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Watch – Brady Rush the hero as New Zealand sneak by Samoa in Dubai
With the All Blacks Sevens’ backs up against the ropes, New Zealand called for a hero and it was Brady Rush who stood up and answered the call on a beautiful evening in Dubai.
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With time up on the clock and Samoa leading by a slender five points at The Sevens Stadium, the New Zealanders were given one last chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Parked well inside their own half, rising star Tepaea Cook-Savage threw into an attacking lineout with the sevens world watching. The set-piece play went by without a hitch with the ball finding Rush in midfield.
Rush caught the ball and briefly glanced right, but the New Zealander spotted a gaping hole in the Samoan defence. With a quick change of pace, Rush beat a few defenders in blue jerseys.
“Straight up through the middle, the fresh legs of Brady Rush, needs to bring it around though if they want the conversion,” commentator Rikki Swannell exclaimed.”
Brady Rush – who joined the All Blacks 7s squad as an injury replacement yesterday – saves the day versus Samoa 🔥#HSBCSVNSDXB #HSBCDXB #DubaiSVNS pic.twitter.com/ri72y2QMV9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 2, 2023
“Brady Rush charging up the Dubai turf!”
It all started with Cook-Savage at the lineout, and it ended with him too. The youngster completed the match-winning drive with a routine conversion from in front.
The All Blacks Sevens returned from the brink of defeat to keep their undefeated streak at two wins and nine losses ahead of their final pool clash against South Africa.
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“We just trust our processes. The boys like playing under pressure like that, I think. We’re used to training with it,” Rush, who was still breathing heavily, told RugbyPass.
“Just playing against each other (is how you learn how to deal with pressure). You’re training against some of the best players in the world – the best players in the world. I think you’re just gonna get better anyway.
“We always celebrate our little wins. If you don’t what’s the point of playing rugby, aye? You’ve got to have some fun while you’re doing it.
“The boys will be focused on the next job now – recovery, get our fuel back in and ready to go for South Africa tonight.”
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But that’s not the full story. Brady Rush’s moment of brilliance should echo throughout the history of the 2023/24 Dubai SVNS considering the Kiwi was only officially called in on Thursday night.
SVNS veteran Sam Dickson was publicly ruled out of the Dubai and Cape Town legs of the series with a hamstring injury mere days out from the season opener.
It’s an opportunity that Rush isn’t taking for granted – as the try-scorer explained, he has to “earn the fern” this weekend in Dubai.
“You always want to take the opportunity with both hands, especially getting to wear the black jersey, it’s massive in our country to be able to wear one of these,” Rush added.
“Just to go out there, do my job and hopefully earn the fern.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
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