The Springboks Sevens hardly got out of the blocks before they lost arguably their most influential player to injury at the Dubai Sevens.
Star playmaker Justin Geduld has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament after picking up an unspecified injury on Friday.
Geduld played in the 31-0 opening victory over Zimbabwe, and showed his class once more in setting up a try for Siviwe Soyizwapi with a pinpoint cross-kick in the hard-fought 19-12 win over Samoa that sent the South Africans through to the Cup quarter-finals.
Geduld was replaced on the field by Dewald Human during the second half, and did not return to the field.
It is unclear whether he will be fit for next weekend’s Cape Town Sevens at the Cape Town Stadium.
Geduld will now make way for Selvyn Davids, who was the reserve player in the squad.
Davids is a lethal strike-runner himself, but the Blitzboks will miss the crafty skills of Geduld for the rest of the event.
Coach Neil Powell’s team are back in action at 5.53pm on Friday against Argentina before Saturday’s Cup quarter-finals.
Following a knock picked up against @manusamoa, Justin Geduld will not take part in the remainder of the @Dubai7s and will be replaced by Selvyn Davids. pic.twitter.com/x8WdbyyccG
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) November 30, 2018
@ashfakmohamed