Dubai Sevens rookie Tristan Leyds will have to take over the play-making duties for the Blitzboks in the first SVNS tournament of the season this weekend.
The Blitzboks have travelled to their favourite tournament on the circuit without captain and playmaker-in-chief Selvyn Davids because of injury.
The Blitzboks have won the Dubai Sevens 11 times since the start of the world series in 1999, including the last five versions of the event. They are the defending champions after getting their sole win of the 2023/24 season in the United Arab Emirates.
Leyds is one of three players in the squad who haven’t played in Dubai, but has become an important member of the squad since switching to the Sevens program from the Stormers. He was part of the SA Sevens team that won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
SVNS: RSA v NZL
— Sardieq (@SardieqWP) February 24, 2024
This guy has a family, how's he going to sleep tonight?
Tristan Leyds with the wizardry in the Blitzboks' win over NZL.
Video by Rugby Pass (Tik Tok) pic.twitter.com/hiZvDXVF5Y
Leyds says he wants to make the most of his opportunities this weekend to help the team defend their title in Dubai.
“I am super excited and ready to make the most of my first tournament here,” he said.
“We have a good record here, but that was not part of the discussions up to this point, the guys were rather more focussed on executing the things we worked on at training over the past couple of weeks.
“There is good clarity on what we want to do, and we are ready to go out and express ourselves.”
The 27-year-old Leyds says he is ready to step into the breach left by Davids and dictate the play for the Blitzboks.
Leyds is a wonderfully creative player with great feel for the game. But he also has a top turn of speed, and his tactical kicking is just as good.
“I am confident in my abilities and how to express myself in the team structure and having not played here before, makes it an exciting prospect to go out and perform,” said Leyds.
“I had to work hard on my game since I joined last year and I feel I am coming to grips with it now. There was criticism on my defence, but I have worked very hard to improve that. I am confident in that area now and will not only be a number in the defensive line.”
His decision to move from the Stormers to the Springbok Sevens set-up is starting to bear fruit, Leyds said.
Leyds has played in five world series tournaments, scoring 69 points (9 tries, 12 conversions) and is determined to make the Blitzbok jersey special again.
“I was with the squad for around four months this time a year ago and I did not quite put enough pressure on the coaches to select me for Dubai.
That special moment for Tristan Leyds being handed his first training jersey as a Blitzboks player...#PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/Hzsj2chSXt
“I was 14th player for Cape Town and then realised I was close, so it was great to debut for the team in Perth, the third tournament of last season.”
Leyds says they certainly want to improve on last year’s disappointing campaign, where they had to qualify for the Olympics via the repechage Monaco in Monaco.
However, after winning that tournament, they finished the season strongly with the bronze medal at the Olympics. Leyds hopes they can build on those performances.
“Things went a bit pear shaped for us then, but the recovery to win the Olympic repechage in Monaco and then bronze in Paris were massive for our belief that we are on the right track towards redemption and restoring faith in the team and jersey.”
“For me personally, if I look at some individuals who wore that jersey in the past and where they are now, it is enough motivation to try and get to that standard they left,” he said.
“Also, to be playing with that Springbok on your chest and knowing you represent your country, your family and the system makes one try even harder. For us in the Leyds family, that is also extra special,” said Leyds, whose older brother Dillyn has 10 Springbok Test caps to his name.
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