USA reach Bordeaux quarter-finals with two wins as South Africa stumble on day one

The United States secured back-to-back wins on day one of the HSBC SVNS World Championship finale in Bordeaux, beating Spain and then Australia 19-17 to qualify for the quarter-finals and remain mathematically in contention for a top-eight finish — a remarkable turnaround for a side that arrived at Stade Atlantique ranked second-last on the overall standings.

Lucas Lacamp was the decisive figure in both victories. He scored a double in the earlier win over Spain, with Orrin Bizer and David Still also crossing, and replacement Will Chevalier producing a standout defensive contribution. Against Australia — who came into the event placed third on the season ladder after winning in Valladolid the previous week — Lacamp scored the winning try against a six-man Aussie side with time expired on the clock.

“Really got to give testament to all the boys out there. We really gave it all. We’ve been through a lot of bad stuff… it’s been really tough,” Lacamp said after the Australia win. “Australia, they won last week. We’re 11th. We showed heart, we showed what we’re about. Honestly, I couldn’t be prouder there. That was amazing.”

Lacamp also reflected on the tension of the closing stages against Australia, when a yellow card reduced the Wallabies to six men and the USA needed three minutes to find the try line. “Those are the moments that are really exciting,” he said.

Fiji and New Zealand are the other unbeaten men’s sides after day one. World Championship leaders South Africa suffered a surprise defeat to Great Britain before recovering with a clinical win over Kenya. The USA top Pool B ahead of Saturday’s match against Uruguay, who were beaten by Spain late on day one — leaving Spain and Australia level on four competition points before they meet each other on Saturday.

The stakes at Bordeaux are significant beyond the tournament result. The four men’s teams that finish at the bottom of the overall World Championship standings will be relegated to the second tier for the 2026/27 SVNS 1 campaign, while six sides had already secured their core status before the finale began.