HSBC 7's: ROUND 3 - WELLINGTON
- Thread starter waiopehu oldboy
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djeff
Allen Oxlade (6)
It almost seems as though Robbie Deans was coaching Aus 7's. I experienced the same frustrations (dropped balls, rookie errors and poor decision making) as I did with the wallabies in 2012. After watching the Fiji SF, maybe the Bula are coached by Dingo too??
djeff
Allen Oxlade (6)
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Shield Final: France 14-7 Russia
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Bowl Final: Samoa 19-7 Scotland
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
I don't think we could look more incompetent if we tried.
With Low and maybe Nayacalevou excepted, the full time and academy boys look jack of all trades, master of none. Not great playmakers, not big, not quick just not awful at any of those things. it's not enough.
Well played Samoa though.
With Low and maybe Nayacalevou excepted, the full time and academy boys look jack of all trades, master of none. Not great playmakers, not big, not quick just not awful at any of those things. it's not enough.
Well played Samoa though.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Plate Final HT: Straya 14-5 Argentina
T
TOCC
Guest
Theres a few players in the Australian team who have stood out, Fa'alava'au always made meters, Jeloudev showed he is a decent finisher and brings a bit of speed to the team, Boyd Killingworth and Van Der Walt used there size to good effect. But all in all they seem to be lacking direction in attack..
T
TOCC
Guest
And as soon as i write that Killingworth bulldozes a couple of players..
Not a bad effort to finish 5th given the experience within the squad, but they need a big improvement if they are going to challenge any of the top 4 teams.
Not a bad effort to finish 5th given the experience within the squad, but they need a big improvement if they are going to challenge any of the top 4 teams.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Plate Final FT: Straya 21-5 Argentina
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Great effort with the squad, I had them down for 10th or below. Got better with every match!
But yeah, even with the big guns back we're definitely a class below SA, NZ and FIJI.
As it stands, we will need a big slice of luck to end up in the medals at Rio. It can happen, but I doubt it will.
South Africa, Fiji and NZ are a class above all other teams. We are in a chasing pack with England, USA, Argentina, Kenya.
Our best side looks something like this IMO: Clark, Jenkins, Cusack, Holland, Stannard, Killingworth, Fou. With Hutchison, Fa'alavau, Jeloudev, Myers on the next rung. Wildcards are Speight, Cummins and Cooper.
We just lack one or two players with the class of an Akira Ioane or Rosco Speckman. Speight at his very best could get there, but in the time he has left I can't see it happening.
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South Africa, Fiji and NZ are a class above all other teams. We are in a chasing pack with England, USA, Argentina, Kenya.
Our best side looks something like this IMO: Clark, Jenkins, Cusack, Holland, Stannard, Killingworth, Fou. With Hutchison, Fa'alavau, Jeloudev, Myers on the next rung. Wildcards are Speight, Cummins and Cooper.
We just lack one or two players with the class of an Akira Ioane or Rosco Speckman. Speight at his very best could get there, but in the time he has left I can't see it happening.
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Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Killingworth has been one of our best ever since he came in to the set up.
EDIT: However, if we are looking at Olympic gold or even a medal, I think we're looking at Tokyo not Rio.
EDIT: However, if we are looking at Olympic gold or even a medal, I think we're looking at Tokyo not Rio.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Joe Webber scores in OT, NZ 24-21 SA after we looked dead in the water at HT.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
By geez an exciting finish, certainly makes for a good advert for game. From what I know of game think SA would have to be feeling a little unlucky they didn't hold on. Think perhaps the 2 Ioane boys look the goods (for both 7sand 15s), Savea did great work to set the ball up for last try, but also the likes of Mikkleson, Webber are going to be so important to team as their workrate etc is great.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
^^^^^^^ Scott Curry's gone for the season but, yes, a few guys to come back in including Dickson who'll hopefully be OK for the Las Vegas & Canada legs.
I'm expecting SBW to cop plenty for the wayward offloads v SA yesterday & today but IMO both were as much the fault of the intended receiver & he more than made up for the first with the match-winning offload last night: had we lost that I don't think there's any way we'd have got past the Cup QF. All in all a promising debut from him IMO.
Akira Ioane was just awesome but how good was Ben Lam? And Kaka coming off the bench added plenty as well. I'm a lot more hopefull of us making the medal round at Rio than I was this time last week!
I'm expecting SBW to cop plenty for the wayward offloads v SA yesterday & today but IMO both were as much the fault of the intended receiver & he more than made up for the first with the match-winning offload last night: had we lost that I don't think there's any way we'd have got past the Cup QF. All in all a promising debut from him IMO.
