Will Bryan have the moves to light up Vegas?
THE American leg of the Sevens World Series is going to be played while you are either fast asleep or showing off your best dance moves at your local nightclub.
But it may be worth a peak at a TV to see how the legendary Bryan Habana does in a Blitzbok jersey in Las Vegas.
Habana, who has only played in two previous Sevens tournaments, is trying to book a place in the 12-man South African team who will participate at the Rio Olympics starting in August.
It’s been tough going for the Springbok star so far, but he is apparently taking everything in his stride. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and tomorrow we will see how far he has come since joining the Springbok Sevens squad less than two weeks ago.
The Las Vegas action kicks off tomorrow night (SA time), with the Blitzboks facing Canada at 2.35am on Sunday morning, followed by Wales at 5.58am. They play their last group match, against the USA, at 0.35am on Monday, with the knockout stages to follow.
The South Africans will be looking to bounce back after losing to hosts New Zealand in the Cup final, before going down in the semi-finals in Sydney a week later. The Blitzboks share a three-way tie at the top of the overall standings with Fiji and New Zealand on 69.
The return of experienced Blitzbok campaigners, captain Kyle Brown, Cecil Afrika, Branco du Preez and Justin Geduld, will be a significant boost for Neil Powell’s side.
Apart from the North American threat their pool, Powell says that discipline will be crucial for them in Vegas.
“Intensity and discipline are two of the areas that we basically had a look at, especially in the knockout stages. It cost us some tournaments and some games in the past,” said Powell. “Our focus going into the knockout stages is to be more disciplined and try not to giveaway cards, because it will cost you.”
Brown, who last played in December at Cape Town Stadium, says it is a wonderful feeling to be back in the mix.
“A couple of weeks ago, the guys were in Wellington and Sydney and they played some unbelievable rugby,” he said. “It’s such a privilege to be part of this team again and hopefully we will be able to maintain the momentum in Vegas.”
SA Sevens squad for Las Vegas and Vancouver: Chris Dry (48 caps), Dylan Sage (3), Tim Agaba (1), Kwagga Smith (19), Bryan Habana (2), Kyle Brown (captain, 50), Branco du Preez (41), Rosko Specman (9), Justin Geduld (21), Cecil Afrika (39), Seabelo Senatla (23), Ruhan Nel (6), Ryan Kankowski (4).