Blitzboks defend HSBC SVNS Cape Town title

By: Byron Lukas

The Springbok Sevens defended their HSBC SVNS Cape Town crown thrillingly on Sunday, edging Argentina 21-19 in a pulsating final that kept the 31,941-strong crowd on their feet until the last second.

Late defensive stand seals historic win

Despite both sides scoring three tries each, it was a final act of defensive grit, with the clock in the red, that sealed the Blitzboks’ place in history as the first team to defend the Cape Town title successfully.

Argentina strike first

The path to victory was anything but straightforward. Argentina surged into a 19-7 lead early in the second half, capitalising on South African errors. Luciano Gonzalez opened the scoring from a midfield scrum, his conversion giving Argentina a 7-0 lead.

The Blitzboks hit back quickly as Zain Davids intercepted inside his own 22, releasing Donavan Don for a converted try that levelled matters at 7-7.

Momentum swings after the break

Argentina struck twice more through Marcos Moneta, first straight from the restart for 14-7, then again after the break with blistering pace to push the Pumas ahead by 12.

With momentum slipping, South Africa turned to fresh legs and raw determination. Debutant Nabo Sokoyi danced past a defender and sprinted 50m to score, with Ricardo Duarttee converting to cut the deficit to 19-14.

Final push and match-winning defence

An arm-wrestle followed, but the Blitzboks forced a crucial turnover and sent Christie Grobbelaar under the uprights. Duarttee’s kick gave them a 21-19 lead with half a minute remaining.

Argentina earned one final chance after the restart went directly into touch, but the South African defence held firm, culminating in a match-winning penalty.