LA success will define our season

Head coach Philip Snyman says the Blitzboks are aiming for a blockbuster finish to their 2024-25 campaign at the SVNS World Championship this weekend.

According to Snyman, it will be a tournament with no second chances, clinical execution and most importantly, an opportunity for the South Africans to deliver a performance that will do their season justice.

South Africa will face Olympic champions France, Great Britain and SVNS league winners Argentina on Saturday in Pool A. Fiji, Spain, Australia and New Zealand are in Pool B and the top two teams in each pool will contest the semi-finals on Sunday.

“We can look back at the regular series where we had a mixed bag of results, but this effort here in Los Angeles will define the season,” said Snyman.

“There were brilliant moments, average moments and some poor moments, but we are looking towards this weekend, not behind us. We had our review of the series and know what we were good at, or not.

“Our fourth place in the series was an improvement from the previous year, but we want to be remembered for more than that.

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“To be successful this weekend, we approach this as a complete team effort where every individual will have to be on point when it comes to roles and responsibilities and to make sure that his job gets done. I believe our system is such that we will be successful if we manage that.”

Snyman said preparations have gone well and he was pleased with Ronald Brown, Mfundo Ndhlovu and Quewin Nortje, who joined the squad for this trip.

“We needed some new energy, given the short turnaround from Singapore, where we did not deliver,” the Blitzbok boss added.

“I am happy to say we got that from them. Overall, it will be a weekend of enjoyment, effort and energy and each of those players are able to provide that. We are in a good space.”

The three pool opponents will be a tough nut to crack, but Snyman said it is expected, given that only the best eight teams are competing.

“We have won and lost against all three during the season, so it will come down to the effort of that match. There are no easy games and a clinical execution will be the difference.”

Blitzboks’ pool fixtures:
Saturday
vs France (9:12pm)
Sunday
vs Great Britain (12:13am)
vs Argentina (3:46am)

Photo: David Van Der Sandt/Gallo Images