2016 World Sevens Series
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="582012" data-time="1464041140">
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<p>I'm not saying that there won't be any pressure to perform for NZ, but the public expectations might not be so high.</p>
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<p>Hmmmm - hands up anyone who doesn't think that anything less than Sevens gold is a failure?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="582017" data-time="1464041583"><p>
Hmmmm - hands up anyone who doesn't think that anything less than Sevens gold is a failure?</p></blockquote>
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Last year I would have stuck my hand up.<br><br>
This year: anything less than a medal, any colour -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="582017" data-time="1464041583">
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<p>Hmmmm - hands up anyone who doesn't think that anything less than Sevens gold is a failure?</p>
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<p>Wanting us to win, and expecting us to win are two entirely different things. If Tietjens was able to select the 12 players he wanted at the start of the season and they played the whole series there wouldn't be any excuses.</p>
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<p>There have been 6 different winners in the 10 tournaments. </p> -
<p>Surely <span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Tietjens has the squad on a fitness/speed programme so that they peak in 10 weeks.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I would imagine winning the tournament on the weekend comes a distant second to that in planning for Rio.</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="582017" data-time="1464041583">
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<p>Hmmmm - hands up anyone who doesn't think that anything less than Sevens gold is a failure?</p>
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<p>The general talkback caller will certainly be putting the boot in quickly that's for sure. If anything we have seen recently that any dog can have it's day in Sevens, the margins are just that small.</p>
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<p>I put this question out ages ago and people were going 'who cares, it's only Sevens' but I still maintain that once the Olympics start and our guys are out there everyone will be fixated on the games and it will take way more importance.</p>
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<p>I think the NZRU has learned a few lessons this time. Not sure how to fix the personnel aspect, maybe identify some more of the younger future XVs stars like the Ioanes and get them in early with an assurance that they won't do their XVs aspirations harm.</p>
<p>The biggest thing is that they need to fund the setup more to compete with other countries. We are the only top nation without there squad in dedicated fulltime training camps. Poor old Titch is still getting them for short camps only. Those lack of combos really shows (not helped by all of the injuries)</p>
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<p>That said, I don't think it is all doom and gloom. As long as we get DJ back, Mikkleson and Curry firing at their best, then back them up with the SBW/Ioanes for firepower I reckon will can do it.</p>
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<p>Titch is too shrewd an operator to not be aware of the issues and have a plan. It wouldn't surprise me if he tested out his gameplan at the beginning of the year then shelved it.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="582129" data-time="1464054968">
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<p>Just watched the last minute of Scotlands win on Facebook.</p>
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<p><strong>The try scorer and the first guy to get to him, didn't even celebrate. Just too knackered.</strong> The bench and coaches did but those other two just smiled wearily</p>
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<p>Naaa brudda, that's just Scots stoicism. They got to the end zone and were acting like they'd been there before. Just took them 136 years that's all......</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="582031" data-time="1464042923">
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<p>The general talkback caller will certainly be putting the boot in quickly that's for sure. If anything we have seen recently that any dog can have it's day in Sevens, the margins are just that small.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I put this question out ages ago and people were going 'who cares, it's only Sevens' but I still maintain that once the Olympics start and our guys are out there everyone will be fixated on the games and it will take way more importance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think the NZRU has learned a few lessons this time. Not sure how to fix the personnel aspect, maybe identify some more of the younger future XVs stars like the Ioanes and get them in early with an assurance that they won't do their XVs aspirations harm.</p>
<p><strong>The biggest thing is that they need to fund the setup more to compete with other countries. We are the only top nation without there squad in dedicated fulltime training camps. Poor old Titch is still getting them for short camps only. Those lack of combos really shows (not helped by all of the injuries)</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>That said, I don't think it is all doom and gloom. As long as we get DJ back, Mikkleson and Curry firing at their best, then back them up with the SBW/Ioanes for firepower I reckon will can do it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Titch is too shrewd an operator to not be aware of the issues and have a plan. It wouldn't surprise me if he tested out his gameplan at the beginning of the year then shelved it.</p>
