Perth SVNS: BlitzBoks take charge of difficult Pool

01/24/2025 10:06 AM

DAY ONE WRAP: The BlitzBoks lead a tight Pool A on maximum points after wins over the USA and hosts Australia at the Perth SVNS.

Both victories were nail-biters. The South Africans edged the USA 24-19 before their hard-fought 10-7 win over the Aussies.

Meanwhile, Uruguay made the big headlines as the South Americans overcame traditional Sevens powerhouses Fiji and New Zealand to lead Pool C.

Spain continued their scintillating start to the season with a pair of victories over Great Britain and Ireland to lead Pool B alongside Olympic champions France.

POOL A: BlitzBoks on top

But Los Pumas' Tobias Wade scored his second of the game to settle matters in favour of reigning Perth champions in the first period of extra time. It finished 31-26.

After Argentina-Australia had got the Perth crowd on their feet, South Africa and the USA dished up another toe-to-toe thriller. Ronald Brown eventually settled the result with a touchdown in the final minute, as the BlitzBoks won 24-19.

Argentina were dragged into extra time again late in the day against the USA. A late try for Santiago Alvarez looked to have decided a hard-fought game. But Jack Wendling levelled the scores at 19-19 with the clock in the red. As conditions became more difficult, the USA survived a prolonged period of pressure before Faitala Talapusi went 85m to claim a 24-19 win.

South Africa enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the first half of a hard-fought match against Australia but went in at the break 5-7 down after James Turner charged over just before the break.

David Brits forced his way to the line after 12 minutes to bag the win 10-7.

The BlitzBoks face a difficult final match against Argentina, while the USA take on Australia, with all four sides still in the hunt for a quarterfinal place.

POOL B: France and Spain set up Saturday pool decider

They had to work even harder in their second outing, surviving two spells a player down to yellow cards, as they beat Great Britain 12-0, Jordan Sepho and Celian Pouzelgues scoring their tries.

Spain, runners-up in Dubai and fourth in Cape Town, held off a determined challenge from Great Britain to win their opening match in Perth 12-7 – before Eduardo Lopez scored two of their three tries as they beat Ireland 21-5.

France and Spain will meet on Saturday to decide the top two spots, while Great Britain and Ireland will battle it out for third in the pool.

POOL C – Uruguay spring double day one shocks

But that result was nothing compared to what happened later as a memorable debut for Ignacio Rodriguez, who scored within 10 seconds of the kick-off and added a second at the end of the first half, saw Uruguay beat New Zealand 17-12 to record their first-ever win over the All Blacks Sevens and make certain of a place in the top eight.

After their opening match upset, Fiji recovered to come from behind and beat Kenya 21-14, extending their winning streak over the African nation to 14 matches.

Earlier three unanswered second-half tries saw New Zealand open their account at Perth with a 29-14 win over an effervescent Kenya after Frank Vaenuku got things off to a spectacular start with a memorable first international Sevens try.

Uruguay will look to complete a memorable Pool C sweep against Kenya on Saturday, while New Zealand face Fiji.

Women

Olympic Champions New Zealand and Japan lead women's pool A following opening day wins over last season's Perth winners Ireland, and Brazil for whom Thalia Costa became her nation's first player to reach the 100 SVNS Series try milestone, claiming three tries on day one in Perth to bring her career tally to 101.

North American rivals the USA and Canada top Pool B after beating Fiji and Great Britain on Day One, while France joins Australia in qualifying for Saturday's quarter-finals from Pool C.

POOL A – 100 up for Brazil's Costa

Costa brought up her century of touchdowns in her 29th tournament early in Brazil's second outing of the day, against Japan. It wasn't long before she ticked her overall tally to 101 as they raced into a 12-0 lead. But Brazil could not hold on, as Honoka Tsutsumi, Marin Kajiki, and Suzuha Okamoto crossed for a 19-12 win.

It was Japan's second comeback win of the opening day, as they fought hard to beat much-changed defending Perth champions Ireland 14-7 after Robyn O'Connor had opened her international sevens try account.

Risi Pouri-Lane and Dhys Faleafaga bagged two apiece as the Black Ferns Sevens doubled down on their victory over Brazil with a convincing eight-try 46-0 win over Ireland to set up a Saturday Pool A decider against Japan, while Ireland and Brazil will both look to finish the group phase on a high.

POOL B: Canada and USA go two for two on day one

But the Olympic silver medalists had to work hard to beat a determined Fiji, Apps scoring the crucial try after 12 minutes as they came from behind to win 14-12 and make it two from two on day one.

The rebuilding Fijiana had already made Paris bronze medalists USA work hard for their 21-19 win. Nia Tolliver's second try of the match, and 15th on this year's HSBC SVNS Series, decided the result late in the second half.

Ariana Ramsey scored a hat-trick and Tolliver ran in another as the USA rather more comfortably beat Great Britain 26-5 to join Canada on twin victories on the opening day in Perth and set up a Pool B decider against their neighbours to the north on Saturday.

Fiji, meanwhile, meet Great Britain in the opening match on Saturday. Those two losing bonus points could prove crucial in the final pool mix.

POOL C: Four in two for Levi as Australia take charge

The older Levi sister later scored a first-half hat-trick as Australia eased to a 43-0 win over Spain in the final match of the day at HBF Park. Faith Nathan, Isabella Nasser, Ruby Nicholas, and Mackenzie Davis also scored for the hosts.

France opened their account with a rather messy 31-5 win over Spain, courtesy of a double either side of half-time for Alycia Chrystiaens and tries for Hada Traoré, in her first outing since 2023, Lou Noel and Anne-Cecile Ciofani.

Valentine Lothoz scored shortly before halftime to give Les Bleues a slender lead over China, before they pulled away with two more tries in the second to win 21-0 and set up a pool decider against Australia on Saturday.

Spain, meanwhile, will take on China.

Day One results:

Men:

Women:

Day Two Schedule
(Kick-off is local time – GMT plus eight hours)

Men:

Ninth-place semifinals:

Best Fourth Place v Second Best Fourth Place (16.43)
Third Best Third v Best Fourth Place (17.05)

Quarterfinals:

Second Pool B v Second Pool C (17.27)
First Pool A v Second Best Third (17.49)
First Pool C v Second Pool A (18.19)
First Pool B v Best Third (18.41)

Women:

Ninth-place semifinals:

Best Fourth Place v Second Best Fourth Place (19.03)
Third Best Third v Best Fourth Place (19.25)

Quarterfinals:

Second Pool B v Second Pool C (20.02)
First Pool A v Second Best Third (20.24)
First Pool C v Second Pool A - (20.46)
First Pool B v Best Third (21.08)