Blitzboks pull off dramatic win against Fiji to take LA Sevens title
The Springbok Sevens team claimed a dramatic 29-24 win over Fiji in the final of the HSBC LA Sevens in Los Angeles early Monday morning (SA time).
The Springbok Sevens team claimed a dramatic 29-24 win over Fiji in the final of the HSBC LA Sevens in Los Angeles early Monday morning (SA time).
The performance by both the Springboks and the Blitzboks last weekend turned social media into a happy place where South Africans seemed genuinely proud to be South African again.
Consistency was a hallmark of the Blitzboks’ success. In all 10 tournaments this season they qualified for the Cup semi-finals. They won twice (Dubai and Paris), and were losing finalists three times (Sydney, Hamilton and London).
The Blitzboks can only hope for an unlikely Fijian implosion in the final tournament on the World Sevens Series calendar in Paris next week if they’re to retain their world crown.
The Blitzboks have maintained a steady head of steam all season, always qualifying for the semi-finals in the 8 tournaments played so far, but failing to take maximum points after the tournament opener in Dubai.
The Springbok Sevens team will be without key forwards Kyle Brown and Tim Agaba when they re-assemble for the final two tournaments of the 2017/18 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
It was a costly weekend for the Springbok Sevens, who dropped to second place behind Fiji in the 2017/18 World Rugby Sevens Series standings after finishing fourth in Singapore.
The Springbok Sevens team missed out on a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and have now set their sights on the remaining two objectives they aim to achieve this season.
This time last year, the Blitzboks ended the Australasian leg of the World Sevens Series with two wins from the two tournaments. This season, they finished second each time.
New Zealand claimed their maiden HSBC Cape Town Sevens title as South Africa had to settle for bronze after a pulsating day of action in the Mother City.