Australia's men have finished a disappointing sixth at the Las Vegas rugby sevens as South Africa extended their lead in world championship standings.
Australia were beaten by the powerful Blitzboks in the quarter-finals before going down in their fifth-place play-off 10-7 to England on Sunday (Monday AEDT), having conceded the decisive try after the final siren.
South Africa overcame Fiji, the defending world champions and Rio Olympics gold medallists, 19-12 in the final of the fifth world series leg for their fourth successive trophy.
The tournament result puts Australia fifth in the championship standings with five stops remaining after failing to build on their fourth placing at the most recent event in Sydney.
They started the Las Vegas tournament with promise, beating dangerous Scotland and Japan before losing to Fiji in the group stages.
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They beat Argentina after their quarter-final loss to South Africa for a shot at fifth place but conceded two tries-to-one in the England loss.
The world series moves to Vancouver next weekend, with Australia to meet the United States, France and Japan in pool C.
