Snyman vows Blitzboks will ‘rectify Dubai mishaps’ as focus shifts to Cape Town showdown

SPRINGBOK Sevens head coach Philip Snyman says the Blitzboks will be a far sharper outfit when they run out at the HSBC SVNS Cape Town tournament this weekend, following a mixed showing at the Emirates Dubai Sevens.

Despite finishing fifth after a strong Sunday turnaround, Snyman admitted the squad did not meet their own standards during the opening leg of the series.

South Africa started their Pool A campaign with a promising win over France on Saturday, but back-to-back losses to Fiji and Argentina saw them fall out of the title race. Snyman said the opening day was simply not good enough.

“We used our opportunities much better today (Sunday) compared to yesterday, and that delivered a better result,” Snyman said. “I am happy with our response today, but yesterday was not our best day. The good start against France was quickly forgotten when Fiji outplayed us on attack, defence and physically, and we did not use our chances against Argentina.”

He added that Sunday’s improved performance showed clear signs that the players applied the immediate work-ons identified after day one.

“The format is really tough, make no mistake, and teams can even win two of three pool games and still not make it into the semi-finals, but that was not our excuse. We were just not good enough on the weekend,” Snyman admitted.

With Cape Town looming, Snyman said the squad would undergo a full review to ensure they arrive at DHL Stadium united and ready.

“We have enough to work on. Ball retention, how to play against physically bigger teams, and how to use our chances will all be improved on when we run out in Cape Town.”

A strong Sunday finish lifts confidence

A refreshed Blitzbok starting line-up produced two convincing wins on Sunday, outplaying Great Britain 34-0 before overcoming Spain 21-12 to secure fifth place.

Shilton van Wyk and Donavan Don were central to the resurgence against Great Britain. Van Wyk scored twice, the first set up by a brilliant no-look offload from Don, who later crossed the line himself. The South Africans dominated the second half, with tries from Tristan Leyds, Mfundo Ndhlovu, and Zander Reynders sealing a commanding shutout victory.

Against Spain, the Blitzboks had to claw back after a sloppy opening handed their opponents an early converted try. Van Wyk responded immediately from the restart before David Brits powered over for his first try of the tournament, thanks to strong work from Don and Ricardo Duarttee.

Spain fought back with a well-worked try out wide, but the Blitzboks saved their best strike move of the weekend for the final blow. Off a well-secured lineout, Impi Visser linked beautifully with Ndhlovu, who cut a tight line to score under the posts and secure the win.

Tickets for the HSBC SVNS Cape Town event are available from Ticketmaster.