Sevens heaven for the Blitzboks
THE Springbok Sevens side beat Chile 32-5 in their opening game at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town yesterday.
The Blitzboks got off to a top start with a try by Angelo Davids after the wing did well to scoop up the oval after one of Selvyn Davids’ little dinks before putting that pace to use to score the opener in the first minute (5-0).
Sako Makata added his name to the scoresheet (10-0) after good work from the kick-off.
It was try after try by Neil Powell’s men. Muller du Plessis put in a nifty cross-kick which found Christie Grobbelaar, who scored in the corner. Davids hit his target with this attempt off the tee for a 17-0 advantage.
Chile scored a try (17-5) just before half time, but that would be all they got.
The Blitzboks were no less potent in the second half.
Ronald Brown was quick to snatch the ball up after a scrum, and he scored his first try at Cape Town Stadium (22-5).
Mfundo Ndhlovu left a Chilean defender grasping at air as he stepped around him to swerve and spring his way to the Blitzboks’ fifth try (27-5).
Ndhlovu had a superb hand in their last try. As the Blitzboks moved the ball through the hands, Ndhlovu volleyball-style tapped the ball to Angelo Davids to run in their fifth try (32-5).
Veteran Cecil Afrika, who returned to the squad for the World Cup, missed the conversions, but it mattered not as the hosts had done enough.
Earlier France kept the South African women scoreless in their Rugby World Cup Sevens opener at Cape Town Stadium as they thumped the hosts 24-0.
France got on the scoreboard when Lou Noel rounded the hosts’ defence to score an unconverted try in the corner (0-5).
The South Africans spent a large portion of the opening half in France’s territory and created promising opportunities, but the French were too quick to capitalise when a chance came their way.
From their own half, France made use of their speed out wide again, and Camille Grassineau crossed over. Jade Ulutule made no mistake with the conversion to take the score to 12-0.
Chloe Pelle made France’s lead a commanding one when she paced to the try line.
Trailing 0-19 at half time, South Africa would have been desperate to get some points on the scoreboard, but France gave the first hit to go 24-0 up courtesy of Pelle’s brace.
POINT SCORERS (MEN): South Africa 32
Tries: Angelo Davids, Mfundo Ndhlovu, Ronald Brown, Christie Grobbelaar, Sakoyisa Makata, Conversions: Selwyn Davids
Chile 5
Try: Joaquin Huici
Point scorers (women):
South Africa 0
France 29
Tries: Lou Noel, Chloe Pelle (2) Camille Grassineau, Conversions: Jade Ulutule (2)