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'Misfits, a bunch of weirdos': Australia knock New Zealand out of Hong Kong Sevens
Australia’s world series men’s sevens champions may be a bunch of “misfits and weirdos”, as one of their players puts it with a smile – but they also appear to becoming serial winners.
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On Saturday, they roared into the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Sevens while consigning New Zealand’s rugby men to an unprecedented early exit.
The Australians found their best form in a winner-takes-all pool stage match, running in four tries to beat their trans-Tasman rivals 24-17 and book a last-eight date with Ireland.
It meant a ragged-looking New Zealand outfit failed to reach the knock-out stages of the sevens circuit’s premier tournament for the first time and it was only the second time in 21 years they’d failed to make the quarter-finals of a world series event.
Australia, who sealed the last world series in August in Los Angeles, had to deliver their best after they’d earlier lost their other group match 22-17 to Samoa, the tournament’s surprise packets who’d also hammered New Zealand on Friday.
It raised the unexpected prospect of the two group favourites having to face what was effectively a knock-out tie in the day’s final match at the Hong Kong Stadium.
Coach John Manenti’s Aussies started brightly as Jimmy ‘The Jet’ Turner burst on to the ball for a fine opening try in the first minute.
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After Moses Leo had put the All Blacks back in it, a Dietrich Roache snipe down the right wing restored the Australians’ control before some individual magic from Maurice Longbottom saw him shuffle, feint and power his way to a third try.
The New Zealanders’ fate was effectively sealed straight after the break with Nathan Lawson’s interception score, with late tries from Sione Molia and Leroy Carter not camouflaging another sub-par performance.
Winger Damian Penaud scored with full minutes left to earn Les Bleus a tense 30-29 win over Australia at Stade de France. #FRAvAUS https://t.co/oL93kneesx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2022
But for the Australians, it was another example of the team’s togetherness to rebound from the Samoa loss.
“Against Samoa, we just didn’t really stick to the structure, but it was a pretty big game against the Kiwis so we just stuck to what we said we’d fix, and it paid off,” said the lively Turner.
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“We all love each other, we’re a bunch of misfits, a bunch of weirdos, but we just come together! Even five minutes after the Samoa loss, we were over it, smiling about it.”
His ‘misfits’ comments referred to how Manenti, faced with budget cuts, found unlikely players from Sydney club rugby and fringe Super Rugby talents for his Australian men’s sevens project.
Now, they’re looking real threats for the Olympic title in France two years hence.
Earlier on Saturday, Samoa had followed up their 24-0 win over New Zealand with their narrow win over Australia, for whom Henry Hutchison, Henry Paterson and Darby Lancaster all scored tries.
Five-time defending champions Fiji still looked the team to beat as they topped their group unbeaten to set up a blockbuster quarter-final with South Africa’s ‘Blitzboks’, who scraped through despite losing to France.
The other quarter-finals will feature Samoa against Argentina and the unbeaten French versus the USA.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments