Impi Visser says the Blitzboks have met most of their season objectives but insists the job remains incomplete with the World Championship title still to be secured — the squad's ultimate target when they committed to their 2026 campaign goals.
Speaking in Valladolid on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's HSBC SVNS tournament, Visser acknowledged a disrupted build-up after a late Monday arrival left the squad with just one training session before the tournament. He was confident the preparation was sufficient nonetheless. "We had some time after Hong Kong to work on some soft skills and fine-tuned our strategies for this tournament. We came prepared," he said.
Three changes come into the squad from Hong Kong, with Dewald Human, Ricky Duarttee and Gino Cupido returning — all of whom have featured regularly during the season. Visser said the rotation was seamless given their familiarity with the system.
Pool A presents a demanding draw. The Blitzboks open against Great Britain on Friday before facing Kenya later the same day, with Australia to follow on Saturday. Visser identified distinct threats in each opponent — Great Britain's breakdown work, Kenya's physicality, and Australia's skill — and flagged the slow start in Hong Kong as a reference point the squad is determined not to repeat.
The Blitzboks' HSBC SVNS Valladolid Pool A fixtures (SA times, live on SuperSport): Friday: 12h34 vs Great Britain; 17h08 vs Kenya Saturday: 13h23 vs Australia