Rio Olympics

[Highlander35]

Probably the best you guys could have hoped for.

SA are IMO the most vulnerable of the big 3, Argentina and Kenya are bigger threats than France on the basis of the series, and you avoided Japan in the bottom seeds.

 

[D-Box]

You would have to think that team 4 going into the quarter finals will be Australia or France with the percentage booster of Brazil. Team 8 will probably come from this pool as well as I would think that the games between SA, Aus and France would be fairly close.

Could get interesting if they all beat just one of the other and you end up with SA, Aus and France all on 8 points.

 

[Omar Comin']

Probably the best you guys could have hoped for.

SA are IMO the most vulnerable of the big 3, Argentina and Kenya are bigger threats than France on the basis of the series, and you avoided Japan in the bottom seeds.

France hit form late in the world series though. I don't think there's much between the pools in terms of the top 3 in each. But it's definitely ideal getting in Brazil's pool. Once it gets to the quarter finals it'll be pretty awesome. Even 1 vs 8 won't be a given.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Day 2 highlights:

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Pools confirmed:

seeding in brackets)

Pool A: Australia (one), USA (six), Fiji (seven), Colombia (12)
Pool B: New Zealand (two), France (five), Spain (eight), Kenya (11)
Pool C: Canada (three), Great Britain (four), Brazil (nine), Japan (10)

Men’s – August 9-11 (seeding in brackets)

Pool A: Fiji (one), USA (six), Argentina (seven), Brazil (12)
Pool B: South Africa (two), Australia (five), France (eight), Spain (11)
Pool C: New Zealand (three), Great Britain (four), Kenya (nine), Japan (10)

"In both competitions, the top two teams from each pool, plus the two best third-placed sides, progress to the quarter-finals."

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/sevens-pools-for-olympics-confirmed/

 

[BaysideBird]

The formats a bit odd. Would have thought two pools of 6 with semis made more sense. Make the Olympics a harder slog than a normal sevens tournament.

 

[Pfitzy]

In related news: Sally Pearson tore her hammy while training on the Gold Coast, and will not compete in Rio

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The formats a bit odd. Would have thought two pools of 6 with semis made more sense. Make the Olympics a harder slog than a normal sevens tournament.

Yeah but they've had to work within the confines of the IOC conditions which called for only 12 teams in both the mens and womens tournaments. Hopefully, the 7s proves hugely successfulvand popular and thus drives the IOC to move it to the standard 16 team format as seen on the World Series.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

In related news: Sally Pearson tore her hammy while training on the Gold Coast, and will not compete in Rio

Jason Day has also pulled out citing Zika virus concerns. So now we've seen a swathe of Golfers and Tennis players pull out.

 

[Omar Comin']

This is apparently how the finals will work:

QF 1 Winner Pool A v 2nd best 3rd place
QF 2 Winner Pool B v best 3rd place
QF 3 Winner Pool C v Runner Up Pool A
QF 4 Runner Up Pool B v Runner Up Pool C

Semis QF1 vs QF4 and QF2 vs QF3

So not a bad draw for the Australian men's team. If things went according to seedings, and we finish 2nd in our pool to South Africa, then we'd play GB in the quarters and, with a win, Fiji in the semis.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

NZ7's squads for Rio:

Men:
Scott Curry (captain) (Bay of Plenty)
Sam Dickson (Canterbury)
DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
Akira Ioane (Auckland)
Rieko Ioane (Auckland)
Gillies Kaka (Hawke's Bay)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Augustine Pulu (Counties Manukau)
Teddy Stanaway (Bay of Plenty)
Regan Ware (Waikato)
Joe Webber (Waikato)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau)

Travelling reserves; Sione Molia (Counties Manukau), Lewis Ormond (Taranaki),

Major omission is Liam Messam who will be added to the Chiefs' squad for the last two rounds of Super Rugby.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...gby-after-missing-out-on-olympics-sevens-team

Women:
Shakira Baker (Waikato)
Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)
Gayle Broughton (Taranaki)
Theresa Fitzpatrick (Auckland)
Sarah Goss (captain) (Manawatu)
Kayla McAlister (Auckland)
Huriana Manuel (Auckland)
Tyla Nathan-Wong (Auckland)
Terina Te Tamaki (Waikato)
Ruby Tui (Canterbury)
Niall Williams (Auckland)
Portia Woodman (Counties Manukau)

Travelling reserves: Michaela Blyde (Manawatu), Shiray Tane (Hawke's Bay).

