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Johannesburg - Despite some losses to the Super 14 franchises and some injuries, Springbok coach Paul Treu is satisfied that the IRB Sevens World Series champions are on track and that they will give a good account of themselves in a little more than two weeks.
That is when the Boks have to defend their Dubai title and also start the defence of their IRB Sevens World Series crown.
"We'll be announcing the side (for Dubai) towards the end of this week or early next week," Treu said on Tuesday.
As it is, Treu has a full complement of 12 contracted players as a basis to select from: Kyle Brown, Frankie Horne, Paul Delport, Ryno Benjamin, Marius Schoeman, Mpho Mbiyozo, Cecil Afrika, MJ Mentz, Chase Minnaar, Neil Powell, Renfred Dazel and Mzwandile Stick.
The loss of Lionel Mapoe, Robert Ebersohn and Philip Snyman in particular is a setback - but Treu remains upbeat that there is enough talent.
The launch of the 2009/10 side's defence is next Tuesday, with the Boks leaving for Dubai the following day where they will acclimatise and prepare for the Dubai tournament on December 4 and 5.
The Boks will begin the defence of their IRB campaign with a new captain in Paul Delport and three former Springbok captains in the squad, namely Mzwandile Stick, Mpho Mbiyozo and Neil Powell.
Treu admits that the players, as defending champions, are likely to be under more pressure in the 2009/10 series than before but also expects them to cope better because they now understand what is required of them.
Last year the Springboks led the eight-tournament series from start to finish.
Other plusses on the eve of the series are that the Boks now go into a second season with 12 players of their wider squad fully contracted Sevens players.
They also have the advantage that they have played in more tournaments and practice games in preparation with the third successive winning of the Singapore tournament under the guise of the SA Vipers giving the coach a fair idea of what he has in the squad.
The Springboks will have more than a week for preparation in Dubai, and return on the Sunday after the tournament. That will give them a full four days in George to prepare for the defence of the first-ever title defence on South African soil on December 11 and 12.
That is when the Boks have to defend their Dubai title and also start the defence of their IRB Sevens World Series crown.
"We'll be announcing the side (for Dubai) towards the end of this week or early next week," Treu said on Tuesday.
As it is, Treu has a full complement of 12 contracted players as a basis to select from: Kyle Brown, Frankie Horne, Paul Delport, Ryno Benjamin, Marius Schoeman, Mpho Mbiyozo, Cecil Afrika, MJ Mentz, Chase Minnaar, Neil Powell, Renfred Dazel and Mzwandile Stick.
The loss of Lionel Mapoe, Robert Ebersohn and Philip Snyman in particular is a setback - but Treu remains upbeat that there is enough talent.
The launch of the 2009/10 side's defence is next Tuesday, with the Boks leaving for Dubai the following day where they will acclimatise and prepare for the Dubai tournament on December 4 and 5.
The Boks will begin the defence of their IRB campaign with a new captain in Paul Delport and three former Springbok captains in the squad, namely Mzwandile Stick, Mpho Mbiyozo and Neil Powell.
Treu admits that the players, as defending champions, are likely to be under more pressure in the 2009/10 series than before but also expects them to cope better because they now understand what is required of them.
Last year the Springboks led the eight-tournament series from start to finish.
Other plusses on the eve of the series are that the Boks now go into a second season with 12 players of their wider squad fully contracted Sevens players.
They also have the advantage that they have played in more tournaments and practice games in preparation with the third successive winning of the Singapore tournament under the guise of the SA Vipers giving the coach a fair idea of what he has in the squad.
The Springboks will have more than a week for preparation in Dubai, and return on the Sunday after the tournament. That will give them a full four days in George to prepare for the defence of the first-ever title defence on South African soil on December 11 and 12.
