BlitzBoks are pure GOLD!
COMMONWEALTH GAMES REPORT: South Africa claimed gold in Birmingham on Sunday, demolishing the highly-rated Fijian team.
The BlitzBoks beat Fiji 31-7 in a pulsating Sevens Final.
They scored five tries to one, with Muller du Plessis bagging a brace.
The South Africans made a great start and scored three well-worked tries in the opening half, while keeping the dangerous Fijian runners in check with excellent tackling and great counter-attacking play.
They deservingly led 17-0 at the break in the Coventry Stadium, while in the second half they combined their heroic defensive effort with equally great finishing performances.
South Africa played without the dynamic playmaker Ronald Brown, who was injured in the semifinal win over Australia earlier in the day, while regular skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi was also out with an injury suffered on Saturday.
Muller du Plessis opened the scoring from a pinpoint Selvyn Davids cross-kick, an early sign of things to come.
JC Pretorius scored the second in the same corner after a sustained passage of attacking play, with South Africa looking well after the ball in contact.
That put them 12-0 ahead.
Shaun Williams scored the third try as the menacing Pretorius stole another crucial turnover to put the little speedster away, the try handing South Africa a 17-0 half-time advantage.
After the break, Du Plessis then ran in for his second off an excellent cut-out pass from Selvyn Davids. Williams nailed the angled conversion to stretch the lead to 24-0 and left Fiji with a mountain to climb.
Fiji eventually got on the scoreboard when Nacuqu went over for a converted try to reduce the deficit to 7-24.
However, the BlitzBoks were not to be denied.
Mfundo Ndhlovu scored the final try with seconds remaining to seal a brilliant gold medal performance, denying Fiji the remaining major title that have escaped them at previous Commonwealth Games.
It was South Africa’s gold medal at the Commonwealth Games – having also won in Glasgow in 2014.
(Continue below …)
* Earlier on Sunday, Angelo Davids scored his third hat-trick of the Games as the South Africans recovered from an early 0-5 deficit to gain a comfortable victory.
The BlitzBoks team defeated Australia 24-12 at Coventry Stadium on Sunday.
Angelo Davids scored his third hat-trick of the Games as the South Africans recovered from an early 0-5 deficit to gain a comfortable victory.
The two teams went into the half-time break locked even at 12-all, after an entertaining first half.
However, South Africa pulled away in the second half to book their spot in the grand finale.
Australia drew first blood when Mark Nawaqanitawase powered through to put the Aussies 5-0 ahead.
Angelo Davids then continued his prolific try-scoring form at the Games when he scored his eighth try following a clever grubber from playmaker Selvyn Davids, with Ronald Brown’s conversion putting SA 7-5 ahead.
But the Aussies hit back immediately with a clever attack which saw Matthew Gonzalez go in under the posts to regain the lead at 12-7.
However, there was just enough time before halftime for Davids to score his second of the half, from a line-out set-play, to draw the teams level at the break (12-all).
After the restart, Selvyn Davids charged down a kick and collected the loose ball to score in the corner, with a brilliant conversion edging SA ahead by 19-12.
Angelo Davids was then denied another try when he was caught short of the line with a desperate tackle.
However, in the next movement, he bagged his hat-trick when the flyer scored out wide from a well-worked move. SA was now in control at 24-12 and all they needed to do was to manage the time until the final whistle.
They will now face the formidable Fijians in the Final in an attempt to win their second gold medal after their success of 2014.
Fiji beat New Zealand 19-14 with a golden try in extra-time in the first semifinal, which served up a sevens classic between the two South Pacific rivals.
