DAY ONE WRAP: Zander Reynders waited for the perfect opportunity to score his first try for South Africa Sevens as the BlitzBoks bounced back from a disappointing start in Singapore to beat HSBC SVNS series leaders Argentina in their final pool game on Saturday.
The try, which was scored after the Blitzboks showed superb patience on attack against the South Americans, handed them a 26-24 victory, but unfortunately, a big defeat in their opening game means the South Africans didn’t do enough to qualify for the semifinals.
Due to the nature of this tournament, with the four pool winners progressing straight to the semi-finals, the Blitzboks – who had the worst possible start to the weekend as they were beaten 38-10 by Great Britain in their opening game – dropped out of the title race despite the brilliant win over Los Pumas, tournament winners last weekend in Hong Kong.
A red card to Sebastiaan Jobb inside the first two minutes meant the South Africans were on the back foot for most of the game against Great Britain, and a second-half yellow to Dewald Human didn’t help their cause at all.
To compound the Blitzboks’ problems, they lost Donavan Don to injury in the second half after Harry Glover was judged to have played him in the air, a challenge that resulted in a red card for the GB captain.
Argentina were made to work hard for their league title, having lost their opening pool A to South Africa in an end-to-end thriller.
However, they bounced back to beat Great Britain 19-12 and claim their place in Sunday’s semi-finals and in doing so, clinch the SVNS league title.
Kenya are through to their first semi-final on the HSBC SVNS Series in seven years after beating both Ireland and Olympic champions France on Saturday. The Shujaa hadn’t made the final four since the Hong Kong Sevens in 2018, where they went one further by reaching the Cup Final. Kenya will have to overcome an impressive Spain in the semi-final, while Argentina take on Fiji in what promises to be a classic encounter.
The eight men’s teams who will compete in the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles are confirmed as Argentina, Fiji, Spain, South Africa, France, New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain. The women’s teams will be New Zealand, Australia, France, USA, Canada, Japan, Fiji and Great Britain.
Men Day One
Argentina set up a semifinal at Singapore’s National Stadium against Fiji while Kenya and Spain will tussle in the other last-four match.
POOL A: South Africa beat Argentina who recovered to become league winners
Argentina dusted themselves off from losing an epic tie against South Africa to edge out Great Britain by a score and in doing so top Pool A, reach the semi-final and put them out of reach in the League title race ahead of the World Championships in Los Angeles at the beginning of May.
“Now we are champions twice, I can’t believe it,” said an emotional Pumas coach Santiago Gomez Cora.
“Our goal was to make Argentina powerful and we did it. We are very happy, very proud that Argentina are champions again.”
Argentina’s Marcos Moneta scored his 150th try in the 19-12 win over Great Britain for whom Harry Glover was available after his red card against South Africa was rescinded on appeal.
A fine strike run by Charlton Kerr had halved the British deficit following Joaquin Pellandini’s.
A quick-tap penalty by captain Santiago Mare released Matias Osadczuk to put his team in charge again, and they survived a Matteo Graziano yellow card and a Tom Williams try to become league winners once more.
South Africa, having lost 38-10 to impressive Great Britain earlier, were fighting for their lives by the time they met Argentina.
The match swung one way then the other but the score was five points in Los Pumas’ favour when the hooter blared and with the ball still in play.
Both teams registered some huge hits, and it took a gorgeous left-footed grubber kick by David Brits, pounced on by Zander Reynders for his first BlitzBoks try, to settle it 26-24.
For all their effort, South Africa will play a ninth-place semifinal against USA on day two while Great Britain will face New Zealand in the fifth-place semi.
Results:
Great Britain 38-10 South Africa
Argentina 24-26 South Africa
Argentina 19-12 Great Britain
POOL B: Kenya reach first semifinal since 2018
Kenya sent their fans into raptures with a 10-7 victory over Olympic champions France securing their place in the last four.
Vincent Onyala had given Kenya a deserved 7-0 half-time lead but dazzling footwork by burly Joe Quere Karaba put France back on terms.
With Patrick Odongo Okong’o having limped off, Kenya’s chances of ending a seven-game losing stream against Les Bleus might have seem weakened.
However, a minute after the hooter had sounded, Nygel Amaitsa went for the posts with a Kenyan penalty, and that, on top of their 17-7 win over penalty-afflicted Ireland earlier in the day, meant Kenya could not be caught in the pool.
Ireland finished on three points. France, who will play Australia in a ninth-place semifinal, on two.
Results:
Ireland 7-17 Kenya
France 7-10 Kenya
France 19-26 Ireland
POOL C: Spain take top billing as Australia lose twice
Spain began the Singapore event in third place overall but such is the nature of the four-pool set-up that even high-flying teams can miss out on the semifinals.
They were given a fright by Uruguay when, despite being Eduardo Lopez and Tobias Sainz-Trapaga tries to the good, they found themselves playing with only five men.
Los Teros’ Diego Ardao was held up on the try line by three Spaniards when he had two teammates free to his left, but Mateo Vinals and Dante Soto made sure with their efforts to set up a nail-biting finish.
However, Jeremy Trevithick scored to make the final score 21-12.
Later, a move characterised by looping runs mixed with hard angles was rounded off by Matthew Gonzalez to put Australia in front against the South Americans, who then scored four converted tries without reply to register their first win over Australia in HSBC SVNS. The 28-5 scoreline was only their sixth win of the season.
Two Pol Pla tries helped Spain to a 28-7 success against Australia and a semifinal against Kenya.
“This is a very special year,” said Spain’s Tobias Sainz-Trapaga.
“Things are starting to click. It’s crazy. We are like a family.”
