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Double blow for Bok Sevens

Tuesday 29th April 2008

Tough Draw: Treu knows the Springboks will need to be at their best to progress from Pool

The Springbok Sevens team has suffered a double injury blow ahead of their final two outings in the IRB World Series.

Seasoned Bok stalwarts Renfred Dazel and former captain Jonathan Mokuena have suffered ankle injuries with the duo likely to miss the season-ending tournaments in London and Edinburgh next month.

Paul Treu, the Springbok Sevens coach, has called up Jandr� Blom (Vodacom Cheetahs) as cover for the injured twosome. Blom last played for the Springbok Sevens team in the 2007 San Diego tournament and has already joined the squad at its training camp in Stellenbosch.

The squad will earn a deserved break over the coming long weekend (they break camp on Thursday afternoon) and will on its return to training play a series of warm-up matches next week against the Rugby Performance Centre based in the Riebeeck Valley.

The Bok Sevens face a tough draw for the final Edinburgh event at Murrayfield on May 31, facing Australia, Argentina and hosts, Scotland, in the Pool Stage on the first day.

And Treu regards the draw as the most testing of the season and added that his team will have to be at its best if it wants to progress to the Cup quarter-finals.

"The Scots are always a tough ask on their home turf and we can expect a really good charge from them," he said.

"Adding to that will be Australia and the Pumas, who sure to test our strength on the opening day.

"The recent injuries will test the character of the squad, but I am confident that the team will give a good account of itself in London and Edinburgh."

Last week the team learnt that Mzwandile Stick will be out of action for four months after he underwent a shoulder operation.

South Africa will be looking to finish the IRB Sevens World Series strongly after becoming the first team to beat New Zealand this season - ending their record run of 47 matches unbeaten - in the Adelaide Sevens final earlier this month.