It was Senatla's call to bench himself in the Cape Town Sevens final against England

The Blitzboks sorely missed leading try-scorer Seabelo Senatla in the Cape Town Sevens final against England on Sunday‚ but it was the player’s call to bench himself.

Senatla‚ the current World Sevens Player of the Year‚ picked up a knock on his thigh in Sunday’s earlier 33-0 quarterfinal win over Wales at the Cape Town Stadium. He was substituted early and seen limping after the game.

Senatla later started in the 14-7 semi-final win over New Zealand‚ but also cried off before halftime and he never took part in the final‚ which England won 19-17. “I was pretty stupid to go out like that for the semi-final. I was not even close to 70%‚" Senatla said after the final. "I couldn't get my movement right and couldn't function properly.

"I risked it in the semi-final. "I know how much value it adds to the rest of the guys just seeing me there. It's one of those things.

"They get a little bit of confidence with me being round them‚ and I did it for that. "I knew I was going to struggle and I was struggling the whole time." After warming-up before the final Senatla decided that he wasn’t able to contribute and informed coach Neil Powell that he would have to sit out.

"I would feel like I let the guys down if I went in there 70% in a final when there was a guy fully fit on the sidelines‚ especially when we're so closely matched as players‚” Senatla said.

"Of course you want to play every game‚ but sometimes you have to look at the team as a whole and decide what is best for them. That is our culture." Senatla also famously missed the Olympic Games semi-final through injury‚ which Great Britain won and Sunday again proved what a valuable player he is.

His absence was sorely felt and the Blitzboks were further hampered by a serious knee injury to forward Kyle Brown in the semi-final‚ which also ruled him out of the final. Senatla will play fifteens for the Stormers in Super Rugby next year and will give up on sevens‚ a reality will come as a huge blow for the Blitzboks.

He scored 15 tries in the opening two tournaments of the 2016/17 season and has scored 172 World Series tries in 155 matches. - TMG Digital