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'We got the balance right': how Afrika's Springboks won SVNS 3
By Joe Harvey
Cecil Afrika heaped praise on his Springbok Women’s Sevens side after they won HSBC SVNS 3 at the weekend.
The coach watched as his team went unbeaten in pool play on Day 1 of the competition, before beating Poland in the semi-finals to guarantee a spot at HSBC SVNS 2 in February. To claim the crown in Dubai, South Africa beat Argentina 12-5 in the Final.
“It was a great win and the players deserve all the credit – we really defended well, but our attack also proved very effective,” said Africa.
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“Overall, I think we got the balance right at this tournament. When we needed to, we defended our line very well and when the opportunity came, we could switch to attack and scored some really nice tries.
“One of the keys to a successful defensive effort is for players to work hard for each other, getting back in line, getting back off the floor to get in position and to trust the system and not try things on your own.”
Afrika has enjoyed immense success since taking charge of the Springbok Women’s Sevens side.
Before his team lifted silverware in Dubai last weekend, the Blitzbok legend guided his team to Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens success in Nairobi.
His team will return to Kenya next month as HSBC SVNS 2 gets underway. Alongside Argentina, Brazil, China, Kenya and Spain, South Africa will contend three legs in Nairobi, Montevideo and Sao Paulo.
A top four finish will secure a place in the HSBC SVNS World Championships at the end of the season.
“We must also acknowledge those players who did not travel this time but are part of the squad,” Afrika said.
“They helped us with our preparation and I am happy to say we got our tactics and game analysis right also.”
