Africa-Press – South-Africa. With just one tournament left in the World Rugby Sevens Series, any one of three teams can still claim the overall title at the LA Sevens tournament this weekend.
The Blitzboks currently lead the log on 124 points and have Australia (122) and Argentina (118) breathing down their necks.
South Africa looked like a shoo-in for the overall title after they started the series like a house on fire, winning tournaments in a row.
A drop in their form, however, allowed both Argentina and Australia to close the gap leaving it all to play for in Los Angeles.
Muller du Plessis, who has missed a massive part of the 2022 season due to injury, is part of the squad looking to ensure that the Blitzboks claim overall victory.
Du Plessis was injured in Dubai in the first tournament of the season and he only made his return on the Toulouse/London leg of the series.
In both those tournaments, Du Plessis showed glimpses of his known game-breaking ability, but last month, at the Commonwealth Games, where his return to form was highlighted as Du Plessis and his teammates romped to the gold medal in decisive fashion.
“Yes, the injuries are now forgotten and the body is feeling good,” said Du Plessis after a training session in Los Angeles, where South Africa will play the USA, Canada and New Zealand on Saturday.
“I had a good run since my return and I am really excited to be striding out again. Our preparation for this one has been very good and everyone is keen to get going.
“All the focus is on this tournament. What we achieved in Birmingham is behind us; what we hope to achieve in Cape Town next month is ahead. For now, the only focus is on this tournament and what we need to do here. We have a job to do and the focus is just that.
“We did bring some momentum from Birmingham into this week, and hopefully, we can take some back to Cape Town when we leave on Monday. For now, it is all about execution in your roles and responsibilities,” he added.
Where Du Plessis’ guile and pace is an artwork, the Zain Davids’ approach is much blunter. The 32-tournament veteran is a no-frills person off the field as much as he is on it, and his assessment of the task at hand is a simple one.
“This is a ‘no complaints tour’, so we just need to get on with the job, the long travel notwithstanding. It is our mindset that will determine our success,” he said.
“We ticked one box, now we have the opportunity to do the next one. There is no need for us to stress about this one. I know the players next to me and that they will have my back. Coach (Neil Powell) has a plan, and we will play accordingly. Adding to that, we will play for each other. When we do that, the result will be a good one.”
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