Akira Ioane was just awesome but how good was Ben Lam? And Kaka coming off the bench added plenty as well. I'm a lot more hopefull of us making the medal round at Rio than I was this time last week!
At this point in time, the Podium at Rio (Mens Sevens) will be NZL, SAF, and FIJ. The order of the podium will be the luck of the draw, the bounce of the ball, and Team Rehab Selectors.
As others have said, we will be in the chasing pack. Our Women's team will do well and will Podium (IMHO).
Some other random observations and leaps of logical faith after watching the first few rounds:
1. Sevens is a specialist activity and has been for quite a while. Very few players excel at both 15 aside and 7 aside rugby.
2. SBW was next to useless for the Darkness. In his defence it took him a while to come to grips with proper rugby when he first switched codes. IMHO Quade will be similar for us next week. Both SBW and QC (Quade Cooper) may develop their 7's skills with time but there is no Fairy Godmother. It takes time.
3. I dislike England anything, but must admit that James Rodwell (Eng) is a wonderful sevens player and much under rated for what he brings to the game. He is very skilled, and I'd love it if the bastard was playing in a Gold Jumper.
4. I love Fiji sevens. They remain babes in the woods in Test Rugby, but they thoroughly embrace everything that is great about rugby 7's. They deserve Gold in Rio, but may unfortunately miss out to the BlitzBokke who will probably take gold.
5. The Blitzbokke experiment with Gold miners has not been particularly successful (see point 1 and 2). Hoggart and others have looked very pedestrian compared to their 7's specialists - Kwagga Smith, Kyle Brown, Phillip Snyman, Cecil Afrika (is he injured?). The latter, on their day, are as good as the best that FIJ and NZL have to offer.
6. See point 1. Many 7's superstars are poor at "proper" rugby and vice versa. Time for the administrators and marketing divisions to take heed. Don't listen to the player managers or watch the highly edited (and extremely selective) highlights reels of their clients.
7. Time for the tournament to move to somewhere else in NZL. Wellington doesn't seem to give a stuff. I don't care whether the administrators have "killed the atmosphere" with their emphasis on families or the locals have just become bored with the concept of Rolls Royce rugby entertainment. Empty seats in the grandstands in the RWC holders country is not a good look, and it was not just a few empty seats. I'd prefer it went to Napier, Tauranga or Rotorua. Good wine and food in the first two locations, and the third is in rugby heartland and is well set up to deal with major events.
As others have said, we will be in the chasing pack. Our Women's team will do well and will Podium (IMHO).
Some other random observations and leaps of logical faith after watching the first few rounds:
1. Sevens is a specialist activity and has been for quite a while. Very few players excel at both 15 aside and 7 aside rugby.
2. SBW was next to useless for the Darkness. In his defence it took him a while to come to grips with proper rugby when he first switched codes. IMHO Quade will be similar for us next week. Both SBW and QC (Quade Cooper) may develop their 7's skills with time but there is no Fairy Godmother. It takes time.
3. I dislike England anything, but must admit that James Rodwell (Eng) is a wonderful sevens player and much under rated for what he brings to the game. He is very skilled, and I'd love it if the bastard was playing in a Gold Jumper.
4. I love Fiji sevens. They remain babes in the woods in Test Rugby, but they thoroughly embrace everything that is great about rugby 7's. They deserve Gold in Rio, but may unfortunately miss out to the BlitzBokke who will probably take gold.
5. The Blitzbokke experiment with Gold miners has not been particularly successful (see point 1 and 2). Hoggart and others have looked very pedestrian compared to their 7's specialists - Kwagga Smith, Kyle Brown, Phillip Snyman, Cecil Afrika (is he injured?). The latter, on their day, are as good as the best that FIJ and NZL have to offer.
6. See point 1. Many 7's superstars are poor at "proper" rugby and vice versa. Time for the administrators and marketing divisions to take heed. Don't listen to the player managers or watch the highly edited (and extremely selective) highlights reels of their clients.
7. Time for the tournament to move to somewhere else in NZL. Wellington doesn't seem to give a stuff. I don't care whether the administrators have "killed the atmosphere" with their emphasis on families or the locals have just become bored with the concept of Rolls Royce rugby entertainment. Empty seats in the grandstands in the RWC holders country is not a good look, and it was not just a few empty seats. I'd prefer it went to Napier, Tauranga or Rotorua. Good wine and food in the first two locations, and the third is in rugby heartland and is well set up to deal with major events.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
^^^^^^^^^^^ agree with 1 & 3-6 but thought SBW showed enough to suggest that he'll be well worth a ticket to Rio. On 7, forget RotoVegas & Napier, neither has the transport & accommodation infrastructure & Tauranga only barely so. I never expected to say this but the answer is Hamilton.
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