Treu: Beware Yankee pride
2008-02-07 11:18
Johannesburg - Beware the Yankee pride. That is the message Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu has passed on to his team who are grouped with the US Eagles, England and Mexico for Saturday and Sunday's San Diego leg of the IRB Sevens series.
Takudzwa Ngwenya, the man who scored what was voted the IRB's 2007 Try of the Season after rounding Bryan Habana with sheer pace in the Rugby World Cup, has been given permission by his French club Biarritz to play in the tournament. He is one of the reasons why Treu is not all at ease for what seems like a seemingly easy draw.
"He is a factor," Treu conceded. "But the Eagles as a whole are a difficult team. They lost the Plate final in George by a single point, and beat Samoa in that tournament. They also won the Shield final in Wellington. They believe in themselves, are well-coached, confident and at home.
"This, and the fact they always start well, are things we have to be wary of. As it is, we play them first up," Treu said from San Diego on Thursday.
He refrained from saying the Boks are notoriously slow starters in tournaments, although this bugbear seems to have been removed in recent tournaments.
Treu is upbeat about his team's chances. "The guys just didn't have the urgency against Tonga, and we still came very close and only lost that match because of our goal kicking.
But the win against Fiji in the Plate semi-final was worth a lot. It was the first time in many years that we had beaten them, and it meant a lot to the guys.
"I think we now have the belief that we can really contend. And I'm confident that they understand that, to beat the South Sea Island teams and New Zealand, you have to be as physical as they are."
The Springboks will meet one of Argentina, Kenya or Canada in the quarter-finals, and, if they do after having won Pool D, will probably come up against New Zealand in the semi-final.
The All Blacks are outright favourites to not only win their pool, but also the tournament, but will have to contend with one of Fiji, Samoa or Australia in the quarter-finals.
Treu has conceded that only a total collapse by the All Blacks in the remaining five tournaments will keep them from winning the series, but the Springboks have second place to play for - a little victory in itself as it would be a first for the Boks.
Meanwhile he is quite happy with the way his charges shaped up against Wales in a practice game. "They couldn't score against us although we were often under pressure, and we looked good with ball in hand."
He said Mzwandile Stick, who joined the side this week after teenager Juan de Jongh was called up to be on standby for the Stormers, would play as playmaker or at centre. "He could even start," Treu said.
- SAPA