Tristan Leyds starred with a brace of tries as the Blitzboks ended their Singapore Sevens campaign on a high, overpowering Australia in Sunday’s ninth-place final.
Leyds’ first-half heroics to help steer Philip Snyman’s charges to a 26-7 victory at the National Stadium.
The South Africans controlled the tempo in the first half, dominating possession and territory despite being down a man after Siviwe Soyizwapi was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle.
Returning to the field, Soyizwapi made an immediate impact, scoring his team’s third try to take them into the break with a commanding 19-0 lead.
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Leyds’ double and Soyizwapi’s score was complemented by a Selvyn Davids touchdown after the restart.
The Australians opened their account when Jimmy Turner broke upfield against the run of play, creating space to set up his brother Josh and prevent the whitewash.
Last week’s Hong Kong Sevens bronze medalists struggled to get a foothold in the playoff, forcing the men from Down Under to play the majority of the match in their own half.
The Blitzboks will now return to the Republic and regroup for the SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles on 3-4 May.
Photo: Christopher Pike/Getty Images
