2016 World Sevens Series

Stargazer

Half time: Fiji 14 - 0 Wales
 
Can't say Fiji is playing well; it took them a long time to score & the last one was an intercept off a terrible pass from Wales.

antipodean

42 - 5
 
Hayne gets three and a half minutes and Wales score immediately.

Stargazer

Much better 2nd half from Fiji; playing like they normally do.
 
Btw, some of these commentators are absolutely terrible!

Crash

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="581489" data-time="1463839961">
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Much better 2nd half from Fiji; playing like they normally do.
 
Btw, some of these commentators are absolutely terrible! 
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Bloody oath.
The one with TeNana in our game against Russia kept saying Eyeowneeeee whenever Rieko touched the ball

Crash

Fuck there seems to be little or no desire to go forward in this game against Argie. Seem to be retrating a lot. AB sevens trail by 7.

Crash

And Regan Ware spares our blushes, dots down under the posts - all tied at 14-14 at the final hooter. Mikkelson has had enough. He boots the ball into the stands. A superior Points diff will see us through to the quarters tomorrow. Fortunately.
Jesus, that was near on disastrous. Have to step it up big time for Rio.

Mokey

Saw bits of a couple of games yesterday, Portugal were giving someone a tune up. Then USA vs Samoa. Samoa were fucking awful. Gees that Perry Baker, always amusing to see on the field, like they don't feed him, then someone behind the posts waves a pie and off he goes.
 
NZ have been a terrible for a few rounds now, which is VERY worrying. Fiji look great, except for Haynes who is a joke. If I were a Fijian rugby player, I'd be fucking pissed at his inclusion.

booboo

"His fitness is way down on our boys and that's why we're moderating what he's doing, he was pretty sore come Friday after consecutive training in what's been a light week for us," Ryan said.

Stargazer

NZ play the Cup Quarter Final against the USA at 10.42pm NZT.
 
I see that Australia is playing in the Bowl QF! What happened there? 
And also to my surprise, Scotland is playing in the Cup QF!?
 
Looking at the year we've had with the Series, I've noticed that particularly Canada has gone down fast - have they had to cope with a lot of injuries?
The last few tournaments have seen a big improvement of France and Argentina, well-timed!
Kenya (Singapore) and Samoa (Paris) have proven that basically every country can win Olympic gold if they have two good days, but I still wouldn't bet on teams like that. They are way too inconsistent.
 
NZ will need all their stars fit and healthy if they want to win a medal in Rio. They've had a lot of injuries all year to some of the best players and we don't seem to have the depth to deal with it. Apart from Wellington, Sydney and Vancouver, they've been average. Hope they prove me wrong today in London, but I have my doubts.
 
I think SBW has shown enough skill to make the squad for Rio, but even without injury I think Messam won't make the cut, which basically makes this a lost year for him. Not sure whether Ardie Savea would have made the squad if he'd stayed.

hydro11

Australia had Fiji and England in their pool. Can't be surprised they are in the bowl.

Crucial

I have copied this from someone else's post back in the thread to try and work out the 12 for Rio based on who looks to be available. Bolded are what I think are certainties 
 
FORWARDS Akira Ioane DJ Forbes - as long as fit, will be there for experience. Has shown he still has it if not injured Sonny Bill Williams - finding his feet as a part of the game plan. Too much ability to create opportunities to leave out. Titch has him working as a forward now
 
BACKS Augustine Pulu - shown enough to be the backup playmaker Gillies Kaka - number one playmaker Rieko Ioane - looking like more of a freak than his big bro at the moment Tim Mikkelson - given
 
So that leaves five places to come from
 
Forwards (3) Probables in bold
 
Dylan Collier
Liam Messam Sam Dickson 
Scott Curry
 
Backs (2)
 
Joe Webber ?? 
Kurt Baker 
Lewis Ormond 
Pita Ahki 
Regan Ware 
Sione Molia 
Teddy Stanaway
 
So Messam quite possibly to get through. I would prefer him over Collier anyway.
 
In the backs I think Baker is likely as backup to the Mikkleson role, then it's a need for a 'striker' to cover Reiko
 
First choice lineup if all fit and playing for a medal.
 
Ioane
SBW
Forbes
Curry
Kaka
Mikkleson
Ioane

Bovidae

I think Pulu could start ahead of Kaka in the best 7.
 
