Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

All Blacks Sevens end Blitzboks’ incredible reign as Dubai champions

Players of South Africa during the pool match between France and South Africa on day one of the HSBC SVNS at The Sevens Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

South Africa’s incredible reign as the Dubai Sevens men’s champions has come to an end following a 17-24 loss to New Zealand in a dramatic quarter-final. The All Blacks bounced back from two pool stage defeats to knock their fierce rivals out of the race for title glory on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

When it comes to the Dubai Sevens, no men’s team has tasted more success at the traditional season-opening event than South Africa. The Blitzboks have been crowned champions in seven of the last eight tournaments, including a run of five on the bounce dating back to 2019.

South Africa have finished in the top four 17 times and have gone on to qualify for the Cup Final on 12 of those occasions. But the Blitzboks’ record in Dubai’s big sevens dance speaks for itself with the South Africans winning it 11 times, while New Zealand have the next-best record.

With Spain awaiting the victor in the Dubai semi-finals, South Africa looked to progress through to the final four when they came up against traditional foe New Zealand. This was the first meeting between the sides since their tense quarter-final at the Paris Olympic Games.

South Africa won two of their three pool matches on the opening day of the new HSBC SVNS Series season, while New Zealand suffered two defeats which included a shock loss to Spain. But they both did enough to move on to the next stage of the event in the Dubai desert.

It was a nervy start to the quarter-final as both teams traded blows in the first four minutes without knocking their opponent down by way of points. But Quewin Nortje, who last season was nominated for the SVNS Rookie of the Year award, broke the deadlock.

Ngarohi McGarvey-Black hit back for the All Blacks Sevens a couple of minutes later, with the scores locked at seven-all at the break. Nortje and McGarvey-Black both completed doubles before Donavan Don gave the Blitzboks the lead with two minutes left.

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa were in the box seat, but only for a moment, with New Zealand’s Sofai Maka racing away for the go-ahead try with one minute left to play. That was Maka’s first try on the SVNS Series, and the New Zealander would have a second before the match was done.

Maka somersaulted over the try line with time up on the clock as the All Blacks Sevens booked their spot in the next stage, and sent the Blitzboks packing from title contention. McGarey-Black was visibly tired after full-time but still stopped to talk about that thrilling contest.

“We had a tough conversation yesterday, last night, after going down to Spain and then going down to Fiji,” McGarvey-Black said on the RugbyPass TV broadcast.

“Mentally we’ve just been talking about tough men and to be down two games and then come back to beat the reigning champs, can’t get a better feeling.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We had to get one over them as well because they pipped us at the Olympics… it feels good.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HSBC SVNS (@svnsseries)

Spain were the first men’s side to book their spot in the semi-finals after leaving it late in an all-time classic clash with Great Britain. Captain Pol Pla was the hero on both sides of the ball for Espana during a tense first-half which was also locked at seven-all at the break.

With GB ahead 14-12, they had a chance to all but wrap up the quarter-final after being awarded a lineout with about 30 seconds, but a mistake gifted Spain the ball with the try line within sight. As they’ve shown time and time again this weekend, they’re good enough to strike.

Anton Legorburu Anso ended up crashing over in the corner in the 15th minute, with Spanish swarming the try-scorer as they began to celebrate that historic achievement. They had qualified for their second-ever men’s semi-final, with their first coming in LA last season.

On the other side of the draw, Viwa Naduvalo was the hero for Fiji as they knocked defending SVNS Series champions France out of the title race 19-17. With time up on the clock, Naduvalo flew down the left wing to score the match-winning try.

France had taken the lead in the 14th minute through Victor Hannoun, but the conversion that followed was slightly too quick which allowed time for the restart. That’s all the opportunity Fiji needed after fielding the kick-off to steal the win.

Fiji will take on last season’s League Winners, Argentina, in the second semi-final following their nail-biting 22-20 win over Australia. Henry Paterson scored a hat-trick for the Aussies but Los Pumas Sevens did enough to take the win.

Australia missed a conversion with less than 30 seconds left to play. If that attempt had been successful, this quarter-final could’ve gone to golden point, but it wasn’t to be in the end as Argentina march on.

