Blitzboks fall at last hurdle

Blitzboks fall at last hurdle

GARETH DUNCAN, reporting from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, watched the Blitzboks concede a last-minute try in a 31-26 Cup final defeat to New Zealand on day two of the PE Sevens.

The inaugural PE Sevens finished in 20 minutes of madness.

Ahead and during this fixture, the crowd created a magical atmosphere – something that was missing throughout the weekend’s festivities. The St Georges band arrived late during the day and their presence ignited an electric mood around the park, especially with the large All Blacks club who sat themselves in the seats below them. It was a fitting stage for the Blitzboks and New Zealand, who were clearly the two best teams at the tournament.

For New Zealand, it was their eighth consecutive Cup final appearance while it was only the hosts’ third in their history, having previously won one and lost one – both to the former. And on this occasion, the Kiwis went on to win their ninth South African leg Cup title thanks to Tomasi Cama, who scored and converted a try in the last move of the game.

It was a close contest in the first half, which ended 17-14 at the break in the Kiwis’ favour. DJ Forbes led from the front and powered over for the opening try, which was cancelled out by Bernado Botha’s finish. The hosts were then dealt a blow when Boom Prinsloo was yellow-carded for a professional foul at the breakdown.

From a defending scrum, the Blitzboks crumbled and Cama capitalized to dive over for his first five-pointer. Once South Africa returned to seven men, Botha went on to score his fourth try of the tournament – but New Zealand held a slender half-time lead after Frank Halai crossed the chalk.

The Blitzboks dominated the early parts of the second half, surging into a 26-17 lead with Steven Hunt and Cecil Afrika running over from close range. But defensive lapses at the death saw Halai and Cama complete their braces, the latter score a controversial one as a few South African players believed they were tripped during the final play. But Australian referee Anthony Moyes waved play on as Cama broke South African hearts.

The day’s results sees Fiji and New Zealand share the World Series table lead with 51 log points each. The Fijians performed badly on day two, which ended with a 48-0 thrashing from Wales in the Plate final. The Blitzboks find themselves third on the table with 48 log points while England (47) and France (38) trail closely behind.

Earlier in the day, the Springbok Sevens downed Samoa 12-7 in the Cup semi-final.

It was a physical clash and one the hosts handled well as they kept the game tight and capitalised on favourable field position. They spent most of the first half in Samoa’s 22m area, and they finished two scoring opportunities to take a 12-0 half-time lead. A Branco du Preez side step and break opened the scoring while Botha showed great power out wide to finish in the corner. Samoa ended the half with six men when Afa Aiono was sin-binned for striking Kyle Brown with the forearm.

After the second stanza restart, South Africa placed a greater emphasis on restricting the Pacific Islanders – which they did to great effect. Samoa struggled to break into the hosts’ red zone but managed to score a late try through Paul Perez. The Blitzboks, however, still did enough for a place in the Cup final

In their first match of the day, Cecil Afrika scored two crucial tries in the Springbok Sevens’ 26-12 win over France in the Cup quarter-final.

Coming off a 19-5 Cup defeat to the French in the same fixture at the Dubai Sevens last weekend, the Blitzboks ended on top on this occasion thanks to their hometown playmaker. But it didn’t come easy, as an attacking error saw Terry Bouhraoua put the opposition 5-0 ahead.

An Afrika run set up Boom Prinsloo minutes later while the former also dotted down after sniping a gap. But Renaud Delmas finished off a late attack, which capitalised on the hosts’ shaky rearguard. The half-time score read 12-12.

The Blitzboks produced a strong second half showing to seal their place in the top four. Brilliant stepping from Afrika saw the speedster grab his 70th World Series try while Botha finished off proceedings after chasing down a Du Preez chip.

Blitzboks’ fixtures, day two:
Cup quarter-final: South Africa 26 France 12
Cup semi-final: South Africa 12 Samoa 0
Cup final: South Africa 26 New Zealand 31

Click here for all day two fixtures and results


1,234 Comments

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  • 901.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @stormersboy-894:

    1 2 3 4

    We are standing here
    Exposing ourselves
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies
    Were being watched
    And we feel our pulse
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies
    We look around
    And change our pose
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies
    We start to move
    And we break the glass
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies
    We step out
    And take a walk through the city
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies
    We go into a club
    And there we start to dance
    We are showroom dummies
    We are showroom dummies

  • 902.Dawn: Reply to this comment

    You guys are weird

  • 903.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @Dawn-898:

    nonsense.

    we are just helping poep through another difficult episode.

