Blitzboks ease to bronze finish

Blitzboks ease to bronze finish

25 Mar 2012

The Springbok Sevens beat England 28-0 in the third-place play-off on day three at the Hong Kong Sevens.

It was South Africa’s most convincing performance of the day as they dominated a tired English outfit. The Blitzboks played the entire first half in the opposition’s territory. They made good use of their favourable field position and secured a 14-0 half-time lead thanks to Stephan Dippenaar’s snipe at the breakdown and William Small-Smith’s smart run in midfield.

England didn’t improve much in the second half as South Africa sealed the win with a tries via Cornal Hendricks and Branco du Preez.

Meanwhile, Fiji were rampant in the Cup final as they thrashed New Zealand 35-28 in an entertaining match. Canada also won the qualifying section of the tournament, and they’ll be regular contenders on the World Series scene next season with Spain and Portugal, who finished second and third respectively.

Earlier on day three, the Springbok Sevens suffered a 19-12 Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand.

It was a disappointing end to South Africa’s Cup challenge, considering they did well to draw level at 12-12 against New Zealand in the second stanza. The latter held a 12-5 lead at half-time thanks to tries via Jack Wilson and Lolagi Visinia, but were reduced to six men when skipper DJ Forbes was sin binned for a professional foul soon after the restart. Boom Prinsloo capitalised out wide against an outstretched defence.

But once restored to seven men, New Zealand regained the ascednancy and bossed possession, and Tim Mikkelson dived over for the winning score.

The Springbok Sevens beat Samoa 27-14 in the quarter-finals.

Samoa held a 14-5 half-time lead as they scored two converted tries via former EP Kings wing Paul Perez and Faatonia Autagavaia. Lolo Lui added the extras. South Africa could only cross the chalk once through Du Preez.

The Blitzboks then returned an inspired team after the break and delivered a better performance in the second half to seal a big win over the Las Vegas Sevens champions. Hendricks was the star as he grabbed a brace, while Prinsloo and Dippenaar also dotted down.

The Blitzboks’ fixtures on day three:
Cup quarter-final – South Africa 27 Samoa 14
Cup semi-final – South Africa 12 New Zealand 19
Third/fourth-place play-off – South Africa 28 England 0

Click here for all day three fixtures and results


79 Comments

Pages: [1] 2 » Show All

  • 1.stormer in a teacup: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 08:59 am

    Come on the Boks.

  • 2.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 09:44 am

    Seems like we’re in for perpetual Sevens updates now. There’s hardly a week where there’s not some Sevens tournament going on.

    Where is it being played this week? One Horse Town, South Island, New Zealand?

    Antananarivo, Madagascar?

    Boratville, Kazakstan?

    They’re bombarding us with a substandard product, and trying to imply a popularity which it does not have, by playing it all over the globe.

    You can stage a jukskei tournament in Beijing, but that doesn’t mean that a billion Chinese are mad about the sport, or even know it exists.

    No man, put Sevens on the level of touch rugby where it belongs, and then it won’t be so irritating when you try and convince us of its non-existant importance.

  • 3.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 09:49 am

    Morning Tac.

  • 4.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:15 am

    Taciturnity it is, then!

  • 5.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:30 am

    @Dawn(Dawn)-4:

    Hello Dawn. How you doing after the crappy romcom on DSTV last night?

  • 6.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:31 am

    Close game. Well played SA

  • 7.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:34 am

    SA have come a long way in sevens. I remember the first time SA won a round of the series and people on here thought that they had caused some great upset. It’s a competition of many rounds and SA are now consistently up there

  • 8.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:38 am

    SA to play England in the 3rd/4th playoff which is a huge game as SA and England are 3rd and 4th on the table and only 2 points apart:

    92 NZ
    87 Fiji
    76 SA
    74 England
    69 Samoa
    52 Australia
    52 France

  • 9.Papoose: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:38 am

    what happened? NZ beat us or we in the final?

  • 10.HongKongSlong: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:38 am

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-2: You don’t really know that much about what goes on outside of the republic do you? Teams and fans from every continent in the world. Development rugby and the elite all giving it their all in in a carnival environment. There isn’t a single Super XV match that has the atmosphere of the Hong Kong 7′s.
    Stick to what you’re good at, blowing the Bulls trumpet or moaning about the Stormers. You’re totally out of your depth here and all you’re doing is sounding like a bigoted old prat!

  • 11.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:41 am

    @Papoose(papaown)-9:
    SA 12 v 19 NZ

    SA to play Eng for 3rd/4th

  • 12.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:45 am

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-2:

    It’s very popular here. Many people play some form of sevens socially (work teams etc). The Wellington Sevens are one of the hardest tickets to get and it’s a fantastic two days entertainment.
    Don’t try and bring the competition down just because your country has not managed to hold a round with the same atmosphere.

    There’s a lot of skill and fitness involved. I always thought it was also a good avenue to get more non-white people in your country interested in rugby.
    Shame you are so down on it all.

  • 13.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 10:56 am

    New title sounds like gloom and doom but holding on to 3rd will be pretty good going. Some more double points rounds to come also.

  • 14.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:23 pm

    That romcom was indeed crappy.

    I am now in the mood for skop skiet en donner.

  • 15.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:28 pm

    Kenya win the Bowl Final with a 12- 10 win over the USA.

    At least there is one African Nation, capable of winning some silverware.

