina Tui Sione. Conversions: Neueli Leitufia, Faafoi Falaniko.