  • 904.Dawn: Reply to this comment

    Fight fight all the time

  • 905.youknowwho: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-901: Thought provoking… gonna give you creds for that.. did you make it up or is it ripped

  • 906.Dawn: Reply to this comment

    Always willing to help kiwi in distress

    Lemmeathim

  • 907.Bod: Reply to this comment

    @Transformation-887: You might change yout tune if you spent a bit of time living in Espana.

    You get Barca and Real Madrid shoved up every ******* of your body from 12.00am to 12.00pm… allandeveryfuckingday. I even had to endure a program on La 1 (TV1) the other day showing some blonda chica espanyol going through the design and aesthetics in great detail of the crudhouses in each of the Barca players houses….. Bewtiful!

    Tonight is the big one for me….. up at Stamford Bridge. C’mon the Blues…. navy blue that is!

  • 908.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @youknowwho-905:

    kraftwerk

    :lol:

  • 909.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-891:
    take a deep breath and read through the post again.
    i think you are wrongly inferring/assuming that he means/implies underage girls.
    its an accusation/insinuation on your part, not his.

    he may or may not be insinuating in a passive form but you certainly are insinuating/accusing it/him in a actively stated form.

    its the proverbial hole in the canoe scenario,,, and you’re holding the musket…

  • 910.Dawn: Reply to this comment

    Waddaya need Pops.

    I am here for you

  • 911.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-909:

    it’s the story of his life.

    his canoe is uninsurable now.

    it’s taken more hits than the french navy.

    Gordon Ramsay wants to buy it to use as a colander.

  • 912.youknowwho: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-908: You should grow your online/social media footprint.. skills are wasted .. money down the toilet

    My online presence is about to tilt over into £’s.. it takes a while but you also have to risk exposure.. time to come out Gunther.. ;-)

  • 913.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @youknowwho-912:

    maybe I can be a guest blogger on your awesome social media platform.

    I also write to the cape times as concerned from constantia.

    :lol:

  • 914.youknowwho: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-913: Concerned from Constantia complaining about deforestation around the pubic areas… spelling mistake Public areas ;-)

  • 915.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @youknowwho-912: back to the canoe Grunter? lmfao..

    is it j bringing back memories of when Roebuck used to paddle you around everywhere? :D

  • 916.Transformation: Reply to this comment

    @Bod-907: hahaha ok, if you put it that way i can understand ur stance. supersport also dedicated channel 205 to the clasico from friday & the whole day saturday.

    they even played last year’s game @ the bernabeu in SLOW MOTION with classical music as the soundscape :-)

  • 917.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment

    @Transformation-916:
    i dont like em but one has to respect their come from behind win against madrid.
    seems the special one may have met his match against a collective teams abilities more so than against a single coaching individual.

  • 918.Upho: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-915:

    so poppa…

    a joke about about pedophilia and a joke about a dead person from you huh?

    hypocrite much…?

    thought so…

  • 919.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @Upho-918: hows the hippo going Upho?

    hypocrite much?

    thought so…

  • 920.Bod: Reply to this comment

    @au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-917:

    You are underestimating Josep. It is he that put this Barca side together and it is he that has brought the best out of Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique and Messi.

    Above being a damned fine coach, he is a decent human being as well.

    When I am over in the UK for navidades, I shall gently whisper into my Russian Chairmans ear to try and break the bank to get Josep across to Stamford Bridge..

  • 921.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @Upho-918:

    don’t take poep seriously.

    nobody else does.

    he’ll be here crying tomorrow saying somebody ran over his dog and that it’s not his fault, he’s actually a really nice person.

  • 922.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment

    @Bod-920:
    fair enough.
    i shall have to reevaluate my opinions of him, though i cant be sure he’d achieve as much if anything without the current crop of players he has at barca. i suppose then a good test will be to see him do the same elsewhere.

    the problem with your russian chairman is that he is the problem.
    no amount of coaching musical chairs will change that.

  • 923.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-921: hehehe

    I dont have a dog grunter, but Id imagine you do..

    isnt it a prerequisite to accesorise your khaki shorts with?

  • 924.Upho: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-921:

    you’re right… and i don’t… used to give him the benefit of the doubt… but no more…

    just pointing out his hypocrisy about hypocrisy…

    but of course the point is lost on him…

    hehehe…

  • 925.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment

    I see everyone’s favourite Kiwi Silverback sprog is making friends…

  • 926.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment

    @Bod-920:

    Many underestimate the influence of former Barca manager Frank Rijkaard.

