The Blitzboks Overpower Japan To Earn a Quarterfinal Spot at the 2024 Olympics
- After two losses on the opening day, the Blitzboks pulled off an impressive display against Japan by beating them 49-5 on Thursday, 25 July 2024
- The Blitzboks ran in seven converted tries to ensure a quarterfinal date against New Zealand
- Veteran Rosko Specman said the side needs to stick to their tactics if they aim to finish strong at the Olympics
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The Blitzboks secured their place in the next round of the 2024 Olympics Sevens tournament after a convincing 49-5 victory over Japan on Thursday, 25 July 2024.
After losing to Ireland and New Zealand on Wednesday, 24 July, the Blitzboks needed to beat Japan by 21 points to qualify as the seventh-placed team for the quarterfinals.
Blitzboks bounced back from defeats
Specman speaks about victory over Japan in the video below:
Speaking on the Blitzboks Twitter (X) profile, Sevens veteran Rosko Specman said the side finally showed Paris their true colours.
Specman said:
“If this team can do all the basics well, then we are a very dangerous side. The guys saw out there today what we can do if we must just keep in the structure that the coach tells us to do.”
Blitzboks produced a perfect performance
The Blitzboks, aiming for a medal at the Paris event, got off to a quick start against Japan after tries from Zain Davids, Impi Visser and Shilton van Wyk in the first five minutes.
Tristan Leyds converted all of the early tries and maintained his 100 per cent conversion rate after extending Ryan Oosthuizen’s brace of tries just before halftime.
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In the second half, the Blitzboks made several changes, which dropped their momentum but continued to overpower the Japanese defence.
The Blitzboks’ continued pressure finally paid off in the 12th minute when veteran Specman crossed the line before Van Wyk completed his brace in extra time.
Substitute Ronald Brown converted the second-half tries to ensure that the Blitzbok ended the match with seven converted tries, while Kazuma Ueda put Japan on the board in the 11th minute.
Blitzboks has a chance for vengeance
The victory over Japan will not only come as a relief for the Blitzboks but will also give them a chance to exact revenge, as they will face either New Zealand or Australia in the next round.
During the opening round of matches, coach Philip Snyman’s side lost to Ireland and New Zealand, who finished at the top of the group.
The Blitzboks relish underdog tag
As reported by Briefly News, Local fans have accepted that the Blitzboks will enter the 2024 Olympics sevens tournament as underdogs.
The side had to qualify for the event through a tournament in Monaco, and despite their underdog tag, they are determined to better the bronze medal achieved at the 2016 Olympics.
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Source: Briefly News
