2016-2017 World Sevens Series
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@Stargazer said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@JustAnotherFan Two wrongs doesn't make it right.
The previous one was why they have become stringent on it. NZ 7s need to come back from this season. They are being left behind a bit.
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@JustAnotherFan That's because NZR doesn't give enough priority to sevens. Mismanagement IMO. Also completely stupid to hire a new coach who can only start after the season and appointing an incompetent interim coach.
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@Stargazer said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@JustAnotherFan That's because NZR doesn't give enough priority to sevens. Mismanagement IMO. Also completely stupid to hire a new coach who can only start after the season and appointing an incompetent interim coach.
Please explain where the lack of priority is. If it is player availability then you cannot force a player to play 7s if they prefer to play proper rugby instead. A 7s contract can be offered to prospective players but there is no compulsion on them to accept it.
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Oh well Blitzbokke can only make 8 out of 10 finals this year. Nothing to cry about. Anyway i must find an article on what they are doing different on the professional side to step up.
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@Higgins Centralisation is one major issue, it has been discussed to death last year. Also, indecisiveness on where sevens sits.
Referring to XVs as "proper rugby" like you do (implying that sevens is something inferior), is exactly what's wrong with the attitude towards sevens in NZ. XVs is not more "proper rugby" than sevens. They are two different codes with different required skill sets and should be treated as such like in other countries, including developing specialist 7s players from junior rugby up. Attracting players from other codes (like they've done in the successful women's Going for Gold programme) should also be done; don't just fish in the same pond as XVs.
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Things that Blitzbokke have got right are centralised contracts, 7s academy (which is where the guys are coming from instead of going to XV. The academy team is playing in other tournaments), the 7s are using modern facilities (Stellenbosch Academy of Sport)
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Aus 40 NZ 7s 7. Scary shit.
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It was a shocking game by us. Falling off tackles at will and just gave away possession. Well done to the Aussies though. Put us through the wringer and retained possession well.
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Played like a bunch of amateurs, embarrassing.
The thing which kills my spirit is when you see guys like Booth, Joass, Ormond, etc who if you saw them playing for Japan or Russia or something, you'd think they were a plucky battler. These guys just aren't the calibre of player we're used to seeing in the NZ 7's.
Think Scooter was a bit out of his depth too. The stark contrast is whenever they cut to the halftime huddles and he's there saying basic, generic stuff - "Let's keep our d-line", etc, then they cut to the other huddle and the opposition coach is bringing up detailed observations and tactics from the first half.
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More than half the NZ squad has been gradually introduced this year, on average two new players per tournament, Houston and Samuels this tournament. All due to an incredible number of injuries and several of last year's players leaving (including the Ioane brothers and Kaka). The most talented newbie (Koroi) has been handed over to his Mitre 10 Club side. I guess we couldn't expect much more with an equally inexperienced coach.
Apart from lack of experience, the constant changes in the squad didn't help creating good combinations. The players simply didn't know each other well enough on the field.
Looking forward to next year, with hopefully some positive changes.
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@KiwiMurph said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
That's not the first time NZ have been run down from a big lead this season. Happened multiple times - almost happened in pool play vs Canada.
I wonder why. Fitness? Loss of concentration? Is it an age thing (so many young players)?
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Had no idea the All Blacks 7's team were based at Mt Smart this season..
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When 7s was purely a feeder into 15s we were the best as our 'up and comers' where quite a bit better then most other countries. But now that is no longer the case, and you need specialised 7s players that have to commit all of their time to the game, we don't have that talent available as the best players are focusing on 15s - and fair enough too.
We are a small country, and I'm not convinced we have the depth of players available to make up both the best 7s and 15s teams in the world. And TBH I'm pretty comfortable with our focus on 15s.
One thing we should never have done though is give them the 'All Blacks' name when it was pretty obvious they would never be able to produce the quality of performance associated with that brand long-term.
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Breaking (cause everything is breaking these days): Hamilton to be home of the NZ 7s. Wellington gggooonnnee.
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So Scotland has won the London Sevens. At least the AB7s were stopped from reaching the Cup SF by the tournament winners!
Scotland has been good all year. The signs were already there last year, when they also won the London Sevens.
In the overall standings, South Africa are the Series winners, with England and Fiji finishing second and third. New Zealand ended the season at fourth place without any tournament win.
Japan has dropped out of the core group and Spain will take its place in the 2017/18 Series.
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@No-Quarter said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
When 7s was purely a feeder into 15s we were the best as our 'up and comers' where quite a bit better then most other countries. But now that is no longer the case, and you need specialised 7s players that have to commit all of their time to the game, we don't have that talent available as the best players are focusing on 15s - and fair enough too.
We are a small country, and I'm not convinced we have the depth of players available to make up both the best 7s and 15s teams in the world. And TBH I'm pretty comfortable with our focus on 15s.
I think we probably do, it's just that those who can play 15s appear to do so and the NZR doesn't appear to be providing direction on this.
For example, if you take the three Ta$man players in the Sevens squad - Trael Joass was the Mako$ 4th ranked midfielder last year - behind Havili, Fonotia and Nankivell.
Tone Ng Shui got called in for a while as loose forward cover - I think he even got a few minutes off the bench.
I'd never heard of Knewstubb and to the best of my knowledge he's never been in the 15 a-side frame for the Mako$.
Now 15s and 7s are different games - but, not that different. IMO Sevens is not close to tapping the best players it could, because pretty much anyone who can play Super rugby is choosing it over Sevens - with maybe a handful of exceptions e.g. Stowers.
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