Triumphant Blitzboks still feel pressure

THE Blitzboks arrived back in Cape Town as Dubai champions due mainly to their impressive defence and breakdown work‚ which has only served to underline how far behind the fifteens Boks are in the same disciplines.

Last week, the Blitzboks beat 12-time World Series champions New Zealand 40-0 in the quarterfinals thanks to brilliant contact work.

They did the same to Wales in the semi and Fiji in the final‚ which they won 26-14.

Sevens rugby has evolved to the point where contact skills‚ the need to defend intelligently and to win the contest for the ball on the deck are as important as in the longer version of the game.

Blitzbok coach Neil Powell recognised this and has employed methods that former Bok breakdown coach Richie Gray instilled in the squad when he spent time with them earlier this year.

Gray was deemed superfluous to Bok needs this year, although he continued to consult to the Blitzboks until the Olympic Games in August.

He has since moved on to fulfil the role for Scotland‚ who enjoyed a superb November by beating Argentina and Georgia and losing to the Wallabies by a point with the last kick of their clash.

Powell still employs Gray’s methods and the results were spectacular in Dubai as SA won the first of the 10 HSBC World Sevens Series events of the 2016-17 campaign.

Most of their tries were constructed from counter-attacks that stemmed breakdown turnovers, and stellar defence. Clearly, the last six weeks in a training camp have benefited the Blitzboks.

Playing at home in Cape Town this weekend gives them an edge‚ but adds pressure as the home team and winners in the Mother City last year.

Captain Philip Snyman is aware of the expectations but also admitted his team were not playing at their best, despite victory in Dubai.