Blitzboks show quality ahead of today’s 7s Cup quarters

The Blitzboks continued where they left off in Dubai last weekend by winning all three matches on day one of the Cape Town leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series yesterday to top Pool A.

As in Dubai, the Blitzboks used brutally effective breakdown work coupled with clinical finishing to top the group with victories over Russia, the US and Australia. They have now won nine out of nine matches this season.

By topping their pool, today they face Pool D runners-up Wales in the quarterfinals while the US, runners-up to the Blitzboks, face Scotland in the last eight.

Defending World Series champions Fiji were not at their best throughout day one, but still managed to win all three matches to secure top spot in Pool B. The islanders, who also won the Olympic Games gold medal in August, laboured to victories over Kenya and France.

Their prize is a quarterfinal against Pool C runners-up England while Kenya will face New Zealand in the last Cup quarterfinal.

Twelve-time Series champions New Zealand initially looked out of sorts when they were held to a 19-19 draw by minnows Canada in their second match. But they returned to form by crushing England 33-7 in their final Pool encounter to avoid Fiji in the last eight.

The Blitzboks though are without doubt the form team in world Sevens right now with every player contributing to their success.

Werner Kok, who missed the entire series last season due to a knee injury, returned to the form that made him the 2015 World Player of the Year. Captain Philip Snyman was also influential with regular tackle breaks and solid defensive work while Cecil Afrika sprinkled his own brand of stardust on proceedings.

The Blitzboks scored 16 tries in three matches. Seven came in the opening match against Russia with Kok and current World Player of the Year Seabelo Senatla scoring two tries each as South Africa won 41-0.

The US gave the Boks a tough time before the hosts won 28-10 with Kok again scoring a brace. Australia were never in it and were comfortably seen off 29-7 in the day’s final match with Snyman darting over twice.