Olympics Thread

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="592915" data-time="1467240929">
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nzzp - are you serious about our tight forwards? Over the past 20 years I'd say other teams have at times matched or bettered us there, but it's the quality of our backs that have been the biggest point of difference.
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Absolutely.
 
For clarity, when I say quality of tight forwards, I'm talking about their ability to match most teams in physicality and set piece, but have ball skills on another level.
 
To be specific, Brodie is insanely talented at ball handling, and even the props can participate in offensive backline moves without killing them. Joe Moody v France at the last world cup (as an example), drawing defenders and throwing an outrageous back of the hand pass for a try.
 
When you go back to the 2005 Lions tour, the point of difference was the ball handling of the tight forwards.

ACT Crusader

Hayman, Jack, Comical Ali, early Kev - all high skill players 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

mimic

Messam misses out.. 
The New Zealand Olympic Men's Rugby Sevens team is: Scott Curry (captain) (Bay of Plenty) Sam Dickson (Canterbury) DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau) Akira Ioane (Auckland) Rieko Ioane (Auckland) Gillies Kaka (Hawke's Bay) Tim Mikkelson (Waikato) Augustine Pulu (Counties Manukau) Teddy Stanaway (Bay of Plenty) Regan Ware (Waikato) Joe Webber (Waikato) Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau) Travelling reserves; Sione Molia (Counties Manukau), Lewis Ormond (Taranaki), 
The New Zealand Olympic Women's Rugby Sevens team is: Shakira Baker (Waikato) Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty) Gayle Broughton (Taranaki) Theresa Fitzpatrick (Auckland) Sarah Goss (captain) (Manawatu) Kayla McAlister (Auckland) Huriana Manuel (Auckland) Tyla Nathan-Wong (Auckland) Terina Te Tamaki (Waikato) Ruby Tui (Canterbury) Niall Williams (Auckland) Portia Woodman (Counties Manukau) Travelling reserves: Michaela Blyde (Manawatu), Shiray Tane (Hawke's Bay).

gt12

Excellent - probably a good selection for the sevens (actually I couldn't give a fuck) and great news for the Chiefs!!
 
Messam's rejoined and will be playing in place of Leitch with permission from Toshiba - cha-ching :)

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="593713" data-time="1467510170">
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Excellent - probably a good selection for the sevens (actually I couldn't give a fuck) and great news for the Chiefs!!
 
Messam's rejoined and will be playing in place of Leitch with permission from Toshiba - cha-ching :)
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Wow, huge bonus for the Chiefs!

Stargazer

Both good looking teams. It seems that most of the previously injured players are fit to play again.
 
Not surprised by Messam not being in the team; he wasn't that great in the tournaments he played and injuries/suspension didn't help.
 
Can't wait to see how they'll perform in Rio.

antipodean

Strong squad. Surprised Dickson's knee is strong enough.

Stargazer

It will be interesting to see how quickly Messam adapts to playing XV again. How difficult will the switch be, both physically and mentally? He must be hugely disappointed about his non-selection, so he may be extra motivated to do well for the Chiefs.
 
There must be some very happy, but also some very disappointed men and women after the team naming. Just imagine having given your all - the past few years - to sevens, working incredibly hard for it, and then missing out! I have lost track a bit of all the players that have been involved, but players like Kurt Baker & Dylan Collier must be gutted (even though I agree with - esp Collier - not being in the team).

jegga

Seems a bit odd that Samoa and Tonga arent there.

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="593758" data-time="1467530794">Seems a bit odd that Samoa and Tonga arent there.</blockquote>
I don't think they were available to Titch. 
Unlucky for Messam, odd to see Ormond there ahead if him, but he has been on the improve I guess and is more in the mould of Dickson/Curry. 
Great team, excellent to see Dickson and especially Curry back.

taniwharugby

I think anything less than silver is a failure, even silver will be a bit meh, but silver would be a scrape by pass, while gold is still the expectation.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="593720" data-time="1467511189">It will be interesting to see how quickly Messam adapts to playing XV again. How difficult will the switch be, both physically and mentally? He must be hugely disappointed about his non-selection, so he may be extra motivated to do well for the Chiefs. 
There must be some very happy, but also some very disappointed men and women after the team naming. Just imagine having given your all - the past few years - to sevens, working incredibly hard for it, and then missing out! I have lost track a bit of all the players that have been involved, but players like Kurt Baker & Dylan Collier must be gutted (even though I agree with - esp Collier - not being in the team).</blockquote>
 
Although I'm not overly disappointed to see Baker miss out. Man he's erratic at times and has cost us with some brain fades. 
Messam has made the switch back and forth a number of times in his career so I think he'll be fine

Crucial

DJ showed amazing levels of play reading, fitness and accuracy when he played this year. As long as his body is right he is a must select. It may be his swansong but he is needed. 
I expect to see Titch use the gameplan from Wellington round (minus Lam). That was very effective. Expect to see Akira appear on the wing more than Reiko, and Reiko to slice through holes in the midfield. 
Pulu is there to suck in defenders when necessary as they must cover his threat close to the ruck. Kaka to interchange with Pulu. 
SBW demands two defenders as well.

Milk

Even for people who don't like Messam, the guy's ability to bounce back from disappointment and not drop his lip is pretty inspiring. I listened to his interview with Veitch and he said, while he was disappointed, the people he works with who have real life problems (kids with cancer, etc) puts things in perspective for him. He never struck me as the smartest rugby player going around, but I'm sure a lot of other players could learn from that.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="593804" data-time="1467569695">
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Even for people who don't like Messam, the guy's ability to bounce back from disappointment and not drop his lip is pretty inspiring.
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A lot of it is in the dropping. This is a credit to both Messam and the AB and NZ7's set ups. Players are dropped in a much more respectful way than they have been previously. Always done personally, always given the key work ons and the door is always open. No nepotism either which helps tremendously. Even as recently as the early 00s guys who you wouldn't think would have a cry like Kronfeld and Cully dropped their bundles. I even remember Michael Jones having a public sulk after missing the 95 RWC squad (I may be wrong on that though). But yes - stellar effort in the way he has handled this. Honestly more worried than how his buddy will handle it than him.
 
All that said - glad he didn't make the squad. Always error prone in high-pressure situations and on the biggest stage - to his credit he would usually come through and provide something. Every republic test he would commit some of the most baffling brain farts with ball in hand I've seen - then 30 minutes later plow through the Bok defensive line and set up a try. Thing is at 7s every knockout game is going to be at that pressure level and he won't have 30 minutes to balance the ledger. One error could very well see us out.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="593769" data-time="1467534646">
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I think anything less than silver is a failure, even silver will be a bit meh, but silver would be a scrape by pass, while gold is still the expectation.
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Gold definitely the expectation. After that it really depends on how we go out more than when. The QF->SF->GF will likely be just as difficult as the next, so losing to the eventual champions in extra time in the QF is really no different to me than "winning" silver in a game where we get blown out.
 
The game is too competitive and the knockout structure is barely designed for the best team to win, certainly not designed for 2nd and 3rd to be ranked accurately.

taniwharugby

given it is the Olympics with more than just rugby fans watching, many wont understand how close the 7s comp is, and that many teams can beat another on their day, and it'll be this part that will 'accept' silver as a pass mark, yes the rugby community might see us bow out in the semi to SA who go on and take gold and be more accepting of it.

Hooroo

Was listening to TAB trackside on Saturday monring and they had the rugby hour on.
 
I think they made a good point that the AB brand could be severly hurt if the 7's don't win. The brand is starting to be recognised in the US and they won't distinguish between 7's and 15's. They will be expexcting these all conquering All Blacks at the Olympics and may see a team rolled by "unknown" Fiji etc.
 
Made me think about it, that is for sure.
 
I will be surprised if I make the effort to watch the 7's at the Olympics

Hooroo

I'm unsure if there is a generic Olympics thread? If there is another, I will merge them.
 
How is the golf being played? Stroke or Match?
 
I'm kind of hoping Stroke pplay but assuming it will have to be Match play to eliminate ties?

barbarian

It's four round strokeplay, like most PGA tournaments. Pretty bland IMO, would have loved to have seen a team-based event. Would have given it a point of difference from regular events, and played up the nationalistic aspect more.
 
It's one of the reasons players a pulling out in droves, as they don't have to worry about letting their team down.

The Silver Fern

Olympics Thread