Ronald Brown has credited Blitzboks teammates Dewald Human and Tristan Leyds for keeping him composed on the field.
The dynamic playmaker scored 31 points during last weekend’s Vancouver Sevens tournament in Canada, where the Blitzboks powered to the title and moved level with Fiji at the top of the series standings heading into the final event in New York.
Brown admitted his natural instinct is to attack whenever an opportunity presents itself, but says the guidance of flyhalves Human and Leyds helps keep his game under control.
“I am a playmaker first and that job is to create opportunities for others, but if the gaps open up at the same time, I am going to play what is in front of me,” he said.
“I do tend to rush things and go from zero to a hundred, so credit to our flyhalves, Dewald and Tristan, for calming me down and making sure we stay with our game plan.”
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Brown also highlighted the healthy competition among the Blitzboks’ playmakers as a key factor behind the team’s success.
“I am also lucky that the guys in my position really push hard to make everyone better. Among ourselves we are really competitive and that helps to bring out the best in everyone,” he said.
“Guys like Dewald, Tristan and Selvyn [Davids] often encourage me and that creates a very good environment in the team.”
Despite the Vancouver triumph, Brown insists the Blitzboks must reset before the final leg of the regular season in the USA
“We have a lot to play for so getting back to zero is important,” he said. “We will have a target on our backs and we need to make sure we start afresh. We are still chasing that perfect game, and we cannot rest on our laurels.”
The tournament win was particularly special for Brown, who returned to action after a shoulder injury suffered in Cape Town ruled him out of the Singapore and Perth events earlier this season.
“The medical team have really worked wonders back at home, especially Nadia Clenzos, the physiotherapist, and our team doctor Janesh Ganda, who worked tirelessly to get me back on the field again and thanks to them, I was ready to play when called upon,” he said.
“To make my return with a win was even more special as I missed out on the final day in Cape Town due to my injury then and I could not really enjoy that victory as much.”
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