Blitzboks face must-win Argentina clash after shock Spain defeat in Hong Kong

On Friday, the Blitzboks went down 31-12 in a shock defeat to Spain, a side they had beaten in their previous six meetings, leaving them with a lot of work to do.

Things started somewhat better on Friday, with South Africa edging Uruguay 12-7 in their opener, but even that win was far from convincing, with Uruguay - ranked 11th at the tournament - pushing hard and scoring a late try that almost caused an upset.

The Blitzboks made a strong start in that game. Tristan Leyds struck early from a set move, before Selvyn Davids showed his footwork to add another, giving South Africa a 12-0 lead.

But they couldn't build on it.

Uruguay dominated much of the second half, holding onto the ball for long periods. South Africa's defence held firm for most of it, but a last-minute try - scored just six seconds from full-time - handed Uruguay a deserved bonus point.

That inconsistency carried into the Spain match, where poor defence proved costly.

Spain exposed weaknesses in the Blitzbok defensive line and controlled the breakdown well, stopping South Africa from winning turnovers. They also kept the ball alive, dominated possession, and dictated the tempo throughout.

Two soft tries in the first half put the Blitzboks on the back foot, and things got worse after the break. Spain ran in three more tries, using smart attacking play to isolate defenders out wide, while South Africa's discipline at the ruck let them down.

Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman will be scratching his head, wondering how a side that has won four of the last six tournaments looked so far off the pace in Hong Kong on Friday.

But attention now turns to Argentina, with everything on the line in their final Pool A clash.

Kick-off is at 04h39 (SA time), and only a win will take the Blitzboks into the quarter-finals. Anything less will end their title hopes.

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