CAPE TOWN - It is said that when one power falls, another must rise and take its place - and that is exactly what Blitzbok Justin Geduld is doing in the absence of Cecil Afrika.
Okay, in the sporting world, that theory usually applies to rookies still trying to crack a spot - which Geduld is by no means - but seeing that Afrika, the Bok Sevens’ leading all-time points-scorer has carried most of the pivot duties over the years, Geduld has a golden opportunity to take control of the role for now.
And it’s a task that he has taken to exceptionally well.
The 23-year-old, who has played in 28 tournaments for the Blitzboks, had a massive influence in the Blitzboks’ victorious Wellington campaign, scoring 33 points and hugely impacting their game with solid defence, pin-point kick-offs and superb direction on attack.
“I have been in the starting role before, so it was nothing new to me,” said Geduld, pictured.
“The unfortunate injury to Cecil was a setback for all of us, but I realised this was an opportunity for me to step up and grab the opportunity with both hands.
“I had to get the team and the coach to have confidence in me and that was great to see that I managed that.”
Afrika, who picked up a knee strain at training during the Blitzboks’ preparation for the third leg of the World Sevens Series, was ruled out for the trip to Wellington and will not feature this weekend in Sydney.
And in spite of Neil Powell’s side’s strong showings in the Land of the Long White Cloud at the weekend, Geduld said it would be important for the team to forget about the tournament win in Wellington and to start afresh in Sydney.
“No one is going to give us any hand-outs here. If we want to be successful in Sydney as well, we will have to earn it the hard way. We are all aware that we start at zero again,” Geduld concluded.
Springbok Sevens veteran forward Chris Dry also said that the team are going to have to keep the mind set that took them all the way to the top in the Wellington.
“We will have a target on our backs, that is a given,” Dry said.
“It was nice to win last weekend, but they will be coming for us in Sydney. The challenge for us will be to have the same mind set from last weekend, where we believed in the processes and the team. We will have to play for each other again, but that is the fun part.”
South Africa will face Japan (2.20am), Kenya (6.15am) and England (11.13am) on Saturday.