The Springbok Blitzboks Sevens team continue their defence of the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens on Saturday when they take on Samoa at 9am SA time in the Cup quarter-finals.
The Blitzboks beat Uganda 19-10, Kenya 48-5 and Canada 28-0 on the first day of the Series opener and the side picked up intensity as the side found momentum as the day progressed.
Springbok Sevens coach, Neil Powell, had mixed emotions following the clean sweep, but admitted that it was a case of job done.
‘We were sloppy against Uganda in the opener, then played much better against Kenya and conceded no points against Canada in the final pool match. We improved as we progressed, but overall it was a day with mixed emotions,’ Powell indicated.
‘It’s a given that that we need to step up from the first game to the next and credit to the guys, they did that, something that makes me proud. It wasn’t easy out there, but we kept on improving and I cannot ask for much more.’
The team knows very well that day two will determine the success of their efforts in Dubai, said Powell.
‘We need to step up. Samoa showed they are a team progressing all the time and we have to pitch up with our best effort. If not, we will not be defending our title,’ Powell said.
The average score between the two sides is 18-14 and the Blitzboks have won 43 of 69 matches played.
The SA Rugby Sevens Academy also started their campaign in the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens International Invitational tournament on a winning note. They beat Monaco Impi 42-0, Canada Maple Leafs 33-5 and Samurai 31-7 in pool play.
Cup quarter-finals (SA times):
Blitzboks vs Samoa (09:00)
Fiji vs Scotland (09:22)
New Zealand vs Kenya (09:44)
England vs Australia (10:06)
Picture of Kok scoring against Canada courtesy of Roger Sedres/ImageSA