The pressure is on for the Blitzboks as they need a massive performance not only to regain pride in the side, but also to ensure they still have a chance of automatic qualification for the Olympic Games when the HSBC World Sevens Series resumes in Hong Kong on Friday.
The Blitzboks’ disappointing performance in Los Angeles and Vancouver, where they dropped to seventh on the Series Standings and are now a whopping 31 points behind leaders New Zealand has made a seemingly routine qualification now a massive task.
And Hong Kong is traditionally the Blitzboks’ hoodoo tournament, having never won in the former British territory - their best being two appearances in the finals.
ODDS AGAINST THEM
With that in mind, the odds seem to be stacked against Sandile Ngcobo’s side, especially with a host of injuries and some below par defensive performances on the circuit making his rebuilding task a lot harder.
There is no doubt that the Blitzboks have the talent to succeed, but the injury toll and concentration lapses have crept in at the wrong times and they have played nowhere near the level they set for themselves.
And while they seem to be safe from relegation as the series gets cut to 12 teams next season, the Olympic Qualification is something they would normally ease through without having to go the route of a qualifying tournament.
Now that in itself is in danger if they cannot find a way to right the wrongs of the past few months and need to find a steely resolve that was always there in every Blitzbok side that has taken part in the World Series.
TOUGH WEEKEND
This weekend will not be an easy ride for them either. The Blitzboks face log leaders New Zealand, Ireland and a desperate Kenya side in their pool games, and given their recent form, qualification for the Cup quarterfinals is not a given.
Ireland have shown on more than one occasion they can beat this Blitzbok side while Kenya beat them in Vancouver.
Either way it will be up to the team themselves to show they still have it to be a top four side and given the seedings are done on previous performances they have left themselves the hard road to travel to get back to the top.
There is so much to play for that motivation shouldn’t be a factor, but with a series so close and an off weekend costing so much, the Blitzboks need to dig deep to find some resolve if they are to regain their position in the top four.
That for now should be their focus, and if in the process they break another hoodoo, they will only find their fans celebrating.
Springbok Sevens fixtures
Friday
9:04am v Ireland
Saturday
5:04am v New Zealand
9:25am v Kenya