Blitzboks target ‘team first’ mentality in World Championship finale
· Citizen
Blitzboks captain Impi Visser says a mindset of “team first” will carry them into the final Sevens World Championship tournament in France this weekend.
The action starts on Friday, with pool matches against Great Britain and Kenya.
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Visser spoke on the eve of the tournament, where the Blitzboks can achieve a unique double, winning both the Sevens Series and World Championship in the same season, as well as winning their sixth tournament this season.
‘Sevens is 90% mental’
The experienced SA captain alluded to the fact that the odd slip-up in a highly competitive season came when the “team first” mindset was neglected, like last weekend in Valladolid.
“It was not the greatest team effort last weekend,” said Visser of their second-place finish in Spain.
“Individually we fought hard, but as a collective, we did not punch hard enough. Those lessons were accepted and for this weekend, we want to go out and play without any fear, and stick to the things that make us tick as a team.
“Our slogan of ‘powered by unity’ is spot-on to describe our approach for the weekend.
“Sevens is 90% mental and 10% physical. Everyone is fit and strong. So the difference will be in the mindset. That will determine the success of our weekend.”
Blitzboks focus on one game at a time
As luck would have it, the Blitzboks face Great Britain and Kenya again on the opening day, with both teams demanding the very best out the South Africans in Spain.
“GB will come at us again, like they did last weekend, and Kenya always come at us, so we know what to expect from them. We have the skills to beat them, so it’s just the application that we need to get right.”
There is also the reality of retaining the world champion status, with South Africa leading Argentina by four points and Australia by eight in the final stretch, but Visser is having none of that.
“We are only going to focus on Friday. It will be about having the right frame of mind. We know what we can do, not to look for the results but to follow the process.”