South Africa keen to maintain the momentum in Hong Kong
The Springbok Sevens will be keen to build on their momentum gained from their success in Las Vegas when they contest the Hong Kong Sevens from tomorrow in the popular Far East destination.
England and New Zealand currently lead the HSBC Sevens World Series standings with 80 points, but defending champions Samoa, Fiji and USA Sevens winners South Africa will all be looking to close the gap when the tournament begins on Friday 25 March and ends on Sunday 27 March.
Hong Kong is the one tournament that has so far eluded South Africa and their best effort was two Cup final appearances in 2008 and 2009 while they also lost the Plate final last season.
Treu, however, will persist with his philosophy of taking one match at a time. It is an approach that have served his new look team well this season in the aftermath of a disappointing previous World Series campaign. Teenager Tshotsho Mbovane will be making his debut in the most competitive World Series arena.
“Our youngsters have adapted well to the pace of the international game but they still have much to learn, while our senior players really gave a good account of themselves in Las Vegas. As a team we will be looking for more of the same attitude in Hong Kong,” said Treu.
The team and their coach have a burning ambition to lift the one World Series tournament title that has so far escaped their grasp.
“Hong Kong is a special tournament, the fans and the city really make it a memorable occasion and the teams usually bring their best efforts. There are more points on offer and more teams, you play over three days in front of a passionate crowd of 120 000 spectators, so for a player and a coach it is really the ultimate Sevens experience.
“However, we have our goals and we will not get carried away by the occasion neither by the success in Las Vegas. The frontrunners will be equally determined to gain as many points as possible, so we are bracing ourselves for a tough competition,” added the experienced SA Sevens coach.
South Africa will certainly hope that playmaker Cecil Afrika continues with his great form. He is the heartbeat of the attack and has so far combined very well with Branco du Preez and newcomer Paul Jordaan. The equally impressive Kyle Brown (captain) and Frankie Horne provide the necessary leadership and experience.
The team open their Pool E schedule against Spain on Friday, their only fixture for the day. On Saturday they have two matches, against hosts Hong Kong and Wales.
SuperSport will again broadcast every match live from the Hong Kong Stadium
The Springbok Sevens squad is:
Chris Dry, Boom Prinsloo, Frankie Horne, Sibusiso Sithole, Neil Powell, Kyle Brown (captain), Branco du Preez, Bernado Botha, Paul Delport, Cecil Afrika, Tshotsho Mbovane and Paul Jordaan.
The pool matches for South Africa in the Hong Kong Stadium:
Friday, 25 March
10h52: Springbok Sevens vs. Spain
Saturday, 26 March
07h04: Springbok Sevens vs. Hong Kong
11h28: Springbok Sevens vs. Wales
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