In front of a roaring 31,941 crowd at DHL Stadium, the Springbok Sevens (Blitzboks) became the first men’s team in the modern SVNS era to successfully defend the Cape Town title, edging Argentina 21–19 in a heart-stopping final.
The match was a tale of two halves. Argentina struck early and often, racing to a 19–7 lead early in the second half thanks to a brace from the electric Marcos Moneta and an opener from Luciano Gonzalez. The Blitzboks looked rattled, committing uncharacteristic errors and struggling to handle Argentina’s restart pressure.
But Philip Snyman’s men have built a reputation for never giving up, and they produced one of the great Cape Town comebacks:
- Debutant Nabo Sokoyi announced himself with a sensational 50-metre solo try, stepping inside and burning the defense.
- With 30 seconds left, Christie Grobbelaar powered over from close range after yet another turnover.
- Ricardo Duarttee’s third conversion gave South Africa a 21–19 lead.
The drama peaked on the final restart when Argentina kicked directly into touch, handing the Blitzboks one last defensive set. The Pumas threw everything at the green and gold wall, but massive hits (notably from Zain Davids and Impi Visser) forced a penalty, and the hooter sounded with the Blitzboks victorious.
Semi-final: South Africa 22–17 France Earlier, the Blitzboks survived another thriller against France. Shilton van Wyk bagged a first-minute try and a 60-metre intercept score, while Tristan Leyds produced a piece of individual magic from a quick tap. France fought back through Josselin Bouhier’s double, even levelling the game in the second half, but Ryan Oosthuizen’s turnover try sealed the deal for South Africa.
Final Scorers
South Africa 21–19 Argentina Blitzboks tries: Donavan Don, Nabo Sokoyi, Christie Grobbelaar Conversions: Ricardo Duarttee (3) Argentina tries: Luciano Gonzalez, Marcos Moneta (2) Conversions: Santiago Vera Feld (2)
South Africa 22–17 France Blitzboks tries: Shilton van Wyk (2), Tristan Leyds, Ryan Oosthuizen Conversion: Ricardo Duarttee (1) France tries: Jordan Sepho, Josselin Bouhier (2) Conversion: Stephen Parez Edo Martin (1)
The Blitzboks finished the weekend as the only unbeaten men’s team in Cape Town and now sit atop the HSBC SVNS standings after two rounds. A historic title defence, delivered in the most dramatic fashion possible. Classic Cape Town Sevens.