Powell has a tough job ahead
The Springbok Sevens squad will return to the field on Friday and Saturday when they contest the tournament at Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch.
The tournament features five other teams from Zimbabwe, Namibia, Western Province and an invitational squad.
The coach was pleased for the opportunity, not only to see how a number of contenders will perform, but also for the proper hit-out.
"You can train as hard and as much as you like, but nothing beat the real time of matches. Your decision-making, fitness and overall skills comes to the fore in a match and those are some of the elements I am looking for this weekend," he said.
With Rio less than six week away, the tournament was organised to give Powell's troops a proper chance to play competitive matches and help Powell in finalizing his squad of 12 to travel to Rio de Janeiro at the end of July.
Powell has a couple of hard calls to make.
The return to fitness of Werner Kok and Branco du Preez, as well as Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard and Cheslin Kolbe’s availability have added depth to an already strong outfit that secured second place in the recent HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Add the availability of Kwagga Smith and Seabelo Senatla, both named in the World Series Dream Team, as well as the experience of the likes of Cecil Afrika, Philip Snyman, Tim Agaba, Ryan Kankowski and more than 50 tournament veterans Kyle Brown and Chris Dry to name a few, then it is easy to see that Powell will have a tough job on his hands to select the final squad.
"It will be tough to make the final call, as everyone is working really hard, but we are all in this together even though we can choose only 12 to play at the Olympic Games," admitted Powell.
The tournament in Stellenbosch will be a real festival of Sevens rugby. In addition to the Springbok Sevens and sides from neighbouring Namibia and Zimbabwe, a total of sixteen club teams will also play in the amateur section.
Sevens International Tournament fixtures:
Friday, July 1:
12.00 WP vs Springbok Sevens
12.22 WP Invitational vs Namibia Invitational
13.16 WP vs Zimbabwe
13.38 WP Invitational v Living Academy
14.22 Springbok Sevens vs Zimbabwe
14.44 Living Academy v Namibia Invitational
15.28 DHL WP vs Springbok Sevens
15.50 WP Invitational v Namibia Invitational
16.34 WP vs Zimbabwe
Saturday July 2
10.20 WP Invitational vs Living Academy
10.42 Springbok Sevens vs Zimbabwe
11.04 Living Academy vs Namibia Invitational
Play-offs start at 12.36
