In the semi-finals on Sunday, the Blitzboks were edged 17-12 by hosts Australia in a game that went into extra time and saw some questionable calls go against South Africa.

In the bronze final, the once-minnows Spain beat the Blitzboks 14-7, as South Africa closed out their tournament with back-to-back defeats.

The Blitzboks coach and former Cheetahs winger, Philip Snyman, said he was disappointed with the final day, albeit he was happy that his team managed to reach the semi-finals and claim valuable log points.

“We want to be consistent, and if you finish in the top four in each tournament, it will not only show consistency but will ultimately put you in contention to be top of the log at the end of the series,” said the former Blitzboks captain.

“The performances today were a bit of a mixed bag, and we did not achieve the standards we set for ourselves.”

While Snyman acknowledged their top-four finish at the tournament in Western Australia, he was not impressed with his team’s discipline on the final day, which left them suffering defeats in games they could have and should have won.

Heartbreak for the @Blitzboks ??

Spain take the win to secure a bronze medal finish in Perth ??????

?? Stream #HSBCSVNS on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 pic.twitter.com/pmdoBWbHNh

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) January 26, 2025

“We conceded nine or ten penalties against Australia and then three yellow cards against Spain. That is not good enough, and you will not be successful if that becomes a trend. We will have to work harder in those areas, and it’s something we will focus on once we get back home and start preparing for the next tournament in Vancouver.

“In some tournaments, you will get a good bounce of the ball and, in others, a bad call or two, but that was not why we did not win. We were just not clinical enough when it mattered.

Finished strong

“We finished strong last night with what was a very good performance against Fiji – probably our best of the season – but we were just not as clinical today. That is something we can work on, and we will.”

The next stop in the Sevens World Series is the Vancouver 7s, which will be played from 21 to 23 February.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg