Blitzbokke just what the doctor ordered
FORMER Springbok World Cup winning flyhalf Joel Stransky believes the Blitzbokke are just what South African Rugby needs right now after a dismal year for the Springboks.
The Boks lost a record eight of 12 Tests but the Blitzbokke have kicked off the 2016-17 HSBC World Sevens Series campaign in style.
The Blitzbokke won the season’s opening tournament in Dubai last week‚ beating Olympic gold medallists and reigning Series champions Fiji 26-14 in the final.
SA’s Dubai efforts also included a 40-0 win over 12-time Series champions New Zealand in the quarterfinals. “It [winning in Dubai] was the lift that South African rugby needs at the moment and that will add to the whole fan experience of the Cape Town Sevens‚” Stransky said on the tournament’s official website.
“Fans are tired of watching the Springboks lose – they want to be upbeat‚ to be inspired and to support a winning team.
“This is the opportunity to do just that‚ to witness this incredible event and support a team that is representative of all South Africans and is achieving great success.”
Stransky was impressed with the Blitzbokke breakdown work and their defensive structure last weekend‚ which saw them only concede seven tries in six matches.
“I saw some real brilliance by the Blitzbokke‚ in attack but even more so in defence and at the breakdown‚” said Stransky.
“There is clearly now a great rivalry building between us‚ the Blitzbokke‚ and Fiji. The Fijians‚ who are big and powerful and incredible athletes‚ were so unbelievably good against England in the semifinals that I thought it was going to be quite tough for the Blitzbokke.
“But in the final the Blitzbokke were just really accurate and‚ most importantly‚ made one or two crucial tackles and then won turnover possession. “Most teams can look after the ball and string 20 or 30 passes together and a few phases‚ but if you are strong defensively and at the breakdown‚ you don’t allow opposition quick ball and the result is that attack becomes a little bit more difficult.
“South Africa were determined and courageous‚ and made one or two tackles that other teams might not have made.
“Fiji would have scored in these situations against most other teams‚ and from one of these‚ we turned the ball over and went and scored down the other end. It was a decisive and match-winning moment.” — TMG Digital