After suffering a disappointing 19-14 golden-point defeat to Great Britain in their opening Pool A clash, the Blitzboks responded in style by overpowering Kenya 26-5. The victory restored confidence and momentum ahead of Saturday’s crucial pool decider against Fiji.

The contrast between South Africa’s two performances could hardly have been greater.

Ricardo Duarttee. Photo: World Rugby

Against Kenya, the Blitzboks looked much closer to the side that has spent most of the season challenging for top honours. Their opening try showcased everything that makes sevens rugby so exciting – strong running lines, clever support play and precise offloads. The move ended with Shilton van Wyk crossing the whitewash to hand South Africa an early lead.

The second try was equally impressive. Quick hands and excellent support runners created space out wide, allowing Quewin Nortje and Van Wyk to exploit their pace. Van Wyk finished off the move as the Blitzboks took a 12-0 advantage into the halftime break.

South Africa maintained their dominance after the restart, continually putting Kenya under pressure while winning the physical battle.

Jayden Nell. Photo: World Rugby

Nortje added the third try after collecting a looping pass from Ricardo Duarttee off a scrum before racing away to score. Duarttee’s conversion stretched the lead to 19-0.

The speedster then grabbed his second try of the match, again from a scrum move, with Duarttee providing the perfect service to release him down the blindside.

Kenya managed a late consolation score through George Ooro Angeyo, but by then the result was long beyond doubt as the Blitzboks completed a commanding 26-5 victory.

Earlier in the day, however, South Africa looked like a shadow of themselves against Great Britain.

Selvyn Davids. Photo: World Rugby

Despite entering the tournament as one of the leading contenders, the Blitzboks struggled to find rhythm and were punished by an energetic British outfit that belied their lowly position on the series standings.

The inclusion of Scotland’s prolific Test try-scorer Darcy Graham added quality to the British side, and he made an immediate impact.

Great Britain dominated the early exchanges and opened the scoring after a sustained attacking spell exposed weaknesses in the South African defence.

Moments later, a promising Blitzbok attack ended with a forward pass, and Britain capitalised instantly. Graham burst through some soft tackling to score under the posts, and suddenly South Africa found themselves trailing 14-0.

Ryan Oosthuizen and Christie Grobbelaar. Photo: World Rugby

The situation worsened when Jayden Nell was forced from the field following an injury sustained while attempting a tackle after a misfired lineout. The lengthy stoppage appeared to spark the Blitzboks into life.

With Britain reduced to six players following a yellow card, South Africa struck twice through Duarttee. His first try came just before halftime to reduce the deficit to 14-7, and shortly after the restart, he intercepted a pass and sprinted 60 metres to level the scores.

Duarttee converted both tries to make it 14-14 and give South Africa a route back into the contest. Sebastiaan Jobb was later shown a yellow card, but the Blitzboks defended resolutely to keep Britain at bay.

Dylan Leyds. Photo: World Rugby

The closing stages were packed with drama. South Africa received a reprieve when a potential British match-winning try was overturned following a TMO review, forcing the game into extra time.

However, the momentum swung again when Duarttee was sent to the sin bin for a tip tackle during golden-point time. With the numerical advantage, Great Britain eventually crossed for the decisive score to secure a 19-14 victory.

While the opening defeat was a setback, the emphatic response against Kenya ensured the Blitzboks remain well placed heading into a mouth-watering showdown with Fiji on Saturday. This match will kick-off at 11:06.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg