Olympics Thread

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="604890" data-time="1470870361">
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But, for all that, this should probably generate a rethink at board level about our sevens program. The Aussie girls team looks like a fairly good blueprint (i can't believe i just typed that). Find the right athletes, build a side based around sevens and sevens only. Make it attractive. 
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I don't actually think the model will work in Men's. Or it certainly won't be as easy.
 
The Women's 7s had a number of advantages. The players didn't have 15s as a viable option, let alone having it as the pinnacle of the sport. They also didn't have other sports to compete with, and could recruit top amateurs from across the country by paying a decent (but not outstanding) wage.
 
Male rugby players are still going to grow up wanting to be All Blacks, or Wallabies, or Springboks. 15s is still going to be king, and creating a successful 7s team is going to involve a big series of compromises. It's also going to involve a lot of cash for a very limited return.
 
There is no easy answer here, sadly. Not that you are saying there is. 
 
I think centralisation is the obvious answer for NZ. Get them living and training in the one city, paid a decent enough wage. That's step 1 for me, and what most other big nations are doing.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="604828" data-time="1470862388">
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Seems Sir Clive Woodward has been laughing it up on the BBC coverage which alot of other countrys pick up and really hammering home 'The All Blacks' lost to Japan, 'The All Blacks' are out at the quarter finals, 'The All Blacks' only won 1 out of 4 games .
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They aren't the ABs, no matter what it says on the jersey

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="604922" data-time="1470876704">
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I don't actually think the model will work in Men's. Or it certainly won't be as easy.
 
The Women's 7s had a number of advantages. The players didn't have 15s as a viable option, let alone having it as the pinnacle of the sport. They also didn't have other sports to compete with, and could recruit top amateurs from across the country by paying a decent (but not outstanding) wage.
 
Male rugby players are still going to grow up wanting to be All Blacks, or Wallabies, or Springboks. 15s is still going to be king, and creating a successful 7s team is going to involve a big series of compromises. It's also going to involve a lot of cash for a very limited return.
 
There is no easy answer here, sadly. Not that you are saying there is. 
 
I think centralisation is the obvious answer for NZ. Get them living and training in the one city, paid a decent enough wage. That's step 1 for me, and what most other big nations are doing.
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I agree with it being a lot easier for women. For men we have already seen that most All Blacks aren't interested and only a couple of Super Rugby players are. The way the team went isn't going to inspire many young rugby players to want to go to Tokyo.

antipodean

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="604922" data-time="1470876704">
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Male rugby players are still going to grow up wanting to be All Blacks, or Wallabies, or Springboks. 15s is still going to be king, and creating a successful 7s team is going to involve a big series of compromises. It's also going to involve a lot of cash for a very limited return.
 
There is no easy answer here, sadly. Not that you are saying there is. 
 
I think centralisation is the obvious answer for NZ. Get them living and training in the one city, paid a decent enough wage. That's step 1 for me, and what most other big nations are doing.
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The ABs will always be the pinnacle of the rugby union code in NZ. But there are players who were on the fringes of Super or even ITM rugby plying their trade for clubs in Europe and probably Japan. It may be a matter of scouting out that type of player offering those with little hope of making it all the way in 15s another path that allows them to stay in the country while earning decent money. Guys like Te Nana and Forbes have been career 7s players, surely there are many others out there who could follow on in the same vein.
 
As for style of play, we have shouldn't totally abandon the power game (it is a strength), but clearly a shift is required in terms of mindset, tactics and personnel

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="604926" data-time="1470877578">
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I agree with it being a lot easier for women. For men we have already seen that most All Blacks aren't interested and only a couple of Super Rugby players are. The way the team went isn't going to inspire many young rugby players to want to go to Tokyo.
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If I were the ARU/NZRU I'd be trying to get a few photos of the lads pissing it up in the Village with Swedish handballers/Ukrainian gymnasts/Brazilian volleyballers.
 
Reckon that might do more to attract blokes to Tokyo than anything that happens on the field...

Rancid Schnitzel

It's very disappointing, but if building an awesome 7s teams means weakening the 15s in any way then forget it. 7s is a sideshow and always will be.
 
Interestingly enough my Norwegian wife (who normally doesn't give a shit about rugby despite always checking the results to check my moods - bless her) rather enjoyed the 7s. She felt it was much easier to follow and much more exciting.

Milk

My ineptness at understanding the breakdown is heightened in sevens. I just can't see any consistency between penalties for not releasing the ball, and not releasing the tackled player. I'm assuming it's my eye patch?

