Snyman's Disappointment with Blitzbok Performance in Singapore
Springbok Sevens coach Philip Snyman expressed deep frustration after his team's fourth-place finish at the HSBC SVNS Singapore. The Blitzboks suffered a double defeat on Sunday, losing to France in the semi-finals and then to New Zealand in the playoff for third place.
Snyman acknowledged, 'It wasn't our best performance, despite our efforts. Our execution and decision-making fell short, and we paid the price for that.'
South Africa's ranking dropped from the top to third place on the log with 46 points after the weekend. Fiji secured their first tournament win of the 2026 world series, climbing to the top of the table with 52 points, while New Zealand is now in second place with 48 points.
Snyman identified several areas where the team fell short of their usual high standards, but he refused to blame the lack of experience among the players for the overall result.
He said, 'We took a risk by including players with limited tournament experience, but we're building squad depth.' Snyman praised the efforts of debutant Luan Giliomee and Nabo Sakoyo, who had one tournament under their belt, despite the team's overall performance.
Snyman highlighted the positive aspects, noting that these younger players gained valuable experience. He stated, 'These players now have another tournament under their belt, and Luan, playing in his first tournament, faced top teams like Fiji, France, and New Zealand.'
Looking ahead, Snyman emphasized the need to address execution deficiencies. He said, 'We'll work on these issues in Perth. We'll review our internal scorecard to remind ourselves of our team standards and values as the Springbok Sevens team.'
The coach identified the lack of decision-making and clinical finishing as significant disappointments, stating, 'We created many opportunities but failed to capitalize on them, which affected our final results. We need to improve in both these areas.'
Snyman also addressed the team's discipline, saying, 'We conceded two yellow cards against Fiji, which is not the way to beat them. We also gave away possession too easily and frequently, hindering our attack cohesion. Our goal is to play a fast game, but we need to retain possession to achieve that.'
The Blitzboks will face Fiji, Spain, and Argentina in Pool A of the HSBC SVNS Perth at the HBF Stadium on February 7th and 8th.
