On-form Blitzboks want to extend their 29-game winning streak in Seville

28 January 2022 - 15:58 By Nick Said
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Blitzbok captain Impi Visser during the 2022 HSBC Spain Sevens captains' photocall at Plaza de Espana in Seville, Spain, on January 26 2022.
Blitzbok captain Impi Visser during the 2022 HSBC Spain Sevens captains' photocall at Plaza de Espana in Seville, Spain, on January 26 2022.
Image: David Van Der Sandt/Gallo Images

SA’s all-conquering Sevens side go into this weekend’s World Series event in Seville, Spain, seeking a sixth tournament win in a row, but without inspirational captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, who is missing through injury.

The Blitzboks were clinical in winning the tournament in Malaga last weekend, defeating  Argentina 24-17 in the final to keep up their incredible 29-game winning run.

Critics may point to the fact that both Olympic champions Fiji, due to a Covid-19 outbreak in their camp, and New Zealand are missing from the two tournaments in Spain. Neil Powell’s side, though, can only play who are in front of them and they continue to show why many regard them as the best in the world.

“For us as a squad it is not about breaking records or winning a certain number of games, it’s about everybody being tuned in to the same page, knowing what our goals and values are, and enjoying the team spirit,” SA stand-in skipper Impi Visser said.

“We’re not putting a lot of pressure on ourselves, the boys are calm and collected and really excited for this weekend. We needed to get back to ground zero once we arrived here and I think the guys did that well. We don't really count the number of matches won; we only care about what we need to do to do justice to our jersey and the values of the Blitzbok team.

“We are looking only at contributing to the system, not winning streaks or things like that.”

Visser is delighted to be given the armband this weekend and says it will put an extra spring in his step, but also comes with much responsibility.

“To captain this side is a huge honour and privilege. A lot of the guys that have captained before me are legends of the game, so for me it is a real honour and we plan to enjoy this weekend,” he said.

“The real emotion of running on to the field as tournament captain is immense and difficult to describe in words. It’s fair to say it is huge for me and the real meaning of this will come to me later, I am sure.

“There have been legends of the game before me, so following in their footsteps is just massive.”

SA are in Pool A along with hosts Spain and the US. The fourth side, Samoa, were unable to travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The teams will be awarded three points for a win against them and the result recorded as 0-0.

That means SA will only get their tournament under way on day two, having been due to face Samoa in their opener on Friday.

They will meet Spain at 11.57am SA time on Saturday, and look to seal their passage to the next stage against the US at 5.25pm. If they advance as the top team they will face the second side in Pool D in the quarterfinals, a group that contains Australia, Scotland, Kenya and Canada.

“We will have to be spot on come Saturday, as we have a bye on Friday and will not be in the same position as Spain and the US, who would have played a game already,” Visser said.

Powell echoed those comments and added there will be no room for complacency in what is a tough group.

“It is not an easy pool, especially as Spain will be playing at home. They won twice in Malaga, beating Scotland and Wales, which is proof of their quality,” he said. “They are a bit like Argentina and tend to be difficult opponents to break down. We will have to be up for it, no doubt. They will try to take our space away.

“The US have good senior players around and it's always is a hard-fought match against them, so we will need to be up for that clash.”

Powell said the team’s attack will need to sharpen up to be successful this weekend.

“We conceded only four tries in five matches last week and that was great, but I don't think our attack was as good as it could be,” he said. “We did not keep possession as well as we could have done and we have looked at that aspect of our game. We're still hoping for the perfect game and hope we can play that in Seville.”


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