Donavan Don believes the new format that is set to be introduced at the Cape Town SVNS tournament this week has upped the stakes for the Blitzboks following their disappointing sixth place finish in the 2024-25 series opener in Dubai on Sunday.
Under the new format, each team will play only two pool matches at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with the four pool winners progressing directly to the semi-finals. In contrast to the conventional format, where the top two teams in each pool advance to the quarter-finals, the format change places a premium on every pool match as teams that lose will be unlikely to advance to the Cup playoffs on Sunday.
Don made his Blitzbok debut as a 21-year-old in the Hong Kong tournament in 2023 but injuries held back his progress the following season and his involvement was limited to the Perth leg in January this year.
On his return to duty, Don performed well in Dubai last week, scoring four well taken tries, including a match winner against France to secure a top finish in South Africa’s pool.
“That was a great feeling and something that will stay with me for a while, as it is always nice to score a try that really matters, in this case us winning the pool, which was a first objective for the tournament,” said Don upon the team’s arrival in Cape Town on Monday.
“Unfortunately, we did not follow through on the second day, something we had time to reflect on coming home. Cape Town will be something else, as I will also make my debut here if selected.”
Don, who hails from Velddrif on the West Coast, realises it’s is going to be tough for all the teams this week, but the Blitzboks are excited to play in front of a home crowd: “We must make sure they are rewarded for coming out to support the team.
“We are disappointed with our placing in Dubai, but I know we can improve this weekend. The time spent together on tour was great for us as a squad and we bonded nicely. We will be playing for each other this weekend and such for the country as well.”
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