Blitzboks conquer a mountain in Los Angeles

When the going gets tough, so they say, the tough get going. Sadly, in South Africa with the prevalent attitude of “it’s not my fault” or “where’s mine?”, when the going gets tough, many of us fold into a soggy lump of self-pity.

Sometimes, we’ll admit, life is difficult … but having the right frame of mind and determination to fight until the end can be a game changer.

And our Springbok Sevens team proved that eloquently on Sunday in Los Angeles, when they came from a daunting 19-0 deficit just before halftime to beat Fiji in extra time, 29-24, in the final of this leg of the tournament.

That achievement was monumental, because 19 points is not just a mountain to climb in the short Sevens game, it is a veritable Everest.

Lesser players, lesser people, may have looked up at the scoreboard, let their shoulders slump and just gone through the motions, waiting for the final whistle.

That the Blitzboks didn’t, shows their mettle and echoes the grit of the 15-man side in the Rugby World Cup last year when they overturned a history of negativity in a blaze of glory.

It’s good to see our teams winning, but even more to see that never-say-die spirit.

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