Oosthuizen warns Blitzboks must hit the ground running

VETERAN Blitzbok forward Ryan Oosthuizen feels that every match at the Emirates Dubai 7s tournament this weekend will be like a knockout match and warns that a slow start could prove costly to their ambitions of beginning the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Series on a high.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

"The format has changed for this season and it is going to be a dog fight," Oosthuizen said.

"With only the best eight teams playing, every match will have the intensity of a final and one can expect every match, from the first one in the pool, to be very competitive. We will have to be spot on in our execution from the first minute.

"It's knockout rounds from game one and our first game is against France.

"We focused on them this week, to make sure we overcome that first hurdle and take it game for game after that. There's no time to come back into the game, you must be switched on from the beginning.