Springbok Sevens team is into their fourth consecutive final in the Emirates Dubai Sevens.

New Zealand started strong and scored twice in the first half to gain a 12-0 lead at the break. Caleb Tangitau outsprinted the Blitzboks in his first of two tries in the half after three minutes and he bagged the second right at the end of the half.

The Blitzboks suffered a blow with Dewald Human limping off at the same time.

The second half started in dramatic fashion as Muller du Plessis gathered the ball from the kick-off and ran 50 meters to get his team on the board. Duarttee kicked the conversion and scored a snipers try a minute later to put the Blitzboks ahead for the first time.

Akuila Rokolisoa took that lead away from the South Africans again with a converted try, putting them in a 19-14 lead with two minutes to play.

The Blitzboks attacked from all angles and New Zealand were given a yellow card for not rolling away. Branco du Preez exploited the numbers to score from close range, but the conversion went wide and the lead for NZ remained two points at 19-17. The Blitzboks won the ball back from the restart and after numerous phases, and with the clock in the red, Shilton van Wyk crashed over for the winning try, with Du Preez's conversion a formality.

Ireland beat the USA to secure their first Dubai final.

Muller du Plessis scoring against Samoa.

Earlier, South Africa claimed a hard-fought 24-19 win over Samoa in the Cup quarter-final of the Emirates Dubai Sevens and will meet New Zealand for a place in the final later on Saturday.

Their refusal to give up and a swarming defence were the main instigators for South Africa, while scrumhalf Ricardo Duarttee also had a huge game for the Blitzboks. The nuggety player scored two tries and initiated another as the team crawled their way back from 12-0 down in the first half.

Samoa got onto the board in the second minute when Vaa Apelu Maliko ran hard to touch down despite a good covering tackle from Dewald Human before Uaina Sione dotted down after the Blitzboks fluffed their lines from the resulting restart. They conceded possession and Samoa pounced for a converted try and 12-0 lead.

Duarttee then scored a brilliant try. Samoa had players in front of the ball at the kick-off and from the resulting penalty, Duarttee tapped and went all the way to the Samoan line, stepping and hand-off defenders along the way.

Two minutes later he bamboozled the Samoans defence again, this time offloading to Muller du Plessis, who scored the try to even scores at the break.

Samoa started best in the second half, with Paul Scanlan scoring and converting to put his side 19-12 up, but then Duarttee stepped up again, scoring a try after another tap and go close to the Samoan line.

South Africa had the upper hand defensively and this stage and Samoa battled to get out of their red zone. From a turnover on defence, the Blitzboks switched defence into attack and James Murphy raced over. The conversion by Human was good and his side was in the lead for the first time with a minute to play.

That was played in the Samoan 22 m area, with solid defence keeping them at bay until the final whistle and a well-deserved win for the Blitzboks.

Scorers:

Springbok Sevens 24 (12) - Tries: Ricardo Duarttee (2), Muller du Plessis, James Murphy. Conversions: Dewald Human (2).

Samoa 19 (12) - Tries: Vaa Apelu Maliko, Uaina Sione, Paul Scanlan. Conversions: Scanlan (2).

Springbok Sevens 26 (0) -  Tries: Muller du Plessis, Ricardo Duarttee, Branco du Preez, Shilton van Wyk. Conversions: Duarttee (2), Du Preez.

New Zealand Sevens 19 (12) - Tries: Caleb Tangitau (2), Akuila Rokolisoa. Conversions: Rokolisoa (2).