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Key players ruled out ahead of New Zealand’s SVNS quest in Cape Town
Both the Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens have been dealt major injury blows ahead of their shot at SVNS Series redemption in Cape Town next weekend.
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With both New Zealand sides failing to take out the gold on the circuit for the first time since the Dubai SVNS last season, they’ll be eager to bounce back in South Africa.
But the New Zealanders will chase Cup final glory without key players. Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini and sevens veteran Regan Ware have both been ruled out of the event.
Hirini, 30, was the match-winning hero that New Zealand needed in their opening pool match against South Africa in Dubai, but things took a disastrous turn in their second match of the day.
New Zealand’s inspirational skipper, who was the nation’s flag bearer at the Tokyo Olympics a couple of years ago, hobbled off the field at The Sevens Stadium against Great Britain.
Coach Cory Sweeney later told RugbyPass that Hirini was “highly likely to be unavailable for Cape Town,” and that news has since been confirmed on the New Zealand Sevens social media channels.
“Sarah Hirini sustained an injury to her knee in the pool stages of the Dubai sevens,” the statement read. “She will miss the upcoming Cape Town Sevens and will be replaced in the travelling squad by Tysha Ikenasio.”
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As for the All Blacks Sevens, rising star Xavier Tito-Harris has been given another opportunity to impress in the black jersey after Regan Ware was ruled out with a concussion.
Hoping for the best and speediest recoveries 🖤#BlackFerns7s | #AllBlacks7s pic.twitter.com/hCiIzt0zxo
— NZ Sevens (@nz_sevens) December 3, 2023
The teenager was called in as an injury replacement for Moses Leo ahead of the final leg of the World Sevens Series in London earlier this year and will get another chance to make his mark.
“Regan Ware sustained a concussion in the pool stages of the Dubai Sevens and in line with World Rugby HIA protocols, will miss the Cape Town Sevens.
“He will be replaced in the travelling squad by Xavier Tito-Harris.”
The New Zealand men’s team were beaten in a thrilling semi-final against sevens rivals Argentina, but went on to beat Fiji in a thrilling third-placed playoff.
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Looking to bounce back in Cape Town, the All Blacks Sevens have been drawn in Pool C along with Samoa, Australia and Canada.
As the Black Ferns Sevens, their 41-match unbeaten run has come to a heartbreaking end with a late try to Maddison Levi helping Australia overcome their Trans-Tasman neighbours in the Cup final.
They’ll look to go one better in less than a week, though, with the woman in black set to face Ireland, Brazil and Great Britain in Pool B.
Comments on RugbyPass
What ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
129 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
129 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
129 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
129 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
129 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
129 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
129 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
129 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
129 Go to commentsHo hum.
129 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
129 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
129 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
129 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
129 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
129 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
129 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
129 Go to comments