New series will test Blitzbokke
Tristan Leyds might be a first timer at the Emirates Dubai 7s this year and low on HSBC SVNS experience compared to the rest of the Springbok Sevens squad, but the playmaker is more than ready for his debut at The SEVENS Stadium this weekend.
The 27-year-old Capetonian will relish his opportunities this weekend as he and the rest of his teammates are determined to lay down a marker for the HSBC SVNS series, Leyds said from Dubai.
“We have a good record here, but that was not part of the discussions up to this point, the guys were rather more focussed on executing the things we worked on at training over the past couple of weeks. There is good clarity on what we want to do, and we are ready to go out and express ourselves.”
Leyds will be an important cog in the playmaking role in the absence of the injured Selvyn Davids, but he is more than ready to embrace that role.
“I had to work hard on my game since I joined last year and I feel I am coming to grips with it now. There was criticism on my defence, but I have worked very hard to improve that. I am confident in that area now and will not only be a number in the defensive line.”
His decision to move from the DHL Stormers to the Springbok Sevens are starting to bear fruit, Leyds believes: “I was with the squad for around four months this time a year ago and I did not quite put enough pressure on the coaches to select me for Dubai.
“I was 14th player for Cape Town and then realised I was close, so it was great to debut for the team in Perth, the third tournament of last season.
“Things went a bit pear shaped for us then, but the recovery to win the Olympic repechage in Monaco and then bronze in Paris were massive for our belief that we are on the right track towards redemption and restoring faith in the team and jersey.”
“For me personally, if I look at some individuals who wore that jersey in the past and where they are now, it is enough motivation to try and get to that standard they left,” he said.
“Also, to be playing with that Springbok on your chest and knowing you represent your country, your family and the system makes one try even harder. For us in the Leyds family, that is also extra special,” said Leyds, whose older brother Dillyn has 10 Springbok Test caps to his name.
The Springbok Sevens team left Cape Town for Dubai on Monday with a firm belief in their objectives for the new season and the knowledge that teamwork and work ethic will be non-negotiable.
Unfortunately for the Blitzboks, they have been dealt a late blow with the withdrawal of Ronald Brown, who picked up a hamstring strain last Friday, with Shaun Williams stepping into the role as sweeper.
Williams, who was part of the 2024 Olympic Games squad earlier this year, last played in Dubai in 2022, the same year he was part of the gold medal winning side at the Commonwealth Games in England.
Despite the injury setback, Impi Visser – one of the drivers towards excellence and a healthy and dynamic team culture and one of the two co-captains for the trip to the Emirates Dubai 7s along with Zain Davids – said they have clear goals for the season.
“We had a good chat amongst ourselves on how to reach those goals,” said Visser, who will be running out in his 40th HSBC SVNS tournament this weekend.
“Apart from winning on the field, we also want to be good people off it as well. It remains a massive honour to be part of this team, but that bring responsibilities, and we don’t want to disrespect those.”
“We lost a bit of what we stand for as a team last season and once the results reflected that, we realised we were on the wrong path,” he said. “I am happy to say, as the results in the repechage tournament and at the Paris Olympics showed, we found our way again. It is a happy squad travelling today.”
With Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman tweaking the game plan slightly, Visser will find new energy in a greater focus on the breakdown and turn-over ball. One of the best defenders around, his work rate around winning ruck ball will be boosted by the variety in play.
“I still enjoy my roles, albeit it the less glamorous ones,” Visser said with a smile. “We have some serious attacking players, and they need to score the points, so the forwards don’t mind doing the hard yards for them.”
Dubai is like a home away from home for the Blitzboks, who will be looking for a sixth straight tournament win in the UAE. Visser said they are not only counting on the good support they enjoy from the Dubai crowd to be successful again.
“We will not get ahead of ourselves – we have worked really hard and are traveling well prepared,” he said.
“We still need to focus though, we have a tough pool. Australia is always a hard one, especially first up, and we seem to bring the best out of Kenya.
“We will be facing France on better terms this time around, not the semi-finals of the Olympics in front of a packed stadium in Paris, but we will need no motivation for that one. First things first though and that will be Australia on Saturday morning.”
Pool A fixtures, Saturday 30 November (SA times):
08h50: SA v Australia
12h58: SA v Kenya
18h44: SA v France