The Springbok Sevens’ ninth place finish in Canada, at the fourth HSBC SVNS tournament of the season, was described as frustrating by the teams head coach Sandile Ngcobo, with the lack of consistency at the top the agenda this week as they prepare for their next assignment in Los Angeles.
Zain Davids has travelled to Canada six times and returned with three gold medals, but that has not stopped the Blitzbok forward’s winning appetite, who arrived in Vancouver for a seventh HSBC SVNS Canada tournament.
The first time Rosko Specman played at the HSBC SVNS Canada in Vancouver, his teammates included Bryan Habana and Ryan Kankowski, and the Springbok Sevens lost to New Zealand in the final.
It took them just over 30 hours to get from Cape Town to Vancouver, but for the Springbok Sevens it is all part of the job and uncomfortable travel will not deter their ambition to deliver a winning performance in Canada this weekend.
Springbok Sevens head coach Sandile Ngcobo made five changes to his travelling squad for the next two HSBC SVNS tournaments, in Vancouver next weekend and Los Angeles a week later.
The improvement shown by the Springbok Women's Sevens team in Perth will give the coaching staff and players a confidence boost for the next two HSBC SVNS tournaments, in Vancouver (23-25 February) and Los Angeles (1-3 March).
The Springbok Sevens finished their HSBC SVNS Perth campaign on a high note by outplaying France 24-5 to finish the tournament in fifth place.
The Springbok Women’s Sevens team prepared well and accordingly, but the realities of being the least experienced team at the HSBC SVNS Perth tournament and having to play the host union on their national holiday, will make for a tough opening day for the South Africans.
Travelling the world and exploring new destinations with smiles on faces are elements one can attribute to the Springbok Sevens team over many seasons of HSBC SVNS, but as they settled into Perth for yet another new stop in the world series, the real purpose for their trip to West Australia was quickly confirmed by Blitzbok captain Selvyn Davids.
Having retired from a game she loved so much after a bad injury and then making a very solid return to the team she loves even more almost a decade later will drive the effort from Shona-Leah Weston this weekend when the Springbok Women's Sevens take on Australia, Canada, and Great Brittain in the HSBC SVNS Perth.