One gets the impression that the Blitzboks are heading to the Olympic Games in Paris without the baggage of the disappointing performances they produced in the recent SVNS Series.
After winning the first tournament of the season in Dubai, the Springboks Sevens side went from bad to worse as the season progressed. Coach Sandile Ngcobo also quit towards the end of the campaign, while the team had to qualify for the Olympics the hard way.
After failing to qualifying automatically, they were stunned by Kenya in the Africa qualifiers and had one final shot at the Games at World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco.
The Blitzboks then clicked into gear in the Principality, going through the tournament unbeaten before clinching their place in Paris with a nervy win over Great Britain in the final.
Now that pressure of actually making it to the Games is off, the Team SA Sevens are just focussing on the job at hand - going for gold.
The team will fly into Paris this week positively under the radar, with the likes of Argentina, Ireland and New Zealand looking like the teams to beat.
But that’s just the way interim coach Philip Snyman likes it.
“I feel there is less pressure and that not a lot of people will give us a chance, and that is where we want to be – not to put too much pressure on ourselves or feel that external pressure. We want to stay under the radar,” said Snyman.
“We don’t have a reason to walk with our heads in the clouds. We must go and work hard, with not too much fuss. The big thing is we want to keep things internally.
The @Blitzboks hard at work in Stellenbosch ahead of the Olympics. The team departs for Paris later this week. pic.twitter.com/HH0tnB2cca
“The focus will remain the same – (on taking it) one match at a time, one training at a time and one moment at a time. We need to stay in the moment.”
The South Africans have a tough pool to negotiate, with Ireland, New Zealand and Japan standing in their way.
They face Ireland Ireland (5.55pm) and New Zealand (9.30pm) on July 24, and Japan the next day (4pm) in the group stages.
Team SA Sevens:
Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, Impi Visser, Zain Davids, Quewin Nortje, Tiaan Pretorius, Shaun Williams, Selvyn Davids (captain), Tristan Leyds, Rosko Specman, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk. Travelling reserves: Ronald Brown, Katlego Letebele.
@JohnGoliath82
IOL Sport