Four out of five for our Blitzboks
LAS VEGAS: SA MAKE LIGHT OF STAR PAIR’S ABSENCE
Powell’s champions have 24-point cushion over Fiji in standings.
This season’s World Sevens Series title is surely in the bag for the Blitzboks after they clinched the Las Vegas leg early on Sunday morning. It’s South Africa’s fourth win out of fourth tournaments and extends their lead on the standings to 24 points over Fiji – the side they beat 19-12 in the latest final.
They will be oozing with confidence ahead of the next stop in Vancouver that kicks off on Saturday.
There’s a very good reason why Neil Powell’s men look unbeatable. They didn’t necessarily play all that well, their first tournament without stars Seabelo Senatla and Kwagga Smith, who is on Super Rugby duty.
And yet the Blitzboks were still too classy for any of their opponents.
“It was not our most clinical performance at all, but we got the result and that is what was important. I would rather win ugly than lose pretty,” said Powell.
“The guys showed tremendous fighting spirit and always managed to come back and score the tries we needed to win the matches. They kept their focus and played very well in the second half of the matches, never giving up.”
South Africa were on the back foot early in the final when Masivesi Dakuwaqa dotted down as the Fijians tried to overwhelm their opponents physically.
But that also proved their downfall as they struggled to keep their discipline in check.
As a result, the Blitzboks hit back with a converted try for reliable stalwart Cecil Afrika before Rosko Specman wove his magic in scoring himself and setting up Chris Dry for his try.
Specman, usually used as an impact player in the second half, is rapidly becoming his side’s goto guy in Senatla’s absence.
More importantly, rookie members Shakes Soyizwapi and Dylan Sage have already made their mark as the replacements for Senatla and Smith.
“They did very well in taking over the roles of those two stalwarts. We are pretty blessed with our depth in the squad,” said Powell.