The Blitzboks might have paid a high price for their 33-0 Cape Town Sevens quarterfinal win over Wales as top scorer and World Player of the Year Seabelo Senatla limped off injured.
Senatla opened the scoring with a typically surging run to the corner early on and then turned provider for Cecil Afrika seconds later.
But in the act of making an overhead inside pass to the supporting Afrika‚ Senatla was heavily tackled.
He was hobbling when he eventually stood up and took no further part in the match.
Typically coach Neil Powell would only replace Senatla well into the second period‚ so it was unusual to see him withdrawn after five minutes.
The Blitzboks added further tries from Chris Dry‚ Ruhan Nel and Rosko Specman to ease into the last four‚ keeping their hopes of defending the title they have won for the last three years on track.
The Blitzboks also won the season-opening leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series in Dubai last week.
Victory over Wales has set up a semi-final against old foes New Zealand.
The Kiwis were too strong for Kenya‚ beating the east Africans 28-7 in their quarterfinal.
The Blitzboks and New Zealand clash at 16h34 on Sunday.
- TMG Digital
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