Boks boost Sevens game

National sevens rugby coach Norman Mbiko initially feared that the Springbok players would not be fully committed to the World Cup trials in Ravensmead on Monday.

After all, they had had a long and tough 2000 season and some were lucky if they had a three-week break after the tour of Argentina, Ireland and the United Kingdom at the end of last year.

The South African Rugby Football Union's ruling that the World Cup sevens tournament at the end of the month take priority ahead of the Super 12 allowed Mbiko to field the strongest possible team.

On Monday, on day one of the two-day trials, the Springboks quickly allayed Mbiko's fears and although it took a game or so for them to dust off the little rust - in some cases the Christmas pudding - and overcome the heat, there were glimpses of their genius.

The last day of trials was on Tuesday before the selection of the elite 10 who will represent South Africa at the World Cup in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from January 26-28.

One of the men the crowd of about 500 came to see on Monday was Breyton Paulse. For him the first game, as it was for most of the others, was a real test initially.

"It was a bit difficult to adjust to the sevens game," said the wing who is expected to be one of the chosen 10.

"Suddenly you have all this space to move in. But I quickly got into the essence of the game after our second match. It's a nice change (from the 15-man game) but it can be a killer. If you are fit, though, I don't think it is necessarily a problem," said Paulse, who was frequently mobbed by the fans.

"What was good was to see all the Springboks committed to the sevens. It is important that we send the best team - it is a World Cup after all," he said.

Another the crowd was eager to see play was Bobby Skinstad. Although he still has some time to go before getting back to the form that elevated him to cult hero status, Skinstad did reasonably well, suggesting that his rehabilitation programme is on track.

On Monday was the first chance to judge if Skinstad's left knee was in shape for competitive rugby. He has been out for more than a year after he injured his knee in a car crash in April 1999 and aggravated it during the Rugby World Cup that year.

The knee was strapped on Monday but he came through his three games without any trouble.

"He still has the vision," said Mbiko of Skinstad, who last played against world champions Australia in the semifinal of the World Cup in 1999.

Paulse and Skinstad were part of a pool of stars, some upcoming, who entertained the Florida Park crowd.

Bulls scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen did well, Free State flank Andre Venter put in the tackles that make him one of the world's best and Boland centre Marius Joubert showed some deft touches. So, too, did the Lions' 23-year-old flyhalf Andre Pretorius and Eastern Province's Ricardo Laubscher.

Regular sevens captain Jacques Olivier sat out the trials on Monday because of a slight back injury but is expected to take part on Tuesday. Joubert on Monday night was a bit uncomfortable with his left knee and right groin strain but he too was expected to be ready today.

"I think I took too much contact today," offered Joubert.

Apart from the World Cup squad, a group of 12 will also be named on Tuesday for the next two legs of the International Rugby Board's sevens series in Brisbane and Wellington (New Zealand) in February.

The World Cup group will assemble in Cape Town on January 16 before leaving for Argentina on January 20.