The new four-year cycle in Sevens rugby will leave Blitzboks coach Neil Powell with a bittersweet feeling as he prepares to let go of stars such as Seabelo Senatla, Kwagga Smith, Tim Agaba and Cheslin Kolbe to the 15-man game. Senatla was named on Monday the SA Sevens player-of-the-year after leading the Blitzboks to some sensational wins during last season’s HSBC Sevens World Series and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. But the flaming hot winger is being groomed to take over the No11 jersey from Bryan Habana at the Springboks, and for that to happen, he needs to learn how to negotiate the paucity of space in the crowded 15-man version. The 23-year-old is already in the top 10 of all-time Sevens try-scorers, in just three years since making his debut in Wellington, New Zealand. Western Province and the Stormers stand to benefit immensely from Senatla’s change, but Powell sees it as a chance to unearth another diamond in the rough. "We are not going to use a lot of the 15s guys for the ne...
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