Blitzbok coach Neil Powell was left frustrated as his team “didn’t pitch up” on the final day of the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday.
South Africa were beaten 21-12 by USA in the Cup quarterfinal and also lost the fifth place playoff 19-17 to Argentina.
And an unhappy Powell says: “It was a frustrating day.
“We did not make the step-up required after doing well on day one and two.
“The first half against USA, in particular, was one of missed opportunities.
"We did not use our chances, while we gave them two and they scored from both.”
He adds: “It is frustrating to control the match, but not lead on the scoreboard.
“This is something this group needs to learn. “Against Argentina the same thing happened."
VICTORS: Fiji won in Hong Kong. Photo: Kin Cheung/AP Photo.
Captain for the tournament, Siviwe Soyizwapi, agrees with his coach, saying: “It was a weekend in which we did not play to our potential when it mattered.
“We did well leading into the knock-out stages, but we were not at our best when it counted.
"We can certainly improve in that regard.”
Fiji were crowned winners of the event for the fifth consecutive year after they beat France 21-7 in the final.