Afrika returns for Bok Sevens
23 Nov 2011
Cecil Afrika has fully recovered from a jaw injury and will play for the Springbok Sevens side in the Gold Coast tournament this weekend.
Afrika makes the 12-man squad for the first leg of the IRB Sevens Series. Robert Ebersohn, Chase Minnaar and Renfred Dazel have also made a return to the side, while Branco du Preez and William Small-Smith have been left out.
‘We picked the best available team,’ said Paul Treu. ‘The new seeding and points format will bring a new dimension to how you approach each tournament and teams will simply have to be at their best if they want to stay in the hunt.’
South Africa will play against hosts Australia, USA and Japan.
Springbok Sevens squad: Chris Dry, Kyle Brown (c), Frankie Horne, Boom Prinsloo, Chase Minnaar, Paul Delport, Renfred Dazel, Mark Richards, Steven Hunt, Bernado Botha, Robert Ebersohn, Cecil Afrika
DAY 1 FIXTURES
06h47: SA vs. USA
09h53: SA vs. Japan
13h36: SA vs. Australia
20 Comments
23 Nov 2011, 18:08 pm
GO BLITZE MOER HULLE
23 Nov 2011, 18:09 pm
Paul Delport, Dazel, Richards, Hunt, Africa all between 70-80kgs and Ebersohn @86kgs… these Orks will bow out again… no matter how tough Dry and Horne are…
24 Nov 2011, 07:39 am
Great news!
24 Nov 2011, 08:16 am
go cecil!
can’t wait to see for the 9th & 10th…
24 Nov 2011, 08:19 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-2: Bryce this is 7′s not 15′s! lol Those same players had great seasons last especially Afrika who was top point scorer and top try scorer. Paul Delport and Dazel also add much need experience that was missing in the first half of last season. Excited for the team this season hope we do well.
24 Nov 2011, 08:20 am
let’s hope the blitzens can put it together consistently for this season… and take the championship…
cecil really is a special 7s player… deserved his player of the year…
play it again cecil…!!
24 Nov 2011, 08:22 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-4: Cecil is from Eastern Cape right?
24 Nov 2011, 08:26 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-5: why bother even responding to that suurgat bryce? he sees good ONLY in everything an australians do, talk about sucking up.
he is not very far from The Tackler.
24 Nov 2011, 08:27 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-7: yep PE, helenvale. he is going to be playing in his hometown.
24 Nov 2011, 09:07 am
This oke is greased lightning. The lighter players are just right for 7′s.
24 Nov 2011, 09:18 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-9: Will be great to see him perform in his hometown. Is the tournament sold out already?
24 Nov 2011, 09:28 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-5:
For sure… it’s a case of getting the balance correct if you want to consistently beat Samoa, England, NZ, Fiji each season… all of whom play some monsters with all the skills of a classic 7′s player…
24 Nov 2011, 09:44 am
Best 7′s player in the world.
Where is Lubabalo Mthembu, Sbusiso Sithole, Fabien Juries?? Surely if Rob Eberson can be released by Cheetahs for SA leg then Sharks can release Mthembu/Sithole….even Kankowski could use some gametime there-hasnt been at his best for best part of 1–12 months now.Taute would be good for a run here as well.
Nice to see Dazell & Ebersohn back though. In Afrika,Dazell,Ebersohn SA have the most dangerous trio arguably coming into this tournament.
24 Nov 2011, 11:23 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-13: well ebersohn has been very vocal in how Sevens has helped him develops his skills as a player and that he doesn’t see it as a either or situation, both codes are important to him.
which is why he is in for this tourney.
24 Nov 2011, 11:24 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-13: ebersohn actually made the request to Hawies Fourie to play.
24 Nov 2011, 12:24 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-13: While a guys like Taute and Kankowski would be terrific for the Boks at 7s, most players (and coaches) see it as a step down from S15. I think a player like Kankowski is far more suited to 7s and should rather start focussing his attentions there. The same does not apply to Taute who I reckon will be a bok before too long.
Kankowski’s days of vying for a spot with the Boks are over. He should turn to 7s where his skills and pace are much more useful. He also has that extra bit of bulk mentioned earlier that the SA 7s squad does tend to lack.
24 Nov 2011, 13:02 pm
@lepel(lepel)-16:
My suggestion was for the interim, its a step down from Super 15 in what sense? Its a completely different code. In physicality maybe but skills and space its ideal for empowering players in 15′s to add something extra to their game. Players like Izzy Dagg,Muliaina,Messam,Vito & many others under Gordon Tiejens gained valuable experience.A player like Taute especially at only 20 would be prime for some exposure to a few tournaments prior to Superrugby. Great for fitness as well.
Kankowski is not done,at 26 he is entering the prime of his career.As dissapointing as he has been he is still IMO better than Pierre Spies.He is still the best 8 at the Sharks,so he is still a genuine contender and with a new coach coming in-even more so.Just a few tournaments to build his confidence wouldnt hurt.
24 Nov 2011, 13:09 pm
@lepel(lepel)-16: a “step down” hey?
funny thing is Wayne Smith told Zac Guildford to go Tjietiens and try and make the NZ Sevens team if he wants to improve his game and be a regular in the All Blacks set up, the kid did and after being dropped for the 2010 international season, he was back in 2011 and now has a WC gold medal.
only dom SA players view Sevens as “step down” instead of an avenue to better one’s skills set and allround game sense (playing the situation)!
24 Nov 2011, 16:46 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-17:
@Transformation(Transformation)-18:
I never said I think it’s a step down, its just the way it is perceived in this country. I agree that it would benefit Taute (and a number of other younsters) greatly, and he could be devastating at sevens.
I really don’t rate Kankowski, never have. To say he’s better than Spies doesn’t mean much, ’cause most kids playing u19 rugby in this country are better than Spies.
I’d pick Alberts ahead of him for Sharks (still think Alberts is more an 8 than a 7). I’d even go with Keegan Daniel above him at 8 if needs be. Maybe a blistering season or so with the 7s is all he needs to get his confidence back and deliver on earlier promise.
25 Nov 2011, 01:31 am
I think it’s a great tool we should utilise. Gio Aplon came back from sevens a far more complete player. His defence is great for his size. There is nowhere to hide in sevens. Ebersohn and the other sevens players appear to have a much better understanding of the game than the average S.A player. They seem to manipulate defenders and realise where the gap will appear. Send Sadie and co for a bit of Paul Treu time before they become crash merchants.
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