Heartbreak for SA in Semi-Final Extra-Time Drama as Samoa Knock Blitboks Out

The Springbok Sevens team were knocked out of the Cup competition at the HSBC Cape Town Sevens in one of the cruellest of ways as Samoa beat them by 10-7 with a golden penalty goal in extra time of their semi-final at the DHL Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Scores were level at 7-7 at the end of regulation time, setting up extra time and the golden point rule, which stipulates that the first team to score will be deemed winners.

Samoa restarted, the Blitzboks knocked on and the referee awarded a very technical penalty to the men from the South Sea Islands, which Faafoi Falaniko calmly steered between the uprights from 40m out deny South Africa a second successive tournament final, and set up a decider against New Zealand on Sunday evening.

Before that, there was very little to separate the two teams.

Ricardo Duarttee was yellow carded for a synical infringement two minutes into the game with Samoa hot on the attack, and they capitalised soon thereafter with a converted try by Vaovasa Afa Sua.

The Blitzboks didn’t get the rub of the green from the referee at the breakdowns, which kept them on the backfoot for large parts of the first half, and neither side managed to score again, with Samoa leading by 7-0 at the break.

Samoa’s try scorer was yellow carded with four minutes to go after repeated infringements and from the ensuing penalty, Darren Adonis raced away only to lose the ball in a tackle with the try-line begging.

Ryan Oosthuizen capitalised by crashing over from a penalty shortly thereafter, with Duarttee levelling the scores with the conversion with 90 seconds left on the clock.

The score stayed 7-7 until the end, setting up extra time and Falaniko then did what was necessary for Samoa – they play New Zealand in the final at 19h56..

The Blitzboks will now face the USA in the bronze medal match, with kick-off scheduled for 18h59.

Scorers:

Springbok Sevens 7 (0) – Try: Ryan Oosthuizen. Conversion: Ricardo Duarttee.

Samoa 10 (7) – Try: Vaovasa Afa Sua. Converion: Paul Scanlan. Penalty goal: Faafoi Falaniko.

Source: SARugby