Shilton van Wyk scored a brilliant hat-trick as the Blitzboks came from behind to beat Fiji 24-21 in dramatic fashion in their opening match at the Cape Town Sevens.
Fiji had looked set for the win, but a late turnover saw South Africa win the ball back with a few seconds left on the clock. From the resulting scrum, van Wyk scored his third try to seal the victory.
In the beginning, the Fijians came out fighting and immediately silenced the home crowd when Apete Narogo scored under the posts with their very first attack. But the men in green hit back quickly as Tristan Lleyds and Shilton van Wyk combined beautifully to set up Christie Grobbelaar for a try.
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In a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment, Fiji regained the lead when Viwa Naduvalo ran through the middle, exploiting a lapse in the South African defence. Fiji remained two points ahead even after South Africa’s second quick response via Van Wyk.
After the break, Fiji extended their lead to nine points after Joseva Talacolo bamboozled the South African defence to score under the posts.
With time running out, Van Wyk stepped up once again as he picked up a loose ball and powered over the try line to bring South Africa back within two points.
With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Blitzboks forced a turnover. From the resulting scrum, Ronald Brown broke down the wing and found Van Wyk, who scored near the corner to complete his hat-trick and give the home team a dramatic win.
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