South Africa wins Cape Town Sevens tournament

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Rosko Speckman and Seabelo Senatla scored two tries apiece as South Africa beat Argentina 29-14 to win the Cape Town Sevens and join Fiji at the top of the sevens rugby world series standings.

While the Blitzboks' physicality had been a major feature of their play through the weekend, it was the speed of Speckman and Senatla that proved the difference in the final, as the hosts ran in five tries to Argentina's two.

The result meant that South Africa won its own world series event for the third year running, and the 22 points it earned put them level with Fiji on 35 after two rounds.

France pipped Kenya to third place, winning the playoff 28-26, having knocked out world series champion Fiji in the quarterfinals.

Fiji, which won the opening leg of the world series in Dubai last weekend, went on to win the Plate on Sunday as it beat the USA 29-19 in the final.

South Africa's passage into the quarterfinals was in doubt after it was shocked by Kenya on Saturday afternoon, but it was faultless thereafter.

It made light work of Australia in the quarterfinals on Sunday, then beat France 21-12 in the semifinal.

''The guys decided after yesterday to pull together and start playing rugby,'' South Africa coach Neil Powell said. ''I'm really proud of them today. You have to work for everything, nothing is given to us and Argentina put us under lots of pressure.''

Argentina had not qualified for a Cup final since 2009, but opened the scoring through German Schulz.

South Africa hit back from the restart as Speckman showed the Argentine defense a clean pair of heels, and the host was in front soon after when Senatla ran onto a grubber from Justin Geduld, who was named man of the final for his creative display.

After Specman had put South Africa further ahead, Axel Muller shrugged off two tackles to pull one back for Argentina and make it 17-14 at halftime.

That made the first score after the break pivotal, and Senatla grabbed it when he went over in the corner to give South Africa some breathing space, before Ryno Benjamin rounded out the scoring.

The next leg of the series takes place in Wellington on Jan. 30-31.