With The Rugby Championship done and dusted, this week we turn our attention to the first event of the HSBC Rugby Sevens series to be held on the Gold Coast. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting a lot of my plays on Twitter, but I will be returning with more in depth analysis of the Autumn Internationals which will see the best of the southern hemisphere nations pitted against the northern foes in November. Make sure you follow me on Twitter (@S15_TheProfits) for last minute tips, game coverage, expert insight or just for a chat and enjoy the Gold Coast Sevens, a truly spectacular version of the game.
Best Bet: New Zealand to win @ $2.68 – Betfair
Rugby World Sevens – Gold Coast, Australia
Pool A – New Zealand, Kenya, United States, Tonga
Pool B – South Africa, England, France, Spain
Pool C – Fiji, Wales, Canada, Portugal
Pool D – Samoa, Australia, Argentina, Scotland
The HSBC Sevens World Series 2013/2014 kicks off this weekend on the Gold Coast, a favourite destination for many players from the sixteen teams in action. The 15th version of this global competition continues to attract a number of fans and media attention from around the world given the sports recent inclusion in the Olympic program. The tournaments produce a number of upsets and with teams like Russia, China and the United States having made huge investments into the sport with the Olympics in mind, one would only expect for the superpowers of the Sevens circuits to be challenged and beaten more consistently in the coming years. Because the game is played at such pace and there is so much more space across the field (with only seven players a side), there is a huge emphasis on fitness and being able to beat a defender one-on-one. This is where the New Zealanders, Fijians and South Africans thrive.
The reigning champions of this particular tournament Fiji, downed last year’s overall winners, New Zealand in a high scoring encounter, despite fielding six debutants in the opening round of the series. The HSBC Sevens Series generally adopts a four-pool format with each team playing three matches on Saturday and three matches on Sunday. With seven players on each team playing seven-minute halves (10 minutes in the final), it is end-to-end action and the festival-like atmosphere at the stadiums makes for an incredible atmosphere. When looking at form, New Zealand are the reigning HSBC Sevens champions and despite only winning one tournament in South Africa, their consistency is what delivered them the goods and sets them apart from the rest. New Zealand also won the coveted IRB Sevens World Cup tournament in Moscow, proving that their mix of experience, pace, power and strategy was second to none.
Below I will list each of the teams that I believe will qualify from the pool stage and make the quarterfinals of the Cup competition, players to keep and eye on and whether I think the team can go all the way.
Pool A
New Zealand: They will definitely qualify from their pool and with players like Tim Mikkelson, captain D J Forbes, Tomasi Cama and under the guidance of potentially the most successful rugby coach of all time with 11 World Series wins, Gordon Tietjens – I expect them to win the Gold Coast tournament. Unfortunately for New Zealand, Sherwin Stowers has been a late withdrawal, however, David Raikuna who has played for the Auckland Blues replaces him.
Kenya: They are an exciting team to watch and can score tries from any part of the field. Oscar Ouma and Colins Injera are the most notable players this week and although they should qualify, the generally stumble around the semi-finals.
Pool B
South Africa: The Blitzbokke ended up winning three tournaments last year, more than any other team, however, in big moments they were often overawed by the speed and size of some of the Oceanic teams. Ex-player Neil Powell has been named as the new head coach and he has selected an experienced and well-balanced squad that should feature at the business end of the tournament. Kyle Brown returns to captain the side after a horrific leg injury in the early rounds of last year’s series.
England: England have always had a very capable squad and generally manage to win one or two tournaments each year, however, their consistency has plagued them over the years. Simon Amor will coach his troops for the first time and he might find it difficult on the sidelines given his lengthy Sevens career. Keep an eye out for Dan Norton who is an extremely exciting player to watch and he regularly burns players on the outside with his out and out pace.
Pool C
Fiji: Sevens is Fiji’s national game and it only take a few moments to realise exactly why they pose so many problems for their opposition. They generally field the largest team in the tournament and when you combine that with nifty footwork and outright pace, they are a handful for whomever they come up against. Much like the All Blacks in the 15-man version, Fiji continues to churn out players of the highest calibre, and under the guidance of new coach Ben Ryan they are always in with a chance.
Wales: Until New Zealand won the HSBC Sevens World Cup last year, Wales were the reigning champions after surprisingly winning the title in Dubai in 2009. The Welsh Sevens program continues to develop and although it hasn’t achieved the heights of the 15-aside game, they are an exciting team to watch, but they will more than likely bow out before the semi-finals with the quality of the opposition around them.
Pool D
Samoa: Anyone who has watched Manu Samoa play the full-version of the game knows that they play an extremely physical brand of rugby. After analysing their squad for the tournament, they are missing a number of their big names so I don’t believe they will pose a big threat this weekend, but the unpredictable nature of the tournament might prove me wrong.
Australia: The home side use the Sevens program to help develop talent for the longer version of the game and as a result, they usually have one of the younger squads in the tournament. Captain Ed Jenkins is physical up front and James Stannard has Super Rugby experience with the Western Force, but two players to watch out for will be the speedster Shannon Walker and newcomer Tom Lucas, brother of Matt and Ben, who are both Sevens stars in their own right.
Best Bet: New Zealand to win @ $2.68 – Betfair
