OPINION: Blitzboks still a quality outfit, but they need to be more consistent
The Blitzboks sing the national anthem ahead of the final against Spain at the World Championship in LA last Sunday. Picture: David van der Sandt/Gallo Images
All's well that ends well.
That's surely what the Blitzboks players and their coach Philip Snyman must be thinking following their victory in the 'winner-takes-all' grand finale of the Sevens season in Los Angeles at the weekend.
The SA Sevens team pulled off a remarkable victory to bag the World Championship title for the 2024/25 season, after experiencing a rather disappointing regular season.
They beat Spain in the final in LA on Sunday, after earlier beating New Zealand in the semi-finals. In pool play on Saturday, they beat France, Great Britain and Argentina, all teams who have given the Blitzboks troubles in the last few years.
The only other highlight for Snyman and Co over the season was their victory at their home tournament in Cape Town in December.
While they were tournament runners-up in Vancouver not too long ago, the other four tournaments they played in ended disappointingly.
In the opener in Dubai late last year they finished sixth, in Perth they were third place playoff runners-up, while in Hong Kong and Singapore, the two last tournaments before the Los Angeles 'grand finale' they delivered their worst performances of the season, finishing ninth on each occasion.
Lack of consistency
That they managed to turn things around so quickly shows just how fast things can change in sport, and especially in the Sevens game.
The reality is the Blitzboks team are a quality outfit with very strong players, but things can unravel quickly in a game and in a tournament. And that's what's happened to the SA team in the last few years … they've played excellently in parts, but then been poor in many matches as well.
The lack of consistency has hurt them, but as they showed in winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year, after qualifying through the back door, and now winning in LA, this Blitzboks team should not be written off. They seem to thrive under pressure, when the moment demands a strong performance, and that bodes well for the future.
Let's hope this victory will spur them on and they can push hard for the World Cup title next year.
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