How offseason ‘World Series’ has set Australia up for more SVNS glory
After taking out the first cup final of the new SVNS season in Dubai, the Australian women’s sevens side are as motivated as ever to replicate their success in Cape Town this weekend.
With the memories of their disappointing 2022/23 season still fresh in the minds of the playing group, the Aussies are looking to build towards greatness after a six-month “offseason.”
Australia famously brought an end to New Zealand’s incredible 41-game winning run in last weekend’s thrilling decider, and they’re unbeaten going into day two in South Africa.
Playing in front of a vibrantly brilliant crowd in the Western Cape, the Aussies almost repeated their pool play in heroics by not conceding a point – but Fiji cancelled that out with a late effort.
The women in gold beat Spain 38-nil, Japan 54-nil, and were beating SVNS heavyweights Fiji 28-nil before Adi Vani Buleki brought through for a score in the 15th minute.
But with an incredible points differential of +113, Australia have emerged as the team to beat once again this weekend – that’s an insight into their hunger, commitment and desire.
“Obviously having the win always helps but I think that just motivates us more, we want to keep winning,” Australian Demi Hayes told RugbyPass.
“We don’t want to come to a second tournament and fall short again. We did that last year and we were pretty disappointed with that.
“We want to be getting better every tournament, not falling short… people are going to be coming after us but every team is super competitive at the moment so we still want to be as competitive as we can when we verse them.”
Time and time again, the Aussie women were forced to watch their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand run away with cup final glory last season.
Australia took out the Dubai SVNS final a year ago, but the New Zealanders went on to win every other tournament throughout that campaign. Their dominance was unmatched.
But looking to learn from their shortcomings, the Aussies took part in a mini SVNS season during a gruelling offseason – travelling abroad to meet some of the best teams in the world.
“We played nearly a whole World Series in that offseason so we had seven tournaments to get our combinations working really well together,” Hayes added.
“The 13 that are here, plus a few girls that are at home, are a really close-knit group.
“We’ve really worked on those combinations and made sure that when we came out in Dubai and here for the first few legs of the World Series that we were really starting to bang.”
Defence wins championships. It’s an adage – potentially a cliché – that practically every sports fan anywhere in the world has heard over and over.
While some might laugh it off as nothing more than a saying, the Aussies pride themselves on their “brick wall” in defence and that proved the difference in key games last weekend.
“Sometimes our defensive efforts make sure we fall short of wins so we always pride ourselves on having a brick wall, no one’s getting through us. We’re a sisterhood and no one’s breaking that sisterhood.
“There’s seven girls on the field but then there’s five on the bench and there’s girls behind us so there’s always a brick wall after brick wall after brick wall.
“Unfortunately we let a try in this afternoon but we really pride ourselves on not letting anyone score and its massive going into tomorrow.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Utter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
2 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
2 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to comments