New Zealand come up against International Rugby Board (IRB) sevens champions South Africa on the opening night of the Wellington tournament starting tomorrow. A tournament that has NZ coach Gordon Tietjens on edge but also looking to his team to make it three tournament wins a row.
NZ won the series’ two opening tournaments in Dubai and George in early December but Tietjens knows only too well how quickly the landscape can change. “All the teams will bounce back but I think particularly South Africa,” Tietjens said. “They were very disappointed with their performances, especially after being so consistent last year and winning the title. They’ll be a different team coming into Wellington. “This would be one of the hardest pools we’ve had for a long time. It’s just going to put a lot of pressure on us but you’ve got to adjust to that. At the end of the day, I suppose you have to beat them all to win the tournament.”
“To win the first two tournaments was way above my expectations. I thought we were 20 per cent underdone compared to four-five of the other teams who had been to tournaments prior to Dubai,” Tietjens said. “Tactically we adopted the right gameplans and the players played to those tactics. That was the real key to beating teams like Kenya and England.”
New Zealand will still start favourites tomorrow & need just 14 points to be the first team in the IRB series to reach 15,000 points. Winners of eight of the 10 IRB series, they are the only team who average more than 30 points per game in that time.
Meanwhile, Tietjens believed sevens’ recent acceptance into the rarified Olympic Games fold would not see the code lose its unique carnival feel. “I think sevens rugby will always remain that, even when it becomes an Olympic sport,” he said. “There’s always going to be the excitement. The fact that so many teams can win now makes it more interesting and more teams will become stronger now that there’s the Olympic carrot, which will just make it a better sport.”
Pools
Pool A: New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Niue.
Pool B: Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Papua New Guinea.
Pool C: England, Kenya, United States, Tonga.
Pool D: Samoa, Argentina, France, Canada.
Series standings
New Zealand 48 points, Fiji 36, England 28, Samoa 26, Argentina 22, Kenya 22, Australia 18, South Africa 16, Wales 8.
Blitz Boks in a tough pool.
Probably the best 7’s tourney when it is held in NZ. The vibe there looks brilliant. A real fancy dress party that goes on there. Also in Hong Kong.
We should move our 7’s tourney to PE. Where they come out with the bands and play and sing all day long, like they do in the cricket, would be the same for the 7’s there and the vibe would be far better than George.
Have to agree with you there Puma. It always seems that the “gees” is not what it could be in George.
A bit of info on the NZI Sevens to get you started:
The first game is 1pm where traditional crowd favourites Samoa will take on the often-not-so-popular French.
New Zealand are up at:
3:12pm vs. Wales
6:08pm vs. Niue
9:56pm vs. South Africa
The Parade of Nations is always popular and kicks off at 8.20pm tonight.
As an early heads-up, the finals are tomorrow at:
Shield Final 7.30pm
Bowl Final 8pm
Plate Final 8.30pm
Cup Final 9pm
The pools:
Pool A
New Zealand
South Africa
Wales
Niue
Pool B
Fiji
Australia
Scotland
Papua New Guinea
Pool C
England
Kenya
USA
Tonga
Pool D
Samoa
Argentina
France
Canada
Some numbers on the Sevens pinched from the Rugby World Cup Sevens site:
8 – events on the IRB Sevens World Series – Dubai, George, Wellington, San Diego, Hong Kong, Adelaide, London and Edinburgh.
10 – The Wellington tournament celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
16 – Sixteen teams: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, USA and Wales.
40 – South Africa currently lie top of the World Series standings with a perfect 40 points, ahead of: New Zealand 28; England 24; Fiji 24; Argentina 16; Samoa 12; Portugal 8; Kenya 6; Australia 4; USA 4.
230 – the number of volunteers.
1,300 – There are 1300 guests each day in 65 corporate boxes and nine corporate lounges. They eat 6000 meals between them including 700kg of ham, 850kg of beef, 420kg of salmon, 390kg of chicken.
12,000 – Spectators consume 12,000 burgers, 20,000 hot dogs and 15,000 pies over the two days. Fattys.
35,000 – crowd capacity.
Live blog: Wellington Sevens
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/sevens/3296837/Live-blog-Wellington-Sevens
Welcome back to the mayhem that is the Wellington Sevens. The capital’s turned on the weather and it’s set to last the weekend, so we could be in for a classic.
As we did last year, we’ll be bringing you live coverage from Westpac Stadium of the carnage and the collisions, the winners and the write-offs.
For those that read last year, welcome back – I hope to hear from a few more of those stuck overseas without a way of watching the action. To newcomers, welcome to you also.
Love it or hate it there’s no denying it’s a marquee event on the country’s social and sporting calendar, from the rugby, for those who turn up with their families, to the festivities for those who turn up liquored.
Every year throws up some surprises, with the tournament’s past winners including Fiji, Australia, South Africa, Samoa, England and New Zealand.
You can bet some people will turn up with fake guns which will be confiscated, others will be thrown out, some will be carried out and others will wake up on Sunday and struggle to pay the bills.
In spite of that, it’s a hell of a party and a good chance to show off your creativity and see New Zealand’s perennial-contender seven’s team in action.
Enjoy the day.
