The fact that Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell tried out various players ahead of the Rio Olympics could just give the Blitzboks the surprise element to grab the gold medal, according to speedster Seabelo Senatla.
The Bok Sevens’ long build-up to the Deodoro Stadium has finally come to an end, with the sport’s return to the Olympic Games on Tuesday.
South Africa face Spain in their opening match at 4.30pm, followed by France at 9.30pm. They conclude their group stage on Wednesday against Australia (4.30pm), with a quarter-final later the same day and the medal-deciding fixtures on Thursday.
And at the heart of the Blitzboks’ bid for the gold medal will be Senatla, who scored an amazing 66 tries in last season’s World Series to top the list by a whopping 18 over American flyer Perry Baker.
But while he will be a key figure for Powell’s team, he believes the fact that South Africa had an audition of sorts for the Olympics during the World Series could count in their favour in Rio.
Powell provided opportunities for fringe players and 15-man Springboks to force their way into the reckoning for the Olympics, but that meant that they didn’t field their strongest possible squad in every tournament.
Yet South Africa came within 10 log points of winning the World Series, with Fiji triumphant on 181 and the Blitzboks on 171.
Now it’s the full contingent together, and that could prove the difference in the end. Fiji are the outright favourites for the gold medal, but don’t count out the Blitzboks. “We pulled in as many guys as possible to play during the season, and the coach has been mixing the guys up, making a whole lot of changes. So I think we haven’t really gotten to (a point) where we can say we’ve got momentum as a team,” Senatla told Independent Media.
“That (momentum) is something so big, and now it’s a different story as we were in a squad and have been together for a very long time. So, it creates a different mindset, because now we have some momentum and we know each other a bit more because we have been in camp together.
“What will do it for us is if the individuals bring what they’re in the team for, and a few special moments.”
The 23-year-old Senatla is a lethal finisher out wide for the Blitzboks, with his electric pace and ability to side-step opponents making him difficult to stop. And he doesn’t shy away from physical contact either.
You can often find him fighting for a turnover at the breakdowns, or cleaning opponents out of the way to secure possession. He has a massive work-rate, and in combination with the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Cecil Afrika, Kwagga Smith and Tim Agaba, the Blitzboks have the speed and power to deal with most teams.
In fact, Senatla has noticed in recent tournaments that he has been marked more closely than before, and he hopes his teammates can benefit as a result. “I will be looking to finish as strongly as I can, because that’s what I do for the most part. But not just that – I’m still trying to round my game off a bit,” he said.
“I’m still trying to do a whole lot of defensive work, ruck work as well. I’ve been working a lot on my turnovers, and I also want to create space, doing whatever is needed at the time.
“That’s what happened now through the last bit of the season – everyone started placing so much focus on me, which created space for other guys. You see people like Cheslin opening up and getting space, and you see Cecil running much more now as he had usually done all the playmaking.
“So the guys are really getting the spaces out there, because of the focus on me, which is great. If I can be a creator in the team, I’m happy to do that. It’s not about tries – it’s about the bigger picture and what the team can achieve at the end of the day. We all have the same focus.”
The Blitzboks have some serious strike-power on attack, and Senatla states that the strength of the team is the fact that they don’t rely just on him to make things happen.
Some Senatla magic will be crucial in pushing for the gold medal, but Powell and captain Kyle Brown would want all hands on deck over the next three days in Rio to add to swimmer Cameron van der Burgh’s silver in the 100m breaststroke.
“Look at the ammunition we have in the team – you can name… I can’t even single out anyone! Everyone has something special, and I think that is what is going to win us the gold at the end of the day. Everyone must bring what he has, because the coach knows why he picked those specific 12 or 14 players in the squad,” Senatla said.
“He knows what the guy can bring, and if he brings that, then it’s going to add to the little bit that the other guys are going to bring, and altogether holistically, it is going to make one big picture. Hopefully the big picture is the gold medal around the neck when we leave Rio.”
Blitzbok Squad
Kyle Brown (captain), Tim Agaba, Philip Snyman, Werner Kok, Dylan Sage, Kwagga Smith, Rosko Specman, Cheslin Kolbe, Cecil Afrika, Justin Geduld, Juan de Jongh, Seabelo Senatla.
Travelling Reserves: Chris Dry, Francois Hougaard.
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