They are the defending champions in Dubai, and the Springbok Sevens showed they mean business by thrashing Russia 45-0 to qualify for the Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
|||They are the defending champions in Dubai, and the Springbok Sevens showed they mean business by thrashing Russia 45-0 to qualify for the Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
Despite leading 19-0 at halftime, the Blitzboks didn’t let up as they scored seven tries in total against the hopelessly outclassed Russians.
While Seabelo Senatla was the stand-out player in the 33-7 win over Samoa earlier on Friday, it was veteran Rayno Benjamin who made the greatest impact for the Bok Sevens against Russia.
He was always on hand to make the pass or compete hard at the breakdown to win turnovers, and that allowed speedsters such as Seabelo Senatla and Cheslin Kolbe to flourish.
Juan de Jongh and Francois Hougaard started against Russia after being substitutes for the Samoan game, with the 15-man Boks both strong in defence. They looked a bit off the pace on attack, though, and will need more game-time against Scotland later on Friday to gain further experience.
The Russians battled to get out of their 22-metre area as the South Africans’ swarming defence smothered the Eastern Europeans, who also lacked some speed in their team.
World Sevens Player of the Year Werner Kok made an immediate impact when he came on as a substitute in the second half, finishing strongly off a lineout move inside the Russian 22.
The best try of the game was finished by Senatla when Chris Dry put in a cross-field kick inside the Bok Sevens’ half, and Benjamin jogged backwards before hitting the gap superbly to put the Stormers man away for his second touchdown.
The Blitzboks end their Friday programme against Scotland at 5.12pm ahead of Saturday’s Cup quarter-finals, but they are not likely to have ace playmaker Cecil Afrika available for the rest of the tournament after he sustained a left hamstring injury against Samoa.
Scorers:
Springbok Sevens – Tries: Seabelo Senatla (2), Chris Dry, Philip Snyman, Justin Geduld, Cheslin Kolbe, Werner Kok. Conversions: Geduld (4), Kolbe.
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