Cape Town - The Springbok Sevens side swept England aside in their final pool game of the Malaga Sevens on Saturday to set up a Cup quarter-final meeting with Canada.
Not even the news of their skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi being ruled out with the shoulder injury he suffered against Scotland on Friday could take away from the South Africans’ ruthless brilliance in their 43-0 win.
The Blitzboks started dangerously and were rewarded when the experienced Branco du Preez cut through England’s defence after a botched lineair to score the opening try.
After winning a breakdown penalty in midfield, South Africa spread it wide and struck again when Impi Visser turned on the gas down touch to run in their second.
Mfundo Ndhlovu - who is playing in his first tournament in almost two years due to injury - scored their third try after the Blitzboks were simply sublime from the set-piece to go 17-0 up.
Zain Davids made sure to add his name to the scorers’ list on the stroke of half time after he cut a stunning running line before dotting down.
The @Blitzboks are smashing it. Again
A *seventh* try sets the deal on a 43-0 win over England#HSBC7s | #Spain7s pic.twitter.com/cZq0d2ph5a
The second half proved no different as the Blitzboks continued their ruthless dominance. Dewald Human ran in their firth try, and even after going one-man down when Ndhlovu was shown yellow, Neil Powell’s men still managed to exert their dominance and exploit England’s poor defence to grab their sixth through Justin Geduld.
The Blitzboks came close to levelling their biggest-ever winning margin against England when Darren Adonis scored their seventh, but the conversion went wide and the one-sided affair ended 43-0.
South Africa will face Canada in the Cup quarter-finals on Saturday at 20:07.
Point scorers:
South Africa - Tries: Branco du Preez, Impi Visser, Mfundo Ndhlovu, Zain Davids, Dewald Human, Justin Geduld, Darren Adonis. Conversions: Du Preez. Yellow card: Ndhlovu.