Justin Geduld of South Africa runs with the ball during the match between England and South Africa on Day Two of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series - Dubai at The Sevens Stadium on December 06, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
The Blitzboks showed some familiar champions pedigree on Friday evening as they orchestrated a superb 19-14 comeback victory over England, ensuring they top Pool D of this season’s Dubai Sevens.
Following a routine 33-5 victory over Spain earlier in the day, Neil Powell’s ensured a safe passage to the Cup knockouts, where they’ll face Argentina in the quarterfinals.
While the South Africans did well to pass a testy opening game against the powerful Kenyans in their opening encounter on Thursday, their real test of steel was going to be the English.
It certainly didn’t start all that promisingly.
The first three minutes were typically gritty, before England livewire Ollie Lindsay-Hague started to stamp his authority on the attack.
That momentum put the Blitzboks defence under pressure, eventually leading to Ruhan Nel’s sin-binning for a deliberate knockdown.
His absence proved costly as the English scored twice within that two-minute window.
Lindsay-Hague cleverly exploited the blinside from a breakdown to run in untouched, before Ryan Oosthuizen, under pressure from the evergeen Phil Burgess, knocked on his receipt of the very next kickoff.
Emboldened, England kept possession and Dan Norton delightfully weaved his way past four defenders.
Powell then decided to roll the dice and brought on Selvyn Davids.
It proved inspired.
The 25-year-old, one of the less experienced members of the side, showcased all the experience he gained from last season’s transitional campaign to mastermind the fightback.
Davids was the man who set up Oosthuizen for South Africa’s first try on the half-time hooter, the latter doing brilliantly to stay in touch in the right corner.
The Blitzboks were frustrated at turnaround when Justin Geduld knocked on with an open tryline in front of him, but the referee strangely ruled the ball went sideways.
That slice of luck – it was a South African scrum – proved crucial, as Geduld atoned by rounding off the move, with Davids once again the creator.
Geduld then exploited a high tackle to score the Blitzboks’ clincher.
England pressed hard at the end, but the South Africans suffocating defence proved enough.
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