SA Rugby www.sarugby.co.za
13 January 2010

 

Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu pulled another ace from his sleeve when he invited a 17-year old schoolboy to train alongside his national squad in Stellenbosch this week.

Treu, whose Blitsbokke have not lived up to expectations in their defence of their IRB Sevens title in the first two tournaments of this year’s World Series, has cast an eye to identify younger talent with an eye on the future.

With that in mind, he has invited 17-year old Tshotsho Mbovane, a Western Province Craven Week player to join the camp in Stellenbosch today. Mbovane is currently a scholar at Paul Roos and Treu sees him as a possible future star who could fill the sweeper role for the national side in the next few years.

While one eye remains on preparing his squad for the next two tournaments in Wellington and Las Vegas, Treu is also very aware that he could lose some of his senior players again at the end of the season to Currie Cup and Super 14 teams.

From last season Treu lost playmakers Gio Aplon (Stormers) and Vuyo Zangqa (car accident) while Robert Ebersohn and Lionel Mapoe are now both on Super 14 duty.

The national @lantic Schools Sevens series has shown up a plethora of talent at junior levels, and Treu knows that if he wants to use some of the young talent, he will need to integrate them into his structures as soon as possible before they are snapped up by bigger teams.

Sweeper is becoming an increasingly specialised position in the shortened game, and while Cecil Afrika covered there for the Blitsboks in the first two tournaments, his attacking abilities lie more in being able to be put into space by his teammates.

Young Branco du Preez, who accompanied the SA Vipers team to the Mara del Plata Sevens last week, where they claimed the trophy with an impressive win over Argentina, could well surprise and be included in the team for the next two IRB tournaments after his impressive showing in South America.

Two other players who Treu has invited to the camp are just out of school. Sharks winger Sibusiso Sithole and last year’s EP Craven Week captain Siya Kolisi have both been sent call-ups to join the Blitsbokke in training.

Kolisi, in particular, was a star at the schools 7s tournaments last year, and is with the WP Rugby Institute at the moment. The former Grey PE pupil will however first undergo a medical assessment for a shoulder injury which may require surgery.

Treu told SuperSport.com he will be looking for talent at junior levels and would use the opportunity again to invite junior players to train alongside the seniors with an eye on the future.

Rugby becomes an Olympic sport in 2016 and Treu’s bold move is definitely designed to ensure that the best young talent is not lost when the Blitsbokke start their quest for an Olympic medal.