Davids says Blitzboks ‘can go all the way’ in Paris Olympic tournament

Selwyn Davids during a Blitzboks training session in Stellenbosch earlier this year.
Selwyn Davids during a Blitzboks training session in Stellenbosch earlier this year.
Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

Captain Selwyn Davids is hoping the Blitzboks can get Team South Africa off to a good start with a medal on the opening day of the Olympics on Saturday.

His team begin their quest on Wednesday with two tough opening pool matches against Ireland and New Zealand, but if they can push their way onto the podium come Saturday’s medal matches, they’ll give the nation its first opening day silverware since at least readmission in 1992.

“It would be great if South Africa can [win a] medal on the opening day. That would set the tone for the other teams and the other players, the other athletes that still have to play.” 

Davids, speaking at the captains’ photograph at the Olympic Village on Tuesday evening, said the Blitzboks had put their woeful 2023/2024 World Sevens Series behind them and were confident they could go all the way at the Paris Olympics.

The team play their first two pool matches on Wednesday, taking on Ireland (5.30pm) and New Zealand (9.30pm). They face Japan on Thursday (4pm).

South Africa finished seventh on the log, a distance from the days when they competed for top spot and easily placed inside the top four to qualify automatically for the Olympics.

“It hasn’t been a great season for us,” admitted Davids, who made his debut in 2017, the year after they took Olympic bronze at Rio 2016. “The past few tournaments we came closer together as a team. We played the type of rugby we wanted to play though the results didn’t go our way, but we came closer. We played much better rugby than the middle part of the season.”

They bagged just four points in Vancouver and then two in Los Angeles where they ended 11th of 12.

They finished sixth at the season-ending grand finals in Madrid and then beat Great Britain at the late qualifying tournament to win their ticket to the Games.

“At the qualifiers we played the best rugby of our season. So it’s been a rough season for us, but we are a much closer team now.

“We started to play for each other in the past few tournaments and we are getting where we want to be — playing for each other, playing for the country and playing for the badge.”

Davids said before the turnaround they had lacked cohesion as they struggled to adapt to the new coaching techniques in the wake of coach Neil Powell’s departure, with Sandile “Stix” Ngcobo taking over.

“We didn’t stick to the plan. We didn’t do what the coaches asked of us. Most of the time we did our own thing. We didn’t stick to the plan. You can’t do that in a team sport, because then you’re not on the same page as the player next to you. That was one of our main problems.

“I’m not sure if it was just because of the change in coaches because every coach has a different style of coaching. We were used to coach Neil. When it came to coach Stix, the type of style changed and we had to get used to the type of style he wanted to play.”

Assistant coach Philip Snyman, a former player, took over the coaching reins a few months ago and the team has been on an upward trajectory.

“The preparation went well. We’re closer than we were before. All of us are aiming for the same goals. We’re confident we can go all the way.”


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