2016-2017 World Sevens Series
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@Bovidae said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
The main problem is that NZ doesn't always win their pool anymore so could be facing Fiji, SA, England etc as early as the QFs.
Our pool isn't that strong for Singapore but if NZ loses to the USA and finishes 2nd again they're playing Fiji in the QF.
And when we do win our pool have a tendency to meet SA or Fiji. Pretty sure that's happened 2 or 3 times this year.
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@Snowy There is no doubt that the lesser teams have improved so sevens is now much more competitive. But relative to Fiji and SA, I don't think NZ has improved in the last 5 years so that comes down to the quality of the players and coaching.
In the past you would watch a game against either of those teams and think the result is 50/50. Nowadays, we'd be lucky to win 1 in 5 games against those 2 teams. My expectations are much lower than they used to be, and that's not a good thing!
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@Bovidae said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
relative to Fiji and SA, I don't think NZ has improved in the last 5 years so that comes down to the quality of the players and coaching.
For sure, we have slipped against them (although we are getting closer again in terms of scorelines if not actual results).
Our other issue WRT to pools and quarter finals is that even when we do top our pool, those 2 sides haven't always been top of theirs due to the remainder getting stronger. We then end up playing them early on in play offs as @booboo says above.
My expectations are certainly lower as well. However I don't think we are too far away and NZ do need to dedicate resources into sevens now with other teams on the rise to get us back on top. Especially since they made the idiotic decision to add "All Blacks" to the title of the team.
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@Snowy said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@Bones said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
As an aside, am I right in thinking that the last 2 or 3 tournaments our only loss has been against the eventual winner?
Last 3 results.
We lost to SA 21-19 in HK, then SA went on to the final and got humped by Fiji (22-0 or something).We lost to Fiji also, as I'm still trying to figure out just how much Te Tamaki won on that game. Must be a packet as i see he's taken this week off to go on holiday.
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Wow Joubert is a pretty average ref these days eh. Every breakdown he's screaming "hands off black" and even penalising NZ for not releasing the tackled player at one ruck when all they did was counter ruck. Of course after he's given US a penalty for the NZ player not releasing the ball when they didn't release him.
Edit: oh it's not Joubert it's some Welsh newby.
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@KiwiMurph yeah that was a shit house display. I guess the very first play of the match should've signalled what was going to happen. Spin it wide to Ravouvou immediately without even looking up and watch him give it back.
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@Bones said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
Spin it wide to Ravouvou immediately without even looking up and watch him give it back.
He was good last week but had two genuine shockers this week (the first pool match and the QF). Three times he has run straight towards touch and then thrown a no look pass. Idiotic.
Was surprised he wasn't dragged earlier in those 2 games
