Cape Town — The Rugby World Cup Sevens, to be played at Cape Town Stadium this weekend, will be special for the home team for a number of reasons.
For one, it's the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted in South Africa since the Springboks triumphed in 1995, and it's also the first Sevens World Cup in Africa, and that alone makes it significant.
It will also be Blitzbok coach Neil Powell's last assignment in charge after being involved with the team for 15 years — first as a player — and then leading them to major milestones as coach.
Out of all that is special heading into the weekend, for Angelo Davids, that send-off to Powell tops the list.
Davids joined the South African Rugby Sevens Academy in 2018 right after finishing high school and was selected to represent the Blitzboks at the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens before withdrawing through injury.
Since then Powell has been more than a coach to Davids, who has also represented the Stormers in a handful of United Rugby Championship games last season.
Powell will take up the director of rugby role at the Sharks after the World Cup, which takes place this weekend.
"For me, personally, it's hard because of the role he played in my life," Davids said.
"He was a father figure. When I came to Sevens I needed that, and that's what he gave me. He helped me do what I loved.
"My father walked out of my life at a young age and I went looking for that fatherly love in other places. When I came here, he gave that to me.
"I am going to miss him, it's hard. I salute him for all he did for me. I get emotional when I think of this being his last one (tournament), but he always tells us that it's just another tournament.
"For him it's not about that, he just wants us to go out and enjoy ourselves. But still, I am emotional and I am going to miss him. He did so much for me."
There might be a lot of pressure that comes with being the hosts of such a spectacle, but Davids assured that they will be drawing motivation from everywhere as they hunt their first Melrose Cup.
"There are nerves, and a lot of excitement. It will be my first one and having it in Cape Town just makes it so much better," Davids said.
"We are seeing Los Angeles as motivation (the World Series-concluding tournament, where the Blitzboks finished 13th and missed out on retaining the series title). We didn't do well and while we didn't focus on results, we wanted to look at our processes and what coach from us.
“Our effort wasn't as good. For example, we didn’t settle as well as we wanted to on defence. So, we now see that (what happened) as motivation to go out there and play. It's not about results, it's about going our there and doing what coach expects of us.”
Davids added that the pressure that comes with playing at home won't be an issue for them.
"I think we like pressure. We just want to go out there and do what we want to and know we can do,“ he said.
"This is going to be special. There are kids who have nothing to eat, and who will see us play and think 'I can also play at that stadium'.
"They can watch us on TV, but what's special about playing here is that they can also come watch us at the stadium. It makes it more real.
"That will also be motivating me this weekend, to know what we can do for our people in South Africa."
IOL Sport