Share

Blitzbokke into 7s quarters

Moscow - The Springbok Sevens team will face former champions Fiji in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday after a strong showing in the pool stages .

The South Africans comfortably beat Japan 33-0 and Scotland 41-0 on Saturday after their 31-0 romp past hosts Russia on Friday to finish top of Pool B with a 105 points differential, the best in the competition.

The 17 tries scored by the Springbok Sevens team in their three matches was also more than any other team and they were the only outfit not to concede a try.

Coach Paul Treu heaped praise on the national side for their performance, but warned that everything would start all over on Sunday.

"The players know tomorrow will be the most important day of the tournament and will leave nothing out there," Treu said.

"We have been very impressive on attack and the way we defended resulted in our tryline hardly being under threat.

"We will be tested on Sunday and then we need to respond like this again."

Treu was confident of their chances against Fiji in the cup playoffs.

"This is a World Cup and if you want to be the best you have to beat the best," he said.

"They're a great sevens nation and are known as one of the best teams in the world but there is no better time for us to put them away."

Springbok Sevens captain Kyle Brown was cited for alleged eye-gouging following the match against Scotland, the SA Rugby Union confirmed, and he would appear before a judiciary on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the SA women's team finished third in Pool B, earning a 19-7 win over China but falling to Ireland and Australia. They will face Fiji in the bowl quarter-finals on Sunday.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE