Blitzbok coach Philip Snyman hails special win in Los Angeles

Blitzbok coach Philip Snyman hails special win in Los Angeles

Strong performances on day one at Dignity Health Sports Park saw pool victories over France, Great Britain and Argentina, and the Blitzboks outplayed New Zealand and Spain on the second day to lift the World Championship trophy for the first time.

"This team delivered an amazing performance over the weekend," said Snyman.

"The players deserve so much credit for the way they played here in Los Angeles. We had some good parts and some bad parts to our season, but this weekend we got it all together and that is a very satisfying feeling.

"Any coach will tell you that your plan can only be as good as the buy-in from the players and then their execution thereof. This weekend it all come together.

"They really stuck to our plan, but also importantly, played the moments when it was there to exploit. They did some exceptional things on the field during this tournament and all the credit must go to them.

"Some of those moments of brilliance by the players in the final made this a special win."

Snyman said the weekend proved that the Blitzboks are back to where they should be: "This performance was proof of the potential of this squad. The players executed their roles so well, there was a common belief in what is possible and how to achieve that and the result is there for them to enjoy now.

"This performance finally completes the puzzle for us, and what a beautiful picture we got. This was the true colours of Springbok Sevens and I cannot be prouder of what it represented and displayed this weekend."

The Blitzbok coach also reflected on the big moments of the weekend and said they were "up for it".

"Our defence was great, the attack worked so well, while there was this hunger in each player to use this tournament to make up for the disappointing ones we had along the way," he said.

Blitzbok captain Selvyn Davids said the effort during the weekend made him very proud.

"The guys left everything out there on the field, we gave it our all," he said.

"That is just an amazing feeling. We fought for each other, and we fought for the badge and knowing that we achieved that was already a win for me."

The one lesson learned from this season is that consistency is key to everything, according to Davids: "The consistency we lacked during the year prevented us from reaching our full potential as a team. This tournament we managed to maintain the same level of excellence and that proved gold for us."

Davids, who was named Player of the Final, insisted that the performance over the weekend was a complete team effort.

"The format of only eight teams was always going to be demanding, but we managed to stay in the moment in each game," said Davids.

"We had some dark spots during matches, but every time someone did something special to make that disappear. Everyone just focused on the next job and got it done. I am so proud of this."

The squad will arrive back in South Africa on Tuesday.

Related News

Blitzbok boss Philip Snyman ready to shift into match mode this month

Blitzbok boss Philip Snyman ready to shift into match mode this month

  • 7 hours ago

The Springbok Sevens squad have finished their HSBC SVNS preparation and head coach Philip Snyman is looking forward to the season opener in Cape Town.

Blitzbok star Christie Grobbelaar eyes long-awaited Cape Town Sevens debut

Blitzbok star Christie Grobbelaar eyes long-awaited Cape Town Sevens debut

  • 9 days ago

Christie Grobbelaar is determined to finally tick off one career goal that has so far eluded him — representing the Blitzboks at his home tournament in Cape Town.

Blitzbok Donavan Don eager to defend Cape Town Sevens crown

Blitzbok Donavan Don eager to defend Cape Town Sevens crown

  • 22 days ago

Springbok Sevens speedster Donavan Don can't wait for an opportunity to experience the noise generated by the HSBC SVNS Cape Town crowd again.

New recruit Grant de Jager embracing Blitzboks culture as he targets Cape Town debut

New recruit Grant de Jager embracing Blitzboks culture as he targets Cape Town debut

  • 23 days ago

New Blitzbok recruit Grant de Jager says he's been inspired by the team's trademark work ethic as he aims for a spot at the Cape Town Sevens tournament in December.