Cape Town — The Springbok Sevens team thrashed the USA 42-7 in the final of the Dubai Sevens to claim back-to-back gold medals in the Middle East.
Neil Powell’s charges went through the first Dubai leg unbeaten as they topped Pool C after overcoming Ireland, Japan and Great Britain on Day One.
The Blitzboks went into the opening tournament of the latest Series as defending champions after claiming the top podium spot at both the Vancouver and Edmonton events. With their success in Dubai, they clinched a record eighth title in the UAE.
In the final, the South Africans racked up their biggest points haul in a Cup final, beating their previous best of 40 points against New Zealand in Las Vegas in 2013.
In the Cup decider, the BlitZboks bagged a brace of tries by Player of the Final Ronald Brown and one by JC Pretorius to South Africa a handy 21-0 lead.
They continued their dominance in the second half with Brown completing his hat-trick immediately after the restart. Selvyn Davids and Shaun Williams also crossed the chalk, with the USA finally getting a late consolation try at the end the game.
In the semi, Argentina were first on the scoreboard as they went 7-0 up, but that would be the last time they made it into the South Africans’ in-goal area.
It took the defending Series champions almost a full half to get on the scoreboard.
With half time approaching, debutant Shilton van Wyk grabbed a try for the Blitzboks to level the scores at the break.
It mattered not, however.
In the second stanza, Skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi added a second try for the Blitzboks, and JC Pretorius made it three when he ran in a brilliant solo try to end the game.
In their quarter-final against Argentina, they levelled the winning streak set by the BlitZboks side in the 2008-09 Series. In their semi-final encounter, they set a new one after a struggling start. Their class shines through, however, as the team went to new heights in terms of winning stats.
In their third game on Friday, the Blitzboks overcame a rather slow start to eventually thump Great Britain 31-12 in their pool decider.
Robbie Fergusson got the first try for Brits, but the Blitzboks got right back into it with tries by Muller du Plessis – who was stretchered off the field before the break - and Soyizwapi to take the lead and hand them a 12-5 lead at the break.
Great Britain levelled the scores early in the second half, but the Blitzboks ran in three more tries by Impi Visser, Soyizwapi and Branco du Preez to bag the win.
In their second match of the day, the South Africans swept Japan aside and cruised to a 52-12 victory.
Powell’s team led 26-7 at half-time, and Siviwe Soyizwapi and Selvyn Davids bagged a brace of tries each, while Muller du Plessis, Christie Grobbelaar, Zain Davids and Shaun Williams all crossed the tryline.
Earlier on the opening day, the Blitzboks produced a clinical performance to secure a 28-7 win over Ireland in the first match.
Davids visited the opposition’s in-goal twice in the first half to give the Blitzboks a 14-0 lead early on, and two second-half tries by Brown helped them to victory as they extended the unbeaten run they started in Canada.
Sean Cribbin grabbed a late try to hand Ireland their sole five-pointer, but the Blitzboks proved too strong in their first match of the new season.
IOL Sport