Tobias Wade, Marcons Moneta, German Schultz, Luciano Gonzalez and former captain Santiago Alvarez all got on the scoreboard as the Argentinians moved one step closer to the Cup Final – looking to go one better this time after finishing second last season.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

Cape Town | Leg 1 | Day 1

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Men's Day Three Highlights

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Women's Day Three Highlights

"I would love to play with Siya Kolisi" | HSBC Life on Tour | Vancouver

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Behind the Scenes with the Stars of the Kenya Rugby Sevens Team | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 7

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

2 Comments
B
Baksteen 90 days ago

dont get to read much about world rugby coach of the year. will have to catch up all about it at the awards next year

E
EatBreath7s 90 days ago

Extraordinarily good game by the 2 teams, SAs defence vs the NZs structure, would have been happy if it was the final

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

E
Ethan Golding 1 hour ago
'You could really feel his Fijian power': Ardie Savea praises Highlanders captain

Hello netizens, I'm writing to detail a serious incident involving the illicit transfer of my ETH cryptocurrency from my wallet. This unauthorized transaction, executed without my consent or awareness, strongly suggested a sophisticated hacking or phishing attack on me. The immediate transfer of funds to an unidentified digital address necessitated swift action. I immediately engaged RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, a premier cybersecurity firm, to investigate and reclaim my stolen Ethereum. RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS's thorough examination pinpointed the exact time and origin IP address of the unauthorized transfer. Remarkably, within hours of their involvement, my Ethereum was restored to my digital wallet. Beyond the successful recovery, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS significantly bolstered my online security and my household. This included implementing robust multi-factor authentication across all my accounts, deploying cutting-edge anti-malware software, and providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. They also offered invaluable guidance on recognizing and preventing future phishing scams, stressing the vital importance of verifying website and email authenticity before interacting with links or sensitive data. Their dedication to safeguarding my digital assets went beyond simply retrieving my funds, they ensured lasting protection against future compromises. I wholeheartedly endorse their professionalism and exceptional problem-solving skills in addressing this critical matter. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are truly exceptional. Their mastery of complex legal and technical issues makes them highly deserving of recommendation.

support@rudercybertechsleuths.com

whatsapp: +12132801476

Telegram : @rudercybersleuths

0 Go to comments
E
Ethan Golding 2 hours ago
Have England suddenly become a 'lucky' team?

Hello netizens, I'm writing to detail a serious incident involving the illicit transfer of my ETH cryptocurrency from my wallet. This unauthorized transaction, executed without my consent or awareness, strongly suggested a sophisticated hacking or phishing attack on me. The immediate transfer of funds to an unidentified digital address necessitated swift action. I immediately engaged RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, a premier cybersecurity firm, to investigate and reclaim my stolen Ethereum. RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS's thorough examination pinpointed the exact time and origin IP address of the unauthorized transfer. Remarkably, within hours of their involvement, my Ethereum was restored to my digital wallet. Beyond the successful recovery, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS significantly bolstered my online security and my household. This included implementing robust multi-factor authentication across all my accounts, deploying cutting-edge anti-malware software, and providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. They also offered invaluable guidance on recognizing and preventing future phishing scams, stressing the vital importance of verifying website and email authenticity before interacting with links or sensitive data. Their dedication to safeguarding my digital assets went beyond simply retrieving my funds, they ensured lasting protection against future compromises. I wholeheartedly endorse their professionalism and exceptional problem-solving skills in addressing this critical matter. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are truly exceptional. Their mastery of complex legal and technical issues makes them highly deserving of recommendation.

