Zain Davids and the Blitzboks are determined to break their Hong Kong duck this weekend.
The 28-year-old, set for his 58th HSBC SVNS tournament, returns to the iconic stop with unfinished business as the World Championship series kicks off with a clean slate.
“We are starting this Championship at the same venue and with no log points,” Davids said from Hong Kong, where the Blitzboks face Uruguay, Spain and Argentina in Pool A.
“What happened in the past counts for nothing, but what happens this weekend will.
“We have never won here, fair enough, but that is not consuming us. What we want is to be on the same page, execute our game plan as one, and take it one game at a time. For now, that is Uruguay, and from there on in, we’ll take each challenge as it comes.”
LEYDS: Blitzboks have target on their backs
Davids sat out the Vancouver and New York legs but featured in the title-winning runs in Cape Town and Perth – part of a carefully managed workload across the season.
“You always want to play in every tournament, but coach Philip laid out his plans to the senior guys at the beginning of the season and explained rest periods and recovery times, so we all knew that we could be rested along the way,” he said.
“I use the word rested in italics, as our strength and conditioning coach, Ghafoer Luckan, keeps a very sharp eye on our prescribed fitness programme, even when we are not travelling and he is away with the team.
“So, I am fit and ready for this one. I’m feeling refreshed and keen to get another trophy win.”
And with strong South African support expected in the stands, Davids has one more motivation.
“We enjoy playing in the Hong Kong tournament, where there is a lot of South African support. In a way, if we go all out and finish on top, it will be as much for them as for us.”
MORE: Blitzboks welcome back try machine
Hong Kong pools
A: South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay
B: Fiji, France, Great Britain, Germany
C: New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, USA
Blitzboks fixtures
Friday, 17 April
5:16am: Uruguay
8:49am: Spain
Saturday, 18 April
6:13am: Argentina
Photo: Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images
The post Davids targets Hong Kong breakthrough appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Zain Davids and the Blitzboks are determined to break their Hong Kong duck this weekend.
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