Blitzboks go for gold but have much to relegate to the back of the mind

Hosting an international gathering can be a spine-bender and if it is a World Cup, the pressure is cranked up a good few clicks.

The Blitzboks, one of this country's most garlanded and revered teams, know all about the extreme emotions of playing in front of adoring fans.

They haven't become such a beloved team for no reason. Sure, they've got the silverware, but the way in which this splendidly representative team has gone about their business has also resonated with South Africans.

Tireless toil, grit and determination are all wrapped in an 'all-for-one' ethos have helped carry Neil Powell's team to glory around the globe.

They will of course come into the event at Cape Town Stadium, which starts on Friday, in the knowledge that Powell, their long-time inspirational coach, will bid farewell at the end of this event.

The grizzled Powell has had some stunning success with the team and his departure is bound to be an emotional affair.

His players, however, will have to relegate that to the back of the mind, as they will their recent results in the World Sevens Series, as well as their recent record on home soil.

Powell's team come into the World Cup having not been exposed to the business end of the last World Series tournament. In that tournament last month in Los Angeles they lost to the host country before going down to arch-foes New Zealand, thus denying them a spot in the knockout stages. That allowed Australia to leapfrog them to the series crown.

That was a stunning reversal for the Blitzboks after they won the first four tournaments of the year.

They do, however, know how to win, as evidenced again when they claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games. They will enter the World Cup desperate to atone for their World Series loss.

Moreover, they enter the World Cup in search of a maiden title having reached the final just once, when they lost to Fiji in Hong Kong in 1997.

They will also want to put behind them the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle of the Cape Town Sevens in 2016 (against England) and 2019 (New Zealand).

Powell's men have much to banish from their thoughts. They are a redoubtable side, able to reach for gold when the mood grabs them and they will have much incentive in Cape Town.

If nothing else, having the Springboks and the Blitzboks simultaneously as champions of the world has a particularly good ring to it.

They start their campaign on at 7.03pm on Friday against either Chile or Germany.

The Springbok Women's team will kick off their World Cup a little earlier at 6.35pm.