It will be a tournament with no second chances, of clinical execution and most importantly, an opportunity where the Springbok Sevens team can deliver a performance that will do their season justice.
This is the view of Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman on the eve of the last tournament of the year, the HSBC SVNS World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles this weekend.
South Africa will face Olympic champions France, Great Britain and HSBC SVNS league winners Argentina on Saturday in Pool A of the tournament. Fiji, Spain, Australia and New Zealand are in Pool B and the top two teams in each pool will contest the semi-finals on Sunday.
“We can look back at the regular series where we had a mixed bag of results, but this effort here in Los Angeles will define the season,” said Snyman.
“There were brilliant moments, average moments and some poor moments, but we are looking towards this weekend, not behind us. We had our review of the series and know what we were good at, or not. Our fourth place in the series was an improvement from the previous year, but we want to be remembered by more than that.
“To be successful this weekend, we approach this as a complete team effort where every individual will have to be on point when it comes to roles and responsibilities and to make sure that his job gets done. I believe our system is such that we will be successful if we manage that.”
Snyman said their preparations went well and he was pleased with the trio of Ronald Brown, Mfundo Ndhlovu and Quewin Nortje, who joined the squad for this trip.
“We needed some new energy, given the short turnaround from Singapore, where we did not deliver,” said the Blitzbok coach.
“I am happy to say we got that from them. Overall, it will be a weekend of enjoyment, effort and energy and each of those players are able to provide that. We are in a good space.”
The three pool opponents will be a tough nut to crack, but Snyman said it is expected, given that only the best eight teams are competing: “We have won and lost against all three during the season, so it will come down to the effort of that match. There are no easy games and a clinical execution will be the difference.”
Pool A fixtures (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport)
Saturday, 3 May
21h12: France
Sunday 4 May
00h13: Great Britain
03h46: Argentina
The Springbok Sevens squad for Los Angeles (with HSBC SVNS stats):
#2 Ryan Oosthuizen - 55 tournaments, 230 points (46 tries)
#3 Impi Visser - 45 tournaments, 225 points (45 tries)
#4 Zain Davids - 52 tournaments, 235 points (47 tries)
#5 Ricardo Duarttee - 18 tournaments, 287 points (22 tries, 87 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#7 Ronald Brown - 19 tournaments, 408 points (42 tries, 99 conversions)
#8 Selvyn Davids (captain) - 41 tournaments, 728 points (95 tries, 124 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi - 59 tournaments, 790 points (158 tries)
#12 Shilton van Wyk - 26 tournaments, 240 points (48 tries)
#13 Mfundo Ndhlovu - 18 tournaments, 120 points (24 tries)
#14 Quewin Nortje - 11 tournaments, 145 points (29 tries)
#19 David Brits - 8 tournaments, 40 points (8 tries)
#21 Zander Reynders - 5 tournaments, 10 points (2 tries)
#24 Tristan Leyds - 10 tournaments, 130 points (16 tries, 25 conversions)
