Donavan Don’s second-half try saw the Blitzboks beat Argentina in a tense encounter at the Perth Sevens on Saturday.
The Blitzboks won 19-12 after leading 14-7 at the break. They beat Spain 33-14 earlier in the day and face Fiji in their final Pool A match at 12:52pm (SA time).
There was little between the sides in the opening exchanges, but the momentum of the first half shifted when Argentina were reduced to six men after Pedro de Haro was shown a yellow card.
The Blitzboks capitalised quickly, with Christie Grobbelaar finishing after sustained pressure. Ricardo Duarttee added the conversion.
Argentina responded with patience. A sharp break from Marcos Moneta opened space and he finished clinically, with De Haro converting to level the scores.
The contest remained evenly balanced as the half wore on, but the Blitzboks struck just before the interval. Duarttee sliced through the defensive line and released Zain Davids in support, who stepped the final defender to score under the posts. Tristan Leyds converted.
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The Blitzboks enjoyed early possession after the restart but a knock-on deep inside opposition territory handed momentum back. Argentina exploited the turnover immediately, shifting the ball wide for Santino Zangara, who raced the length of the field to cut the deficit to 14-12.
The Blitzboks responded with a moment of magic. Don broke the line with a sharp dummy, darting into the Argentina half. He looked to have been caught by a scrambling defence but one final dummy opened up the tryline.
Argentina earned one final opportunity after the hooter, opting for a scrum and attacking down the blindside. However, a disciplined Blitzboks defence forced them into touch.
Photo: David Van Der Sandt/Gallo Images
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