IRB Sevens 2012

[Nusadan]

Aussie Girls went down 12-10 to bloody england. Looked like a high tackle at the end there by England with us on the attack right near the goal line but our girls had plenty of chances.

Saw that too, I was screaming at the tv to tell the girls to kick for a penalty in front of the post, not once but twice they knocked the opportunity back in the last min or two...and then the bloody ref misses the head high tackle and the illegal hand on the ball by the English...

But, it was great to see the Canadians walloping the English, and are well deserved winners...they also beat the Aussies in the pool. Enjoyed watching the women's games, and I cannot remember not feeling bored at all watching a 7's tournament, all the games were engrossing...esp those of the Argies!

 

[spectator]

Australia beating NZ was an epic result, that happens very rarely. From the bits I saw Con Foley and Lewis Holland were quite impressive, and the young bloke McMahon, showed a lot of motor for a forward, with one cover defending tackle on the weekend.

This form of the game is an excellent pathway for a number of the guys who will transition to the 15 a side game.

 

[RugbyReg]

I said it on twitter, and I know NZL were down on their game, but that defensive effort was one of the best I have seen from an Australian Rugby side in a long time.

I thought Lewis Holland was excellent. Provided the spark I think we missed at the Gold Coast.

 

[Badger]

It was cringe worthy to hear the Australian team referred to as the "Lime Greens" and Thunderbolts in the commentary.

BTW, is it just a coincidence that there is a team in the cricket T20 Big Bash League called Thunder and also wear lime green?

 

[spectator]

Agree on "Lime Greens" as being ordinary, but what is wrong with "Thunderbolts" in a comp that is all about excitement, flashiness and instant gratification?

By the way, and I've said it before, the uniforms really aren't that bad.

 

[PaarlBok]

This week it moves to PE for the first time in SA. Previously the event was in George and pretty sure it will be huge for the Port Elizabeth area and in the Nelson Mandela Stadium

Pools for the Port Elizabeth leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series:

Pool A:
England, Argentina, USA, Samoa

Pool B:
France, NZ, Scotland, Morocco

Pool C:
South Africa, Australia, Canada, Kenya

Pool D:
Fiji, Wales, Portugal, Zimbabwe

 

[What2040]

Holland the best talent by far running around in the sevens

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah he is. I mentioned after the Gold Coast gig he was a keeper. He seems to have that gift for Sevens that other players don't have, yet they are good in the 15 man game.

Not bad for someone who was at school last year - and the Oz Schools fullback.

Ed Jenkins is looking good to as the leading hand of the team and not doing too badly as a forward type 7s player (for a winger).

 

[wamberal]

The ARU is clearly attempting to brand the Australian Sevens team. Obviously the Sevens strip has to be different - but Lime Green still retains an Australian link. "Thunderbolts" is a great name, it plays off the bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt.


Well done the ARU. When you use some imagination, you get criticised. When you don't, you still get criticised.


We are becoming a nation of whingers.

 

[p.Tah]

Hopefully not old news but Beth Coaltar (IRB tournament manager) confirmed that the 2012/2013 IRB sevens series will grow from 9 tournaments to 10 and played as 5 pairs of 2. For example the English and Scottish tournaments would be played on consecutive weekends (i.e. a pair). We know that the Edinburgh leg is moving to Glasgow and the tournament will start on the Gold Coast in October 2012, finishing in London in May 2013. So where will the new 10th leg be held?
Prediction for pairs:
Gold Coast & Wellington (Means the NZ leg moves from Feb to October?)
Dubai & Port Elizabeth (SA)
Hong Kong & Tokyo
Las Vegas & ???
Glasgow and London.
To pair up with US you'd hazard a guess the 10th tournament will be in South America. Argentina or Brazil?

 

[Lee Grant]

Welcome aboard p.Tah

Not to the point of your post, not that we bother too much about that, but I hope that the ARU have a cogent strategy to prepare for the 2016 Olympics. One can't expect that any of the current players will be playing for a gold medal then, but the staging for the Olympics can be put in place.

I'm guessing that the real assault on the Olympics will start in the 2014 season. What we should be doing now is to prepare as though the Olympics are in 2013; then next year prepare for year 2014, and so on. By 2014 we will have a good idea how a multi-year Sevens plan works. If we want to use a few blow-ins from the Wallabies like the JOC (James O'Connor) of the day, that has to be factored into the plan in good time also.

