Spain 7s overturned a 14–0 deficit to beat South Africa 7s 40–14 in the HSBC SVNS Bordeaux bronze medal match on 7 June 2026, with Juan Ramos scoring twice.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
South Africa flew out of the blocks at Stade de Bordeaux. Shilton van Wyk opened the scoring with a well-worked try after Selwyn Venter's kick-and-chase created the opening, and the Blitzboks looked in control when Ricardo 'Tricky Ricky' Duarttee added a second — collecting his own rebound and grounding the ball acrobatically. Duarttee converted both tries for a 14–0 lead inside the opening minutes.
Spain steadied through captain Juan Ramos. The influential playmaker stepped past Ryan Oosthuizen to score Spain's first, then added a second shortly after when a gap opened in the South African defence. Ramos's brace, plus his conversions, trimmed the deficit and dragged Spain back into the contest before half-time.
Francisco Cosculluela came off the bench to put Spain ahead for the first time, finishing a flowing team move that involved every Spanish player. Josep Serres then powered over for his third try of the Bordeaux weekend, stretching the lead to 26–14.
Pol Pla, the 33-year-old veteran, showcased his rugby IQ by intercepting a South African pass and racing away to score. Angel Bozal completed the scoring with a block-down try in the final minute, sealing the 40–14 victory.
The turning point
A yellow card shown to a South African player just before half-time shifted the momentum decisively. Spain used the two-minute numerical advantage to unlock the Blitzboks' defence, with Ramos scoring his second try during that period. South Africa never recovered the lead.
Key performers
Juan Ramos (Spain) — The skipper scored two tries and converted four, finishing with 18 points. His footwork, game management and composure under pressure dragged Spain back from 14–0 down.
Ricardo Duarttee (South Africa) — Scored a spectacular solo try and added both conversions in a bright opening display before Spain's defensive adjustment shut down his attacking channels.
Francisco Cosculluela (Spain) — The substitute made an immediate impact with a try that put Spain ahead, part of a bench performance that swung the second half.
Pol Pla (Spain) — At 33, the veteran's intercept try was a clinic in sevens intelligence, reading the play and striking at the perfect moment.
By the numbers
Spain's 40-point haul was their highest against South Africa in 32 meetings. The Blitzboks had won 29 of those previous encounters and led 14–0 early here, but conceded 40 unanswered points — a stark reversal of the dominant form that earned them 37 series wins in 2026.
South Africa's discipline cost them: the first-half yellow card coincided with Spain scoring 12 unanswered points, flipping a 14–0 deficit into a lead Spain never relinquished.
What it means
Spain secured their third HSBC SVNS podium of the 2026 season (bronze in Bordeaux, silver in Vancouver, bronze in Hong Kong), confirming their rise among the world's top sevens nations. They qualified alongside South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, France and USA for next season's main HSBC SVNS Series.
South Africa, despite the defeat, were crowned HSBC SVNS World Champions for 2026 after amassing 37 wins and five tournament titles across the series — more than any other team. They will defend their title when the 2027 season begins later this year.
Verdict
Spain's resilience told the story: written off after a lightning South African start, they absorbed the early blows, exploited a sin-bin period, and overwhelmed the World Champions with pace, continuity and composure. A deserved bronze that signals Spain's arrival as genuine contenders on the global sevens stage.
Rivalry since 2013
South Africa 7s vs Spain 7s Head to Head Results· 32
South Africa 7s and Spain 7s have met 32 times — South Africa 7s won 29, Spain 7s won 3, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2013. South Africa 7s leads the head-to-head with 29 victories from 32 meetings. A combined 1183 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 36.97 per match (869 for the home side, 314 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 28 matches (88%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 32 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 54–5 in 2021.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jun 2026