Maybe giving Seabelo Senatla a slice of both pies is still best
The Blitzbok star wants to become a Springbok but wants to interrupt those plans to play in 2018's major sevens events. That's no bad thing.
Seabelo Senatla. Photo: Gallo Images.
For the best part of two years now, Seabelo Senatla has made it clear he wants to become a Springbok.
That’s why the 15-man format is his priority.
It’s something he confirmed yet again after the Cape Town Sevens last weekend.
“My focus now is definitely fifteens,” said Senatla.
However, in South African rugby’s fairly conservative system such a statement means a player should then focus solely on that goal.
But that’s not how the 24-year-old Blitzboks star and Stormers winger sees it.
In 2018, he still wants to have the best of both worlds.
“Obviously there’s a Sevens World Cup next year as well as the Commonwealth Games. I didn’t perform all that well at the previous World Cup,” said Senatla.
“I feel in my heart I need to go and participate in that (to make up for the previous tournament).”
At the moment Senatla and Kwagga Smith are earmarked to only still play the Sydney and Hamilton tournaments before joining the Stormers and Lions respectively for Super Rugby.
The Commonwealth Games (4 to 15 April) and World Cup Sevens (20 to 22 July) would fall slap bang in that campaign.
“Those majors are very appealing. I’m really hoping that my coaches can come to an agreement,” said Senatla.
Wouldn’t that place unnecessary strain on his fifteens ambitions?
It’s a valid question given that Senatla’s transition hasn’t always been that smooth but the key perhaps is that he’s still very much young.
South African rugby is still too eager to fast track promising young players when it might actually be better for them to make Springbok debuts at an older age like 26 or 27.
Senatla would certainly benefit from a measured approach in terms of his development in the 15-man game.
His talent is too precocious for coaches not to try and get the very best out of him.
Also, that obvious desire to play in 2018’s two major sevens tournaments could become a distraction if he isn’t allowed to fulfill it.
Let him rather play then … there’s more than enough time for the 15-man plans to come to fruition.
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