The Blitzboks were physically overpowered by New Zealand in the final of the HSBC Sydney Sevens and although they suffered several injury setbacks during the tournament they refused to use that as an excuse for their lack of performance in the final.
The early injuries meant that the 25-year-old Zain Davids, who was playing in his 36th World Series tournament, was suddenly the most experienced player amongst a rash of younger players left on the third day.
“The injuries sustained during the tournament were unfortunate, but not an excuse,” said Davids.
“We were without guys like Selvyn (Davids), Ronald (Brown), ‘Shakes’ (Soyizwapi) and Ryan, but we are still playing for that Springbok badge and our performances must reflect that at all times. That is all that matters.”
For Davids, the defeat in the final was frustrating: “We lost to ourselves. We did not pitch up mentally or physically for the final, nor did we follow the game plan we had.
“That is frustrating, to be honest. Yes, we played five good games, but when it mattered, we let ourselves down. We knew what New Zealand would bring, but somehow we did not respond to their challenge the way I know we can.”
Davids said it’s not all doom and gloom though.
“We did a lot of things right this weekend, but we also made telling mistakes,” he said.
“That gives us something to aim for when we get back home, to go and fix those things and make it better. We have our goals as a team and we will have to make sure we all align to those next time we play.”
