Forward James Murphy promises to bring energy to the Blitzboks and is determined to help his teammates deliver a triumphant display at the Perth Sevens this weekend.
Murphy was one of several changes to the squad by head coach Sandile Ngcobo for the inaugural sevens tournament in Perth, the third of eight in the 2024 series.
Former Cheetahs centre David Brits and WP outside back Tristan Leyds are in line to make their Blitzbok debuts Down Under, while there were also recalls for Donovan Don and Ricardo Duarttee, none of whom featured in Dubai and Cape Town in December.
For Murphy the road back into the squad was slightly different, with illness and injury resulting in the prop missing out on months of training and team selection, but his return came at a good time for the two-time World Series winner.
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“It is really great to be back, especially after the misfortunes I had with my health and injuries that hampered my progress,” said Murphy, adding that missing out on the first two tournaments didn’t mean that he had no role to play over the last two months.
“We all contribute to make the system better. When they won in Dubai, I was as happy as I was unhappy with what transpired in Cape Town.
“The players all work together to achieve the best result, but when things go south, like in Cape Town, we all accept responsibility and put in the extra effort to make sure we bounce back.
“There are some younger players this time around, so I do feel like a senior player in this group and need to deliver accordingly.”
Blitzbok pool fixtures:
Friday:
SA v Canada, 6:44am
SA v Spain, 12:22pm
Saturday:
SA v Argentina, 6:38am
Photo: @Blitzboks/Twitter