Blitbzoks ‘put pride back in the jersey’ with opening victory at Sydney Sevens

Blitzboks player Shaun Williams with the ball on day one of the HSBC Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium

Blitzboks player Shaun Williams with the ball on day one of the HSBC Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium on January 27, 2023. Picture: Mike Lee /KLC fotos/World Rugby

Published Jan 27, 2023

Share

Johannesburg - The Blitzboks began their Sydney Sevens campaign on an excellent note when they demolished the dangerous Kenya team 31-5 on the opening day.

The South Africans were poor on the final day of the New Zealand Sevens last week and were determined to bounce back, and they have done just that, scoring five tries against a side that has given the Blitzboks problems in recent years.

“We did put some pride back in the jersey with that performance but we are never happy with any mistakes in our game and there were some today,” captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said after the Pool B clash at Allianz Stadium.

“We will have a good look at those errors and see how we can cut them out before we face Uruguay on Saturday morning.”

Soyizwapi, who is playing in his 45th World Rugby Sevens Series, said they conceded too many penalties, something they need to eliminate against the South Americans.

“They are fresh on the series and pretty hungry to make an impact,” he said.

ALSO READ: Blitzboks call up James Murphy to replace injured Selvyn Davids for Sydney Sevens

“They have also settled in after four tournaments and are getting used to the pace of the game, so it will not be an easy one. We are certainly not taking them lightly, it will not be an easy game, so we better be ready for that.”

The remaining pool fixtures are played on Saturday. The Blitzboks face Uruguay at 00h44 and New Zealand at 06h49. All matches are live on SuperSport.