An opening game against Australia clearly illustrates the massive task awaiting the Springbok Sevens team on Friday, when the third International Rugby Board Sevens tournament of the 2007/08 season kicks off in the Kiwi capital, Wellington.
The South Africans are grouped together with the Aussies, France and Kenya in Pool C, by far the toughest of the four pools.
The pools are usually divided into two distinct sections — two strong and two weak teams. The last game of the first day is then normally between the two top dogs in the pool, with the first two against the supposedly weaker teams.
Australia and France — traditional rugby powerhouses who have not really set the Sevens scene alight but are no slouches at the shortened version of the game — are the ”weaklings” in Pool C, with South Africa, ranked third here behind series-leaders New Zealand and Fiji, and Kenya seen as the major contenders for places in Saturday’s cup quarterfinals.
Paul Treu, coach of the Sevens Boks, realises a tough task awaits his troops, but he says his team will be ready for the challenge.
”Yes, it’s not easy, but to win these tournaments you have to be able to beat the best. This time will especially be a tough mental challenge for the boys,” said Treu on Thursday at his team’s final training session.
”We’ve had a good build-up with the warm-up tournament in Darwin two weekends ago and the training camp last week in Sydney. I’m confident.
”Neil Powell, who leads the Sevens Boks into action, said the Darwin tournament was a very valuable exercise. South Africa, playing as the Samurai International team, lost to the selfsame Aussies in the semifinal — a game that would have given the men from the other side of the Tasman Sea a good dose of self-confidence.
”We might not have won it, but it gave us a fantastic opportunity to work on some of our shortcomings in a tough game environment,” said Powell. ”We have made the semifinals in the first two tournaments in Dubai and George — now is the time to go further. I think we are quietly confident that we can pull a rabbit out of the hat here.”
Powell’s team arrived in New Zealand to a traditional Maori welcome — the only team to be honoured in this way — because they are the first rugby side from South Africa to visit this rugby-mad country since the Boks won the World Cup in October.
There is no reason why the Sevens Boks can’t emulate their ”big brothers” here and win for the second time in Wellington.
Pools for the Wellington Sevens: Pool A: New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Papua New Guinea. Pool B: Fiji, England, Wales, Cook Islands. Pool C: South Africa, Kenya, Australia, France. Pool D: Argentina, Scotland, United States, Tonga. — Sapa