Share

Blitzboks to face USA in Hong Kong quarters

Hong Kong - The Springbok Sevens team secured wins over Scotland and Samoa to finish top of Pool A at the Hong Kong Sevens on Saturday and will now face USA in the Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

MATCH CENTRE

The men from the United States are currently leading the log in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Solid defence and patience on attack was part of the Blitzboks offering in the Hong Kong Stadium where they first outplayed Scotland 26-10 before getting the better of Samoa 21-7.

After beating Japan on Friday, the wins confirmed the top of the pool standings for South Africa.

Springbok Sevens assistant coach, Renfred Dazel, said the team ended top because 'we took the physicality to them'.

"We had some hiccups in our game plan against Japan and even Scotland, but it went well against Samoa. We needed to be physical against them, did that and therefor managed to top the pool. We are pleased with that performance," said Dazel.

"We need to recover well overnight. Day three of a tournament is always taxing on the body, so we need to make sure we get back here tomorrow well prepared."

Against Scotland, it took all of six minutes for the Blitzboks to score as the Scots proved hard to crack. A try by Selvyn Davids was quickly followed by one from Stedman Gans to hand South Africa a 14-0 lead at the break.

An early try in the second half, by Ryan Oosthuizen, pushed the lead out to 21 points before Branco du Preez extended the lead with a try in the corner.

The Scots came back with two quick five pointers, but it was all over bar the shouting.

Against Samoa, it was again patience on attack that kept South Africa's momentum. Impi Visser got the lead after six minutes and the converted try was the only score of the half.

The second half saw more good work on attack, with Justin Geduld and Werner Kok scoring converted tries. Kok's effort was his 100th in the World Rugby Sevens Series. Samoa scored a late converted try, but the win was already in the bag for the Blitzboks.

Kok, who has scored three times so far in Hong Kong, thanked his team mates for the tries.

"I was just at the right place at the right time. I enjoy playing in the forwards and it is easy if everyone contributes."

He said the USA match will be a tough one. "They are a tough side to play, but if we recover well we can give it our best shot on Sunday."

The Cup quarter-finals are (SA times):

04:58 - South Africa v USA

05:20 - Fiji v Argentina

05:42 - England v Samoa

06:07 - NZ v France

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