Stedman Gans says the Blitzboks need to implement their plans and make the most of their opportunities to stand a chance of winning the Vancouver Sevens this weekend.
The usually consistent Springbok Sevens have struggled for form this season. They have not made it to a Cup final at any of the first five tournaments (Dubai, Cape Town, Hamilton, Sydney and Las Vegas) and suffered 10 defeats in 29 games.
Gans says there is a real desire among the squad to find solutions for this slump.
‘There are two things we can always fall back on, I believe, and that is our effort and our processes. We have faith in both. The guys will always go out and give their best effort out there for the jersey and for each other, of that there is no doubt. Our processes have been successful in the past and it will bring success in the future. We just need to implement it better.’
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The Blitzboks finished seventh in Las Vegas last weekend, their worst performance since Gans made his debut at the Vancouver event two years ago. The 21-year-old lamented the team’s lack of execution.
‘Against the USA, for example, we lost possession eight times. You cannot afford that and it was reflected in the results, but we are getting better all the time. We are not the same team as last year at the same time. We lack some experience and mistakes will be made, but we need time to grow and if we are afforded that, the results will be very good.
‘All of us are keen to fulfil our role on the field. We are building something special here and we all want to be part of it. The effort is there, the implementation is getting there, but unfortunately, these things take time.’
Blitzboks fixtures:
Saturday
vs Chile (9:23pm)
Sunday
vs Wales (12:52am)
vs USA (4:46am)
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