Preview: IRB World Series, Edinburgh
Fri, 28 May 2010 00:14
Sevens fever has well and truly gripped Edinburgh ahead of the final leg of the IRB World Series this weekend, which take place at Murrayfield on Saturday (June 29) and Sunday (June 30).
While the Ned Haig Cup, named after the Borders butcher who invented the abbreviated version of the game, will be on offer to the tournament winners, there is a far important contest being played out.
The Edinburgh tournament will see Samoa and New Zealand battle it out for the overall World Series crown.
Samoa lead the race with 140 points from New Zealand (133). Australia, winners in London last weekend, will hope to hold to third place.
England currently lie in fifth place after dropping out of their home event in the Cup quarterfinal against South Africa and losing the Plate semifinal to New Zealand.
"The World Series is Samoa's to lose," commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith said.
Having extended their buffer over New Zealand from three to seven points it could be just enough as they can now afford to not win the Cup in Edinburgh and can still win the title even if New Zealand do, which automatically creates more pressure on New Zealand.
"It is a wonderful two horse race though and it is great again that is going down to the wire. We have seen dramatic things happen already in the final tournament at Murrayfield with Fiji and New Zealand just a couple of years back and this year will be no different," Starmer-Smith added.
"Samoa have still got the Indian sign over New Zealand; six defeats in a row against Samoa, the only games Gordon Tietjens' side have lost all season, is an extraordinary record and I think Samoa still have the calibre. Despite losing in the semifinal to South Africa in London, it was so close and they are still the side to beat.
"But now after what we've seen you can also say that potentially neither New Zealand nor Samoa will make it to the final and we will then be looking at the minutiae of the event - if they get to the semifinal, the Cup quarterfinal and so on - but I do believe that the overall World Series title is Samoa's to lose."
All Black Sevens captain DJ Forbes will be hoping that he is the man to lift the World Series silverware for a third time at Murrayfield, but is very much aware of the challenge posed by the Samoans.
"They are the competition leaders and they have been beating us all year," he said, adding: "so the pressure will be on them.
"I would like to say we haven't given it our best shot, we haven't played perfect rugby against them and the boys are waiting for that time when we do play the perfect game."
Meanwhile, Australia are on the up and lifted their first Cup title since 2002 in London last weekend. Now the Aussies are tipped as the team to beat.
On his side's new status, Australia coach Michael O'Connor said: "We have probably flown under the radar a bit so we are now the hunted. That is a different situation to be in and it brings extra pressure which isn't necessarily bad, I think it is good for the players."
This weekend, Murrayfield will be consumed in a carnival atmosphere that is so synonymous with international sevens. Not only will sports fans from across the country be donning fancy dress as part of the party-fuelled festivities, but those competing on the field will be looking to bring the national stadium to life through their high-tempo flare-filled rugby.
Portugal coach Pedro Fernandes is one of those looking forward to showcasing the increasing quality of rugby sevens in his country.
"Playing at Twickenham and now at Murrayfield is immense, they are cathedrals of world rugby and we really want to prove ourselves and show that we have a lot of pride and quality in our game."
The home side, Scotland, have had a tough season. But with their return to home soil this weekend and a passionate crowd behind them, coach Stephen Gemmell knows that there is everything to play for.
"This season has been difficult and disappointing, but from our point of view there is no better place to revive it than on home soil at Murrayfield this weekend.
"Australia winning the tournament [in London last weekend] should give all teams hope as it wasn't one of the so-called big hitters that have been around all season."
Lining up against the Scots in Pool D are Fiji, the United States and World Cup champions Wales.
The decision to include rugby sevens in the Olympics from 2016 when the Games roll into Rio, has made a massive impact around the globe. But although the USA have continued to perform on the World Series to date, coach Al Cravelli has had some other issues to deal with in the UK.
"We trained with eight players, they had what the doctors suspects is a flu virus. Of course because we are in Scotland they said that it must have been the English food and not the Scottish food. But in all seriousness we have lost our entire forward pack, but we should have three back."
World champions Wales, have acknowledged the difficulty of their Pool opponents, but just as Scotland are preparing for success this weekend, the Welsh know that anyone in the tournament has the opportunity for success.
Coach Paul John commented: "The pool is dangerous in many ways. We have got our first game against America, traditionally very difficult games against one another. Fiji can beat anybody and then we have Scotland in Scotland in the last game of the day.
"The group can go anywhere, but we have a chance."
On Day One each side goes head-to-head in the pools with the teams' pool position at the end of the day (Saturday) determining which competition they progress to on Day Two (Sunday).
First and second place go into the Cup, third to the Bowl and fourth to the Shield (beaten Cup quarterfinalists form the second-tier Plate competition).
Pool A:
(Samoa, Argentina, Kenya, France)
Series leaders Samoa will fancy their chances of topping this group while keeping a close eye on the progress of series rivals New Zealand in the neighbouring pool. The tournament's opening match between Samoa and the lightning quick Kenya (buoyed by their London Sevens Shield win) will undoubtedly be a cracker.
Pool B:
(New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Italy)
Second in the Series, New Zealand, will first and foremost want to top this group though series holders and London Sevens runners-up South Africa are unlikely to make that an easy task. If Samoa and New Zealand both top their respective tables they would be kept apart until the final (should they reach it) where runner-up points would be enough for Samoa to win the Series - though they could of course meet in the quarterfinal if one finishes top and the other second. Look out for the increasingly impressive and incredibly physical Russians.
Pool C:
(Australia, England, Canada, Portugal)
Pool C is a group packed with talent. The London Sevens cup winning Aussies were electric at Twickenham and would gladly run that form into and through "the Poms" for the second successive week. By their own high standards London was a disappointing tournament for England who exited the competition without a day-two win. They will look to redress their form in Edinburgh but will have their hands full in a pool that also features London Sevens Bowl winners and Bowl runners-up, Canada and Portugal.
Pool D:
(USA, Fiji, Wales, Scotland)
Currently placed third in the Series, defending Edinburgh Sevens champions Fiji provide a fantastic start to Scotland Sevens' Pool D action on Saturday as the hosts bid to continue their run of consecutive successes on British soil over the south-sea islanders - having beaten them 19-14 at Murrayfield in 2008, and 12-7 in London in 2009. In a very tough group, Scotland will then face the USA (London Sevens Bowl semi-finalists), before finishing day one against Wales (London Sevens Plate semifinalists).
Day One schedule:
(Kick-offs are local time - GMT + one hour)
Match 1: Samoa v Kenya, 09.35
Match 2: Argentina v France, 09.57
Match 3: New Zealand v Russia, 10.19
Match 4: South Africa v Italy, 10.41
Match 5: Australia v Canada, 11.03
Match 6: England v Portugal, 11.25
Match 7: United States v Wales, 11.47
Match 8: Fiji v Scotland, 12.09
Match 9: Samoa v France, 13.01
Match 10: Argentina v Kenya, 13.23
Match 11: New Zealand v Italy, 13.45
Match 12: South Africa v Russia, 14.07
Match 13: Australia v Portugal, 14.29
Match 14: England v Canada, 14.51
Match 15: United States v Scotland, 15.13
Match 16: Fiji v Wales,
15.35
Match 17: Kenya v France, 15.57
Match 18: Russia v Italy, 16.19
Match 19: Canada v Portugal, 16.41
Match 20: Samoa v Argentina, 17.13
Match 21: New Zealand v South Africa, 17.35
Match 22: United States v Fiji, 17.57
Match 23: Australia v England, 18.19
Match 24: Wales v Scotland, 18.41
With thanks to the SRU & IRB
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