Debutant Zander Reynders has described winning the HSBC SVNS Cape Town for the first time with the Blitzboks on Sunday at the Cape Town Stadium as an amazing feeling.
The Blitzboks triumphed over France 26-14 in the final, claiming the title for the first time in nine years.
The-23 year old Reynders was called up to the side after injuries to experienced campaigners Ryan Oosthuizen and Christie Grobbelaar and went on to help the team secure the title.
“Everything happened pretty quickly and the whole experience was just amazing. I just wanted to make sure that I did the basics well and make no mistakes like dropping a ball or missing a tackle.
“I have to thank my teammates as well for making it so seamless for me. They really took me under their wings in the week and helped me settle in, to be honest, now I want more," Reynders said.
Reynders noted that his experience with the victorious Springbok Sevens ‘A’ team, playing as the Shogun in Dubai last week, played a key role in preparing him for his debut in Cape Town.
"I played a couple of full matches there and those 14-minute stints certainly helped with the confidence. Having said that, I was shattered after my first five minutes of my debut at this level. Everything is just faster. I went into the tournament focused on the basics and looking back, I am just grateful it turned out like it did.
"I can sum it up with one word, gratitude.” Reynders said as he reflected on the victory in the Mother City.
Meanwhile, New Zealand rallied from two tries down to defeat the USA 26-12 in to clinch the women's final.
IOL Sport