Results:
Spain 21-12 Uruguay
Australia 5-28 Uruguay
Australia 7-28 Spain
POOL D: Fiji unbeaten on day one
The presence in the stadium of All Blacks legend Dan Carter was not enough to prevent New Zealand from missing out on a semifinal in Singapore as their 29-14 win over USA preceded a 36-5 six-try thumping by Fiji in the winner-takes-all clash.
Fiji also ran in six tries against USA in a 38-0 victory that augurs well for their chances of winning the cup on Sunday.
Joseva Talacolo, George Bose, Iowane Teba and Tira Wilagi had the Fijians 24-0 up by half-time in a masterclass of offloading sevens rugby.
Joji Nasova became the series’ top scorer when he feinted to throw but instead made a quick change of direction and raced home.
His two further tries against New Zealand took his tally to 24 this season.
Results:
New Zealand 29-14 USA
Fiji 38-0 USA
Fiji 36-5 New Zealand
Women
League champions Blacks Ferns Sevens will play France, and Australia will take on Canada in Sunday’s semi-finals of the HSBC SVNS at Singapore’s National Stadium.
New Zealand added the HSBC SVNS League Winners title to their Olympic crown as two wins on day one in Singapore’s National Stadium made them uncatchable at the top of the table after six series events.
In the four-pool, two-day format in Singapore, only the pool winners progress to the semi-finals. Australia, Canada and France also topped their tables.
POOL A: New Zealand retain their League title
New Zealand claimed their ninth HSBC League title with a brace of wins on day one to retain the League championship they won a year ago. China were dispatched 38-0, thanks in no small part to Stacey Waaka’s hat-trick. Her understanding of captain Sarah Hirini’s positioning resulted in the pair combining to devastating effect.
Against Brazil, Michaela Brake also scored a treble, while Risi Pouri-Lane got a double, as New Zealand kept another clean sheet, winning 48-0.
“We are really proud of that performance,” said Black Ferns Sevens skipper Hirini.
“We just loving winning. We are competitive people. This one is for us and the ones back home who put us in this position.”
China’s 19-5 win over Brazil helped Great Britain clinch a top-eight spot for the finals in Los Angeles in May. Chen Ziying, Wang Wanyu and Chen Can scored for China, who knew ahead of kick-off in Singapore that they will be in the relegation play-offs.
Results:
Brazil 5-19 China
New Zealand 38-0 China
New Zealand 48-0 Brazil
POOL B: Maddison Levi fastest to 200 tries
Maddison Levi became the fastest women to score 200 tries as Australia nabbed a place in the semi-finals with a 31-0 win over Spain followed by victory over Japan 43-5.
Australia, with an average age of 21, pinned Spain back in the first half with tries from Tia Hinds, Levi and Kiiahla Duff before Levi and Ruby Nicholas extended the scoring.
In Australia’s second game, Mackenzie Davis scored twice in the second half, collecting a crossfield kick and racing over the line for the first of those.
“To be able to achieve this milestone is pretty special,” said Levi, having scored 200 in 26 tournaments. “I love playing rugby but when you have fans like this and can inspire the next generation, it’s pretty awesome.”
Mei Ohtani and Chiaki Saegusa sent ever-improving Japan on their way to a 24-12 win against Spain in the pool’s other match. Spain hit back through Alba Lisandra Martinez, but Japan’s offloading game made it too much for them to overhaul the lead.
Results:
Japan 24-12 Spain
Australia 31-0 Spain
Australia 43-5 Japan
POOL C: Two wins from two does it for Canada
Canada booked a semi-final place against Australia by defeating USA 31-21. Fancy Bermudez scored the opener and then, with two hands on the ball, slalomed through the navy jerseys for a second after Ariana Ramsey had levelled for the States.
Breanne Nicholas went over for another for Canada who defended bravely for a 19-7 half-time lead before seeing the game out. “That was a gritty effort by the whole team,” said Nicholas. “I am so proud of everyone.”
They had started their day by fighting for a 14-5 win over Great Britain. Skipper Olivia Apps was at the heart of things, adding to Carissa Norsten’s opener and then making a superb try-saving tackle to deny Grace Crompton as she targeted her second score of the match.
Britain trailed USA 7-5 at half-time but won the Pool C match in dramatic fashion to help ensure they will be playing top-eight rugby in Los Angeles in May. Trailing 12-10 and with the hooter having sounded, Britain’s Reneeqa Bonner ripped the ball out the ruck and ran through a gap to seal a 15-12 win.
Bonner said of the match: “Every point matters. We are really grateful. Team cohesion is what makes us win.” Britain will play Japan in a fifth-place semi-final, China and Fiji contesting the other.
Results:
USA 12-15 Great Britain
Canada 14-5 Great Britain
Canada 31-21 USA
POOL D: France seal last-four slot
France booked a semi spot against New Zealand with wins over Ireland and Fiji. They made hard work of quelling Ireland, with only an Oceane Buisson score on the board at half-time.
However, two moments of class made the difference. They made the most of quick ruck speed as Valentine Lothoz picked up and went over before Lou Noel took a quick-tap penalty and dummied and shimmied her way through for a 17-0 result.
In the pool decider, a hat-trick by Alycia Christiaens was crucial for France against Fiji, but they had to endure a nervy finish in their 24-19 win as Michell Seruvatu and Mere Vocevoce scored late tries for Fijiana.
Fiji beat Ireland 26-12 in the opening match of the weekend and finished on four points in the table. Ireland will play Brazil in Sunday’s ninth-place semi-final and Spain will take on the USA.
Results:
Fiji 26-12 Ireland
France 24-19 Fiji
France 17-0 Ireland
Sources: HSBC SVNS & SA Rugby
