The Blitzboks are trying to construct on their Dubai Sevens title, after a dismal begin to the season – ending tied for seventh on the opening event in Hong Kong.
The Blitzboks had been victorious within the Emirates Dubai Sevens. Picture: @Blitzboks/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Springbok Sevens coach Sandile Ngcobo has included Darren Adonis within the Blitzboks’ playmaking function, the one change to the team, for this weekend’s HSBC Cape Town Sevens on the DHL Stadium.
Adonis replaces Dewald Human, who picked up a groin damage on the Emirates Dubai Sevens, which dominated him out of Cape Town, the third cease on the 2023 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The Blitzboks are trying to construct on their Dubai Sevens title, after a dismal begin to the season – ending tied for seventh on the opening event in Hong Kong.
Adonis was a part of that squad and is due to this fact no stranger to the inexperienced and gold; he might be concerned in his ninth World Series event, however will make his first look within the Mother City.
The Southern Cape-raised participant has gained the Currie Cup with the Toyota Cheetahs earlier than he moved to Sevens rugby and since becoming a member of the Blitzboks, Adonis has gained gold medals in Vancouver, Edmonton, Malaga and Seville.
Ngcobo mentioned that the inclusion of Adonis wouldn’t have an effect on the momentum picked up in Dubai.
“Darren has trained with us before we left for Dubai and then played there as well as part of the Samurai (SA Sevens ‘A’ team) in the invitational tournament. I managed to watch those games and he did very well, so I am happy to have him,” the coach defined.
“He covers flyhalf and centre and he kicks with both feet, so he brings a versatility element to the squad as well. Darren is experienced enough to slot in immediately and has done very well.”
Ngcobo mentioned that the main target for the team would stay inward, with a transparent understanding of how they need to specific themselves on the DHL Stadium.
“We have two identities – one on the field and one off the field,” he mentioned. “In the latter, it is about being a brotherhood, caring for each other and driving a shared culture. We are nailing that one, so that drives us forward very well.
“The on-field id is defence, we don’t want folks to rating tries towards us and in the event that they do, they want to work actually onerous for it. We need to be dominant in defence and that angle is not going to change this weekend.”
Another player making his return in front of his home crowd, is Zain Davids.
Davids missed the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town back in September due to injury.
“You can’t actually clarify how excited you might be, simply when you get onto that area, you run in entrance of your loved ones, watching you reside. Playing at residence means all the pieces to me,” said Davids after the team announcement.
Davids is one of the seniors in the side, playing in his 35th tournament this weekend, and he will also have the role of guiding the new generation of players coming in like Adonis, Masanda Mtshali, Ricardo Duarrtee and Dalvon Blood who combined have only played in 12 tournaments.
On handling the pressure at home: “We’ll simply stick to the processes. Take one sport at a time and construct an innings, you may’t simply go there and assume ‘OK, we’re taking part in Fiji after which France’. We take Canada first, that’s our first hurdle after which we go to our subsequent hurdle and enhance from that.”
The Springbok Sevens squad:
Impi Visser – 23 tournaments, 118 matches, 125 factors (25 tries)
Zain Davids – 34 tournaments, 170 matches, 160 factors (32 tries)
Ryan Oosthuizen – 34 tournaments, 163 matches, 165 factors (33 tries)
James Murphy – 10 tournaments, 46 matches, 50 factors (10 tries)
JC Pretorius – 22 tournaments, 116 matches, 245 factors (49 tries)
Masande Mtshali – 1 event, 1 match
Branco du Preez – 84 tournaments, 426 matches, 1442 factors (101 tries, 466 conversions, 1 drop objective)
Ricardo Duarrtee – 1 event, 6 matches, 30 factors (4 tries, 5 conversions)
Darren Adonis – 8 tournaments, 33 matches, 54 factors (10 tries, 2 conversions)
Muller Du Plessis – 21 tournaments, 98 matches, 325 factors (65 tries)
Shilton van Wyk – 6 tournaments, 34 matches, 50 factors (10 tries)
Dalvon Blood – 2 tournaments, 10 matches, 25 factors (5 tries)
Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) – 42 tournaments, 221 matches, 690 factors (138 tries)
Springbok Sevens pool A fixtures:
Friday 9 December
20h03: Canada
Saturday 10 December
11h19: Fiji
17h00: France
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series standings:
32: South Africa, Australia
30: France
29: Ireland
27: Fiji, USA
25: New Zealand, Argentina, Samoa