Brown ready to shine in Dubai

 

A serious shoulder injury sustained in the final of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July ruled Brown out of action for several months and forced him to miss the season opener on the Gold Coast in Australia.

 

The Springbok Sevens finished fourth at the Gold Coast, a result which head coach Neil Powell described as unsatisfactory after errors cost them on the second day’s play.

 

Brown, who is looking forward to making his return after a lengthy injury-layoff, said he was excited to be back.

 

“Injuries are part of the game, but it was tough not to be involved. It was a lonely feeling sitting on the couch watching the guys play on the other side of the world,” explained the skipper.

 

He added that the team realised they had much to improve on.

 

“During training at Stellenbosch you could see the guys were determined. The intensity is definitely there, and as individuals we are all looking to give something extra for the team,” said Brown.

 

Dubai has not delivered much success for the Springbok Sevens lately, but nevertheless Brown looked forward to playing at the popular desert venue.

 

“For us, the conditions are similar to Stellenbosch in summer. It is a great running pitch and hopefully it will assist us because we have some fantastic runners in the team,” added Brown. 

 

Injuries have ruled out Justin Geduld and Stephan Dippenaar, but the return of the influential Brown and the addition of Cheslin Kolbe and Rayno Benjamin will no doubt boost the South Africans’ chances of success in Dubai.

 

Powell also added former SA Schools star and 2014 Junior Springbok fullback Warrick Gelant to his squad, meaning his selection will have a balanced mixture of exciting young talent and seasoned stalwarts. 

 

Brown has 40 World Series tournaments under his belt while veteran Frankie Horne will be playing in his 61st consecutive tournament.