Cape Town — While Blitzbok speedster Muller du Plessis is a fan of the extra thrill factor the format of the Rugby World Cup Sevens brings, he is also alert to how it amplifies the pressure.
The showpiece, which kicks off on Friday and concludes on Sunday, will feature a knock-out format right from the start. If you lose a game, you are out. There will be no second chances.
It certainly adds to the already action-packed code, and while it is very different to the standard Sevens tournaments, Du Plessis is ready for the challenge.
"It is obviously different to any other tournament we have played in, but the good thing is that it is new to all the teams," Du Plessis said.
The sudden-death format isn't the only way in which the World Cup weekend will differ from the usual World Series legs.
Instead of teams playing six matches, including the final, they will only get to run out four times to have a shot at the Melrose Cup.
Day one of the competition will see teams seeded ninth to 24th battle it out in a qualification round, with the winners progressing to the round of 16, where they will face the top eight seeds. The losing teams will compete in the Bowl competition to determine places 17 to 24.
The Springbok Sevens side will open their campaign against either Chile or Germany.
"I like the format," Du Plessis said. "I think the fans maybe would have liked to see six games, though. We play one match on Friday, one on Saturday and two on Sunday ... that's going to be nice, having two matches lined up, but we are going to be switched on.
"I think the fact that there are only four matches is exciting; it means you have to give your all in just four matches. But it is going to require a lot of focus - you can't make mistakes, you can't let anything slip."
The Blitzboks won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July, but went on to finish 13th at the season-concluding World Series tournament in Los Angeles.
While that would imply that there is much to fine-tune ahead of the World Cup, Du Plessis explained that they know exactly what to fix.
“Luckily, we know what went wrong, and we also know what went wrong at the Commonwealth Games. One was good, and one was a bit poorer, but it's nothing major, we know what we need to work on to get it right,” Du Plessis said.
"We need to play as a team and implement the plan, we need to give the effort. This is a new tournament, it's in Cape Town, so the emotions are even higher. That makes it even more important to pull closer as a team and to play as one."
The upcoming event will be only the second Rugby World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, and the first Sevens World Cup on the continent, ever.
Naturally, the host nation will face even more pressure, and given the powerhouse status of the SA team, expectations will multiply.
Du Plessis, however, highlighted the positives that come with playing at home.
“I am very excited. You dream about playing in a World Cup, and to have it in South Africa makes it even better,” he said.
"But the focus is on what my job is in the team. I need to know what my focus is and take it day by day, from the middle of the week to the first game.
"To have our family and friends here will bring some calmness. But, ultimately, my focus is on the team and whatever I can do for them."
IOL Sport