The Blitzboks needed extra time to beat a fired up Great Britain in their first match of the Spain Sevens.
Tristan Leyds scored the winning try in extra time for the Blitzboks in their first game of the Spain Sevens against Great Britain in Valladolid on Friday afternoon. Picture: David Van Der Sandt/Gallo Images
The Blitzboks were pushed to the brink before earning a 17-12 extra time win over Great Britain in the second of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events, at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid, Spain on Friday afternoon.
The Blitzboks were heavy favourites for the match, with them top of the table after winning the first World Champs event in Hong Kong last month, while Great Britain were down in 10th place.
But the team from the UK put in a solid showing and almost stunned the series leaders, before Tristan Leyds hit a gap to go over during extra time.
It was a poor start to the match from the Blitzboks as they had early possession in the Great Britain half, but a few mistakes didn’t allow them to take advantage.
That saw Great Britain take the lead in the fifth minute as two breaks up field ended with Charlton Kerr brushing off the last defender and going in for what should have been a converted score, only for it to come back off the uprights.
Level at halftime
Despite not being at their best the Blitzboks levelled the scores on the halftime hooter, as they attacked from a scrum in their own 22m, where Leyds gave a good ball to Shilton van Wyk who hit a gap and raced away for the unconverted try to make it 5-all at the break.
Great Britain started well in the second half, but the Blitzboks hit the front with another break away from a scrum in their own half, with Dewald Human kicking the ball ahead for Sebastiaan Jobb to chase and dot down, with Human adding the extras for a 12-7 lead going into the final three minutes.
The Blitzboks were then made to pay for their poor showing with Great Britain scoring on the fulltime hooter, as Ben Salmon chased down a kick to score, with the conversion from Tom Burton sending the game to extra time.
It was attacks from their scrum that had brought them joy in the match, and it was fitting that the Blitzboks scored a third from that platform, this time in the Great Britian 22m early in extra time, with Leyds going over to seal the win.
Scorers
Blitzboks: Tries – Shilton van Wyk, Sebastiaan Jobb, Tristan Leyds; Conversion – Dewald Human
Great Britain: Tries – Charlton Kerr, Ben Salmon; Conversion – Tom Burton
