Moot rugby team gives Ghana squad a boost
Ghana rugby men’s sevens squad appreciated playing Oryx Sevens at Toutrek Park in Pretoria on Sunday.
Ghana’s national rugby team described the matches they played against Oryx Sevens at Toutrek Park in Pretoria on Sunday as “crucial”.
This as they prepared for the 2019 Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens tournament.
The men’s sevens squad, popularly known as the Ghana Eagles, is in South Africa to participate in the Africa tournament taking place on 8 and 9 November at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan.
Together with Oryx Sevens, they treated scores of Moot residents, who came to support the local side, to three action-packed practice matches in the afternoon.
“Playing Oryx Sevens was critical in improving our performance for the upcoming tournament,” said director of Ghana rugby Rian Malan.
Malan said it was for the first time his side played in a real match setup to prepare for the Africa tournament.
“It was the first time our players and the couch could practice in a match situation the moves they decided to use in the tournament.”
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He said, without playing Moot’s side, their chances to do well in the tournament would be low.
“In my opinion, the matches have increased our chance of succeeding against Zambia by more than 50%.”
The Eagles will face Zambia on 8 November at Bosman Stadium.
Oryx Sevens head coach Gawie Espag praised Ghana for their “stunning” performance.
“The guys were good and so fast in the field of play. It was an absolute honour to play against them,” said Espag.
Oryx Sevens said the two sides were not concerned about winning the games, but their focus was on demonstrating skills and breath-taking moves that helped both sides to learn from each other while keeping spectators entertained.
The upcoming tournament, which will see Africa’s top 14 men’s sevens teams competing, is important as it will serve as a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
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