Nooit, not good enough .;(-
Nooit, not good enough .;(-
2,193 posts
As the Blitzboks dust off their cleats from the sands of Dubai, they're setting their sights on a redemption arc at the upcoming Cape Town tournament. While they managed a fifth-place finish after toppling Spain 21-12, it's clear the South Africans are thirsting for more. A rocky start in Dubai, including a gut-wrenching 19-14 defeat to Argentina, booted them from Cup contention and left them bottoms up in Pool A.
The Blitzboks' weekend was a tale of two halves. Saturday saw them licking their wounds, but come Sunday, they were a team transformed. They blanked Great Britain with a whopping 34-0 in the fifth-place semi-final, showcasing a flurry of tries that had fans on their feet. The final against Spain was more of a nail-biter. Early on, the Spaniards sneaked in a try due to some sloppy handling by the South Africans, but that was just the wake-up call the Blitzboks needed.
Shilton van Wyk and David Brits quickly put the Blitzboks ahead with two successive tries, both converted by the sure-footed Ricardo Duarttee, giving South Africa a 14-7 halftime lead. The second half saw the Spaniards claw one back, but the Blitzboks' bench depth came to the rescue. Mfundo Ndhlovu bulldozed through to add another try, and Duarttee's boot did the rest, sealing a confident finish and a fifth-place clinch.
"We took a hard look at ourselves after Saturday's games and knew we had to come back strong. The boys showed what they're made of today," Ricardo Duarttee remarked, not letting the early setback shake his or the team's resolve.
With the Dubai chapter closed, the Blitzboks now turn their focus to their home crowd in Cape Town, where they aim to leverage the boost from their fifth-place finish. It's clear that while Dubai was a mixed bag, it ended on a high note, setting up a promising storyline for the next chapter in South Africa.
As they regroup and refocus, the Blitzboks are not just playing for points but for pride, ready to show the home crowd that their fighting spirit burns brighter than ever. With the lessons from Dubai in their playbook, Cape Town stands as a beacon of hope, where the Blitzboks aim to transform pressure into victory.
Team List: Shilton van Wyk, David Brits, Ricardo Duarttee, Mfundo Ndhlovu.