Coach Neil Powell expects a extra disciplined efficiency because the Blitzboks look to retain the Canada Sevens title this weekend.
The Blitzboks will begin the match, which kicks off on Saturday, as essentially the most profitable crew at BC Place in Vancouver, having performed essentially the most cup finals of any of the 16 groups on the sixth leg of this 12 months’s World Sevens Sequence.
SA completed second in 2016 and 2017 earlier than profitable a maiden cup title on the Canadian occasion in 2019, after which claimed gold for the second time in 2021.
Nevertheless, the Blitzboks are nonetheless smarting after three successive defeats and a rash of penalties conceded in these matches on the Singapore leg final weekend.
Powell stated: “The variety of penalties was a fear – we’re extra disciplined than that and have been for some time.”
Watch: Blitzboks work on physique and thoughts
The excessive variety of penalties conceded prompted a dialogue with the match officers for readability. The SA coach added: “We did chat to the officers to know the place we made these errors in an effort to rectify them.
“It was a mix of frustration on our aspect and interpretation on theirs. We sought readability and received that. The suggestions to the gamers was that we have to give the referees a greater image of what we do. We all know the principles; it was only a reminder of what was fallacious and what not. There needs to be no points this weekend.”
The Blitzboks’ Pool C opponents in Vancouver are acquainted foes. SA performed towards Canada twice in current tournaments and will count on the hosts to be fired up on house soil, whereas additionally they encountered Spain at BC Place in 2021, outplaying the Spaniards within the pool stage and once more within the Cup quarter-finals.
SA final clashed with Australia on the Spain match in January, the Blitzboks beating the Australians 19-0 within 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
