Fabian Juries was the two-try hero as South Africa ended New Zealand's unbeaten 47-match streak by winning the final of the Adelaide World Series Sevens 15-7 on Sunday. The South Africans, beaten 26-12 by New Zealand in last weekend's Hong Kong Sevens, turned the tables with the flying Juries scoring two of his team's three tries to topple the runaway series leaders.
South Africa's Sevens team may have been beaten 26-12 by New Zealand in the final of the Hong Kong World Sevens on Sunday, but they showed they are closing the gap on the runaway leaders of the competition. New Zealand are now on 110 points after winning all five finals this season, while the Boks remain in second spot with 72 points.
Mzwandile Stick, one of South Africa's top and most experienced Sevens players, has been called up by Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu to replace teenage sensation Juan de Jongh for the San Diego leg of the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Sevens Series on Saturday and Sunday.
An opening game against Australia clearly illustrates the massive task awaiting the Springbok Sevens team on Friday, when the third International Rugby Board Sevens tournament of the 2007/08 season kicks off in the Kiwi capital, Wellington. The South Africans are grouped together with the Aussies, France and Kenya in Pool C, by far the toughest of the four pools.
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu was quite happy with his side's defence in their first match when they beat Argentina 24-7 in the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series in George on Friday -- but the Boks needed hardly any defence when they overran Uganda 41-0 in their second match.
South Africa will be looking to home-town favourite Kabamba Floors to fire up their Sevens team when the second leg of the world Sevens series is played in George this weekend. Capped once for the XV-man Springboks, Floors has been a hit on the Sevens circuit.