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<p>I agree. You see the same in the women's competition where NZ used to dominate, but other countries have improved more. NZRU needs to fix this. I think money is the issue here. They've a lot more sponsorship money now, but a lot has gone to increase ABs wages to keep them in NZ longer. I'm not sure whether other areas of rugby have profited, women's rugby clearly hasn't. Provinces? School boys? Other age grades? No idea.</p>
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<p>The personnel aspect might also be helped by developing more specialists. They snatched Kaka away from XVs and offered him a contract, when he was about to be picked up by the Canes, who only offered him a WTG spot. He's a great full-back & we'll probably never know how he'd have fared in Super Rugby, unless he doesn't accept an extension of his sevens contract and goes back to the Magpies somehow (don't think they need a full-back, but he could possibly play at more positions in the backs). The point is, if you pick up young sevens players and develop them as specialists, you don't have to worry about their Super Rugby commitments.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="582017" data-time="1464041583">
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<p>Hmmmm - hands up anyone who doesn't think that anything less than Sevens gold is a failure?</p>
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<p>Anyone thinking it was a guaranteed Olympics gold after the Commonwealth silver were deluding themselves.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="582022" data-time="1464041993">
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<p>Wanting us to win, and expecting us to win are two entirely different things. If Tietjens was able to select the 12 players he wanted at the start of the season and they played the whole series there wouldn't be any excuses.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There have been 6 different winners in the 10 tournaments. </p>
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<p>"Expect" might be a bit ambiguous. "Require" perhaps reflects my view better.</p>
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<p>i.e. regardless that we may not be favourites, I require Titch's men to win the gold medal or it's a failure in my eyes.</p>
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<p>It's harsh, but I'd be surprised if there was anyone in the team thinking differently. I don't think we'll see them looking overjoyed at winning silver or bronze.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="582186" data-time="1464063396"><p>
It's harsh, but I'd be surprised if there was anyone in the team thinking differently. I don't think we'll see them looking overjoyed at winning silver or bronze.</p></blockquote>
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Well they need to pull their heads in then. It's not everyday you win a medal at the Olympic Games. Regardless of what colour it might be if they do win one, I hope they celebrate it as a wonderful achievement. <br><br>
If they don't they come off looking like Aussie swimmers...... -
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The <strong>Clermont 7s</strong>, the last round of the Women's Sevens Series, will be played this weekend.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>NZ team</strong>:</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Shakira Baker (Waikato)<br>
Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)<br>
Theresa Fitzpatrick (Auckland)<br>
Sarah Goss (captain) (Manawatu)<br>
Kayla McAlister (Auckland)<br>
Huriana Manuel (Auckland)<br>
Terina Te Tamaki (Waikato)<br>
Ruby Tui (Canterbury)<br>
Katarina Whata-Simpkins (Wellington)<br>
Renee Wickliffe (Counties Manukau)<br>
Niall Williams (Auckland)<br>
Portia Woodman (Counties Manukau)<br><br><strong><span style="color:#333333;">Travelling reserves:</span></strong> Selica Winiata (Manawatu), Janna Vaughan (Manawatu)</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Pool games (NZT)</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sat 28/5, 9.00pm: NZ v Russia</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sat 28/5, 11.44pm: NZ v Japan</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sun 29/5, 2.28am: NZ v Canada</span></span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="582630" data-time="1464164720"><p>Ireland compete as an all-Ireland team for the Olympics so it is only Great Britain.</p></blockquote>
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Not exactly. I seem to recall this coming up on these forums before, so forgive me if I'm preaching to the choir - "Team GB" is the simplified branding for the GB and NI Olympic team. The Olympic Committee of Ireland has always viewed itself as an all-island body, and has at various times in its history got into disputes with the IOC over the IOC's unwanted use of political prefixes to the basic "Ireland". NI athletes are given the choice of competing for Team GB or Ireland, more by accident than design, as this article describes:<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_at_the_Olympics#Political_issues">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_at_the_Olympics#Political_issues</a> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Disgusted of TW" data-cid="582721" data-time="1464210739">
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<p>Not exactly. I seem to recall this coming up on these forums before, so forgive me if I'm preaching to the choir - "Team GB" is the simplified branding for the GB and NI Olympic team. The Olympic Committee of Ireland has always viewed itself as an all-island body, and has at various times in its history got into disputes with the IOC over the IOC's unwanted use of political prefixes to the basic "Ireland". NI athletes are given the choice of competing for Team GB or Ireland, more by accident than design, as this article describes:<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_at_the_Olympics#Political_issues">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_at_the_Olympics#Political_issues</a></p>
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<p>Right but I think in rugby the players have no choice.</p>
