CAPE TOWN – The triumphant Springbok Sevens team have no less than three players in the Dream Team chosen after the Dubai Sevens on Saturday.
The South Africans beat New Zealand 24-12 in the final, and will be confident of carrying that form into their home leg in Cape Town next weekend.
The Man of the Match from the Dubai Sevens final, Kwagga Smith, made the Dream Team, along with speedster Seabelo Senatla and playmaker Cecil Afrika.
Senatla scored seven tries in Dubai to end joint-second on the top try-scorers’ list behind Scotland’s Darcy Graham, England’s Dan Norton and Solomon Okia of Uganda on eight.
Only Graham of that list made the Dream Team.
Losing finalists New Zealand have Joe Ravouvou in the mix, while semi-finalists England have James Rodwell, although surprisingly there isn’t a single Fijian in the Dream Team despite them going down to the Blitzboks 12-7 in a tight semi-final encounter.
The seventh player in the Dream Team is Alamanda Motuga of Samoa, who topped the Dubai Sevens Performance Tracker with 50 points alongside Senatla.
HIGHLIGHTS: @Blitzboks win big in Dubai to kick start their #HSBC7s2018 campaign pic.twitter.com/VCE2zHWBly
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) December 2, 2017
The draw for the Cape Town Sevens has also been made, with the Blitzboks facing Kenya, France and Russia in Saturday’s pool matches at the Cape Town Stadium.
The Cape Town Sevens ends next Sunday.
Dubai Sevens Dream Team
Alamanda Motuga (Samoa), James Rodwell (England), Kwagga Smith (South Africa)
, Seabelo Senatla (SA)
, Darcy Graham (Scotland), Cecil Afrika (SA)
, Joe Ravouvou (New Zealand).
Cape Town Sevens Pools
Pool A: South Africa
, Kenya, France, Russia
Pool B: New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States
Pool C: England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda
Pool D: Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales