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Blitzboks look to Olympics for redemption

olympic games22 July 2024 15:00
By:Brenden Nel
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If ever there was a moment for redemption, this week could be it for the Springbok Sevens side as they head into the Olympic cauldron to try and win a medal in France.

The tournament has been a bit of a bogey one for them, especially after being shocked in the semifinals in Rio de Janeiro by Great Britain in 2016 and bombing out in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

They have only one bronze medal to show for all their efforts in the last eight years and odds are again against them from achieving glory in Paris this week.

The Blitzboks have had a horrendous season, changing coaches in the middle, and qualifying through the back door in the repechage tournament in Monaco a few weeks back, making them outsiders at best for the tournament.

With a pool that includes arch-rivals New Zealand and Ireland, the Blitzboks are up against it as both these sides have beaten them this season, and the Olympic draw leaves little room for error.

Still, on their day, they can beat everyone, and interim coach Philip Snyman will have some plans up his sleeve for the tournament.

The big thing for them is to take it one step at a time, with a game by game management system likely to give them the advantage.

Ireland are first up, and the Blitzboks know them well, but also know that the errors they committed when the two sides last met would be fatal.

But there is confidence in the squad, as veteran Rosko Specman said from the team’s camp in Paris.

“Ireland is always the team that never backs off, and they are the team that punches first. But I think we have seen them before and they gave us a hard time throughout the season. We know what to expect and how to counter that. This team is ready,” he believes.

“You will see in the first game this team is ready and the coach has a nice plan for us to go into the game with. There is a big history, but I think this time we will have the upper hand.”

First up will be Ireland at 5:30pm (GMT+2, CAT) on Wednesday and then New Zealand at 9:30pm. 

Both are incredibly important games that the Blitzboks need to win in order for them to head towards the semifinals and put themselves in position to win a medal.

In short, it would be the most important day of their season, and their last chance to salvage it as a success.

Either way, the team will know that 28 minutes of rugby may be the way to turn the season around, and would give them a chance of winning the country’s first medal at the games, which should be motivation in itself.

And Specman has promised some magic, hoping to use the support of Team South Africa to his advantage.

“Our team will always be behind us because they like the energy that team brings. I know they will be awake when Specmagic is doing his thing and they know when Specmagic is there, it is always a magic moment,” he laughs.

And couldn’t the Blitzboks do with some Specmagic right about Wednesday.

FIXTURES

Wednesday

17h30 v Ireland

21h30 v New Zealand

Thursday

16h00 v Japan

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