By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Blitzboks beat New Zealand 26-14 in a one-sided semi-final to qualify for the final of the World Championship Hong Kong Sevens event on Sunday.
They have never won the Hong Kong Sevens and it’s an opportunity of erasing that record.
It will be their first appearance in the final of the Hong Kong Sevens for almost 10 years, after they last made the final in 2017, where they were beaten by Fiji 22-0.
Only two late converted scores gave New Zealand some respectability after the Blitzboks had surged into a 26-0 lead.
Tristan Lleyds scored the first try of the match with two minutes to go in the first half, which he also converted. A yellow card for New Zealand’s Roderick Solo after the restart did not help matters for the men in black.
The Blitzboks made the most of the numbers advantage, and Sebastiaan Jobb crossed over after the hooter. Selwyn Davids converted to give the South Africans a comfortable lead at the break.
In the second half, Shilton van Wyk and Ryan Oosthuizen scored for the Blitzboks, but Akuila Rokolisoa and Michael Manson scored late consolation tries for New Zealand. Argentina beat Spain 19-12 in the other semifinal and will be defending the title they won last year at this stadium.
South Africa will face Argentina in the final (1:14pm SA time).
Meanwhile the Springbok Women’s Sevens finished their Hong Kong campaign on a disappointing note on Sunday (19/4) after being outplayed 25-10 by Argentina.