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Les poules du HSBC SVNS Hongkong : tirage au sort difficile pour la France
Les tournois du circuit mondial de rugby à sept ont ceci en commun que chacun présente son lot de défis. Et celui très attendu de Hongkong les 5, 6 et 7 avril prochains opposera aux équipes de France de vrais challenges.
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Après son sacre à Los Angeles, le premier en 19 ans, France 7 (4e) a été versée dans la Poule A et jouera face aux Fidji (3e), à l’Australie (5e) et au Canada (12e). Les Fidji sont en quête de résultats sur le circuit, sous forte pression gouvernementale, alors que l’Australie, médaille d’argent au Cap et à Perth, talonne la France d’un point au général.
Lors de l’édition 2023, la France était repartie avec la médaille de bronze… en battant la Grande-Bretagne dans le match pour la troisième place, soit précisément l’affiche de la finale à LA le 3 mars.
La poule de la mort sera sans conteste la poule B avec la Grande-Bretagne (9e), finaliste à Los Angeles, l’Argentine (1re), leader au classement et qui s’est pris les pieds dans le tapis aux USA, les Etats-Unis (8e) et la Nouvelle-Zélande (6e) qui vont vouloir redorer leur blason.
Les All Blacks Sevens se sont retrouvés à la 10e place à LA à la suite d’une sévère défaite contre les Samoa. C’est la deuxième fois cette saison que les All Blacks Sevens manquaient les quarts de finale de Cup à la suite d’un parcours inhabituellement mauvais.
Les Pumas Sevens ont vu leur invincibilité de 17 matchs stoppée par l’Irlande lors des quarts de finale de Los Angeles. Mais l’enjeu est d’autant plus grand pour les All Blacks Sevens que c’est l’Argentine qui leur a coupé l’herbe sous le pied lors de la finale du SVNS Vancouver à la fin du mois dernier.
Dans la troisième et dernière poule, l’Irlande (2e), l’Espagne (10e), les Samoa (11e) et l’Afrique du Sud (7e) tenteront de se démarquer dans le groupe le plus ouvert du tournoi.
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L’Espagne a battu l’Irlande au SVNS LAX, mais les deux équipes ont tout de même réussi à se qualifier pour le match pour la troisième place.
Les Samoa et l’Afrique du Sud ont terminé respectivement neuvième et onzième dans la Cité des Anges, mais sont capables de réaliser de bien meilleures performances sur le circuit.
Un triplé pour la Nouvelle-Zélande dans le tournoi féminin ?
Cela fait deux fois que l’équipe de France féminine de rugby à sept (3e) trébuche sur le circuit cette saison. Après Perth, Los Angeles n’a pas donné satisfaction avec une élimination en quart de finale. Un triste retour à la réalité du Sevens pour cette équipe habituée au podium depuis le début de la saison avec deux médailles d’argent (au Cap et à Vancouver) et une médaille de bronze (à Dubaï).
A Hongkong, les choses ne s’annoncent pas forcément plus faciles avec la poule A que les Françaises disputeront face à la Nouvelle-Zélande (2e), au Brésil (9e) et à la Grande-Bretagne (8e).
La Nouvelle-Zélande est clairement l’équipe à battre. Les Black Ferns Sevens se sont imposées à Vancouver et à Los Angeles, et elles tenteront de devenir la première équipe féminine de la saison à réaliser un triplé dans les SVNS Series.
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L’Australie (1re), finaliste à Los Angeles et leader des SVSN Series, sera opposée à l’Afrique du Sud (10e) et aux Fidji (7e). L’Irlande (6e) est la quatrième équipe de la poule B, celle-là même qui a battu les Australiennes lors de la finale de Perth en janvier.
Enfin, les États-Unis (4e) et le Canada (5e) s’affronteront à nouveau dans un derby dans la poule C, tandis qu’une équipe japonaise (11e) en progrès et l’Espagne (12e) complèteront la poule C.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good Luck Sam, enjoy Japan.
1 Go to commentsWhen Sth Africa had Joost and Honiball at 9 and 10 they were almost impenetrable in and around the ruck. Even Jonah couldn't make headway in those channels so they were very hard to get in behind. They had a fantastic side who played a fast, rugged style which won them the Tri Nations during that period. That side would beat their current mob of which I have no doubt.
2 Go to commentsAwesome win by the NZ U20s. They were excellent in the 2nd half with some very patient and accurate phase play, a dominant scrum and decent lineout. Simpson controlled things very well at 10 and it was amazing to see the team maintain their composure and score points when he was in the sin bin for a very harsh yellow card.
2 Go to commentscome on Toulouse
1 Go to commentsNot unless the cartels get interested in rugby like they did w football
1 Go to commentsYes Dobbo, you were absolute crap. Start respecting the ball and possession. If you played rugby instead of basketball against the Ospreys, you would have been n the top two now, not fifth! If you attractively and entertainingly throw the ball around for 80 minutes and lose, WE DON’T FKN ENJOY IT!
1 Go to commentsWe need a system of transfer fees. A club shouldn’t just get to sign Will Harrison when he’s been funded in NSW his entire rugby life because they have more money.
89 Go to commentsThat the pain experienced by SH clubs poached mercilessly by NH friends being now felt by the non-elite NH clubs delivers me an element of schadenfreude but if it expands the amount of poachees and opens the eyes of those new to the group then it serves a purpose. In my pessimistic (realistic?) moments I see Oz clubs in the future acting solely as feeders for France and Japan. It’s a real possibility without change
89 Go to commentswhy is this garbage rival sport that’s poaching rugby talents being promoted on a rugby website backed by world rugby again?
5 Go to comments“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
2 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
3 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
3 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
89 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
2 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
58 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
89 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments