Blitzboks surprise NZ to qualify for semifinals in Paris
The Springbok Sevens are through to the semifinals in Paris after beating Tokyo 2020 Olympic finalists New Zealand 14-7 in the quarterfinals.
The Blitzboks raced into a 14-0 first-half lead, courtesy of tries by captain Selvyn Davids and Tristan Leyds.
New Zealand hit back just before the break.
The second half saw a wave of New Zealand attack, but the Blitzboks' defence held firm.
South Africa will face France in the medal semifinals on Saturday.
Coach Philip Snyman praised his team’s performance.
“They deserve to be in the semi-finals, as they have executed and delivered everything I have asked from them today.
“We did not play poorly on day one; we just could not get our hands on the ball. Today was a different performance, a really inspiring one.
“We needed to win big against Japan and scored seven well-worked tries, but against New Zealand, our defence was going to be crucial and I am so proud of how the guys responded.”
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