Playing under the tutelage of new coach Sandile Ngcobo and assistant Philip Snyman for the first time, the Springboks Sevens side got off to a winning start against Uruguay.

It could have been an even better opening had playmaker Ronald Brown not knocked the ball on over the try line – in an attempt to make the conversion easier – when he cantered over unopposed.

Nevertheless, Ngcobo and Snyman will be relieved to have started their tenure on such a resoundingly positive note.

The pair took over from stalwart Neil Powell who has been appointed as director of rugby at the Sharks in Durban.

Rough start

The Hong Kong Sevens got off to a rough start, before kick-off, for the Blitzboks. They faced thunderstorms which restricted their ability to train, a strict hotel biobubble, and had to wait anxiously for 24 hours before kick-off to find out whether anyone in the squad returned a positive Covid-19 test. 

For good measure, their first opponent was a new qualifier of the World Rugby Sevens Series on the opening day.

“We have a slogan of adapt and execute. It is nothing new to the squad – in fact, we first used it when the pandemic was causing great uncertainty about tournaments and training programmes,” said Ngcobo.

Blitzbok head coach Sandile Ngcobo at a training session at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch on 28 October 2022. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)

“We are still applying that principle. Here in Hong Kong it proved handy as we were thrown some curve balls. We did not allow those to bother us, the team just adapted and I really believe they will execute at the tournament.” 

His belief comes from the experience of the squad: seven had World Series gold medals hung around their necks and all 13 were part of the wider squad that prepared for Commonwealth Games gold this year.

“We are just so happy to be out there again, and that joy, coupled with doing the basics well… The aim is a simple one, we want to compete at the highest level and we want to compete hard,” the 33-year-old head coach added.

“As a coach, I am confident about the squad that was selected and their abilities. So, we approach this tournament with a positive mindset,” he added. “The beauty and reality of this game is that giants fall and underdogs rise as every team can beat another on the day. So, we need to be very sharp from the start.”

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The Blitzboks’ next opponents in the pool stages are Great Britain and France on Saturday. 

“The Great Britain side will also be an interesting opponent as they bring the flavours of the English, Welsh and Scots. So, it will be difficult to plan exactly what you expect them to do,” said the coach.

“With France, they love throwing the ball around, so if it is going to rain as predicted when we play them, one needs to adapt to that. But we are not looking at the opponents too much, rather at us executing the style we want to bring.”

Read in Daily Maverick: “​​Blitzboks stumble against inspired Ireland at Rugby World Cup Sevens”

The South Africans pushed aside the discomforts of the bubble and thunderstorms that disrupted their training session on Wednesday, two days before the Hong Kong Sevens got under way.

“We did not have such strict lockdown regulations since the Olympic Games, I think, but because we knew what was coming (and had lived through it before), we are not letting that element of the tournament affect us at all,” said captain Siviwe Soyizwapi.

Sakoyisa Makata breaks through a tackle by Paul Scanlan of Samoa at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town on 11 September 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Nic Bothma)

“We also trained hard in Stellenbosch [before we left], where it was really hot. So, we took the thunderstorms in our stride. It does make the ball more greasy, but it is good to have a session in weather like that, as we might encounter it during the tournament. And if so, then at least we had experience of it. So, we are making everything a positive at the moment.”

The next phase

Most of the players are vastly experienced, while Ngcobo and Snyman were experienced Blitzbok squad members for many seasons. This helped ease the transition period, according to Soyizwapi.

“The fact that both have been part of the system made the transition for us much easier and it is fair to say that the players and coaches are on the same page. Both want the team to chase that perfect game and play to our full potential this weekend,” he explained. 

James Murphy, captain Siviwe Soyizwapi and Sako Makata in training at Paul Roos Gymnasium on 26 October 2022. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)

“Because of the bubble restrictions, the hotel does not feel like a big tournament is about to happen.”

Read in Daily Maverick: “https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-09-12-rugby-world-cup-sevens-2022-the-glory-the-heartbreak-and-the-fans/”

This is the first time since 2019 the World Series is in Hong Kong, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Soyizwapi, who made his debut in Hong Kong in 2016, said he is excited to see it back on the World Series circuit.

“I am also keen to see this group go. There is so much potential in the squad and we have seen what they are capable of when we play to our full potential.” DM

Blitzboks squad for the Hong Kong Sevens (with World Series stats)

Sako Makata – 16 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

Ryan Oosthuizen – 32 tournaments, 160 points (32 tries)

Impi Visser – 21 tournaments, 115 points (23 tries)

JC Pretorius – 20 tournaments, 225 points (45 tries)

Branco du Preez – 82 tournaments, 1,434 points (100 tries, 464 conversions, one penalty goal, one drop goal)

Selvyn Davids – 27 tournaments, 564 points (69 tries, 108 conversions, one penalty goal)

Ronald Brown – eight tournaments, 285 points (27 tries, 75 conversions)

Dewald Human – 10 tournaments, 211 points (17 tries, 63 conversions)

Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) – 40 tournaments, 670 points (134 tries)

Mfundo Ndhlovu – 10 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

Christie Grobbelaar – eight tournaments, 70 points (14 tries)

Shilton van Wyk – four tournaments, 30 points (six tries)

Darren Adonis – seven tournaments, 54 points (10 tries, two conversions)