Sevens doesn’t need 15s players

Sevens has often borrowed players from the full XV squads of international and domestic rugby, but the sport of Sevens has come into its own, showing that specialised players are required for the high-tempo game.

The World Cup was a prime example when the Sevens world would poach some experience from full 15s rugby sides, but this year in Moscow, things are very different.

“I’m pretty surprised that there haven’t been more 15s players brought in for the tournament,” said Springbok captain Kyle Brown.

“What teams seem to have done is stuck to the guns they know and it’s impressive out there. We know the enemies out there and the opposition.”

The Blitzbokke have been bolstered by the arrival of Cheslin Kolbe and Seabelo Senatla, who have just finished their stints with the Junior Springboks at the Junior World Cup, which was held in France.

“There is a lot of excitement in the squad. Cheslin and Seabelo arrived and we’re glad to have them here. Before that it was a bit fragmented,” Brown said.

“We were in Johannesburg last week, there were a lot of sideshows, a lot was happening so it was a pleasure to just land here and focus on one thing and leave that all behind.”

Brown knows that while Kolbe and Senatla will breathe some new life into the team, they can’t rely on the new recruits to bring all the energy.

“If anybody has to bring energy, it’s us to them. They’ve had three weeks of hard rugby and we can’t just expect them to bring the energy because they are young and energetic,” Brown added.

“We’ve got some great players here and the brilliance to cover all those positions very well. We will manage them and unleash them when the time is right. At the moment we have to look after them, they’ve been through a lot over the past few weeks.”

The Blitzbokke will face Russia in their opening match at Luzhniki Stadium on Friday, followed by Pool encounters against Scotland and Japan on Saturday. Sunday will see the Cup games with the knockout rounds.

Source: Supersport