'We haven't achieved anything': Wolfpack boss Feijoo keeps cool ahead of Montevideo

Germany Men’s Sevens head coach Pablo Feijoo has not been swept up in the Wolfpack’s HSBC SVNS 2 tournament win in Nairobi.

In February his team were winners on points difference after two days’ competition in East Africa and enter the South America leg of the competition top of the overall standings with the USA and Kenya in hot pursuit.

After an injury in Kenya, Anton Gleitze is not selected, while both Max Heid and Makonnen Amekuedi have not recovered in time from long-term injuries. As a result Luis Diel and Alexander Lott are both named in the Wolfpack squad.

“The tournament in Nairobi went very well for us,” Pablo Feijoo, Germany Men’s Sevens head coach, said. “Those were perhaps our best performances so far, especially defensively.

“We need to try to be more alert right from the start of the games this time. While we fought back well from behind in Kenya, that doesn’t always work against such strong teams, especially since we know each other better now and all the teams will be better prepared.”

In South America, Feijoo will again be supported by assistant coach Clemens von Grumbkow. Success in Montevideo and São Paulo will secure the Wolfpack with a place at the HSBC SVNS World Championship.

This weekend in Germany will play Canada, Belgium and Uruguay on Day 1 of the round robin competition before taking on Kenya and the USA on Day 2.

Even with their recent success the team’s head coach is not getting too far ahead of himself and has emphasised that his team will be sticking to their game plan before thinking about outcome.

“So far, we haven’t achieved anything more than putting ourselves in a good position with the tournament victory in Kenya to continue pursuing our goal,” Feijoo said.

“Of course, we’re sticking to our plan, and for that, we need to remain humble and be ready for another really tough tournament in Montevideo.

“Our focus is initially on the three games on the first day of the tournament against Canada, Belgium, and Uruguay.”

After this weekend’s tournament in Montevideo all 12 teams will travel to São Paulo for the final round of SVNS 2 competition. Finishing in the top four of the overall standings will secure teams with a place at HSBC SVNS World Championship events in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.

Germany Men’s Sevens squad for Montevideo & São Paulo

Cedric Eichholz
Tim Lichtenberg
Bennet Veil
Daniel Eneke
Max Roddick
Chris Umeh
Jakob Dipper
Niklas Koch
Felix Hufnagel
Henry Smeed, Jan Lammers
Ben Ellermann
Luis Diel
Alexander Lott