    For all intensive purposes Rikjaard brought about the revival of Barca after the much maligned & diabolical Dutch “revolution” under van Gaal in late 90′s to early 2000′s.Barca hardly won anything & had become somewhat of a non entity in European football,during that time their only players of real substance was Rivaldo & Figo and they tried all theit might to build up “next Maradona”-Javier Saviola..Huge flop,no one really wanted to go play for the Catalans.After golden era of Bobby Robson-Ronaldo etc van Gaal was a bust of note.

    Rijkaard started from scratch,introduced much of the style(system) & players in last 2 years for Barca. Xavi,Iniesta,Messi were already in the rotation when Rijkaard was coach…who also had massive plans for Messi just that he wasnt ready especially physically to handle rigours of top flight football then.Constantly broke down much like Pato(AC Milan).Bojan also was in mould of Messi and he also featured during Rijkaard era.With decline of Deco,Ronaldinho,Eto’o…The next generation was being groomed

    I believe is the architect of Barca’s golden era is Frank Rijkaard,brought back winning culture back to Catalans.Also changed system to play the quicker-one-touch football but in his era they played with more flair & ridiculous trickery. I just believe now under Pep they are more clinical,slicker and more consistent.

    Remember Rijkaard is all im saying

  • 927.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    @Upho-924: \

    poep is the bermuda triangle of rational thought.

  • 928.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    love it..

    I seem to bring out all the keyboard warriors…

    from the racist khaki wearing hypocrites to the cheese smelling, coward types…

    bewdiful…

  • 929.Bod: Reply to this comment

    @au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-922:

    Ja, my Russian Chairman does worry me…. but he did revolutionise a dying club.

    I also think he just may have stumbled onto something with AVB. Watch this space…..

  • 930.Bod: Reply to this comment

    @mshiniwami-926:

    Frank Who??

    Just kidding…. he was very similar as to what Ruud Gullit was to Chelsea

  • 931.Upho: Reply to this comment

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-927:

    too true… ‘rational’ and ‘thought’ are two words you can’t normally use in a sentence about the poopa-scoopa…

    kudos to you for achieving it in a sensible way…

    :lol:

  • 932.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @Upho-931: still upset because I called you out on the whole hippo drama? shame…

    funny you see my indiscretions yet ignore your SA brothers ones?

    why is this?

  • 933.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment

    Silverback Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking, although they sometimes walk bipedally for short distances while carrying food or in defensive situations.

    The eastern gorilla is more darkly colored than the western gorilla, with the mountain gorilla being the darkest of all. The mountain gorilla also has the thickest hair.

    Twenty-five distinct vocalizations are recognized, many of which are used primarily for group communication within dense vegetation. Sounds classified as grunts and barks are heard most frequently while traveling, and indicate the whereabouts of individual group members.

    The Keo Silverback Mountain Gorilla is grunting. I reckon he is just trying to make himself heard…

  • 934.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment

    Pooper the Silverback Mountain Gorilla?

    - Male gorillas have weak social bonds, particularly in multi-male groups with apparent dominance hierarchies and strong competition for mates. However, males in all-male groups tend to have friendly interactions and socialize through play, grooming and close proximity, and occasionally they even engage in ho.mosexual interactions.

  • 935.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-932: how sad is your life pops?

    seriously buddy?

  • 936.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @Heavens Game-933: funny that youve used my insult at you and tried to redirect..

    miserable fail..

    but what to expect from a racist old fool who believes he is all that, when the only ones on earth who would house him are the cheese eating surrender m.onkeys..

  • 937.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @rangerman-935: my lifes fine ranger, the fact I can enrage so many neanderthals with very little words is proof of that..

    come to join the gang up have you?

    in true South African style is it…

    ag shampies..

  • 938.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment

    However I may be completely wrong… Pooper may actually be a rare Kiwi Bonobo…

    The species is distinguished by relatively long legs, pink lips, dark face and tail-tuft through adulthood, and parted long hair on its head.

    Some claim that bonobos have also been known to practice cannibalism in captivity, a claim disputed by others. However there is at least one confirmed report of cannibalism in the wild as reported by researchers Gottfried Hohmann and Andrew Fowler.

    When bonobos come upon a new food source or feeding ground, the increased excitement will usually lead to communal s.exual activity, presumably decreasing tension and encouraging peaceful feeding.

    Bonobo males occasionally engage in various forms of male-male genital behavior.

    A form of genital interaction (“rump rubbing”) occurs to express reconciliation between two males after a conflict, when they stand back-to-back and rub their s.crotal sacs together. Takayoshi Kano observed similar practices among bonobos in the natural habitat.

