Blitzboks aim for solid start in Las Vegas
JOBURG – Bok 7s gear up for the Las Vegas leg of the HSBC Rugby Sevens Series starting on 4 March.
Blitzboks 7s captain Philip Snyman, who has played in 43 tournaments, is still excited by the idea of running out onto the rugby field with his teammates in tow.
The team will contest the HSBC Las Vegas Sevens tournament – the fifth of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series – when they first take on Canada at the Sam Boyd Stadium on 4 March.
“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 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.”
Snyman has racked up 246 points in his Blitzbok career so far, and is comfortable with the abilities of the squad, despite missing key figures such as Kwagga Smith, Kyle Brown, Tim Agaba and Seabelo Senatla. He said, “We have lost some personnel, but there are some new faces coming into the mix and fitting in very well. 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.”
Springbok 7s coach Neil Powell said it was all about keeping the momentum and putting in consistent performances. “We are aiming, among other things, to maintain [momentum and consistency] because if we do, it will deliver a good result,” he said.
“We have lost the likes of Kwagga and Seabelo, but if the new guys can step in without disrupting our rhythm, we should be okay. “They know what their roles are and I have faith in their abilities.”
The coach 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 [Senatla] boots. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people.”
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