support@rudercybertechsleuths.com

whatsapp: +12132801476

Telegram : @rudercybersleuths

92 Go to comments
E
Ethan Golding 2 hours ago
Have England suddenly become a 'lucky' team?

Hello netizens, I'm writing to detail a serious incident involving the illicit transfer of my ETH cryptocurrency from my wallet. This unauthorized transaction, executed without my consent or awareness, strongly suggested a sophisticated hacking or phishing attack on me. The immediate transfer of funds to an unidentified digital address necessitated swift action. I immediately engaged RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, a premier cybersecurity firm, to investigate and reclaim my stolen Ethereum. RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS's thorough examination pinpointed the exact time and origin IP address of the unauthorized transfer. Remarkably, within hours of their involvement, my Ethereum was restored to my digital wallet. Beyond the successful recovery, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS significantly bolstered my online security and my household. This included implementing robust multi-factor authentication across all my accounts, deploying cutting-edge anti-malware software, and providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. They also offered invaluable guidance on recognizing and preventing future phishing scams, stressing the vital importance of verifying website and email authenticity before interacting with links or sensitive data. Their dedication to safeguarding my digital assets went beyond simply retrieving my funds, they ensured lasting protection against future compromises. I wholeheartedly endorse their professionalism and exceptional problem-solving skills in addressing this critical matter. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are truly exceptional. Their mastery of complex legal and technical issues makes them highly deserving of recommendation.

support@rudercybertechsleuths.com

whatsapp: +12132801476

Telegram : @rudercybersleuths

92 Go to comments
E
Ethan Golding 2 hours ago
Former All Black Craig Newby lands head coach role in England

Hello netizens, I'm writing to detail a serious incident involving the illicit transfer of my ETH cryptocurrency from my wallet. This unauthorized transaction, executed without my consent or awareness, strongly suggested a sophisticated hacking or phishing attack on me. The immediate transfer of funds to an unidentified digital address necessitated swift action. I immediately engaged RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, a premier cybersecurity firm, to investigate and reclaim my stolen Ethereum. RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS's thorough examination pinpointed the exact time and origin IP address of the unauthorized transfer. Remarkably, within hours of their involvement, my Ethereum was restored to my digital wallet. Beyond the successful recovery, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS significantly bolstered my online security and my household. This included implementing robust multi-factor authentication across all my accounts, deploying cutting-edge anti-malware software, and providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. They also offered invaluable guidance on recognizing and preventing future phishing scams, stressing the vital importance of verifying website and email authenticity before interacting with links or sensitive data. Their dedication to safeguarding my digital assets went beyond simply retrieving my funds, they ensured lasting protection against future compromises. I wholeheartedly endorse their professionalism and exceptional problem-solving skills in addressing this critical matter. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are truly exceptional. Their mastery of complex legal and technical issues makes them highly deserving of recommendation.

support@rudercybertechsleuths.com

whatsapp: +12132801476

Telegram : @rudercybersleuths

0 Go to comments
E
Ethan Golding 2 hours ago
Former All Black Craig Newby lands head coach role in England

Hello netizens, I'm writing to detail a serious incident involving the illicit transfer of my ETH cryptocurrency from my wallet. This unauthorized transaction, executed without my consent or awareness, strongly suggested a sophisticated hacking or phishing attack on me. The immediate transfer of funds to an unidentified digital address necessitated swift action. I immediately engaged RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS, a premier cybersecurity firm, to investigate and reclaim my stolen Ethereum. RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS's thorough examination pinpointed the exact time and origin IP address of the unauthorized transfer. Remarkably, within hours of their involvement, my Ethereum was restored to my digital wallet. Beyond the successful recovery, RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTHS significantly bolstered my online security and my household. This included implementing robust multi-factor authentication across all my accounts, deploying cutting-edge anti-malware software, and providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. They also offered invaluable guidance on recognizing and preventing future phishing scams, stressing the vital importance of verifying website and email authenticity before interacting with links or sensitive data. Their dedication to safeguarding my digital assets went beyond simply retrieving my funds, they ensured lasting protection against future compromises. I wholeheartedly endorse their professionalism and exceptional problem-solving skills in addressing this critical matter. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are truly exceptional. Their mastery of complex legal and technical issues makes them highly deserving of recommendation.

support@rudercybertechsleuths.com

whatsapp: +12132801476

Telegram : @rudercybersleuths

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Bewildered Ellis Genge hits back at ‘out of touch’ England critics Bewildered Ellis Genge hits back at ‘out of touch’ England critics
Search