Blitzboks coach names first squad of tenure with right blend of experience

Springbok Sevens coach Sandile Ngcobo has named the first squad of his tenure as the Hong Kong Sevens kick-start the 2023 calendar next weekend.

Recalled to the squad after missing out on playing at the Sevens World Cup are Ryan Oosthuizen, Branco du Preez, Dewald Human, Darren Adonis and Shilton van Wyk, while Cecil Afrika, Angelo Davids, Muller du Plessis and Shaun Williams miss out for various reasons after featuring in the global showpiece in Cape Town last month.

Du Preez, the most-capped and second most prolific points' scorer in Blitzbok history, is back in the squad after last appearing in Los Angeles in August, while Human returns after he has recovered from an injury which meant he could not be considered for RWC Sevens.

Oosthuizen was named in the wider RWC Sevens group but missed out on the final 12-player squad, while Adonis and Van Wyk are also back in the mix after also last playing in Los Angeles.

Ngcobo had an opportunity to work with Du Preez, Human, Oosthuizen, Adonis and Van Wyk after all five of them were recently in action when Ngcobo took his wider squad to the Kanonkop Sevens in Middelburg, Mpumalanga last month.

Afrika has gone back into retirement after being recalled for RWC Sevens duty due to a lack of options at flyhalf, Angelo Davids is with the Stormers, while Du Plessis and Williams are both unavailable due to injury, joining Zain Davids, Justin Geduld, Lubabalo Dobela and Tiaan Pretorius on the sidelines.

Sako Makata - 16 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

Ryan Oosthuizen - 32 tournaments, 160 points (32 tries)

Impi Visser - 21 tournaments, 115 points (23 tries)

JC Pretorius - 20 tournaments, 225 points (45 tries)

Branco du Preez - 82 tournaments, 1434 points (100 tries, 464 conversions, 1 penalty