Cape Town - It took the Bitzboks a full seven minutes to score their first try on a wet and soggy Los Angeles Sevens pitch, but that was enough to spark the team for a 12-0 win over Canada in the first pool match on Saturday.
Despite the wet field and the small score margin, the Springbok Sevens were in control for most of the match, starting their campaign with a hard-fought victory.
Things didn't go according to plan for the team, but Canada didn't really pose a threat on the attack which allowed the Blitzboks to play at their pace.
Christie Grobbelaar scored the first try on the half-time buzzer after he took a short pass before sidestepping a Canadian defender to trot over.
The South Africans did well to dominate their opponents from the kickoff, but struggled to convert the possession they had into points.
Ricardo Duarttee, a playmaker of the Blitzboks, scored the second try that sealed the victory after Canada was reduced to six players due to a professional foul.
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The Blitzboks will have to up their game in the next couple of matches if they want to stand a chance to progress further in the tournament.
Former Springbok winger Travis Ismaiel had a promising start to his Springbok Sevens journey and had a few good touches on the attack. He also made a few strong tackles.
Duarttee and fellow playmaker Ronald Brown also looked sharp and they will be keen to make a step up in the next matches.
The Blitzboks will face Uruguay (01:02 Sunday) and Ireland (05:03) in the rest of the Pool B matches.
IOL Sport