Around 2014 Oz should have about 6 Sevens players on full contracts comparable to what the Super guys get. That level should be maintained thereafter so that about half the squad at any tournament have skills tailor made for the Sevens discipline of rugby. The cream of the other lads could succeed them in those contracts; so that eventually a different path to a rugby career can be laid down for players whose skills are best suited to the short game.

 

[p.Tah]

Thanks Lee. Long time reader, finally got off my backside and registered.

I agree with everything you said. There are several things I believe have held the ARU from doing this to date. Firstly money (TV rights and sponsorship is with the 15s game), secondly the Super rugby sides wanting all the best players and there is a slight fear that sevens will cause another 'schism' in the game. If handled properly with centrally contracted players, 15s and 7s can work well. Similar to what Cricket Australia does (Tests, One dayers, and T20). The issue may arise in the super franchises become privatised and the players have no affiliation with ARU. There may be a bit of a tug-o-war for players. With our talent pool this is the last thing rugby needs in Australia (a 5th football code!) As the system stands its well set up for 15s and 7s to work together.

I didn't use to like 7s, but I find it completely addictive now. I have become a bit evangelical and roped a few mates into watch the 7s series. They can't stop watching it now. I still love the 15s and always will.

 

[Badger]

The ARU is clearly attempting to brand the Australian Sevens team. Obviously the Sevens strip has to be different - but Lime Green still retains an Australian link. "Thunderbolts" is a great name, it plays off the bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt.

Well done the ARU. When you use some imagination, you get criticised. When you don't, you still get criticised.

We are becoming a nation of whingers.

RE: link between the bushranger and the Thunderbolts. Has the ARU made particular reference to this or is it a connection you made? Also, what is the Australian link in lime green other being a shade of green?

If you have a source/link which can give an insight into how the ARU came up with the colours and name, it would be appreciated.

Agree on "Lime Greens" as being ordinary, but what is wrong with "Thunderbolts" in a comp that is all about excitement, flashiness and instant gratification?

By the way, and I've said it before, the uniforms really aren't that bad.

When did the re-naming of the mens Australian Sevens team occur...can't find anything from the ARU about it. It seems to have just happened.

 

[RugbyReg]

Thunderbolts has been around for a while.

I suspect the lime green is purely merchandising. Apparently that orange English 7s jersey out-sold the traditional white jersey last year and the ARU have taken notice.

Won't see me in lime green though. I'll look like Slimer from Ghostbusters.

 

[Swat]

With sevens in the olympics could we pick players from the wallabies? I reckon someone like JOC (James O'Connor) would kill it in sevens...

 

[wamberal]

RE: link between the bushranger and the Thunderbolts. Has the ARU made particular reference to this or is it a connection you made? Also, what is the Australian link in lime green other being a shade of green?

Sorry, I am just assuming that the Captain Thunderbolt connection is part of the plan. As for the lime green, yes it is just a shade of green, but I assume that it is a result of mixing green and gold/yellow tints, it certainly looks like it to a layman like me.

It is certainly no worse than the garish yellow we see on some Australian sporting teams.

 

[wamberal]

With sevens in the olympics could we pick players from the wallabies? I reckon someone like JOC (James O'Connor) would kill it in sevens...

Yes, I am pretty sure we could. However, the game of Sevens is now becoming so specialised that there is no guarantee that an outside player with no experience (with either the particular squad of players or the Sevens game generally) would be a net benefit to the team. Secondly, how can we attract the best young players to the Sevens programme if they know that one or more of them will just be dropped for the Olympics in favour of a millionaire fifteens star or two? Would not be too good for the morale of the whole squad, I would have thought.

 

[p.Tah]

With sevens in the olympics could we pick players from the wallabies? I reckon someone like JOC (James O'Connor) would kill it in sevens...

Imagine a 7s side with
Genia, Cooper, Beale, JOC (James O'Connor), Pocock, Higginbotham and Mitchell (playing in the scrum)

Cooper would need to improve his one on one defense.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Imagine a 7s side with
Genia, Cooper, Beale, JOC (James O'Connor), Pocock, Higginbotham and Mitchell (playing in the scrum)

Cooper would need to improve his one on one defense.

Digby would be the first player I'd pick

 

[spectator]

If you are talking tried and tested Sevens players then Richard Kingi and Luke Morahan would have to be strong considerations. As with JOC (James O'Connor), they really impressed when they got a run in 7's.