My squad (if all are fit)
 
1. Baker
2, Curry (c)
3. Dickson
4. Forbes
5. A Ioane
6. R Ioane
7. Kaka
8. Messam
9. Mikkleson
10. Pulu
11. SBW
12. Webber/Ware
 
I'm not sure what has happened to Stowers but Webber has been one of Titch's main players in recent years. If they want another speedster then it's Ware or Molia. But using Messam and SBW as forwards means you can use the Ioane brothers out wide.

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="581516" data-time="1463872454">
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Australia had Fiji and England in their pool. Can't be surprised they are in the bowl.
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We also decided to rest our best 5 players for some reason this week. Apparently 10 tournaments over the course of six months is too many, and they need a fucking break.
 
So we basically waved the white flag and went to the Bowl, in the last tournament before Rio. Shrewd stuff there.

sinclair sector

Did anyone follow QC in Aussie sevens ? Was he simply not up to scratch ? Also it's pretty hard for J.Jayne to warrant selection off one tournament, esp since he had never played union. I guess it goes to show how skilled SBW is to actually make the starting team.

taniwharugby

Aussie coach said he hadnt had enough time in the team...
 
SBW has committed to it since the start of the year, and didnt look good in the first couple of tournies but he is looking more comfortable.
 
You would think Hayne will struggle just to get up to the levels of fitness required from what he has been doing, let alone learning a whole new game.

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sinclair sector" data-cid="581533" data-time="1463879059">
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Did anyone follow QC in Aussie sevens ? Was he simply not up to scratch ? Also it's pretty hard for J.Jayne to warrant selection off one tournament, esp since he had never played union. I guess it goes to show how skilled SBW is to actually make the starting team.
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He could make it if he did it full time like SBW. But trying to play footy for Toulon, and then coming in for a week at a time just wasn't working.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sinclair sector" data-cid="581533" data-time="1463879059">
<div>
Did anyone follow QC in Aussie sevens ? Was he simply not up to scratch ? Also it's pretty hard for J.Jayne to warrant selection off one tournament, esp since he had never played union. I guess it goes to show how skilled SBW is to actually make the starting team.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
In addition to previous replies:
 
QC himself said that it wasn't possible to obtain Aussi citizenship in time, because that requires that he's been in Oz for an x-number of days in a certain period; he can't meet this requirement now because he's playing in France. You can play for the Wallabies with a foreign (NZ) passport, but the Olympics require a team member to have the citizenship of the country he represents.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="581517" data-time="1463873515">
<div>
I have copied this from someone else's post back in the thread to try and work out the 12 for Rio based on who looks to be available. Bolded are what I think are certainties 
 
FORWARDS Akira Ioane DJ Forbes - as long as fit, will be there for experience. Has shown he still has it if not injured Sonny Bill Williams - finding his feet as a part of the game plan. Too much ability to create opportunities to leave out. Titch has him working as a forward now
 
BACKS Augustine Pulu - shown enough to be the backup playmaker Gillies Kaka - number one playmaker Rieko Ioane - looking like more of a freak than his big bro at the moment Tim Mikkelson - given
 
So that leaves five places to come from
 
Forwards (3) Probables in bold
 
Dylan Collier
Liam Messam Sam Dickson 
Scott Curry
 
Backs (2)
 
Joe Webber ?? 
Kurt Baker 
Lewis Ormond 
Pita Ahki 
Regan Ware 
Sione Molia 
Teddy Stanaway
 
So Messam quite possibly to get through. I would prefer him over Collier anyway.
 
In the backs I think Baker is likely as backup to the Mikkleson role, then it's a need for a 'striker' to cover Reiko
 
First choice lineup if all fit and playing for a medal.
 
Ioane
SBW
Forbes
Curry
Kaka
Mikkleson
Ioane
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I agree with Kaka ahead of Pulu in a 1st choice line-up.
 
Tbh, I don't think Messam is good enough; he hasn't had that much game time to improve his game, because of injury and suspension (Las Vegas or Vancouver). Having said that, he's still better than Collier, so if they indeed select 6 forwards, he will probably be in.
Baker is a near certainty for me, just as Joe Webber if he's fit. It will be more difficult if both Webber and O'Donnell are fit; in that case Baker might miss out.

Bones

Well Kaka the only interested looking player on day 1, although Stanaway and SBW tried hard but definitely looked lost at times. 
The Ioanes drift in and out. 
Mikkelson is well out of sorts. 
Our defence is atrocious and really passive. Could do with Forbes back in that regard.

Bones

Oh and Pulu is a shadow of what he was previous tournaments.

The Silver Fern

2016 World Sevens Series