Senatla: Cape buzzing, but first Dubai

Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla says if you "don't pitch up, you lose" in Sevens rugby ahead of the Dubai tournament this weekend. Photo: Leon Lestrade

Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla says if you "don't pitch up, you lose" in Sevens rugby ahead of the Dubai tournament this weekend. Photo: Leon Lestrade

Published Nov 30, 2015

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Cecil Afrika and Seabelo Senatla have snapped out of daydreaming about competing for gold medals at next year’s Rio Games, and are single-minded about doing their job for South Africa in Dubai this week.

“The Olympics doesn’t come around every day in a person’s career, so it’ll be a real honour to make that squad,” Afrika said of the Olympic Sevens tournament scheduled for August. “For now, I’m focused on Dubai and the first match against Samoa.”

The Dubai Sevens tournament (December 4-5) is the first stop on the 10-leg circuit that comes to a conclusion in London on May 22. South Africa have been drawn in Pool B with Samoa, Scotland and Russia.

The defending Dubai Sevens champions, the Blitzboks filed on to a flight destined for the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and they will spend the week preparing for the two-day tournament which kicks off on Friday.

“It does put some pressure on the guys, having won Dubai last year,” said Senatla, “but whenever you put on the Springbok jersey you’re expected to perform, so the pressure is always there.

“There are no easy games on the Sevens circuit; if you don’t pitch up, you will lose.”

As part of the long-term plan to “pitch” at the Olympics, key players from the 15-man code have been drafted into the wider Blitzboks squad for assessment over the next six months.

“Sevens and 15-man rugby are very different games,” added Afrika. “In Sevens, you need to be able to tackle and then stand up and support a teammate who has broken the line.”

A stated objective of the 15-man intake was to bulk up an SA Sevens squad that is dwarfed by the likes of Fiji. However, the inclusion this week of Test Springboks Francois Hougaard (1.81m, 94kg) and Juan de Jongh (1.75m, 88kg) at the expense of Sevens regulars Frankie Horne (1.83m, 105kg) and Stephan Dippenaar (1.88m, 94kg) has achieved the opposite result.

“There isn’t really a difference in our team from last year in terms of size,” said Afrika. “We’re one of the smallest teams on the circuit, but when it comes to physicality, we’re one of the top teams.

“Our strength is our ability to adapt from game to game, and our urgency on defence. Hopefully we can build on that in these first two tournaments.”

Cape Town Stadium will host the second tournament (December 12-13).

“The excitement is real,” said Senatla. “The whole of Cape Town is buzzing about the tournament and the tickets are sold out. But our focus is on Dubai first, and we’ll chat about Cape Town after that.”

Horne and Dippenaar will also be in Dubai on Friday and Saturday when they turn out for the “Samurai International”, a Saru Sevens Academy side, at the Dubai International tournament.

The Blitzboks started the 2008/09 season with a win in Dubai and went on to clinch South Africa’s only Series victory.

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