Rugby 7s general chat

[Omar Comin']

There's next to no chance of USA losing to Canada if you've been following both their trends this year..

In case you didn't know these are USA's results from last tournament.

38-12 bt. Wales
33-5 bt. Kenya
21-14 bt. Fiji
26-19 bt. Scotland

Only lost to SA and NZ.

I also very much doubt whether these continent qualifications will be one-off matches and not a series.

If you think there is next to no chance then I'd guess you don't watch much sevens and haven't followed it for very long.

If this year's series has taught us anything it's that results can swing very quickly! And there's only been 3 tournaments. One win over Fiji doesn't mean much in the greater scheme of things. Both Canada and the US have had big wins in the past.

Canada, with a very similar squad, finished well above the USA in last year's series (6th compared to 13th). They've started slowly this year but were on the improve in this recent tournament in South Africa - they had a couple of good wins against Scotland and Wales. Only a tight loss to France (after blowing a huge lead) kept them out of the quarter finals, but they went onto win the Bowl comfortably.

As for the regional qualifiers, who knows. My guess is they'll be tournaments with say 8 teams or so, and the final will be one game with 10 minute halves. That's how Sevens is in all tournaments so I doubt it will be different. The Gold medal will surely be decided by one match too.

 

[RugbyReg]

Brad Wilkin has signed a 7s contract for the Aussies. An excellent player. Will suit Geraint's style very well.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's about time the 7s team filled their big ginger quota.

He's the perfect player to counteract England's James Rodwell. Meeting fire with fire.

 

[qwerty51]

He sounds like a bruiser? I think we need more pace, we're doing fine in the physicality department but we need some guys who are skilful flyers.

 

[wamberal]

He sounds like a bruiser? I think we need more pace, we're doing fine in the physicality department but we need some guys who are skilful flyers.

We are breaking even in physicality with most teams, usually, although I always worry about the Saffers and the Dodgers.


However, look around, we do not seem to produce absolute flyers.

To win we need an edge, if it doesn't come from sheer speed, then it will have to come partly from physicality and cleverness.

 

[Nusadan]

It's a shame we men can't steal sprinters from athletics or surf lifesaving like the Oz women have done and gotten away with it with spectacular results!

 

[Marcelo]

It's a shame we men can't steal sprinters from athletics or surf lifesaving like the Oz women have done and gotten away with it with spectacular results!

Wait, we can steal NRL players. After the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro, I hope it to have positive repercussions in Aussie athletes.

If Sevens is a success at the Olympics, even AFL players may be interested. The Olympics Games have great exposure and earn a gold medal is the dream of every athlete. For NRL & AFL players would be a realistic way to participate in the Olympics Games and win a medal for his country, especially NRL players. They have everything to shine in Sevens.

Ideally, this occurs before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but that is impossible. Let's look at the positive side, it could happen for the 2020 Olympic Games

 

[wamberal]

All this talk about the attractiveness of earning medals amuses me, frankly.

If a young athlete wanted to win a medal, he or she should join the hockey programme.

 

[Strewthcobber]

All this talk about the attractiveness of earning medals amuses me, frankly.

If a young athlete wanted to win a medal, he or she should join the hockey programme.

You are being far too cynical Wamberal.

The Olympic experience shows the least we can expect is the meteoric rise of spectators and players in handball, water polo, volleyball or basketball,

 

[qwerty51]

All this talk about the attractiveness of earning medals amuses me, frankly.

If a young athlete wanted to win a medal, he or she should join the hockey programme.

What if they wanted to earn an income too?

 

[TOCC]

Rugby 7's is unique in comparison to other Olympic events in that it offers an environment where the athletes can earn a professional wage throughout the year and not just one based on endorsements.

In swimming, athletics etc only the top few athletes will earn a good income on the back of endorsements, the rest will live off AOC grants and take second jobs.

From what I understand Rugby 7's wages in Australia now earn a respectable salary, in part due AOC Funding but increasingly due the IRB 7's tournament.


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[wamberal]

What if they wanted to earn an income too?

Income or a medal? I'd take the income, in which case why worry about medals at all?


Our Sevens players can earn a (very modest) income, for sure, but they are not exactly hot favourites to win a gold medal.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Reading about this young 16 year old Tasmanian kid. His fastest legal time is a 10.41 over the 100m. He ran a 10.14 with a tailwind at the School Nationals. While he's be to young for 2016 perhaps the ARU should to try and recruit him for 2020.

 

[Lee Grant]

Brett Stapleton was the same age when he ran 10.27 for 100 metres. Played for Oz Schools and Oz 7s later - and the ARC - was also in Super squads.

But he wasn't a good enough rugby player. To my eye he lost his sprinter's speed and my theory was it because he bulked up to play rugby.
.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Brett Stapleton was the same age when he ran 10.27 for 100 metres. Played for Oz Schools and Oz 7s later - and the ARC - was also in Super squads.

But he wasn't a good enough rugby player. To my eye he lost his sprinter's speed and my theory was it because he bulked up to play rugby.
.

This kid holds the U18 and Aus Schools records. So he's apparently quicker. I don't see him ever playing 15s. He wouldn't need to bulk up too much.

 

[Lee Grant]

He was in the ARC and didn't set the world on fire, but was OK in the games I saw.

He was bloody fast for Oz Schools in 2005 but he seemed to lose a step or two after he left school and I supposed it was because of training for rugby.

For example he didn't look sprinter fast when he played for Oz Sevens.
.

 

[Bobby Sands]

He also lacked a proper training ethic, even when he was sprinting those remarkable times.

 

[wamberal]

Brett Stapleton was the same age when he ran 10.27 for 100 metres. Played for Oz Schools and Oz 7s later - and the ARC - was also in Super squads.

But he wasn't a good enough rugby player. To my eye he lost his sprinter's speed and my theory was it because he bulked up to play rugby.
.

I am no expert, probably the world's slowest player in my day. However, my pet theory about speed is that some athletes are able to convert their track speed more effectively to the playing field than others.

So one athlete can star on the track, but not on the rugby pitch, and vice versa. Talking about sheer pace, not other aspects of the game.

To go further, some athletes are hampered more when they carry the ball than others.

If you are old enough you might remember Billy Feggans, who played for Eastwood, he had been a GPS sprint champion, I believe, and he was blindingly quick on the rugby field, wihout the ball. Not so quick when he ran with it.

 

[RugbyReg]

He was in the ARC and didn't set the world on fire, but was OK in the games I saw.

He was bloody fast for Oz Schools in 2005 but he seemed to lose a step or two after he left school and I supposed it was because of training for rugby.

For example he didn't look sprinter fast when he played for Oz Sevens.
.

Shees, I saw him score three fantastic tries for the Oz Schoolboys against Samoa (I think) in a team that also had Beale, Turner, Pococok and Daley (I think).

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah they were all in the team that year. I saw them in Sydney, v. Japan - that was the game in which the Japanese were sidestepping Pocock instead of tackling him because they were scared of him.

Quade Cooper and Pat McCabe were in the reserves.

I also saw them v. NZ in Canberra. The Kiwis had some players who turned out OK - Sam Whitelock and Owen Franks.

WorkingClassRugger is right about his being big enough - he was a 90kgs winger at school.

Strange that his pace dropped. Rod Davies was fast for Oz Schools but kept the speed as a pro player.
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