Afrika praises defensive grit after Bok Women's Sevens' unbeaten run in Dubai

Afrika highlighted the team's ability to control tempo and work collectively as the foundation of their success, following an unbeaten run in Dubai that culminated in a 12-5 victory over Argentina in the final.

The tournament triumph was the second consecutive title under Afrika since his appointment in October, adding to the Rugby Africa Women's Sevens Cup the side won in Nairobi in November.

"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.

"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 said they will enjoy the win, which has seen them qualify for the HSBC SVNS 2 series, before they will get back on the horse for those three tournaments, with the first being played in Nairobi on 14-15 February.

"We must also acknowledge those players who did not travel this time but are part of the squad," he said. "They helped us with our preparation and I am happy to say we got our tactics and game analysis right also."

The team will depart for South Africa later on Sunday and will arrive back in Cape Town at 11h00 on Monday.