The Blitzboks suffered heartbreak in the HSBC SVNS Valladolid final on Sunday as a last-gasp try was chalked off by the TMO, handing Australia a 26-19 victory and their first tournament title of 2026. South Africa appeared to have salvaged a draw when they crossed the line after the hooter, only for the television match official to intervene and rule out the score for a forward pass in the build-up.
The Blitzboks had started strongly, racing to a 14-0 lead through tries by Shilton van Wyk and Sebastiaan Jobb in the opening minutes. Van Wyk's opener came from a set move with Selvyn Davids at a scrum, whilst Jobb finished after a break by Ryan Oosthuizen. Australia fought back through James Turner and Ethan McFarland to level matters at 14-14 by half-time, exploiting 12 missed tackles by the South African defence.
The second half belonged to the Wallaby Sevens, who scored twice through Ben Dowling and player-of-the-final Henry Hutchison whilst Tristan Leyds was sin-binned for cynical play. Australia raced to a 26-14 advantage before Turner received a red card with 90 seconds remaining. Cupido's try cut the deficit to seven points with 40 seconds left, setting up the dramatic finale that ultimately went Australia's way.
Despite the defeat, the Blitzboks retain top spot in the overall World Championship standings with 38 points, four ahead of Argentina and eight clear of Australia heading into the final tournament in France next month. The loss ended South Africa's bid for a sixth consecutive title and marked the second defeat to Australia in Valladolid after the sides also met in pool play on Saturday.