HSBC Tokyo 7's - Easter 2015

[Dismal Pillock]

Of course if Dismal Pillock has his way the farewell will probably be more like this:

ha, more like this mate:

NZ Sevens player, still in Tokyo, plastic
surgery barely even finished, rocks up for
first post-loss potential job appointment.

__________________________

**Attention all NZRFU employees**

Graham here.

Now then.

It has come to my attention that some of you have been playing silly buggers over there in Tokyo. I am not going to name names. You know who you are.

With that in mind, the following is the NZ Sevens squad contractually obligated to report for duty for the next tournament:

C.Piutau
F.Halai.
L.Visinia
T.Li
J.Webber
T.Mikkelson
Whatever other 4 buggers Titch hasnt yet murdered..


Good-o.

ps, would the deceased ex-squad members please return their tracksuits to me. On Waiheke Island. By sundown. Thanks.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The Boyos go ahead in the Bowl SF against the Men in Gold.

WAL 12 - AUS 5 with 4 minutes to go.

Soap Dodger lead in World Series looks like being stretched.

Tom Lucas responds in kind after great line break by Ed Jenkins.

WAL 12 AUS 12 with 2:00 to go.

Clarkies Boy gets some meat to hopefully seal the game for the Good Guys with not much time left.
AUS 17 WAL 12 as the hooter goes on the kickoff.

Promising attack from WAL comes to nothing after a poor pass didn't go to hand. Brad Wilkin kicks the ball dead for AUS to progress to the Bowl Final, and potential 8 Series points.

AUS 17 WAL 12.

Bowl Final will be Us against winner of USA v SAM.

 

[wamberal]

You little ripper. Go the Thunderbolts!!

 

[Nusadan]

Shannon Walker redeems himself (at least in part) after yesterday's debacle with a splendid run from kick off return, dragging a Welsh player with him for about 30m before that second try by Aussies.

 

[Nusadan]

Even the vid ref gets into the act, ruling incorrectly a try being valid despite the NZ 'try scorer' putting is foot on the dead ball line just before putting the ball down! Or is the dead ball line part of the in goal area?

 

[qwerty51]

The Australian referee, Rasta.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Ding Dong battle between SAF and FIJ in SF.

Last thing we need is for these two heavyweights to tire themselves out and grant the final to ENG who should be fresh from a cruise against Canada. Soap Dodgers get 22 points, we get 8. They will take a lead of 8 in the overall series table with only two tournaments left.

Edit: FIJ 5 SAF 7

SAF into Cup Final against ENG v CAN winner.
FIJ into Bronze medal playoff match.

 

[Quick Hands]

Canada dominate 1st half but a late try to England. 7-0 at h/t

 

[Nusadan]

England should have received another yc for repeated infringements whilst their captain was in the sin bin, was doing it for time wasting purposes!

 

[Quick Hands]

England 14-0 with a minute to go. Late try 14-5. England will have to kick off but it's game over. This can't be doing our Rio qualification hopes much good.

Poms play just as cynically in 7s as they do in 15s.

Go South Africa.

 

[Quick Hands]

England should have received another yc for repeated infringements whilst their captain was in the sin bin, was doing it for time wasting purposes!

Although the original card was dubious to say the least.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Shield Final Argentina v Portugal
Bowl Final Australia v USA
Plate Final NZ v Scotland (when did NZ last make a Plate Final?)
Cup 3rd/ 4th Fiji v Canada
Cup Final SA v England - not sure who I least want to win. OK, ABE it is

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

This can't be doing our Rio qualification hopes much good.

You took a 6 point lead over England for 4th place in the Series into the tournament & will get 8 points if you win the Bowl, 7 if runner-up; England will get 22 if they win the Cup, 19 if runner-up. The best you can hope for, then, is to take a 5 point deficit into the Edinburgh leg.

Regardless of what happens in the remaining matches, SA will retain top spot, Fiji 2nd & NZ 3rd but England will take a fair chunk out of the gap that previously separated 3rd from 4th.

The good news for you is that even if you can't reagin 4th you'll surely qualify via the Pacific regional playoff or at worst the "Lucky Last" repecharge.

 

[Quick Hands]

You took a 6 point lead over England for 4th place in the Series into the tournament & will get 8 points if you win the Bowl, 7 if runner-up; England will get 22 if they win the Cup, 19 if runner-up. The best you can hope for, then, is to take a 5 point deficit into the Edinburgh leg.

Regardless of what happens in the remaining matches, SA will retain top spot, Fiji 2nd & NZ 3rd but England will take a fair chunk out of the gap that previously separated 3rd from 4th.

The good news for you is that even if you can't reagin 4th you'll surely qualify via the Pacific regional playoff or at worst the "Lucky Last" repecharge.

That's true, the problem I see is that we're playing to qualify with a style of play which won't trouble that big 3 at Rio.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ agreed, you don't really have a playmaker - hence, you'd hope, Foley going to Japan but being back in Oz in time to make the squad for Rio. You also don't have a really quick guy, not sure how you solve that particular issue as most of the 15's guys whose names get tossed around are pretty much more of what you've already got and/ or haven't played much 7's (or any in the case of Folau).

Other than Foley, Hooper & Cooper (& Folau if he can be gotten up to speed quickly enough) I just don't see who from your current 15's stock is gonna provide the necessary difference.

Meanwhile, Portugal 12-7 Argentina.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

HT in the Bowl Final, Australia 12-5 USA who have a man in the bin.

USA try, should be 12-12 & is.

 

[Highlander35]

Is Glasgow 7s boys.

Tough 2nd pot. We'll top up, and the Kiwis are the Kiwis.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^ sorry, for some reason I thought they'd moved it this year.

USA giving this a red hot go, 12-12 & Oz have the ball on their goal line so extra time looks likely. Penalty Oz, they kick it out & take the extra time rather than trying to go 95m.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Thanks to US player Test hogging the ball & refusing to go wide we get another opportunity in extra time.

But the US take it out with Perry going over in the corner. Probably fair too. I think their form was better than ours.

 

[Nusadan]

The USA getting a try during the game whilst down a man and Aust not capitalising on having an extra has proved decisive.