'The Canadian players cooled down by wearing beanie hats with pieces of ice attached'
While I was delighted to score six tries and help the USA Eagles reach the final of the Dubai Sevens, there was still a lot of frustration at having to settle for second place to New Zealand. Yes, it was a major improvement on last year when we didn’t manage to win a match and I only lasted less than a minute due to concussion, but this an Eagles team that wants to make a major impact in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and prove that we are genuine top four team which would earn us automatic qualification for the Olympic Games in Japan in 2020.
That is why it has been so important to keep the momentum we generated in Dubai going in the build up to the second leg of the Series here in Cape Town where South Africa, the defending Series champions will want to bounce back strongly after Dubai.
To the outside World the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series must seem like a breeze; flying around the globe and stopping off in wonderful locations like Cape Town and playing some rugby before another flight to the next spectacular destination. The truth for all of the players in the Series is very different with long haul flights, jet lag, time away from family, numerous time differences and like this leg, just a week to recover before getting back out on the pitch to compete against some of the World’s outstanding rugby players.
That is why it is so important to get your preparation right, look after your body and do whatever you can to be in the best shape to deliver the goods. In Dubai the Canadian players cooled down by wearing beanie hats with pieces of ice attached but it’s not something we are going to copy and will stick to the cold towels around the neck!
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For the USA guys this leg of the Series is all about backing up what we achieved in Dubai and proving we are the real deal. In the build up to the World Rugby Sevens in San Francisco last July, HSBC produced the Pioneers film which gave fans a behind-the-scenes view of what it is like to be part of the USA squad and there is no doubt it helped raise the profile of rugby in America.
We want to inspire the next generation of players and we can stimulate that increased interest by delivering more titles in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. It is always uplifting to see the work being done around the globe to spread the game and sevens is a wonderful way for youngsters to start. Here in Cape Town the HSBC TAG Rugby clinics have been a big success with players from the Series taking part in grassroots sessions against the stunning back drop of Table Mountain.
Of course, the main reason we are all here is to take the Series title and having put down a marker in Dubai, the best teams get right back onto the horse and deliver again. While I was happy to score six tries I know there were things I didn’t get right including picking up a couple of yellow cards. My focus this week has been on how I can get better and step things up to help the team win this leg of the Series because we believe the sky is the limit for the USA.
The South African players are wearing a special kit to honour former President Nelson Mandela and it is a pretty cool jersey. We all went out to Robben Island to see where he was jailed for so many years and it really was a small cell. My reaction was “how could you be in a cell that size for 23 hours a day?” The visit was very humbling and the Series does give us special memories.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Can’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 commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
1 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
8 Go to commentsGood riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
6 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
6 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
6 Go to comments