With four rounds to go in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, the Bok 7s could not have put in a better showing so far to see them lead the series standings.
The Blitzboks have contested all six finals in the 2016/17 tournament, earning themselves a healthy 23 point lead over Engand, which, after edging the South Africans in the Vancouver Sevens Cup final, sit in 2nd position with 103 points. Bok 7s coach, Neil Powell, was quietly confident that his team can continue their impressive form ahead of the Hong Kong Sevens leg starting tomorrow (7 April).
Powells’ troops will be chasing their first title in the Chinese city, with coach Powell feeling that the intensity shown by the players during a recent training session augers well for the team getting over the line in Asia. He said, “I am happy with our preparation. All 13 players on the field [have] worked hard. We had to nurse some of the guys back to fitness in Stellenbosch in order to get them here, but there was no sign of slacking on the field, so I am pleased with the intensity, as that is always a good sign.”
Griffons winger, Selvyn Davids, will run out for his debut appearance at this level. Speaking about players selected to feature in Hong Kong, Powell said, “The youngsters are improving all the time. They will make mistakes, but that is part of the growth of any player. I am pleased [with] how they’ve progressed. We have a balanced side, with a number of stalwarts and some exciting talent coming off the bench, so we are hoping to again give a good account of ourselves.”
Read: Blitzboks continue to make headway in HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series
The coach admitted that their Hong Kong track record was nothing to write home about in comparison to their southern hemisphere rivals. “Fiji and New Zealand tend to lift themselves when playing here, so we will have to be at our very best if we want to compete,” he said. “We never want [to] make Hong Kong bigger than it is, and with all the focus on getting the injured guys back and managing them, we almost forgot which tournament it was we are preparing for, so we arrived without the hype this time.”
Commenting on Cecil Afrika, who will be running out in his 50th tournament, a buoyant Powell said, “Cecil understands this game. He is a strong leader and few players deserve this more than Cecil. Maybe we can also reward him with a tournament win, like we did with Branco du Preez in Las Vegas.”
Afrika said he would savour the moment. “I never expected to reach 50 tournaments way back when I played in my first, back in Dubai in 2009. To play one tournament is already an achievement, so I am pretty proud.
“I can still recall that first touch, coming off the bench. I had to throw into the line-out, something that was not a strong suit of mine. My hands were pretty sweaty. I also fondly remember my first try a week later in George. It was against France. I also managed two more for my first hat-trick.”
