Blitzboks triumph over exhaustion to win Dubai Sevens II

In a triumph of perseverance and determination, a depleted and exhausted Blitzboks team found just enough in the tank to win their second consecutive Dubai Sevens title in two weeks, beating Australia 10-7 in a tense final.

The Blitzboks, who won last week’s final by a canter against the USA, had their work cut out for them even more in week two.

Starting with only 11 of their 14 players available, it meant less substitutions and more workload for every player and while their class shone through, it was clear by the end they were running on empty.

But that is what made the victory all the more impressive. While they cantered through their pool games and coasted past Kenya into the semifinals, they were made to work hard by a France team very much in control.

Considering Australia came into the final on the back of a 40-0 win over Argentina, it was always going to be a tough ask.

And things didn’t go the Blitzboks way in the final. Those little errors, through fatigue or just pressure, started to creep in.

A forward pass here, a knock on there. Frustration aplenty and against an Australian side that did everything in their power to win, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Still, it showed the determination, and the emotion on the faces of the players - as tears flowed easily afterwards, showing just how much this team has been through to win these two tournaments.

In the end, they were out on their feet, but they were determined not to lose.

It was Siviwe Soyizwapi - the captain and so often the rock of the side that scored first. But the try was not to keep them in front for long.

Australia found a gap, then two, and before long they had put together enough passes for Corey Toole to go over and take the lead by a slim two points.

The game hung in the balance, and the tension was clear, but the Blitzboks hero of the day - the irrepressible JC Pretorius, who stepped his way to glory in the semifinal, was again the man of the hour.

The smallest of gaps was enough, he stepped left and broke the tackle and then pinned his ears back for the sprint of his life, beating the defence to score the try that would take the Blitzboks to victory.

Australia attacked hard, and was it not for an exceptional tackle in the red zone by Christi Grobbelaar, they may have stolen the game.

But the Blitzboks held on, ensuring South Africa end the year as the No 1 ranked fifteens and sevens side in World Rugby.

Yet, in the desert stadium, lovingly nicknamed the “sandpit”, it was the Blitzboks who overcame everything, including their own demons, to sit on top of the world.