The Blitzboks suffered a dramatic defeat in the Valladolid Sevens final in Spain, losing 26-19 to Australia after a last-minute try was disallowed by the Television Match Official (TMO).

South Africa, coached by Philip Snyman, started strongly and raced into a 14-0 lead early in the match through tries from Shilton van Wyk and Sebastiaan Jobb, with Tristan Leyds adding conversions.

However, Australia responded with intensity, levelling the match at 14-14 by half-time after exploiting space out wide and applying consistent pressure on the South African defence.

The momentum shifted in the second half when Leyds received a yellow card for cynical play, and Australia capitalised by scoring two converted tries during his absence to build a 26-14 advantage.Despite looking outplayed, the Blitzboks fought back late in the match.A red card to Australia’s James Turner gave South Africa renewed hope, and substitute Gino Cupido scored to narrow the gap to 26-19.

In a tense final passage of play after the hooter, the Blitzboks believed they had forced extra time when they crossed the line following a sweeping move down the left wing.However, the TMO review identified a forward pass in the build-up, overturning the try and confirming Australia as champions.

The defeat ended South Africa’s unbeaten run in tournament finals this season, although they remain top of the HSBC SVNS standings heading into the final event in Bordeaux.

Earlier in the day, South Africa had defeated Argentina 19-7 in the semi-final to reach the final, showing strong form despite the heartbreak in the decider.