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympi...-of-new-zealand-sevens-teams-for-rio-olympics

Niall Williams is SBW's sister & Portia Woodman is the niece of Northland & NZ Maori legends Fred (also briefly an AB) & Kawhena.

In each case 12 players plus two travelling reserves, I'm happy with that as it reduces the possibility of a medal match coming down to which team has the most players available. Just hope it's fair & equitable but I note there's been several references to Fiji only taking 13 so will have to wait & see on that.

 

[Brumby Runner]

No Ardie Savea? Or had he made himself unavailable?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ withdrew around the time Blake Gibson got injured. Pure coincidence, of course .

 

[D-Box]

Australian schedule via rugby.com.au

Australian Sevens Olympic fixture - all times in AEST

Women's team

Sunday August 7

2.30am - Australia vs Colombia

7.30am - Australia vs Fiji

Monday August 8

2.30am - Australia vs USA

From 6am - Quarter-finals

Tuesday August 9

7:30am - Bronze Medal match

8:00am - Gold Medal match

Men's team

Wednesday August 10

12am - Autralia vs France

5am - Australia vs Spain

Thursday August 11

12.30am - Australia vs South Africa

From 6am - Quarter-finals

Friday August 12

7:30am - Bronze Medal match

8:00am - Gold Medal match



Sent from my HTC_0PJA10 using Tapatalk

 

[neilc]

Women:
Shakira Baker (Waikato)
Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)
Gayle Broughton (Taranaki)
Theresa Fitzpatrick (Auckland)
Sarah Goss (captain) (Manawatu)
Kayla McAlister (Auckland)
Huriana Manuel (Auckland)
Tyla Nathan-Wong (Auckland)
Terina Te Tamaki (Waikato)
Ruby Tui (Canterbury)
Niall Williams (Auckland)
Portia Woodman (Counties Manukau)

Travelling reserves: Michaela Blyde (Manawatu), Shiray Tane (Hawke's Bay).

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympi...-of-new-zealand-sevens-teams-for-rio-olympics

Niall Williams is SBW's sister & Portia Woodman is the niece of Northland & NZ Maori legends Fred (also briefly an AB) & Kawhena.

Portia Woodman is awesome, pretty sure that Kayla McAlister is the sister of Luke McAlister (former Auckland Blues/AB 10/12 who went to the UK too early and came back pretty ordinary).
Theresa Fitzpatrick's sister was in the Silver Ferns (NZ Netball team), and Huriana Manuel's mother was a Black Fern - talk about following in Mum's footsteps.

Really looking forward to how the NZ and Australian women go in Rio.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayla_McAlister

"Kayla McAlister (b. 6 August 1988) is a New Zealand netball and Rugby Sevens player. She has previously played for the Northern Mystics in 2011,[1] and was a training partner in 2012, and currently plays for the NZ Women's Rugby Sevens team.[2]

"She is the sister of former All Black Luke McAlister.[3]"

 

[Strewthcobber]

Just confirming Aussie games if all goes well - that rugby.com.au link was missing semi etc

Womens
7/8 - 2:30am, 7:30am
8/8 - 4:30am, QF 6am to 7:30am
9/8 - SF 3:30am to 4:00am, GF 8am

Mens
10/8 - 12am, 5am
11/8 - 12:30am, QF 6am to 7:30am
12/8 - SF 3:30am to 4am, GF 8am

 

[TOCC]

Aussie team released tomorrow i believe..
Greg Jeloudev is out after shoulder surgery

 

[Braveheart81]

7s squads are in!

Men:
Nick Malouf
Jesse Parahi
Henry Hutchison
Lewis Holland
James Stannard
Con Foley
Cam Clark
Pat McCutcheon
Ed Jenkins
Allan Fa'alava'au
John Porch
Tom Cusack

Sam Myers is a huge omission!

Women:
Shannon Parry (co-captain)
Sharni Williams (co-captain)
Nicole Beck
Gemma Etheridge
Emma Tonegato
Evania Pelite
Charlotte Caslick
Chloe Dalton
Amy Turner
Alicia Quirk
Emilee Cherry
Ellia Green

Pretty surprised that Tiana Penitani didn't make it.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Blitzbokke squad:

Kyle Brown (c), Tim Agaba, Philip Snyman, Werner Kok, Dylan Sage, Kwagga Smith, Rosko Specman, Cheslin Kolbe, Cecil Afrika, Justin Geduld, Juan de Jongh, Seabelo Senatla. Travelling reserves: Chris Dry, Francois Hougaard

No Bryan Habana probably the main talking point.

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/habana-left-out-of-south-africas-olympics-squad/