Australian Sevens captain Nick Malouf scored a golden-point try as they ousted South Africa 29-24 in their Singapore Sevens quarterfinal on Saturday.
It was a heartbreaking end for the Blitzboks, who had fought back from 17-5 down to force the game into extra time at 24-24, and were hoping to sneak through.
But a yellow card to flyer Shilton van Wyk proved exceptionally costly as he tackled Dietrich Roche high and was forced off the field.
With a man down, the gap was there for Malouf to thunder through and get the victory.
Still, it was a valiant fightback by the Blitzboks, especially after going down 17-0 early on as everything went Australia’s way.
But it was also a reminder that this side will need to improve even more if they are to feature in the final tournament of the season in Madrid as well as still achieve their aim of qualifying for the Olympics.
Zane Davids scored first by thundering down the opposite touchline and was followed in the second half by Tristan Leyds, Christie Grobbelaar and Quewin Nortje drew them level with seconds to go.
The Blitzboks will face Argentina at 9:55am on Sunday to decide fifth and sixth place.