Blitzboks bounce back in Toulouse, qualify for quarter-finals
After losing to the hosts first-up the SA Sevens team responded with wins against Fiji and USA.
Coach Sandile Ngcobo will be pleased with how his team have responded in Toulouse. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The Blitzboks outplayed USA 24-7 to finish second in pool C of the France Sevens in Toulouse on Saturday, setting up a Cup quarterfinal match against Argentina later on Saturday. The match will start at 7.05.
The Blitzboks scored four tries to one in a match where the South Africans clearly found their groove on attack.
They opened the scoring in the first minute. From the first line-out in the match, the ball was worked wide and when recycled, Ronald Brown spotted a gap and ran 80 meters to score.
Yellow card
The USA came back strong when shrugged off a weak Shaun Williams tackle to score, with the conversion pushing the North Americans ahead at the break.
Dewald Human was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle, but the SA defence held firm for the remainder of the half.
The second half started well again for the SA side and Christie Grobbelaar sliced through the USA defence to score under the sticks.
Human converted and scored himself soon after a lovely Blitzboks attack, with Justin Geduld and Ryan Oosthuizen involved as well. Human converted for 19-7 scoreline.
Geduld then made a clutch tackle to snuff out a dangerous USA attack before Williams held off two defenders to score in the corner.
The Blitzboks opened their campaign in the French city with a disastrous showing, losing 31-7 to hosts France, but they responded with a good 24-7 win against powerhouse Fiji in their second game.
With two wins and loss the SA Sevens team will now take on Argentina in the last-eight.
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