France's Paulin Riva is tackled during the HSBC Bordeaux SVNS World Championship final against New Zealand. France won the final 14-5 to secure a rare tournament victory. Photo: AFP
The Blitzboks were forced to settle for fourth place at the Bordeaux Sevens on Sunday after defeats to hosts and eventual champions France, and Spain brought their bid for a sixth title of the season to an end.
Having secured a second successive World Championship crown on Saturday, Philip Snyman's side entered the final day with an opportunity to add another tournament trophy to an already glittering campaign. Instead, they ran into a fired-up French outfit in the semi-finals before fading badly in the bronze-medal match against Spain.
The semi-final against France was finely balanced for much of the contest. Sevens Player of the Year nominee Tristan Leyds cancelled out Enahemo Artaud's early try, with Ricardo Duarttee's conversion leaving the teams locked at 7-7 at the break.
The hosts found another gear in the second half, however. Tries by Rayan Rebbadj and Antoine Zeghdar in quick succession opened up a decisive gap, and although Donovan Don crossed late for the Blitzboks, France held firm for a 21-12 victory and a place in the final.
