New Zealand come up against International Rugby Board (IRB) sevens champions South Africa on the opening night of the Wellington tournament starting tomorrow. A tournament that has NZ coach Gordon Tietjens on edge but also looking to his team to make it three tournament wins a row.
NZ won the series’ two opening tournaments in Dubai and George in early December but Tietjens knows only too well how quickly the landscape can change. “All the teams will bounce back but I think particularly South Africa,” Tietjens said. “They were very disappointed with their performances, especially after being so consistent last year and winning the title. They’ll be a different team coming into Wellington. “This would be one of the hardest pools we’ve had for a long time. It’s just going to put a lot of pressure on us but you’ve got to adjust to that. At the end of the day, I suppose you have to beat them all to win the tournament.”
“To win the first two tournaments was way above my expectations. I thought we were 20 per cent underdone compared to four-five of the other teams who had been to tournaments prior to Dubai,” Tietjens said. “Tactically we adopted the right gameplans and the players played to those tactics. That was the real key to beating teams like Kenya and England.”
New Zealand will still start favourites tomorrow & need just 14 points to be the first team in the IRB series to reach 15,000 points. Winners of eight of the 10 IRB series, they are the only team who average more than 30 points per game in that time.
Meanwhile, Tietjens believed sevens’ recent acceptance into the rarified Olympic Games fold would not see the code lose its unique carnival feel. “I think sevens rugby will always remain that, even when it becomes an Olympic sport,” he said. “There’s always going to be the excitement. The fact that so many teams can win now makes it more interesting and more teams will become stronger now that there’s the Olympic carrot, which will just make it a better sport.”
Pools
Pool A: New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Niue.
Pool B: Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Papua New Guinea.
Pool C: England, Kenya, United States, Tonga.
Pool D: Samoa, Argentina, France, Canada.
Series standings
New Zealand 48 points, Fiji 36, England 28, Samoa 26, Argentina 22, Kenya 22, Australia 18, South Africa 16, Wales 8.
59 – GBS, Yip you right there. We need to tackle low against Fiji the ankle area otherwise we will never bring em down.
Also they have HUGE speed. So hoping we can do something tomorrow.
Okay going to read the Saints article on the Bulls now and then do a bit of work.
In the game of 7’s, handling is prime… and we messed up in this department.
63 – GBS, For sure. We knocked on a lot. Some stupid passes too. Also not passing when a try is on is daft.
Then to tackle those huge, huge Fiji players with out smaller players we can only bring em down if a few tackle or go low down then we will get them down. Otherwise they will be too good for us. Their speed is very good and their handling today was great. Fiji starting to look the Fiji of old in the 7’s
I’ve got to get going too….
My one worker in Pretoria, who tends to my garden there, has been arrested on Monday and is apparently in the awaiting trial prison in Pretoria, commonly known as “New Lock Prison”…. got to go bail the sucker out, hear what’s the freegin story. The guy has been working for us for 19 years and apart from an appalling drinking habit has done nothing like this in his life.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO Looks like I got my 4 tickets for the Brazil/Portugal game in Durbs.
Last night I checked and it said application pending now looked and it says application paid. MEANS I HAVE EM TICKETS… Great.
Not a great football fan but really wanted to see this game and feel the vibe of the World Cup.
66@ Puma – I will give the Poofball a complete miss… it’s not my sport.
65 – GBS, Shame man, Get him out boeta. Worked for you for such a long time. Sometimes they lock them up for nothing.
I have some work to do now too. Need maybe to go to a client later as well.
Catch up later boet.
67 – 😆
I have Scots mates coming so can not disappoint them. Their team never made it though. So thought this was the best pool game to go and watch with them. Looking forward to it. Then I done my bit for the football after that will watch on the big screen. If they want to go to more games they need to sort it out themselves……hehehe. Would have had 4 coming now only 2 are coming cause of the huge rip off of airfares during that time.
69@ Puma – Yip, the Air Fares are ludicrous during the Poofball, fark it’s less expensive to fly overseas then than catching an economy local flight in that time
Outa here… chat later!
70 – GBS, A airfare from Joburg to Durban and back will cost around R8 000 I have been told during the WC. Joburg to CT will be around R10 000. Complete utter greed.
OUR ROADS WILL BE FULL with trafic from Joburg to Durbs. No-one will pay those stupid prices.
We seem to be unable to beat fiji, will have to play very well to reach the finals.
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