HSBC 7's ROUND 6 - VANCOUVER

[Tahspark]

Staunch effort from the Aussies, clawing back a 12-0 deficit against the Scottish to do their best work in the 2nd half to claim the QF 24-17.

Congrats to the team and to new coach Andy Friend, making our third consecutive Cup semi. Dream match-ups in the Cup semis: Fiji v South Africa and NZ v Oz.

 

[Highlander35]

Bastard. Ah well. We got the win that mattered overnight.

 

[Omar Comin']

In the space of a week Kenya go from beating New Zealand 22-0 to losing to Russia 24-7. Crazy!

 

[saulityvi]

Canada looking strong against England, leading 0-7, with most of first half played

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Shield SF:

Russia 24-7 Kenya: what @Omar said.
Portugal 17-7 Brazil

Bowl SF:

France 19-17 Argentina
Canada 17-7 England, locals understandably going off in the stands.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Wales down to nine players, gonna do it tough v USA.

Yup, HT USA 26-0, Wales one chance but final transfer was forward.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Heard during commentary yesterday that Carlin Isles is at the US trials for the World Indoor Championships, anyone know how he's going? And if he also intends trying to make the US track team for Rio?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

HT entertainment Vancouver-styles: woman trying to win Air NZ tickets by passing three (?) balls through one of nine holes. Poor gal got Rotorua, only needed a tad more dominant right hand & she'd have bagged Queenstown.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Wales on the board but look shattered, USA rotating their subs & looks like they're keeping Baker on ice for the Final.

FT USA 38-12 Wales.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Samoa 24-17 Scotland.

Sethfricka v Fiji is GO!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Don't ya hate it when your work gets in the way of your rugby? Watching this til HT but then I've gotta make tracks & keep up via flashscores.

 

[galumay]

Go Aussies! Should be a cracker of a SF.

 

[galumay]

Great start by our nemisis, up 14-0 quickly, but we rebounded well to make it 14-12 at oranges

 

[galumay]

Losing this one in the breakdown, they are more hungry and stronger.

 

[USARugger]

Heard during commentary yesterday that Carlin Isles is at the US trials for the World Indoor Championships, anyone know how he's going? And if he also intends trying to make the US track team for Rio?

5th place in the 60m, he's not going anywhere with the track and field team.

 

[I like to watch]

Australia 24-17 Scotland, first time Straya have made three consecutive SF since 2003.

Who would be a coach?
Take a mediocre side that no one cares about,improve them to to the level where people are supporting/ paying attention.
Then sit back and hear all the things you are doing wrong!
First time for over a decade is a significant improvement.

 

[Braveheart81]

Our depth this weekend has been our main issue.

I think Cooper hasn't had the impact he did last weekend. He will really need to improve in the last couple of tournaments he plays (assuming he does play) to have any chance of going to Rio.

I think Allan Fa'alava'au is playing really well and has the versatility to play hooker or playmaker which is an added bonus. He has really improved his physicality and is busting plenty of tackles. I'd lock him into our top 12 now.

Con Foley had a strong tournament and would be unlucky to miss out on the Olympics. He'll be on the bubble though.

From this 12, lock in Allan F, Lewis Holland, Sam Myers, Henry Hutchison. I don't think Chucky Stannard was as good as he can be but he'll make it on experience and consistency.

I think Tom Kingston has really improved in his last two tournaments and will start to come into the frame. He'll probably miss out though.

I don't think Boyd Killingworth was quite as good this weekend as he has been but he's a decent chance for Rio.

Van der Walt, Porch, and Mitchell from this squad have no chance.

 

[Parse]

I think the main fault is the replacements, or rather lack of replacements. I don't remember hardly any replacements in the last couple of matches except Cooper in the last couple of minutes against NZ. I think there was maybe one other replacement also. The guys look tired and NZ just strolled past them to the try line.

 

[I like to watch]

Con Foley had a strong tournament and would be unlucky to miss out on the Olympics. He'll be on the bubble though.

I think Tom Kingston has really improved in his last two tournaments and will start to come into the frame. He'll probably miss out though.

I don't think Boyd Killingworth was quite as good this weekend as he has been but he's a decent chance for Rio.

Van der Walt, Porch, and Mitchell from this squad have no chance.

He picks Foley & Kingston to start in every game he thinks is important.
For either of them not to be picked would be highly contradictory.
Pretty sure in the last semi they both played the entire game.

 

[Braveheart81]

He picks Foley & Kingston to start in every game he thinks is important.
For either of them not to be picked would be highly contradictory.
Pretty sure in the last semi they both played the entire game.

We haven't really seen the full strength side picked for a tournament yet though.

Pama Fou has been out injured for ages (his inclusion will depend on his return and the form of others). Prior to us improving you'd have picked him as soon as he was fit even if he was really short on match practice.

Tom Cusack got injured in Sydney and has been out since then. You'd think he's probably in our best 12.

Sydney was the closest to our best 12:

Sam Myers, Tom Cusack, Ed Jenkins (c), Con Foley, Allan Faalavaau, Tom Kingston, Lewis Holland, James Stannard, Cam Clark, Greg Jeloudev, Henry Hutchison, Henry Speight


From that squad, you'd maybe just slot Pama Fou in for Henry Speight.

Boyd Killingworth would probably be the next forward in contention. Pat McCutcheon was good in Las Vegas but he has been plagued with injury and getting injured in your first tournament is hardly encouraging.