Snyman: Blitzboks plan built on defence
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Coach Philip Snyman is focused on sharpening the Blitzboks' defence to improve their attacking threat as South Africa prepares for the Hong Kong Sevens at the end of March.
The Blitzboks will face New Zealand, Australia and Uruguay in their pool matches. The 28-30 March tournament will be played at the Kai Tak Stadium for the first time, replacing the iconic Hong Kong Stadium, where the event had been staged since 2000.
South Africa has never won in Hong Kong, finishing as runners-up in 1997, 2008, 2009, and 2017. Having played there six times, Snyman understands its significance.
"The Hong Kong tournament is very special for every player who has ever pulled on the Blitzbok jersey," the former skipper told Netwerk24. "I think everyone is really looking forward to playing in the new stadium."
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The Blitzboks returned to training last week after their Vancouver campaign, where they lost to Argentina in the final, and Snyman has identified key areas to refine.
"I think we can be more clinical, especially on offence. We can also sometimes set up more phases instead of always trying to score from the first or second."
"It's going to teach us to show a little more patience with the ball in hand and take better care of possession," he added.
Defensively, the Blitzboks have improved significantly. Ronald Brown made a tournament-high 19 tackles in Vancouver while Impi Visser (44) is among the season's top tacklers.
"The foundation of our game plan is our defence," said Snyman. "The better our defensive patterns and tackles, the more pressure we put on opponents. The stronger our defence, the more we get our hands on the ball – and that's when we can hurt teams."
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The post Snyman: Blitzboks plan built on defence appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
