2017-18 World Sevens Series
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Blitzbokke will struggle against Fiji in the semi-final. Fiji are quite rampant at the moment.
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@justanotherfan said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Blitzbokke will struggle against Fiji in the semi-final. Fiji are quite rampant at the moment.
They are also missing a sevens team of players through either injury or SR commitments. So there is that as well.
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NZ also lose this game: 17 - 21 to England.
Good game from Curry, McGarvey-Black and Ravouvou, but I seriously wonder why guys like Collier and Baker are in the squad. There must be better injury replacements. They missed Mikkelson big time.
England has some great speedsters.
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England now how to waste time at the end of the game
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@kiwipie said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
@billy-tell said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Don’t really follow 7s but are NZ becoming a 2nd tier nation these days? USA this time I see. Would be unthinkable in the 15s version.
Yes but the whole of the Sevens is flattening out it seems. It was USA v Argentina in the last final. All the teams are getting so much better at scoring when they have possession so games can turn on winning the kick-offs, the decisions of the ref etc.
It's not so much "is NZ becoming a second tier nation" at sevens...it already is. They are only a shadow of what they used to be. They make watching their games both embarrassing and absolutely fkn frustrating.
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@centreman said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
@kiwipie said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
@billy-tell said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Don’t really follow 7s but are NZ becoming a 2nd tier nation these days? USA this time I see. Would be unthinkable in the 15s version.
Yes but the whole of the Sevens is flattening out it seems. It was USA v Argentina in the last final. All the teams are getting so much better at scoring when they have possession so games can turn on winning the kick-offs, the decisions of the ref etc.
It's not so much "is NZ becoming a second tier nation" at sevens...it already is. They are only a shadow of what they used to be. They make watching their games both embarrassing and absolutely fkn frustrating.
Ridiculous comment. NZ is not a second tier nation at sevens. It's just that - based on past performances when other countries were weak - we always have high expectations; maybe unrealistic expectations. Other countries have become much better and have started beating us. The coaches/NZR haven't found the answer yet ..
Second tier nations play in the bottom half of the schedule; as long as NZ regularly keeps reaching the QF, they are not a second tier nation.
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@booboo said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
@justanotherfan said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Both NZ and SA are through to QF and they are up against each other in a final group match. However because they are top of the championship I will call this a pseudo final. Purely for one reason. Whoever wins has the easy route in knockouts and whoever loses has a QF probably against USA (tough game) and would have Fiji on their side of the draw at SF time. So good luck.
My prediction...
NZ will put it all on the line, win a gutsy hard fought game against SA and then play Fiji in ghe QF, who lose their last pool match, and lose after the siren after Kurt Baker kicks it away ...
Fiji win the Cup ...
Close ... except for:
- US not Fiji who conspire to come 2nd in their pool and beat us in the QF ...
- Not completely last minute
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@justanotherfan said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Why you blaming the coach? You need 2 playmakers and 2 speedsters?
Because he didn't play those that we had left. Koroi is injured but Knewstubb has been really good, Ravouvou should have been on the field a lot more in a knock out game, and the Laidlaw had Baker on for the whole game (who is flakey at best) and was only sent over as replacement. He took the USA too lightly I reckon even though they won the last tournament.
I think that the coach can take some of the blame.
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@pn said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
@justanotherfan said in 2017-18 World Sevens Series:
Blitzbokke will struggle against Fiji in the semi-final. Fiji are quite rampant at the moment.
They are also missing a sevens team of players through either injury or SR commitments. So there is that as well.
You are not alone there. Karoi and Mikkelson were huge losses for NZ through injury.
As for SR commitments? Really? I'll see your Senatla and raise you a couple of Ioane brothers. There are an awful lot of players in both NZ and SA who would be great at sevens. OZ suffer to a lesser extent I think, but Folau could be great for example. SA don't have the SR issue on their own.
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I think there has been an improvement in our play this tournament, despite missing the huge work-rate of Mikkelsen and acceleration of Koroi. They are avoiding contact more often and being more patient looking for gaps, so less turnover errors. Kickoffs vastly improved too.
Curry is running great lines and MG Black has great vision and skills. Tackling from Black and Collier has also been great and saved us at times. Our cover of speedsters out wide is excellent too. But, just not enough players accelerating on to the ball to create the opening. We need to have Baker (especially), Nanai, Webber and Ware punching on to the ball harder. The opposition have broken us open in the middle by wrong-footing Knewstubb or Nanai and punching on to it fast. We need to do more of the same, and can with the two big guns back next time. -
@stargazer Didn't they win a tournament lately?
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@antipodean Yes, they won Sydney; were third in Hamilton. Fourth on the Series table. Really odd, such a short time before the Commonwealth games.
