The Blitzboks’ valiant run in Vancouver ended in heartbreak in the final as a dominant Argentina claimed a 19-12 victory, securing another SVNS tournament title. Despite a heroic semifinal win over Fiji with only six men, fatigue and key moments going against them saw South Africa fall just short in the decider.
TOUGH FINAL AGAINST A RELENTLESS ARGENTINA SIDE
The physicality of Los Pumas 7s was evident from the first whistle. Luciano Gonzalez wasted no time, crossing the try line in the opening minute before repeating the feat just two minutes later. With Joaquin Pellandini’s boot adding the extras, Argentina stormed to a 12-0 halftime lead.
South Africa tried to fight their way back, but Tobias Wade’s try early in the second half extended Argentina’s lead to 19-0, leaving the Blitzboks with an uphill battle. Quewin Nortje and Siviwe Soyizwapi finally got on the scoreboard with two well-worked tries, but time ran out before they could complete the comeback.
📌 Full-Time Score: Argentina 🇦🇷 19-12 🇿🇦 Blitzboks
🏉 Tries:
• Argentina: Luciano Gonzalez (1’, 3’), Tobias Wade (7’)
• Blitzboks: Quewin Nortje (8’), Siviwe Soyizwapi (9’)
🎯 Conversions:
• Argentina: Joaquin Pellandini (3’, 7’)
• Blitzboks: Selvyn Davids (10’)
THE SEMIFINAL HEROICS THAT TOOK THEIR TOLL
Before stepping onto the field for the final, the Blitzboks pulled off an astonishing win against Fiji, playing with six men for the majority of the match after Sebastiaan Jobb was sent off early. Their grit and determination saw them hold on for a 12-10 win, but the physical and mental toll was evident in the final.
PHILIP SNYMAN: “OUR GOALS REMAIN ON TRACK”
Despite the loss, head coach Philip Snyman remained positive about the team’s overall progress in the SVNS series.
📢 “We want to reach at least the semifinals of every tournament, and we are at three out of four there,” said Snyman. “Sebastiaan Jobb and Zander Reynders got good game time during the tournament, which is great for our squad depth.”
He acknowledged that while there were mistakes, they were fixable. “The mistakes we made can be fixed, and we can tweak one or two things, so we are in a good spot at the moment.”
SVNS TITLE RACE: BLITZBOKS STILL IN THE HUNT
With three out of four semifinal finishes so far this season, the Blitzboks remain one of the top contenders for the overall title. They currently sit joint third in the standings, tied with Fiji, and just behind Argentina and Spain, who have proven to be dangerous challengers.
🔢 Current SVNS Standings:
🥇 Argentina
🥈 Spain
🥉 Blitzboks & Fiji (tied for third place)
WHAT’S NEXT? CAN THE BLITZBOKS STRIKE BACK?
With the next SVNS stop fast approaching, the Blitzboks will regroup, reset, and focus on closing the gap at the top of the standings. The work done in Stellenbosch is paying off, and while they weren’t quite good enough on the day, they remain serious contenders for the SVNS 2025 title.
The road to glory is far from over. Can the Blitzboks bounce back and claim their next title? Let us know what you think in the comments below! 👇🏆🇿🇦
🗞 Story by justplainsport.com/
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