Impi Visser: 'We want to lay down a marker early'

Blitzboks captain Impi Visser wants his team to “lay down a marker” in Dubai this weekend.

Ahead of his first tournament as captain of South Africa, the 30-year-old hopes that success the HSBC SVNS Series season opener can set the wheels in motion for another positive campaign for the team.

Over the years Dubai has been a happy hunting ground for the South Africans. Since the turn of the century the side have been champions on 11 occasions.

So, should the side want to be Series champions for a fifth time before embarking into Grand Finals, the desert is the perfect place to start.

“It will be a ‘no excuses’ weekend for us,” Visser said. “We came prepared and are an experienced squad, so we just need to go out and make things happen on the field.

“We want to lay down a marker early and keep improving on that. We arrived here as the top ranked team and want to show that it is still the case.”

The Blitzboks have the most experienced squad of any other side competing in the UAE this weekend.

With a squad that boasts 339 tournament caps – eight more than the Argentina and 11 more than Spain – the odds suggest that South Africa are favourites for the tournament.

Success can also ensure that Cape Town Stadium is packed out for the Blitzboks’ return home in a week time to defend last season’s title.

This weekend South Africa are pooled with France, Argentina and Fiji. There is no room for error.

“Every match is crucial, and slip-ups will be punished, so we need to keep our standards high from the start,” Visser said. “There are other benefits too by doing well in Dubai.

“Knowing that coach (Philip Snyman) wants to bring in some players during the season to build some depth also encourages us to do well here, as that will assist him in that aim.

“We are all as strong as the system and if we support making it stronger, we will be strong as well.”