The Springbok Sevens team assembled in Cape Town on Tuesday without Ryan Oosthuizen, who picked up a concussion in Dubai last weekend and was ruled out of the HSBC SVNS Cape Town this weekend.
Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman will only name the replacement for Oosthuizen, who has played in 51 world series tournaments, on Thursday, but he did add four players to the squad that will prepare for the weekend’s showpiece at DHL Stadium.
Mfundo Ndhlovu, Gino Cupido, Rowan Malgas and Zander Reynders, who all formed part of the Springbok Sevens ‘A’ squad who won their tournament under the Shogun banner in Dubai last weekend, have been added to the group.
Having lost an experienced campaigner such as Oosthuizen will add more pressure on the other regulars in the squad, especially as Selvyn Davids and Ronald Brown are also still out with injuries, but Dewald Human said he will be ready to go again, as he did in Dubai last weekend.
Human has won eight world series tournaments around the world representing the Blitzboks, but nothing would please him more than a victory on home soil, something “Japie”, as he is known to his teammates, feels is possible this weekend at the DHL Stadium.
The 29-year-old playmaker has played in 27 HSBC SVNS tournaments in a career full of highlights, but for Human, a win in Cape Town, in front of the Blitzboks’ faithful, will be the icing on the cake.
“I know people might look at the Dubai results from last weekend and think we have no chance to win for the first time since 2015 and that is fair,” said Human.
“We did make unforced errors in Dubai, but that was not how it was supposed to happen and something we can rectify.
“For me, the fact that we did not win in Dubai could be a blessing in disguise. For the last five times we came to Cape Town having won in Dubai, and that added to the already big pressure that you find for the hosting nation. The expectations have just become so much over the years.”
Human has captained the Blitzboks in Hong Kong before and he understands pressure, but this time it is different, he said: “The pressure is not coming with us from Dubai, so we can focus squarely on getting the job done at home. We have not used the amazing support we get from this Cape Town crowd to our benefit and will be looking to change that this year.”
It will be Human’s third appearance at DHL Stadium.
“In 2019, in my first year playing in Cape Town, we lost to Fiji in the semis and last year we got knocked out in the quarters, but still the crowd stayed on our side,” he said.
“This year, the squad is younger with some rebuilding taking place, but what I can tell all the supporters is that this team have that drive and desire be make everyone proud and to bring honour to the jersey.
“This Blitzbok team will never surrender, there are real fighters in this squad, from coach Philip to the least experienced players. We are all determined to do well this weekend, and I believe it will show.”
The Blitzboks will face Ireland and Argentina in their group and Human feels the new format will create new pressure on each team.
“But unlike the other sides, we have this great crowd to lift us when we are under pressure,” he said. “We would love nothing more to see people coming out to support us this weekend and if we can reward them with a win, so much better.”
Tickets, priced from only R250, are available from Ticketmaster.
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