Blitzboks aim to build on Hong Kong success

South Africa arrived in Spain for the second of the three-event World Championship phase after opening their campaign with victory in Hong Kong earlier this month. 

The tournament at Estadio Jose Zorrilla will provide another important test before the final stop of the season in Bordeaux next month.

Snyman says the squad made good use of their sole training session in the week as preparations started to intensify ahead of the pool stages.

"It's been a good week of prep, although it's been very short here in Spain. We are in a good space, so it's time for the tournament to begin now. There was just one or two things we had to fine-tune.

"We only had one training session and a captain's run, but all the work has been done at home and all the focus this weekend will be on ourselves. I believe if we stick to the basics the results will look after itself." 

The Blitzboks will begin their Pool A fixtures against Great Britain and Kenya on Friday before wrapping up their group campaign against Australia on Saturday.

South Africa head into the tournament carrying confidence after their success in Hong Kong, but Snyman believes lessons learned during the previous leg of the series will be important.

Blitzbok captain Impi Visser says the squad remains fully focused on the bigger picture as they continue their pursuit of the overall world title.

He adds that they will need to be sharp from the opening whistle when they face Great Britain in their first match on Friday.

"We know Great Britain are always tough competitors and they can make it difficult at the breakdown for us, so we're going to have to be really sharp from the get go."

READ: Stormers determined to respond in home URC Quarter-final

The Blitzboks have managed to avoid major injury setbacks for most of the season, something that has helped the squad build continuity and consistency across tournaments.

There are three changes to the group that claimed victory in Hong Kong, with Dewald Human, Ricardo Duarttee and Gino Cupido all returning to the travelling squad for Valladolid. 

Visser says the return of experienced players has strengthened competition within the team and improved balance across the squad.