Embattled Blitzboks beat old foe Fiji to keep Toulouse Sevens dream alive

After a horror start to the Toulouse Sevens in which they went down 31-7 to hosts France earlier on Friday, the Blitzboks turned things around in their second Pool C clash against Fiji.

South Africa ran out 24-7 winners scoring four tries and only conceding one in a much-improved performance. 

The Blitzboks need to make the semi-finals at Toulouse to keep their chances of automatic Olympic qualification on track.

Sandile Ngcobo's charges were off to the best possible start in a game played in torrential rain as Dewald Human saw them to a 5-0 lead with an unconverted try from a quick tap penalty in the second minute.

Mfundo Ndhlovu extended South Africa's lead just before the break, scoring in the right-hand corner.

Human slotted a difficult conversion as the Blitzboks went into the break 12-0 up.

Fiji scored first in the second half as they launched a long-range breakout in which several players handled the ball for Waisea Nacuqu to score under the poles.

Nacuqu converted his own try to cut the Blitzboks' lead to 12-7 with five minutes left in the match.

The Blitzboks scored next, and their effort was a long-range try, too, as Shilton van Wyk kicked ahead before darting in ahead of a Fijian defender to tap the ball over the line and score an unconverted try.

South Africa now led 17-7 with three minutes remaining which meant Fiji needed to score twice if they hoped to win the encounter. 

Needing to run from deep, the Blitzboks pinned Fiji deep in their own half.

After a handling error gifted the ball to South Africa, Ricardo Duarttee scored their fourth try and sealed the match at the death.

The win gives South Africa a chance of progressing to the knock-out rounds as they currently sit in second position in Pool C.

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