The IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens is just two weeks away but is already obvious who the contenders and who the spoilers are in the race for sevens supremacy.
CONTENDERS:
England have been in contention for the IRB Sevens Series Cup in each of the first three legs of the competition. The Brits were just a try short of outpacing South Africa for the Dubai title but were able to capture the Plate in George against Portugal. England finally got the winning formula right when sevens star Ben Gollings converted on Isoa Damu’s try in the waning seconds of the final period to edge New Zealand on the latter’s home pitch. They came within one more try of beating Argentina for the title in San Diego after losing in the pool rounds to Samoa.
You can never count New Zealand out of the race. The Kiwi’s were the most talented and strongest delegation in each of the last four cups but alas, like their 15-a-side counterparts the All Blacks, the NZ Sevens squad often struggles with inconsistency and health making 2001 the only year that they were able to win the coveted Cup on the powerful legs of their inspirational leader Jonah Lomu. New Zealand has only shown spots of brilliance in this season’s Sevens Series but trust the Kiwi’s to come storming into the competition this time with a grudge.
Fiji has won two of the four previous cups but that was with guys like Waisale Serevi who has been divorced by the Fiji Rugby Union as player-coach due to irreconcilable differences in coaching philosophy. Fiji was at the top of the Sevens Series throughout all of last season going into the final stages neck-and-neck with New Zealand. It’s a new and unfamiliar era for Fiji as they struggle to find their identity on the backs of new young players. Despite the struggles, plan on Fiji playing a crucial part in the Cup.
South Africa is always a threat for their incredible pace and experience. They are physically imposing, faster than a lightning strike from top to bottom and they know what needs to be done to win. They have never won the Cup, but its only a matter of time and judging by the way that the ‘Boks have been competing in the Sevens Series since the last Cup, that time may have finally arrived.
PRETENDERS:
Samoa has been a program on the rise for roughly two decades and though they have shown flashes of brilliance, they have been relegated to the ‘has-beens’ heap again this year before the World Cup has even begun. Try-scoring machine Mikaele Pesamino was sorely missed in San Diego this year and even with the reemergence of Ofisa Treviranus and Lolo Lui, their inspirational captain Uale Mai can only do so much to keep the Samoans at the forefront of the sevens game. No one has high expectations for Samoa again this time around but they will still spoil the Cup for at least a few possible contenders.
The last time Australia was a heavyweight in the Cup was back in the inaugural tournament in 1993 when the Aussie’s were beaten in the final by England. Since then they have struggled to keep pace with the top teams in the tournament and in the Sevens Series they have even been sluggish against emerging nations like Kenya and Portugal. This may be their year to separate from the pack, especially since they have been pooled with Samoa, Portugal and Ireland.
DARK HORSES:
The United States have been very impressive this year and if they continue to fight above their rugby weight, they are going to be raining on someone’s Cup parade and after watching them stomp on South Africa in San Diego last weekend, their stock is ever increasing. They have been most remarkable on defense.
It didn’t take long for Kenya to become one of the new poster boys of sevens rugby. They have vastly improved with each season and opposing teams have found it difficult to deal with their length in the lineouts as wells as their pace in the open field. They are exciting to watch and every time they trot onto the pitch you can feel the electricity because you know they are going to push their opponent to the limit.
