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Powell praises firing Blitzboks

Cape Town - Springbok Sevens coach, Neil Powell, was satisfied following his side's performances in the pool stages of the Sydney Sevens on Saturday. 

The Blitzboks beat Spain 38-0 and the England 33-12 to book their place in the Cup quarter-final against Kenya on Sunday.

"We always aim to top the pool, but the way we do it is also important. The execution was good and we had two good performances out there today. The guys implemented well today," said Powell.

The fact that they kept England under pressure with a good defensive effort also pleased the coach.

"We pride ourselves on our defence. We did well today. We did concede tries, but that happens," he said.

Powell was clear about what needed to be done on Sunday. Kenya will be the first hurdle towards the successful defence of the title they won here last year.

"We need to fix one or two things as we were not sharp in all areas, like line-outs. In quarterfinals you cannot afford to make a mistake, so it will be important for us to make another step-up on Sunday."

Rosko Specman, who scored a quick brace against Spain, left the field just before half-time of that match after an ankle strain and did not play again.

"We decided to pull him from the field and will see how he feels in the morning. We will do a proper medical and hopefully he will be fit to play," explained Powell.

Against Spain, two early tries by Specman set the tone. Ruhan Nel, Justin Geduld, Seabelo Senatla and Dylan Sage also scored, with Geduld converting four of those.

In their match against England, the Blitzboks conceded a try in the opening minute, but tries by Senatla, Cecil Afrika and Geduld regained the lead at the break. Geduld scored soon after the restart for a 28-7 lead and although England managed another try, a second by Senatla confirmed the win. Geduld also kicked four conversions.

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