Lucky Maree
Suddenly the Rugby Sevens World Cup is only two weeks away and the Blitzboks have only one more chance to prove that they are ready to be the world champions.
And, of course, the players have one more chance to honour their commitment to their coach Neil Powell.
After their disastrous performance (embarrassing, you might say) at the Olympic Games and in London at the end of May, they promised the coach they would make him proud as they set off on the road to the World Cup.
So far they have been true to their word, winning the Commonwealth Games in a masterful display of how the game of Rugby Sevens should be played. And now they have one more hurdle to cross. And it’s a tough one.
As was the case at the Games, the Blitzboks have relatively easy matches in the pool rounds. They face the USA in the first match of the tournament on Saturday and while a victory is not a certainty, they should win. They then play Canada and they should win that one as well.
But later that evening they face the team that could potentially win the tournament. New Zealand have been getting stronger since their return to Sevens after the break during Covid. Being in the same pool as South Africa, they also play USA and Canada.
The third pool match between the Blitzboks and the Kiwis could be an indicator of the favourites for the World Cup.
Fiji plays Wales and France and then comes up against Ireland. While Fiji are clearly the favourites, Ireland would back themselves for the surprise win.
While a game of sevens lasts for only seven minutes a side, a tournament runs over three days. It takes a monumental emotional effort to deliver the goods at that moment when it matters.
The Blitzboks at the Games seemed to be perfectly focused for the full duration of the tournament. Can they do it again? One hopes they will do it for their coach, for their country and themselves.
Saturday
Blitzboks vs USA, 6.20pm; Blitzboks vs Canada 9.26pm.
Sunday
Blitzboks vs New Zealand 0.59am
Image source: @Blitzboks
