Cape Town - Things went from bad to worse for the Blitzboks side at the Singapore Sevens as they lost their fifth-place playoff against Argentina 15-22 on Sunday.
The Blitzboks’ 19–14 defeat to Fiji in the Cup quarter-finals earlier in the day set up their meeting with the South Americans.
On Day One, the Blitzboks’ suffered a 7-12 defeat to the USA in their final Pool A game on Saturday, ending their 36-match winning streak. Prior to that, the SA side claimed a 31-5 win over Canada, before going on to beat Kenya 26-5 in their second outing of the day.
The South Africans were far from their best at the National Stadium and their troubles continued against Argentina.
Argentina scored the first try and used their numerical advantage to get a second after Selvyn Davids was yellow carded.
The Blitzboks managed a try before the break by JC Pretorius to take the score to 5-12 at halftime.
"A moment of magic from the mercurial Moneta!"
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The World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year delivers for @lospumas7arg as they beat South Africa in the fifth-place semi-final#HSBC7s | #Singapore7s pic.twitter.com/nUX4AHehI6
Davids added their second after the break (10-12), but another yellow - this time to Ryan Oosthuizen - put them under pressure again.
Argentina capitalised again to go 10-17 up, and a fourth took the score to 10-22.
Impi Visser ran in a late one, but it proved to be only consolation as Argentina walked away with the win.