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Effort levels key for Blitzboks

Cape Town - Blitzboks skipper Kyle Brown insists his side will only be focused on clinching this weekend's Hong Kong Sevens rather than thinking about the Series title.

Positioned right in the top three of the standings after six rounds alongside Fiji and New Zealand, the Blitzboks have lost two finals in Wellington and Vancouver since their win in Cape Town last December.

Brown's message now to his squad has been to focus on their effort levels rather than any silverware.

"We’ve seen the tournaments develop and seen just how competitive they now are. You can’t afford to be thinking ahead too much and just take it one competition at a time. This is all preparation for the Olympics and it’s important we do implement what we want to replicate there now," Brown told the World Rugby website. 

"We often talk about winning being one of the furthest things from our mind. We want to judge ourselves on attitude and effort. We don’t want to be walking off the pitch knowing we haven’t given enough effort.

"If you have given enough effort and the attitude was good then it’s just a tough day at the office. Most importantly, it’s key that the guys have worked as hard as they can."

Injury forced Brown to remain behind in Canada after the Vancouver final, although he revealed it was more precautionary than anything serious.

"I picked up a chest injury during the match and wasn't able to fly home," he added,

"I went to hospital but it was very much a precautionary state. It was actually a pretty minor injury but the doctors have to take as much care as possible.

"I got some nice rest in Vancouver and did a little more sight-seeing than I thought I would, but it was a strange experience to have to stay for a lot longer than expected."

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