JOHANNESBURG – Veteran BlitzBok star Branco du Preez has called on his teammates to show greater attention to detail and to execute more clinically when the fourth tournament of the 2018-19 World Rugby Sevens Series stops in Sydney this week.
The Springbok Sevens team have produced inconsistent performances so far and failed to reach the final in Dubai, Cape Town and Hamilton.
“We are not far off in terms of what we are doing but I feel we are not executing as well as we can,” Du Preez said. “We know what works for us, and we believe in that, but the small details are not being applied properly.”
Coach Neil Powell’s men will be desperate for a good, quality showing this weekend, but it won’t be easy after the Blitzboks were drawn to play in a pool that also includes hosts Australia, Argentina and Tonga.
Branco du Preez evades the tackle of Sione Molia of New Zealand at the Cape Town Sevens. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Du Preez, who will be playing in his 65th tournament for South Africa, said if the team could improve on the finer details of their game, there is no reason why they cannot return home on Monday with smiles on their faces.
“We were a bit rushed at times in Hamilton (last week) and that cramped our style,” he said. “Taking a step back in order to take two forward will work fine for us, I believe.”
A major goal this year will be finishing inside the top four of the overall standings after the 10 tournaments because those teams qualify automatically for the Tokyo Olympics.