2023 World Sevens Series

[Stargazer]

Very soft yellow for Ng Shiu. Looked like he knocked the ball on in the tackle; nothing deliberate.

[Stargazer]

AB7s way too casual. Spanish scrum close to NZ's try line.

[Stargazer]

Great chip kick from Spain and they almost score. Good defence from Che Clarke. It's still 0 all, but penalty to Spain.

[Stargazer]

AB7s penalised 6 times in this half.

[Stargazer]

Damn, now Spain score and they go into the break with the lead.

HT: AB7s 0 - 7 Spain

[Stargazer]

Another weak start from the AB7s. Hopefully, they'll have a better second half. Getting possession would be good, because they've hardly had the ball.

[Stargazer]

Yesssss, that's more like it. Try to Regan Ware.

5 - 7 Spain

[Stargazer]

Cooks-Savage coming on.

[Stargazer]

Geez, another try to Spain. Yuck.

[Stargazer]

Spain leads 14 - 5. One minute to go.

[Stargazer]

Awesome individual try to Moses Leo. They skip the conversion to get a re-start. The hooter has gone.

14 - 10 Spain.

[Stargazer]

It's over. Well done to Spain. The second time ever that they've beaten the AB7s (first time in Vancouver in 2019).

FT: AB7s 10 - 14 Spain.

Awful start from NZ. Ill-discipline the biggest issue, but also too many mistakes. For example, that no-look pass from Ng Shiu - after all the good work he'd done - was a coach killer.

[Higgins]

@Stargazer Maybe they simply aren't as good as the salary they receive decrees them to be?

[Stargazer]

@Higgins They gave a lot of game time to newbies in this game. I'd say it was a mix of inexperience and maybe complacency, not taking Spain seriously enough.

[Stargazer]

Another upset: Great Britain men beat Australia men's 21 - 19.

[Steven Harris]

@Stargazer just seen your post , are we this poor at the minute ..? or has everyone including the minnow countries got so much better
Just seems NZ Rugby need to throw more resources at this squad or start looking at other options in terms of personal

[Bovidae]

Not a large number of spectators in the stadium.

[booboo]

@Stargazer said in 2023 World Sevens Series:

It's over. Well done to Spain. The second time ever that they've beaten the AB7s (first time in Vancouver in 2019).

FT: AB7s 10 - 14 Spain.

Awful start from NZ. Ill-discipline the biggest issue, but also too many mistakes. For example, that no-look pass from Ng Shiu - after all the good work he'd done - was a coach killer.

I blame Laidlaw...

[Crucial]

@booboo said in 2023 World Sevens Series:

@Stargazer said in 2023 World Sevens Series:

It's over. Well done to Spain. The second time ever that they've beaten the AB7s (first time in Vancouver in 2019).

FT: AB7s 10 - 14 Spain.

Awful start from NZ. Ill-discipline the biggest issue, but also too many mistakes. For example, that no-look pass from Ng Shiu - after all the good work he'd done - was a coach killer.

I blame Laidlaw...

I kind of get the feeling watching the AB 7s that there is a certain amount of arrogance at times where they take the field thinking they are entitled to the win. In the big games the attitude is different but at the next tier down they are prone to results like this.

[ARHS]

@Steven-Harris Our men's team is transitioning with much néw blood. Lots of rookie errors and not quite the same chemistry between players. But there is a lot of talent out there and the squad will be competitive. Lots of the other teams are transitioning too. So a much more level playing field now.
The key seems to be in instinctively knowing where your team mates will be and what they will do.