Hamilton a big stop for Blitzboks to remain series contenders

The time for talking is nearly over. If the Blitzboks want to remain serious HSBC World Sevens Series title contenders this season‚ they cannot afford to have soft moments as they did in the opening two rounds of the campaign.

The Blitzboks are fifth on the standings‚ eight points behind leaders the USA‚ and when the dust settles in Hamilton after this weekend’s third round of the 10-leg series SA has to have narrowed the gap to the top.

The Blitzboks‚ who started the 2018-19 series as back-to-back series champions‚ had a quiet start‚ finishing sixth in Dubai and third in Cape Town in December.

They showed improvement in the process‚ something coach Neil Powell feels would have to continue this weekend.

“This tournament is traditionally a very tough one‚” said Powell.

“For us‚ there is travel and time zones to overcome‚ but generally teams are all pretty competitive. It is still early in the season and everyone is fit‚ mentally strong and keen and had some time together as a squad.

“All the teams also have enough time for players to recover from injuries picked up in Dubai and Cape Town‚ so altogether this is a high hurdle to overcome. The likes of Fiji and Samoa also see this as their home tournament‚ so it is really competitive.”

The Blitzboks have done well in in New Zealand in the past‚ though‚ and Powell feels that if they continue with their upward curve‚ it should not change.

South Africa face Kenya‚ France and Scotland in Pool C on the first day‚ all of whom will be respected by the Blitzboks.

“We had a good two-and-a-half weeks back home and this week went well‚” said Powell.

“I was particularly pleased with our defence session on Thursday. We do have some new combinations that will take time to develop‚ but overall we are progressing nicely.

“I have asked the guys to leave nothing out there in every match. We are not looking at our opponents‚ but at our own effort. If the players give all they have in those 14 minutes and can walk off the field happy with their effort‚ I will be content.”

Veteran Kyle Brown‚ meanwhile‚ will play his 68th World Series tournament. That will equal the mark set by Frankie Horne.

Horne achieved his World Series record of 68 consecutive tournaments between 2007 and 2015 and to Brown‚ this will always remain a unique achievement.

“What Frankie did was truly remarkable‚ but for me the significance of his contribution to Springbok Sevens as a whole outweighs any record he has set‚” said Brown.

“I was privileged to play in many‚ many tournaments with Frankie and was in fact‚ inspired by him to take up the game. He was setting standards from way out and changed the way playing for the Blitzboks was seen.

“His decision to focus solely on sevens as a career helped me to make the same call when I needed to‚ and to be able to play with him for so long in the forwards was a joy.”

Brown looked set to pass this mark earlier in his career‚ but a knee injury sustained at the Cape Town Sevens in 2016 resulted in him only playing only two tournaments that season. Last year‚ having fully recovered‚ he injured his other knee while playing in Singapore‚ resulting in him missing the last two tournaments in the series.

“These injuries made me realise how significant Frankie’s record was – he played for eight consecutive years and it took me 10 to reach the same mark‚” Brown said.