Coach Neil Powell expects a more disciplined performance as the Blitzboks look to retain the Canada Sevens title this weekend.
The Blitzboks will start the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, as the most successful team at BC Place in Vancouver, having played the most cup finals of any of the 16 teams at the sixth leg of this year’s World Sevens Series.
SA finished second in 2016 and 2017 before winning a maiden cup title at the Canadian event in 2019, and then claimed gold for the second time in 2021.
However, the Blitzboks are still smarting after three successive defeats and a rash of penalties conceded in those matches at the Singapore leg last weekend.
Powell said: “The number of penalties was a worry – we are more disciplined than that and have been for a while.”
Watch: Blitzboks work on body and mind
The high number of penalties conceded prompted a discussion with the match officials for clarity. The SA coach added: “We did chat to the officials to understand where we made those errors in order to rectify them.
“It was a combination of frustration on our side and interpretation on theirs. We sought clarity and got that. The feedback to the players was that we need to give the referees a better picture of what we do. We know the rules; it was just a reminder of what was wrong and what not. There should be no issues this weekend.”
The Blitzboks’ Pool C opponents in Vancouver are familiar foes. SA played against Canada twice in recent tournaments and could expect the hosts to be fired up on home soil, while they also encountered Spain at BC Place in 2021, outplaying the Spaniards in the pool stage and again in the Cup quarter-finals.
SA last clashed with Australia at the Spain tournament in January, the Blitzboks beating the Australians 19-0 in the Cup semi-finals.
Pool C fixtures:
SA vs Spain, Saturday, 8:15pm
SA vs Canada, Saturday, 11:26pm
SA vs Australia, Sunday, 3:33am
