2023 World Sevens Series
-
What a performance by TNW for the BFs! Love seeing a captain stand up and lead by example. She was still hyped after the game going by the post match interview.
Wasn't the conditions for Blyde to see much ball but she is still my favourite. Just love the way she looks like she's on a hair trigger the whole time. She's bloody scary. Like a pit bull crossed with a greyhound.Both teams have set themselves up well for the Oly-Qualy at this tricky start to the season and consistent performance from here on should see them get there OK.
BF selectors will have a tough job bringing back the big names but that will be a stacked squad when they do. That team just won against the world champs while missing Hirini, Fluhler, Fitzpatrick, Tui and Woodman. Imagine that as a bench! -
@NTA out of interest, as someone who has transitioned to the dark side of the whistle, do you think that being a 7s ref requires different attributes to being a XVs one?
Speed of thought is one thing but materiality thresholds seem to be very different and it must makes things even more difficult around accuracy of the call. A lower tolerance for infringing also brings a fair bit of weight in 50/50 situations and you'd think that if a ref set their boundary slightly differently it could have a big impact in some facets of the game. In turn this could benefit some teams and disbenefit others.
All very well to say that teams should adjust to a ref's style but should they have to change their gameplan?Using the AB 7s as an example, they tend to flood the breakdown as part of a physical game. Under some refs it works fine but under others it is a nightmare.
-
@Crucial in a word: yes.
Coincidentally, I've had the chance to do small group discussions with Jordan Way as part of NSW Rugby Refs education nights.
The general principle for refereeing 7s is the same at the breakdown: tackler release, tackled player release, everyone stay on their feet.
The differences to XVs:
- there are less bodies in the way in 7s (generally) so you tend to get a clearer picture.
- because speed of the game is paramount (7 minute halves) you need to have a lower tolerance for infringements, and probably make quicker snap decisions as a result.
- similarly, advantage is a bit quicker to expire because the game isn't set-piece.
In your example where the ABs are going in hard at the breakdown, the tolerance factor can vary because clean, quick ball is what you want. One from each side on the ground, one from each side over the ball, and then you want it to get moving.
If you're piling in bodies at a higher ratio to the opposition then staying on your feet is going to be paramount.
-
Just watched the finals on delay. Well done NZ, building real depth in the squads.
Thought Blyde and Brazier were amazing all tournament. Nathan Wong was off her game earlier but back to top form later. Jorja Miller got better and better and Jaz Hotham looks top quality also.
Liking what the Americans are doing, bringing in some sensational athletes. The blonde 'GI Jane', Sammy Sullivan looks a real talent - with Blyde-like attitude and skills. David Still from the men's team looks a freak athlete too, who will only get better.
Interesting to see GB women so poor without their talisman, Abby Brown. One inspirational player can make a real difference - as Samoan men showed.
Pleased with what Solo brings for the men, and Cook-Savage got better after a nervous start. Not sure why Tangitau used so little - maybe because going to Super? But, I was disappointed again by both Clark and Leo. The lack of apparent effort in defence is glaring. You would have to think Clark was injured in the final without subs, the way he jogged around. Leo is a great finisher, but needs hunger in contact, and needs to make an effort on the chase, even if it is just to make the conversion much harder. Maybe it is a team thing - not to gas oneself if you don't think you can save the try. But, other teams chase to the death.
Rokolisoa was truly amazing, inspiring all those around him. But, without Ng Shiu in the final we lacked the physical line-breaker for him to run off. NZ is much better with that aggression in contact. Carter was missed too.
Well done Samoa. Apelu Maliko player of the tournament?
-
@ARHS said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
Not sure why Tangitau used so little
I thought that it may be old school 7s tactics where you hold a strike player on the bench to get maximum effect when the core of the opposition team is tiring or the other subs are on. It can still work and you have to balance up whether it is best to provide them more chances to take or less, but more effective, chances.
-
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Bones said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
isn't it funny that handful of refs NZ have a habit of losing under...
Not as funny as AB fans who think 7s is a giant conspiracy against them.
Huh, what is this conspiracy?
-
@Nepia said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Bones said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
isn't it funny that handful of refs NZ have a habit of losing under...
Not as funny as AB fans who think 7s is a giant conspiracy against them.
Huh, what is this conspiracy?
Ask @Bones
-
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Nepia said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Bones said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
isn't it funny that handful of refs NZ have a habit of losing under...
Not as funny as AB fans who think 7s is a giant conspiracy against them.
Huh, what is this conspiracy?
Ask @Bones
Sorry @Nepia I have no idea what he's on about.
Maybe he thinks there are dark forces at work, if you throw shade on Jordan Way it's like the bat signal for NTA.
-
@Bones said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Nepia said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@NTA said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Bones said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
isn't it funny that handful of refs NZ have a habit of losing under...
Not as funny as AB fans who think 7s is a giant conspiracy against them.
Huh, what is this conspiracy?
Ask @Bones
Sorry @Nepia I have no idea what he's on about.
Maybe he thinks there are dark forces at work, if you throw shade on Jordan Way it's like the bat signal for NTA.
He has been part of a group discussion with the man after all
-
Details of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 have been announced with a pair of three-day combined men’s and women’s events taking place at Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 20-22 and 28-30 April, 2023.
The winner of the 12-team women’s Challenger Series will gain the ultimate prize of automatic promotion to the Sevens World Series 2024 – the pinnacle of international rugby sevens.
The 12 women’s teams competing are Belgium, China, Colombia, Czechia, Hong Kong, Madagascar, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, and a team from South America yet to be confirmed.
The winner of the men’s Challenger Series, which also features 12 teams, will enter a four team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 together with the teams placed 12th-14th after ten rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, with the winner of the play-off achieving Sevens World Series 2024 status.
The 12 men teams are Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
The teams qualified via their ranking positions within their relevant regional competitions and the pool draw will take place once the full team line-ups are confirmed in early 2023.
The tournament replicates the Olympic Games competition format, with the 12 teams drawn into three pools of four. The top two from each as well as the two best third-placed finishers will qualify for the knockout stages with quarter-finals and semi-finals leading to the bronze and gold medal matches.
Bold bit: so that's how they are going to reduce the number of men's core nations from 16 to 12 (as announced a few weeks ago).
-
@Stargazer thanks. This schedule is gosh awful. I have tickets and they will be long days and a bit of hopping between fields. Might have changed where I was sitting if I knew the huge mess the schedule creates.
What on earth are they thinking with the changes for this series? -
@ARHS said in 2023 World Sevens Series:
@Stargazer thanks. This schedule is gosh awful. I have tickets and they will be long days and a bit of hopping between fields. Might have changed where I was sitting if I knew the huge mess the schedule creates.
What on earth are they thinking with the changes for this series?I was seriously considering going and gutted I missed out, looking at that mess - not so much now