Preview: IRB Sevens, Las Vegas
Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:47
The Las Vegas spotlight may be on series leaders New Zealand, as they try to hold off the fast chasing Fijian team, but there will be lots of other drama as the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series enters Round Four.
The United States Sevens is the largest Rugby Union event in North America - featuring 16 nations, competing in 44 matches over two days at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Showcasing the best players in the world, the US Sevens features national teams from: the hosts, US, New Zealand, France, Australia, England, South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Samoa, Fiji, Argentina, Japan, Canada, Chile, Kenya, and Guyana
The weekend event - Saturday and Sunday - captures international attention with its exciting brand of play in front of passionate fans.
The big question, of course, is: 'Are Fiji once again the team to beat in World Sevens?'
Iliesa Tanivula's men saw off all the big guns in Wellington last weekend, all except New Zealand that is.
In pool play they breezed past eventual Plate winners Australia. In the Cup quarters they got the better of World Series champions South Africa for the third time, in the semis they ended England's Westpac title defence and in the Final they had too much in the can for island rivals, Samoa.
Tanivula and his Fiji side will certainly have arrived in Las Vegas brimming with confidence, and are now just four points adrift of leaders New Zealand in the IRB Sevens World Series.
Among those watching the tapes of the Fijians intently this week will be US Eagles coach Al Caravelli. Caravelli is a student of the game and would watch them anyway, but he also faces the challenge of preparing his young side for the daunting task of taking on the islanders on as early as day one at the USA Sevens.
Prior to the Wellington event at the weekend, the Eagles played in the Suva Rugby Festival and staged a camp in Fiji where they played several practice matches against them, but now all that practice will be put to the test.
"Fiji was phenomenal, we worked very hard there in very hot weather and high humidity and we believe that it can be a foundation for the rest of the Series," said Caravelli.
So how to beat Fiji? A cursory glance at the statistics from Wellington suggest that they are strong in both attack and defence.
On attack Fiji scored the most tries in the competition, crossing the whitewash 29 times in their six games, six more than closest challengers and runners-up Samoa.
However, it is in the 'tries conceded' column, defence, that Tanivula's men really proved their title credentials. The Fijians let their opponents score just eight times over the two days, almost half the number that the runners-up Samoa conceded (14).
In fact, only Gordon Tietjens' NZ side was close with nine tries against, and they played one less match.
As Tietjens has always said, it is defence that wins you games in Sevens and Fiji's players left nothing out on the Westpac pitch. They gave their all.
Another interesting quirk of the draw in Vegas is that three of the Wellington Cup quarterfinals will be replayed on day one at the Sam Boyd Stadium.
New Zealand face Australia again, Kenya have an immediate chance to exact revenge against Samoa, who beat them by just two points to reach the semifinals, and the Fijians will play the South Africans - for the fourth time in four events this season.
In terms of outstanding individuals, Fiji's new sprinter Osea Kolinisau joint top scored with Samoan Mikaele Pesamino on seven tries apiece, but in truth the Fijians possessed danger all over the park. Forward Seremaia Burotu scored six times, William Ryder five and unknown flyer Waisale Beci four in his very first outing.
The Fijians also dealt best with the timeless Uale Mai. Samoa coach Stephen Betham kept his word and started with Mai on the bench, but as the tournament progressed the little scrumhalf's influence and game time increased - and with it Samoa's quality.
In a three-minute spell in the Cup semifinal against the hosts, Mai was irresistible. In tricky windy conditions he took hold of the game, scoring two tries and creating another for his captain Lolo Lui, and putting the match and the title beyond Tietjens' side. Even he, though, had no answer to Fiji in the final.
Other stars to watch in Vegas will be Australian greyhound Clinton Sills, Kenya's danger man Collins Injera - back near his best - South Africa's latest find Cecil Afrika and any number of young English flyers outside the enduring Ben Gollings.
Vegas the entertainment capital beware: You're in for quite a party this weekend and one that poses some mighty questions of your own US Eagles as early as day one.
South Africa are finding their feet again, United States' arch rivals Canada were Wellington's surprise package.
While the Springbok Sevens have found the going tough this season, losing to nemesis Fiji in the quarterfinal of each of the previous three Series tournaments in Dubai, George and Wellington - and then going down to Australian in successive Plate finals.
On Saturday the two teams will meet ironically much earlier in the tournament, when they square up against each other in a mouth watering Pool B match. This encounter might well decide the winner of a pool that also includes the fast-improving hosts, the US, and a Canadian team keen to show that their appearance in the last eight in Wellington was no stroke of luck.
Australian Sevens captain Patrick McCutcheon says after two IRB Plate Final victories his youthful side is determined to improve and achieve a Cup semi-finals berth at the Las Vegas Sevens this weekend.
After tournaments in Dubai, South Africa and Wellington; Australia are fifth on the Series standings with 30 points. Australia has been drawn in Pool A in Las Vegas and will take on Guyana, France and fierce rivals New Zealand.
McCutcheon said the Australians are proud of their two Plate trophies, but are eager to improve on their series best result of fifth.
A few seasons ago Kenya travelled to tournaments as Sevens giant-killers. They arrive in Las Vegas as Sevens giants.
Las Vegas pools:
Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, France, Guyana
Pool B: Fiji, South Africa, United States, Canada
Pool C: Samoa, Kenya, Scotland, Chile
Pool D: England, Argentina, Wales, Japan
Day One schedule:
(Kick-off is local time - GMT - eight hours)
Match 1: New Zealand v France, 11.00
Match 2: Australia v Guyana, 11.22
Match 3: Fiji v United States, 11.44
Match 4: South Africa v Canada, 12.06
Match 5: Samoa v Scotland, 12.28
Match 6: Kenya v Chile, 12.50
Match 7: England v Wales, 13.12
Match 8: Argentina v Japan, 13.34
Match 9: New Zealand v Guyana, 14.06
Match 10: Australia v France, 14.28
Match 11: Fiji v Canada, 14.50
Match 12: South Africa v United States, 15.12
Match 13: Samoa v Chile, 15.34
Match 14: Kenya v Scotland, 15.56
Match 15: England v Japan, 16.18
Match 16: Argentina v Wales, 16.40
Match 17: France v Guyana, 17.24
Match 18: United States v Canada, 17.46
Match 19: Scotland v Chile, 18.08
Match 20: Wales v Japan, 18.30
Match 21: New Zealand v Australia, 18.52
Match 22: Fiji v South Africa, 19.14
Match 23: Samoa v Kenya, 19.36
With thanks to the IRB
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