01:18pm: France were leading earlier in the second half, but Samoa have come back at them. 29-19 at the moment. Just FYI – here are some interesting tid-bits from the player profiles in the Sevens programme:
Nafi Tuitavake would be a tax driver if he wasn’t playing footy.
Ben Souness and Kurt Baker appear to have a special relationship. Souness’ “pet hate” is when Kurt Baker walks around nude and Baker’s is when Souness tells him to put his clothes on.
DJ Forbe’s is all about the action – his favourite movies are “Pumping Iron or anything with Bruce Lee or Arnie in it”.
Tomasi Cama is a pragmatist – He can’t live without: “Food and water.”
Zar Lawrence’s favourite books are Asterix and Obelix. I used to love those.
1:41pm: Just spoke to TV commentator Tony “TJ” Johnson. He said he was confident New Zealand would have a win.
He said Sherwin Stowers would provide the spark out wide, but forward Ben Souness was the “unsung hero”.
He joked former sevens representative Karl Te Nana’s physique had turned to custard in his post-playing days, and he needed to get back under coach Gordon Tietjens’ influence.
“The problem I’ve got at the moment keeping Karl Te Nana under control because he’s got this gladiator uniform that he can hardly fit into.”
Canada just thrashed Argentina 26-7. And in other rugby news, Aussie flaker George Smith has announced his retirement from test rugby.
Canada have caused the first shock of the tournament in only the second game. It’s a great start for new coach Morgan Williams as his boys beat Argentina. Earlier Reupena Levasa scored three for Samoa as they beat improved France 31-19.
Latest results
2 05-02-2010 13:22 ARGENTINA 7 – 26 CANADA Pool D
1 05-02-2010 13:00 SAMOA 31 – 19 FRANCE Pool D
Niue???
See this team is in SA group, who is this?
10
Googled it
Niue (pronounced /ˈnjuːeɪ/ in English) is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the “Rock of Polynesia”, and natives of the island call it “the Rock”.
Though self governing, Niue is in free association with New Zealand, and thus lacks full sovereignty. Queen Elizabeth II is Niue’s head of state. Most diplomatic relations are conducted by New Zealand on Niue’s behalf.
Niue is 2,400 kilometres northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. The people are predominantly Polynesian.
Latest results
3 ENGLAND 31 – 7 UNITED STATES Pool C
4 Kenya 15-7 Tonga Pool C
5. Fiji 36-5 Scotland – Pool B
6. Australia 31-12 Papua New Guinea – Pool B
7. Pool A New Zealand 29-5 Wales 3.12
8. Pool A South Africa 38-5 Niue 3.34
9. Pool D Samoa 27-14 Canada 3.56
10.Pool D Argentina 17-5 France 4.18
superBul, do you not sleep?
11. Pool C England 24-19 Tonga
12. Pool C Kenya 24-7 USA
Loosehead i slept enough in the early evening. If i sleep to early i am up around midnight. Bad sleeping habits? But i was so tired yesterday i went to bed very early.
13. Pool B Fiji 41-0 Papua New Guinea
14. Pool B Australia 24-7 Scotland
Now I know why he is called SUPERBul…
I will sleep when I am dead!…hehe
Dit is te warm om te slaap in Superbul se kontrei. Lê wakker en tel die sweet druppels.
I’m looking for some score updates, the net is slow on my side this morning. Will try and find something.
Pool A:
New Zealand 29 Wales 5.
South Africa 38 Niue 10
New Zealand 49 Niue 5
South Africa 38 Wales 5.
Pool B:
Fiji 36 Scotland 5,
Australia 31 Papua New Guinea 12,
Fiji 41 Papua New Guinea 0,
Australia 24 Scotland 7.
Pool C:
England 31 United States 7,
Kenya 15 Tonga 7,
England 24 Tonga 19,
Kenya 24 United States 7.
Pool D: Samoa 31 France 19,
Canada 26 Argentina 7,
Samoa 27 Canada 14,
Argentina 19 France 5.
Ek sal later weer updates gee.
Super, thanks for the info on the 7’s tourney.
Must say they really enjoy themselves in NZ in the 7’s. Must be a heck of a party that goes on there. See everyone once again in fancy dress and supporting which ever team is playing.
Just watch Scotland and Papa New Guinea. Crowd supported both teams. What a magnificent vibe there.
George for me is just not the same. Nothing compares to the NZ and Hong Kong 7’s. We should play our 7’s tourney in PE. Love the cricket when it is there, the bands come out and they play the whole day and sing none stop. The vibe in PE would be far, far better George.
He who laughs last…………………………….thinks slowest.
Everyone has a photographic memory………….Some just don’t have film.
A day without sunshine is like………………….well,night.
On the other hand…………………………..you have different fingers.
Change is inevitable………………………….except from a vending machine.
I just got lost in thought……………………it was unfamiliar territory.
Those who live by the sword…………………get shot by those who don’t.
The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right,…………………….there’s a 90% probability you’ll get it wrong.
It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end ………………….some TAXI would be stupid enough to try and pass them.
Light travels faster than sound…………..This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
What a magnificent vibe going on there in Wellington. HUGE party. Looks like people having a lot of fun. We could learn from them and do the same here.
South Africa against New Zealand at 11am our time.
Hello Snoek? How you boet?
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