South Africa triumph

Series leaders England and New Zealand, who had met in the final last week in Wellington, were expected to set up a rematch in the American desert.

The Springboks had too much for England in the semi-final, winning 17-10, while the Fijians were clinical in beating the All Blacks 26-7 shortly afterwards.

The final was a close affair, with only a late try from Bernado Botha putting the contest beyond doubt as the South Africans ran out 24-14.

"It's awesome to know that you put in so much work in practice and then for the guys to have the ultimate belief that when they go out on the field and stick to the things we've done that they can actually win tournaments," said winning coach Paul Treu.

The Springboks move to fifth in the overall series standings, behind Pacific Island pair Fiji and Samoa, as well as the beaten semi-finalists in Las Vegas.

The series resumes on March 25 in Hong Kong.