South Africa opened round two of World Rugby’s Sevens Series in Dubai on a winning note. The Blitzboks have now registered 20 wins in a row, after beating Ireland and Japan in today’s opening matches. The defending champions scored eight tries without reply when they crushed Japan 48-nil. The Blitzboks then went on to beat Ireland 21-12 in their second match to maintain their unbeaten record in Dubai.
The Series saw the return of fans to the stadium for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike Japan, Ireland offered a lot of resistance, and it took a while for Shilton van Wyk to score the first try of the match for the Blitzboks. The Blitzboks enjoyed a slender 7-nil lead at the break.
It took a brilliant effort by Selwyn Davids to find the second try. This was not a one-sided match as South Africa had to do a lot of defending. The Irish pulled one back with just less than three minutes remaining on the clock. But JC Pretorius steered South Africa into the quarter-finals when he scored South Africa’s third try. Aaron O’Sullivan scored the second try for Ireland but it was too little too late.
Earlier, the Blitzboks were the overwhelming favourites when they faced Japan in the opening match of the tournament. Neil Powell’s team did not disappoint, scoring their opening try in the opening minute through Impi Visser.
It did not take long for JC Pretorius to get the second try. South Africa managed to score two more tries in the first half and enjoyed a comfortable 24-nil lead at half-time. The Blitzboks continued where they left off in the second half, scoring an early try in the second stanza.
After scoring their sixth try, it was always going to be impossible for Japan to claw their way back into the match. Shaun Williams put the final nail in Japan’s coffin, scoring the eighth try for South Africa to register a resounding 48-nil victory.
