Blitzboks target clinical response in Perth after Singapore setback

Defeats to France in the semi-final and New Zealand in the bronze medal match saw the Blitzboks miss out on silverware and slip to third in the overall HSBC SVNS Series standings.

With the next leg of the 2025/26 season taking place in Perth, Oosthuizen says the focus has been on correcting small but costly mistakes that prevented them from maintaining momentum.

"It's just about having honest conversations about one another and the standards we want to reach by putting your ego aside and putting the team first.

"It boils down to executing, and executing under pressure."

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The Blitzboks face a stern challenge in Pool A, where they have been drawn against series leaders Argentina, Olympic champions Fiji, and an improving Spain side.

Oosthuizen, who is set to reach the milestone of 60 SVNS tournaments, acknowledged that the team did not perform at their usual intensity in Singapore and struggled to convert attacking opportunities.

He says their overall execution and accuracy were below their expected standards, which ultimately cost them against the top-ranked nations.

"We basically didn't;'t let other teams beat us, we lost against ourselves. We didn't execute when we didn't have the ball, we missed tackles, and we didn't respect the ball like we did in Cape Town.

"It's small fixes we can make, and if we can go back to basics then we can be successful this weekend."

The squad in Singapore featured several less-experienced players, including debutant Luan Giliomee, while Nabo Sokoyi appeared in only his second tournament at this level.

The demanding SVNS format requires consistency across multiple high-pressure matches in a short space of time, testing both squad depth and decision-making.

The Blitzboks arrived in Perth earlier this week and are aiming to secure their first tournament victory in Australia during the SVNS era.

Oosthuizen says the squad has recovered well physically and mentally, and the objective now is to replicate the high standard they showed when winning on home soil in Cape Town earlier this season.

He adds that the group remains motivated to return to winning form and strengthen their position in the overall standings.