Durban – The Blitzboks struggled on day two of the Hong Kong Sevens, but the good news is that they have advanced to Sunday’s quarterfinals, where they will face tournament favorites Fiji.
The South Africans finished second in Pool B after two close losses to Great Britain (12-10) and France (19-17) and typically would not have advanced to the quarterfinals, but Uruguay’s victory against Great Britain was a significant help to the Blitzboks.
This resulted in South Africa finishing second because their point differential was greater than that of both their British and South American opponents.
Saturday’s performance was substandard, according to assistant coach Philip Sneiderman. “Against Great Britain, our starting lineup was unable of establishing a platform due to a lack of enthusiasm and effort.
“We made some substitutions in the second half, and the game went much better, but it was too late.
“We made three changes to our starting lineup against France, and the resulting squad was significantly more effective. In spite of the fact that we ultimately lost, our effort could not be criticized. Yes, a few errors occurred, such as a player failing to make a last pass or dropping the ball, but the team effort was encouraging.
Snyman stated that Uruguay’s victory over the United Kingdom gave them a tremendous favor, but the truth is that they are now in the knockout stage.
“Despite today’s misfortunes, we are in the playoffs, therefore it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity,” remarked Snyman.
“The French game had more than enough positives. The ultimate outcome was negatively impacted by a bad bounce and a final pass, but the effort was there, which is what we are looking for.
“The most important lesson of the day was that they must play as a team,” stated Snyman. “We must internalize this lesson. You can’t play by yourself. The players must utilize the offered structure and invest into it. If we accomplish this on Sunday, we will have a shot at winning the championship.”
Sunday’s quarterfinals in Hong Kong (SA time):
05h25: Samoa v Argentina
South Africa vs. Fiji at 05:50
Ireland vs. Australia at 06:15