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Blitzboks coach ‘happy’

Powell: As long as we keep improving, we’ll be satisfied IT IN THE FAMILY

- WYNONA LOUW wynona.louw@inl.co.za CAPE TOWN SEVENS RESULTS: | Jacques van der Westhuyzen

SPRINGBOK Sevens coach Neil Powell says he is happy with the “70 percent improvemen­t” his team showed to secure a third-place finish at the Cape Town leg of the 2018-19 World Sevens Series at the weekend.

The Blitzboks outplayed New Zealand 10-5 in the third-place playoff after being knocked out in their Cup semi-final clash against Fiji yesterday.

Fiji went on to win the Cape Town event when they beat the US 29-15 in the Cup final.

Against the defending Cape Town Sevens champions, New Zealand, the Blitzboks – who lost captain Philip Snyman and Muller du Plessis before heading into day two – scored two unconverte­d tries to the All Blacks Sevens’ one.

In the opening leg in Dubai, the Blitzboks’ defence, halted attack and at-times ill-discipline – especially against Argentina in their last match on day one and in the Cup quarter-final against England – cost them, while the effect of the loss of a number of stalwarts was evident in the desert.

In Cape Town, their intent on attack couldn’t be faulted, especially against Fiji in the semi, but it has to be asked what kind of impact the disruption brought on by injury and the rearrangem­ent of players had.

“That was the big thing – we asked for an improvemen­t (on the performanc­e in Dubai) and we got it. I’m happy we could end with a win, I think

JIKELO

it’ll do the guys’ confidence good,” Powell said. “There were quite a few guys who played out of position, but we just asked them to get the basics right and fulfil their roles.”

Against Fiji earlier in the day, the tournament hosts fell short 17-12 in the Cup semi-final.

The Blitzboks looked threatenin­g on attack with their probing runs right from the start, and they struck first with an early try by Siviwe Soyizwapi after Rosko Specman did well to attack the line and create space.

Fiji responded with two first-half run-ins by Vilimoni Botitu and Waisea Nacuqu, which gave the Islanders a 12-5 lead at the break.

Fiji scored another in the last minute to break South African hearts at Cape Town Stadium.

On that game, Powell said: “It was one of those games that could have gone either way, unfortunat­ely we had an opportunit­y in those last stages and we didn’t take it. And when it comes to the playoffs, you only get so many.”

In their first task yesterday, the Blitzboks beat Scotland 21-12 in the Cup quarter-final to book a last-four spot against Fiji.

Powell added that he was pleased with the improvemen­t considerin­g the injury situation and the loss of the likes of Ruhan Nel, Dylan Sage, Seabelo Senatla, Tim Agaba and Kwagga Smith to the 15-man game.

“We were a lot better than (we) were in Dubai. I think the kind of rugby we played was 60 or 70% better, and that’s what we asked of the guys. Success isn’t always the result, it’s the implementa­tion of processes. Like I said, we’ll keep on striving towards that perfect game,” he said.

“There’s seven changes to the team that played here last year, so we must realise where we are as a team. Ending sixth last week and third now isn’t where we want to be, so we need to make the set-up and come back. And we’ll ask them to do the same in Hamilton. As long as we keep on improving, we’ll be happy.”

The World Sevens Series will resume in Hamilton, New Zealand, on January 26 and 27. 1 Fiji, 2 USA, 3 South Africa, 4 New Zealand, 5 England IN a fairytale week for the Els and Rebula families at Randpark Golf Club, five-time South African Open champion, Ernie, threatened briefly to make it six titles, while his 21-yearold nephew Jovan Rebula won the Freddie Tait trophy yesterday.

The award is handed to the best amateur during the SA Open, and Rebula, after finishing with a total of six-under-par, comfortabl­y got his name alongside that of Els, who won it many years ago.

The two men played in the same group in round three on Saturday.

Rebula enjoyed an outstandin­g week with scores of 67, 70, 70 and 71.

His dad, Dragan, carried his bag over the four days, while his mom, Els’ sister, Carina, also followed the action closely.

It was a good tournament for all the amateurs who made the cut, with not one of them finishing over-par over the four days.

Deon Germishuys finished at twounder-par, 15-year-old Yurav Premlall, the youngest player to ever feature in the SA Open, also finished at two-under-par, while Wilco Nienaber settled for a level-par 284 score. Els, who shot an opening round 66 on Thursday, went round the Firethorn course in 71 blows yesterday to finish at eight-under-par.

FINAL SCORES

-18 -12 -10 -9 -15

ELS AND CO KEEP

L Oosthuizen (SA)

R Langasque (Fra)

B Easton (SA), T Aiken (SA), O Wilson (Eng), C Schwartzel (SA)

B Grace (SA), A Michael (SA), J Kruger (SA), M Muthiya (Zim), B Stone (SA), H Porteous (SA), J Winther (Nor), YK Chang (Kor) R MacIntyre (Sco), E Els (SA), M Wallace (Eng), K Kitayama (US); T Pulkkanen (Fin), Z Lombard (SA)

 ?? | PHANDO ??
| PHANDO
 ??  ?? IT is very important to give credit where it is due.When someone has done well I believe that we should shower him or her with compliment­s. Everyone works diligently to attain success.I’m very dejected by the manner in which the masses reacted when Luka Modric was crowned the best player in the world during the Ballon D’or awards last week.
IT is very important to give credit where it is due.When someone has done well I believe that we should shower him or her with compliment­s. Everyone works diligently to attain success.I’m very dejected by the manner in which the masses reacted when Luka Modric was crowned the best player in the world during the Ballon D’or awards last week.

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