Cape buzz will boost Blitzboks
PATRIOTISM: WORTH AN EXTRA METRE TO HOME PLAYERS
In 2016, Justin Geduld missed a crucial conversion in the final of the Cape Town Sevens and left the field close to tears, but despite this, the Blitzbok playmaker can’t wait to get back on to the pitch at the Cape Town Stadium tomorrow.
Fellow Blitzbok Chris Dry also left the pitch at the Cape Town Stadium in distress. In 2018, he snapped knee ligaments, which ruled him out of the remainder of the World Rugby Sevens Series. He also cannot wait to return to his “house of pain”.
Neither player is a masochist, though – it’s that buzz and explosion of energy coming from the Cape Town crowd that lure these two stalwarts back for more.
“It is that energy you get from the crowd that makes playing at home so great – nothing lifts you like the Cape Town crowd,” Dry explained. “Even yesterday, during our open training session, one could feel the difference, as the crowds are there for you.”
The Blitzboks enjoy nothing more than returning that compliment to their supporters, and Dry said their enjoyment is enhanced by playing at home.
“We want to enjoy ourselves, and being at home makes the enjoyment so much greater.”
Geduld agreed with Dry about the energy coming from the crowd: “Even at training, with the people coming out to watch us, you can feel it in the air and that is great.
“The crowd does not always know that, but that extra burst of energy does have an effect.
“The weekend, like every other one on the circuit, will be very competitive and that extra burst of energy provided by the crowd gives you that extra metre.”
Dry and Geduld were reluctant to use last weekend’s win in Dubai as a measure for the expectations of the Cape Town Sevens this weekend.
“The margins are tight and because of that, you need to improve all the time. If we don’t improve from last week, we will not get the same result, such is the competitiveness,” said Geduld.
Dry elaborated: “We did good things in Dubai, but we also need to step up in certain areas. You never play the perfect match, so you can never be 100% happy with any effort.”