    So Pooper is just desperately trying to engage in some “rump rubbing”…?

  • 939.Upho: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-932:

    hehehe…

    Whatever gets you through the night ‘salright, ‘salright
    It’s your money or life ‘salright, ‘salright
    Don’t need a sword to cut through flowers oh no, oh no

    Whatever gets you through your life ‘salright, ‘salright
    Do it wrong or do it right ‘salright, ‘salright
    Don’t need a watch to waste your time oh no, oh no

    :lol:

  • 940.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment

    i can only assume pops must have gotten a helluva lot of pk’s in his day…

    i wont give up though… i know there’s good in him.

  • 941.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-932: the hippo comment was amusing in the same way as the Darwin awards are.

    sheer idiocy can have us shaking our heads.

    but joking about murder and child molestation and then crying like a whiny little girl when your deceased (and i am certain much loved) mother is mentioned shows that you suffer from a lack of empathy.

    maybe one of those complicated mother-son relationships mentioned most notably in Roman and Greek mythology and made relevant in modern times by people like Sigmund Freud?

    You see even though no one else here has seemingly lost a mother to cancer, we have empathised with you (do you know the difference between empathy and sympathy poppa?).
    But moost of us have had dark experiences that led to a certain degree of andgst at one time or another so we can sympathise with the sad place you find yourself.

    all this because of a few comments about NZ? you have let yourself become this person?

    or maybe keo just shone a light on the real you?

    either way, my condolences.

  • 942.Heavens Game: Reply to this comment

    Bonobos are capable of passing the mirror-recognition test for self-awareness.

    They communicate primarily through vocal means, although the meanings of their vocalizations are not currently known. However, most humans do understand their facial expressions and some of their natural hand gestures, such as their invitation to play.

    Two bonobos at the Great Ape Trust, Kanzi and Panbanisha, have been taught how to communicate using a keyboard labeled with lexigrams (geometric symbols) and they can respond to spoken sentences.

    So maybe Pooper is self aware… And sometimes he can respond to spoken sentences… Wonder if he is just inviting everyone to play…?

  • 943.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    @poppa69-937: enrage “neanderthals”?

    this makes you happy?

    is it because you wish to deflect the rage you feel poppa?

    and btw man, i am not ganging up on you or trying to insult you, i am trying to halt the runaway train.

    imo you only end up enraging yourself round here bud.

  • 944.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    i mean imagine if you stepped into a pub and attempted to “enrage neanderthals”?

    people would soon question why you were there.

    they might initially be quite angry but if you took enough punishment (squealing, apologising and crying every time it got too hot) they would eventually simply shake their heads in wonderment and pity at your antics.

    you are this guy poppa.

    i would advise you to attempt to reform, change your nic, start over etc etc.

    but i fear your nature would simply shine through again.

    but cmon man, lets forget about that! how bout them all blacks eh?

    wonderful rugby players.

  • 945.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    i fear that i have ruined the tete a tete.

    i am ever so proud.

  • 946.Upho: Reply to this comment

    wise words ranger…

    wise… but wasted…

    ganging up…?

    hehehe…

    that’s like some rich white dude from the Hamptons driving into Harlem… seeing all the people hanging out there and when he notices they’re a little different insists they’re ganging up on him…

    wouldn’t cross his mind that those people are there anyway… whether he pitches up or not…

    but victims will be victims… even if they have to manufacture slights and sins against them… and will do and say whatever they can to elicit some more sympathy… :roll:

  • 947.rangerman: Reply to this comment

    @Upho-946: agreed.

    how do you gang up on an internet forum anyway?

    i remember when gwantie and woof tried to double team me before gwantie got sulky and stopped talking to me (realised i was far smarter than him actually :lol: )

    it really caused me no pain.

  • 948.poppa69: Reply to this comment

    @rangerman-945: you make some valid points Ranger..

    but I tried the civil approach, it didnt work.. as for my true nature? what a laugh… SA’s giving the righteous speech is the biggest joke of all time… we’ve all see your guys true nature, time and time again..

    Im surprised there was no “cheating” in front of the ABs remark either..

  • 949.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment

    Dr Phil Rangerman

    :lol:

  • 950.justrugby: Reply to this comment

    @rangerman-947:

    You overate yourself and your relevance ……….twat !!

    I see you are tring to get fit in order to get down quicker and stay down longer at the bottom of the ocean…………………….. , here is an idea add some extra weight to your weightbelt…….. try about 350kgs………farken wally!!

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