MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Scottish Praise for #MyPE7s

By

Scottish Sevens player, Mark Robertson praised Port Elizabeth today saying; “Port Elizabeth definitely has one of the most impressive stadiums on the circuit. The supporters are incredibly passionate and generate a lot of noise. I can’t wait.”

Mark Robertson
Mark Robertson eyes another Cup quarter-final in South Africa

Last weekend in Dubai, 29-year-old Mark Robertson was undoubtedly one of the stand-out Scots, scoring five tries and showcasing his short-game experience, as his team recorded their best finish in the desert.

The Melrose man who will win his 32nd HSBC Sevens World Series cap tomorrow (Saturday 13 December) at the Port Elizabeth 7s put in an impressive tackling and fitness display last weekend in Dubai.

Robertson admits there is a positive feeling around the squad, but that improvements will need to be made this weekend as Scotland face Canada (10:52am), France (2:08pm) and Fiji (5:26pm) in Pool C at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

He said: “The boys got a real buzz from the way we performed against Samoa and Wales, but at the same time we missed a great opportunity to get through to the semi-finals.

“Knowing we have the ability to get through to the final stages of a tournament is very important to this group.

“I believe our confidence is coming from what we’re doing in training and the personnel we have in the squad.

“A key factor in the success of a sevens team is the individual players ability to take opposition on in a one v one situation and to perform the basics well.

“This has been a big focus in our last training block so the boys are definitely getting more confident when the opportunity presents itself to use footwork to beat opponents.”

First and foremost the team will be focused on qualifying for a second, consecutive Cup quarter-final.

Robertson continued: “Our minimum standard is to win two out of three games, to put us in strong contention for reaching the quarter-finals.

“From there, alongside the coaches, we’ve identified areas that we must improve if we’re to progress into the latter stages of the Cup.

“It’s up to us, the players, to deliver on that front.

“France are a very physical team who retain ball well and are strong around breakdown. Canada are full of new players and looking to make their mark and Fiji have lots of pace and are a dangerous, offloading team.

“We have identified areas that, if we improve, will enable us to control our matches better,” concluded Robertson.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Flickr profileMy Pinterest profile

Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.