Cape Town – The Blitzboks were dealt a cruel blow at the Singapore Sevens, losing captain Kyle Brown and speedster Rosko Specman to injury. 

Coach Neil Powell, however, is taking the setback in his stride and says although it is a blow to the team, it does create opportunities for other players. 

“We knew coming into the tournament that we were in a very physical pool, but losing Rosko and Kyle is a real setback, especially due to the experience they provided. There is a nice opportunity now for the players stepping into their roles. We will be watching on with interest on how they do on Sunday.”

Powell’s side won all their pool games on Saturday, beating Samoa, Canada and Argentina in three physical encounters.

Powell was please with the performance of his team.

“I am happy with our performances overall. We defended well and the guys trusted the system. We are still not as sharp on attack; we need to keep the ball a bit more.”

The Blitzboks now face Kenya in a quarter-final clash.

Kick-off is at 06:52 on Sunday morning (SA time).