RoninWC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="604913" data-time="1470874182">
To whit: <a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=2065">bigscreenwork.jpg</a></blockquote>
 
That looks a familiar building Nick. Is that by chance in Martin Place?

gt12

Interesting point RS, my JP wife is the same - she'll go watch the sevens when it's in town, but good fucking luck getting her to watch a full game of 15s. 
Having said that, I could not give a fuck that we lost. We've been mostly shit all year. I was kind of supporting Fiji anyway (I know, I know). 
I'm so totally over the olympics anyway, with all the fucking ridiculous swimming events, the first week is fucking boring and stupid. 
Phelps has the first two places on the most medals won, and four in the top 20 now (I think) with a bunch of other swimmers (and a few gymnasts from back in the days when specialization wasn't as common). 
There are just too many swimming events. If you're great at 200 meter freestyle you're likely to also be good at 400 meter freestyle. If you're the best butterfly swimmer over 100 metres, it's fucking likely you'll be the best over 200, or at least medal. How many specialist 200 meter butterfly swimmers are there? What's the fucking point of this? And it's all over the program, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 1500 just for freestyle, plus relays, plus 100 & 200 for others plus medleys and medley relays. 
There are too many chances for strong programs to get medals and too many chances for strong swimmers to get medals. I'm totally over it and don't get why sports that would be good there (eg, squash or other smaller sports) can't get in while this over bloated shit is there. 
And don't get me started on tennis, golf, or soccer.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="604942" data-time="1470882873">
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Interesting point RS, my JP wife is the same - she'll go watch the sevens when it's in town, but good fucking luck getting her to watch a full game of 15s. 
Having said that, I could not give a fuck that we lost. We've been mostly shit all year. I was kind of supporting Fiji anyway (I know, I know). 
I'm so totally over the olympics anyway, with all the fucking ridiculous swimming events, the first week is fucking boring and stupid. 
Phelps has the first two places on the most medals won, and four in the top 20 now (I think) with a bunch of other swimmers (and a few gymnasts from back in the days when specialization wasn't as common). 
There are just too many swimming events. If you're great at 200 meter freestyle you're likely to also be good at 400 meter freestyle. If you're the best butterfly swimmer over 100 metres, it's fucking likely you'll be the best over 200, or at least medal. How many specialist 200 meter butterfly swimmers are there? What's the fucking point of this? And it's all over the program, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 1500 just for freestyle, plus relays, plus 100 & 200 for others plus medleys and medley relays. 
There are too many chances for strong programs to get medals and too many chances for strong swimmers to get medals. I'm totally over it and don't get why sports that would be good there (eg, squash or other smaller sports) can't get in while this over bloated shit is there. 
And don't get me started on tennis, golf, or soccer.
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Swimming doesn't keep out squash though. The IOC asks a city to build a swimming pool that can fit heaps of media and fans. You need to have a proper programme because of that. I also don't see why events that someone doesn't would take away from events that people do.

SammyC

I love watching the swimming, have been far more into it than the sevens as an example.
 
but then again I'm a life long swimmer myself, still training with a Masters squad 4-5 times weekly.
 
the camera angles and the commentators are excellent, really great discussion on different techniques etc.
 
 
And yes, there are plenty of swimmers who specialise in 200 fly.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="604921" data-time="1470876370">And the occasional hip n shoulder ;) <a class="bbc_url" href="https://vine.co/v/5bwdt0X3MiD">https://vine.co/v/5bwdt0X3MiD</a></blockquote>
 
Yeah that was a really hard foul give where Bogut landed his shoulder. Ol' Gaze was at his cheerleading best on that play, "that's just a little man running into a big man" [emoji846]

mariner4life

Fuck it, if you're going to foul, you may as well do it properly.

KiwiMurph

Taking a wider view - i'd say mens 7s Olympic debut has been wonderfully successful so far - some real upsets, it is truly competitive. 3 out of the 4 quarterfinals were nail biters, the quarterfinal placings came down to the last play of the last pool game and were decided by 1 for/against margin point.

ACT Crusader

I've watched the 7s and enjoyed it, but the basketball is where my main attention is at. Some of the games have been intense in that Pool B like that Serbia v France, Brazil v Spain and Croatia v Spain. 
Some huge games coming up to with Lithuania yet to play Argentina and Spain. And then the big Sth American game of Brazil v Argies. 
Can't wait for the crossover games also.

JK

Olympic golf starts tonight with the men up first. Should be pretty interesting as its a relatively immature course with not a lot of trees at all an no real rough, just a huge amount of bunkers, lots of water and about 30-40 of the worlds biggest rodents making themselves at home on the course.
 
<img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/f/f/b/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dffdk.png/1470830227196.jpg" alt="1470830227196.jpg">
 
Danny is in the 2nd group so an early start at 7.41am local time (so 10.41 here I think) and playing with Harrington and Manassero so not a bad group.
 
Foxy is off at 10.36am with Cjehka of Germany and Olsesen from Denmark.

Ben

What the fuck is that?

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="604949" data-time="1470883799">
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Fuck it, if you're going to foul, you may as well do it properly. 
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contrary to popular belief basketball is not tiddlywinks

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ben" data-cid="604968" data-time="1470889140">
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What the fuck is that?
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Capybara. Largest rodent in the world. They have them at Auckland zoo, they are about the size of a medium sized pig

The Silver Fern

Olympics Thread