Samoa Outpace New Zealand for USA Sevens Title

Samoa hoists their first-ever USA Sevens Cup in Las Vegas.

Nearly 24-hours after the USA Sevens came to close, the rugby world is still buzzing about Samoa's easy disposal of perennial rugby powerhouse and defending IRB Sevens Champs New Zealand for a 33-12 win in Las Vegas.

From the stands I watched as Samoa trumped Scotland (41-12), Chile (29-12) and wily sevens heart-stoppers Kenya (19-7) in Saturday's Pool C matches. at the end of the first day it was clear that New Zealand was on its way to the finals followed closely by their southern hemisphere rivals Australia and South Africa.

But it was Samoa who was the dark horse of the competition this time who were spurned on by veteran Uale Mai who controlled the ebb and flow of each match, marshalling his troops to victory alongside the ever imposing Mikaele Pesamino and stalwarts Simaika Mikaele, Timoteo Iosua, Lolo Lui and Fautua Otto.

I have to admit (and I'll gladly list the names of other Samoan fans who were present that jumped on the same boat we floated without a paddle), that I was pessimistic going into the semi-finals against Australia. After witnessing the close call against Wales where Samoa edged out a hard-fought win just before the final buzzer, I had a hard lump of skeptisism in my chest as the boys lined up against Australia in the semis. And rightfully so as Brian Karuria-Henry and the Aussies put up an incredible display of gut and grits against Samoa. Australia's Kimami Situati was brilliant, running in two tries but it was the boot of Lolo Lui who saved the day, slotting in the conversion that sent Australia home and Manu Samoa on to face the might of New Zealand.

New Zealand came into the finals a bit battered and bruised after hard fought Pool A victories over Australia and France along with a walk over Guyana. And in day two of the competition they took some punishment against South Africa and although the final score does not give it justice, Kenya really roughed them up before bowing out 21-7.

Samoa came into the final after a bitter loss to Fiji in Wellington, denied entry to the cup quarters in George and a loss at the hands of New Zealand in the cup finals in Dubai. Redemption was at hand for the boys in blue but the tension was thicker in the stands than it was on the pitch. From the opening kick-off when Samoa handled the ball sloppily resulting in a turnover that resulted in a NZ try, nearly dampening the Samoan spirit before the contest had even started. But Sam Boyd Stadium did not fall into a despair and the chilly night air was about to be electrified by the brilliance of Alafoti Fa'osiliva and top tournament try-scoring machine Pesamino.

As both teams fought desperately to maintain control of the game, NZ's crisp passing and a few fortunate penalties in the oppositions side put them inside the twenty-two meter line with seconds ticking away before the half-time whistle. But just as the try line appeared to be just a heart beat away, Pesamino intercepted the first of two passes on the night, both resulting in sensational tries.

Alafoti Fa'osiliva was named Player of the Tournament for his game-breaking abilities and sevens tries over the two day event making the first Las Vegas event a total success for Samoa.

The United States continues to show vast improvement with each IRB Sevens Series leg. They nearly toppled the might of Fiji in their opening USA Sevens match (14-12), nearly outclassed the South Africans and beat up on their North American counterparts Canada to close day one.

The US went on to victories against Guyana and an incredible win over Argentina that set up their Bowl showdown with France. The crowd cheered the home team on to a 28-17 victory, led by Matt Hawkins, Nese Malifa and Mile Pulu. I also have to put in a shameless plug for recent rugby convert Leonard Peters. Gotta love a guy who can seamlessly switch from gridiron to rugby in such a short amount of time. The guy is a class act.

Despite a dismal showing from Fiji, the Pacific did very well this time around. Samoa is now just two points ahead of Fiji in the overall standings at 70, but New Zealand still holds a sizeable lead with 84 points.

Is Sin City Ready to Ruck?

I’ve been a faithful partygoer at the USA Sevens event since the inaugural competition in Carson, CA back in 2004. Since then its moved from the Home Depot Center to Petco Park in San Diego (2007) where the tournament rapidly grew into a party like atmosphere for people traveling from abroad and around the country.

During its three year stint in San Diego, the people of that beautiful city have helped precipitate the tournaments growth thanks to its clean environment, a bustling city with several amenities and a raucous rugby crowd. This year tournament Director Dan Lyle of USA Rugby has pulled stakes yet again and moved it to the desert, a decision that has everyone wondering, ‘Why ruin a good thing?’

But Lyle insists that it is a good business decision and points to Las Vegas’ easy access, its ability to provide entertainment and its global draw. Lyle believes that Las Vegas has the potential to compete with the IRB Sevens Series’ most popular destinations, Hong Kong, Dubai and Wellington, NZ.

Understandably it is a central location to some of the USA’s rugby breeding grounds. Although there are established clubs on the eastern seaboard, there seems to be a much larger fan base west of the Rockies and its 300 miles closer for USA Rugby Executives who are based in Boulder, CO.

Vegas is smack dab in the middle of hundreds of rugby clubs from California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and of course the new home of the USA Sevens, Nevada. I’m really looking forward to see how Vegas is going to top San Diego. Will it be as popular a draw as it was at Petco Park? Only time will tell but judging by the number of people I already know who are heading down this weekend, its going to be another powder keg ready to explode!

Why are your balls oblong?

Get a group of testosterone laden, chest bumping hooligans together and throw a topic in the middle no matter how mundane and eventually they will find a way to segue into what almost always matters most in life: sports! Amongst Pacific Islander males who have had some significant exposure to two pervasively masculine sports, ultimately the conversation steers towards the topic of, ‘Which is bigger, yours or mine?’

In the United States there is no comparison between the game of rugby and its counterpart, American Football, thanks in large part to the National Football League which has made it a mainstream phenomenon. There are names in the NFL that are more popular amongst children and youths than politicians, Brad Pitt and his country brother Brad Paisley combined. Say the name Troy Polamalu and everyone from California in the west to Pittsburgh in the east can tell you that he is the long haired hitting machine that wears No. 43 for the Steelers. Say the same name in an English pub and their bound to throw you out with an accusation that you are cussing in your native tongue. Arguably the same can be said of rugby stars with a large international draw like Jonny Wilkinson or Jonah Lomu. If you don’t follow the sport, chances are you really don’t know the daily intricacies and dramas.

A long standing argument is that rugby players are tougher than football players because they don’t wear pads. Football players argue that if a rugby player were to stand in the path of a 240-pound wrecking ball they would get a better appreciation for the hits they sustain every Friday night under the lights or on Sunday afternoons on CBS.

Rugby players have better stamina and conditioning because the dimensions of the pitch is larger and they run non-stop for 40 minutes, rest for 15 and then run another 40 with a bit of stoppage time for good measure. Football players will contend that running at top speed, colliding head on with a wooly mammoth and sustaining that type of punishment for four 15 minute quarters will never be classified as a brisk stroll in the park followed by crumpets and tea on the lawn.

Regardless, there are minutiae in the preparation and execution of each game. There is a wholesome combination of speed, power and agility on both ends of the spectrum. There is fault and folly; there are oversights and lapses in judgment. But overall, whether you’re a fan of one or the other, once you come to understand the particulars of the game you least understand, you come to the realization that rugby players and football players are athletes with a love and a passion for their game of choice.