Blitzboks aim for solid start in Las Vegas
Even 43 tournaments down the line, the idea of running onto a rugby field with his fellow Blitzboks still excites Springbok Sevens captain, Philip Snyman. Nothing will change this weekend when the team contests the HSBC Las Vegas Sevens tournament, the fifth of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
“It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the series, but that does not take away any of the fun or commitment from the team,” Snyman said.
“The fact of the matter is, we still need to start from the base, even after five tournaments. Nothing that happened in the first four will mean anything here in Vegas. We need to start from scratch but have the hindsight of what worked previously. Those are laying a solid foundation, building momentum and believing in our structures and teammates.
The experienced player, who has scored 246 points in his Blitzbok career so far, is comfortable with the abilities of the squad, despite been without the likes of Kwagga Smith, Kyle Brown, Tim Agaba and Seabelo Senatla.
“We have lost some personnel, but there are some new faces coming into the mix and fitting in very well,” he said. “I think we have prepared brilliantly and everyone is on the same commitment level. There is a good vibe in the squad and we want to get going.”
For Springbok Sevens coach, Neil Powell, it is all about momentum and consistency when the team starts their Pool A commitments against Canada in the Sam Boyd Stadium (Saturday 04h43 SA time).
“We are aiming among other things to maintain those because if we do, it will deliver a good result,” said Powell.
“We have lost the likes of Kwagga and Seabelo, but if the new guys can step in without disrupting our rhythm, we should be ok. They know what their roles are and I have faith in their abilities.”
Powell pointed to Siviwe Soyizwapi as their key man, having replaced Senatla: “We are lucky to have experienced campaigners such as Cecil Afrika and Stephan Dippenaar back in the mix, but I am keen to see Siviwe respond to the challenge of filling Sea’s boots. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people.”
The Springbok Sevens also play France at 07h42 on Saturday, with their final pool A match against Wales taking place on Sunday at 02h08 (SA time).
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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