While the Blitzboks fell short at their home tournament in Cape Town this past weekend, they have arguably been the best Sevens team on the planet for the past 12 months.
The Springbok Sevens side have certainly overshadowed the current Springbok 15s team, who have only won 11 out of 25 Test matches over the last two years.
While the two codes are vastly different, there are some key areas where the Springboks could actually learn from their Sevens counterparts. KweséESPN looks at five things that the Boks can copy and past from the Blitzboks.
Line speed on the defence a key ingredient for Blitzboks' success
The South African Sevens team are well known for their aggression and accuracy on defence. But patrolling so much space on the field in Sevens needs an element of bravery and bit of intelligence -- making the right calls on defence. To do it with great intensity and speed off the line makes it even more remarkable, as the Blitzboks rarely concede more than three tries a match.
The Blitzboks' breakdown skills are phenomenal
Neil Powell may go back to the drawing board after the Cape Town leg of the Sevens World Series after his team were dominated in the contact area against Fiji and New Zealand on Sunday. But all in all the Blitzboks have been great at fighting for the ball on the ground or retaining possession on attack. Some of their skills and technique in this department are better than most of the opensiders playing 15s in South Africa. It's the reason why Kwagga Smith was so effective in Super Rugby.
The Sevens team's running lines make it easier to break the line
While there is a more space to exploit in Sevens, the Blitzboks enjoy tacking the direct route. But unlike the Springboks, they always seem to attack the space and the weak shoulder of the opposition player, instead of running straight at their man. The Sevens players have wonderful hands, feet and anticipation, things many players in the current ok backline sadly lack.
Game-breakers and finishers in abundance
The Blitsboks have genuine match-winners such as Seabelo Senatla and Rosko Specman, players who can turn a game on its head in the blink of an eye. The Springboks, however, don't have a go-to guy at the moment, a player who create that bit of magic or even run and step though opposition defences to win the match.
Blitzboks have a winning culture based on honesty
Powell was brutal in his assessment of his charges after the Cape Town Sevens. Despite only losing to the All Blacks in the semi-finals ad eventually finishing third, the coach labelled their performances as "not good enough." Bok coach Allister Coetzee, on the other hand, has kept on heaping praise on his players despite their mediocre displays this year.