  • 16.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:36 pm

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-2:

    No Tac, it is being played in Hong Kong,
    and is the most famous and prestigous Tournament on the 7′s calender.

    And if you can’t enjoy this,
    then you are a sad sack of note.

    Grumpy, sad sack of note.

  • 17.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:36 pm

    Poor Blitzbokke my heart is sadly for them.

  • 18.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:44 pm

    @Special Agent Raj Manipedi(Raj Manipedi)-17:

    Don’t be too sad Raj,

    They are kicking the **** out of the Poms as I type.

  • 19.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:46 pm

    1/2 time,
    SA up 14- 0

  • 20.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:48 pm

    This is nice Cane but a little the same as marrying your cousin who is not nice to look at.

  • 21.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:50 pm

    People enjoy Sevens like they enjoy going to a Supercross exhibition where guys do backlip jumps on motorcycles in front of 30 000 strong crowds, or 20/20 cricket where cricket is far down the list of priorities but a thrill a minute is treasured.

    It’s got very little to do with rugby, but all about having a party amongst the spectators.

  • 22.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:53 pm

    SA take third place with a 28-0 win.

    This will keep them in 3rd place in the series.

  • 23.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:56 pm

    Tacitus I saw the mighty Blitzbokke at the Commonwealth Games in our great country and that is where I learned to like them.

    I am their number one fan in Delhi.

  • 24.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:57 pm

    Huge win for SA for 3rd spot.

    SA just got a good draw for the next round.

    oh and I don’t really like watching Supercross but I am sure it would be an enjoyable night out with friends so wouldn’t take a bahumbug approach to it (I would turn down monster trucks though as that is pure boganess)

    As I said before … sevens is a great way to get more people interested in rugby. For South Africa that means many demographics that are currently not so interested.

  • 25.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm

    @Special Agent Raj Manipedi(Raj Manipedi)-23:

    Wonder who has decided it’s time for fresh alias this time around.

  • 26.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 12:59 pm

    oh and 20/20 is a fun thing to see. I don’t mind test cricket either.

  • 27.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:02 pm

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-25:

    Not sure Tac, but he has ugly cousins.

    Enjoys watching 7′s though,
    so is not a grump.

  • 28.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:03 pm

    Besides what is wrong with a party?

    I met the beautiful Mrs Manipedi at a party.

    It was fancy dress.

    She came as a very young Queen Victoria and I came shortly afterwards.

  • 29.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:05 pm

    we are getting killed

  • 30.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:05 pm

    @chch(chch)-26:

    I see you are out of jail chch.

    I take it you have reformed yourself.

  • 31.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:07 pm

    @cane(cane)-30:

    Out of jail?
    Reformed?

    I wasn’t banned if that is what you are thinking :)

  • 32.Michael: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:08 pm

    @cane(cane)-30: He is re-loaded :-)

  • 33.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:11 pm

    Kiwi’s fight back. but still behind.

  • 34.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:13 pm

    What type of rugby do you like Tacitus?

    I have a cousin named Tacitus.

    His father a fantastic admirer of all the Greek things.

    He runs a shwarma shop in East Acton.

  • 35.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:14 pm

    Great comeback.

    Reloaded?

  • 36.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:18 pm

    @chch(chch)-31:

    I was only stirring chch.

    8)

    Welcome back.

  • 37.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:25 pm

    Congrats to Fiji, interesting game

    cheers, I have been about but just not posting much :)

  • 38.ashampoopaloo: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:25 pm

    I lived in Acton once upon a time, I hired the basement of the practice studio for Genesis when they first started out.. just down the road from Ealing high street.. gulab jamuns and burfi was my favorite after dinner treat.

    Hope Fiji stuffed kiwi’s this time around

  • 39.ashampoopaloo: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:27 pm

    Good Fiji put one over the AB’s in Hong Kong… normality in the 7′s hierarchy has been restored.

  • 40.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:27 pm

    wow that Naholo is a bit of a psycho

  • 41.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:28 pm

    so nz gets driled by fiji.at the national anthems the keewees had no emotion because half of them arent even real keewees.if the rate of 3300 keewees leaving nz for aus remains they must be gratefull for all the saffas going there to keep their economy afloat.nz is a old age home with a brain drain problem.most promiscious females in the world with a avg of 20 dif sexual partners in their life.

  • 42.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:29 pm

    @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-38:

    Don’t know who those guys are that you referred to in your above post, but I’m shocked that you “enjoyed” them after dinner.

  • 43.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:29 pm

    @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-39:

    haha Fiji didn’t play the All Blacks, you sound bitter

  • 44.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:31 pm

    What a game, well done Fiji.

  • 45.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:31 pm

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-41:

    You cleaned up tour lice fernly?

  • 46.Special Agent Raj Manipedi: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:31 pm

    I like Genesis very much but my best western music group is Huey Lewis and the News.

    Its Hip to be Square.

  • 47.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:32 pm

    @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-39:
    As is the 15 man game.
    But for the record, its not the ABs

  • 48.chch: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:33 pm

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-41:

    haha, just because you don’t consider yourself a real African does not mean that we don’t consider all New Zealanders as Kiwi’s. Go see a therapist

  • 49.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:34 pm

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-41:
    Strange then why you come over for holidays.
    Next holiday over, spout off like that, your buck teeth, dribbling red neck wont last 1 minute.
    Oh hi Fern

  • 50.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Mar 2012, 13:36 pm

    @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-41:

    “most promiscious females in the world”.

    You Okes still shagging Monkees then?

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