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Why the All Blacks Sevens are ‘confident’ before historic leg in Hong Kong
SVNS Series veteran Dylan Collier is back from an injury layoff and ready to lead the All Blacks Sevens into battle as they look to become the last team to take out Cup final glory at the iconic Hong Kong Stadium this weekend.
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From 2025, Kai Tak Sports Park will stage the event in Hong Kong China. For those who have enjoyed some famous moments at the venue over the years, this is the final chapter with another about to be written.
New Zealand won the Hong Kong Sevens for the first time in 1986. The likes of Sir Wayne Smith, David Kirk and Sir Wayne Shelford helped steer the rugby-mad nation to glory at what had become an unmissable celebration of the sport.
Other All Blacks have tried their hand at rugby’s shorter format and starred including Jonah Lomu. But it was New Zealand’s latest success which quite possibly stands above all others as a truly momentous occasion for rugby.
Captain Collier hoisted the Hong Kong Sevens trophy in triumph at last year’s event and did so with legendary Black Fern Sarah Hirini standing beside him. That was the first time the women’s international circuit had stopped in Hong Kong China.
As fireworks shot into the night sky at Hong Kong Stadium, both New Zealand teams let out a cheer in sheer jubilation, glory and relief. It’s not an easy tournament to win as Dylan Collier will tell you.
“I’ve played the most tournaments here in my team. I think this is my sixth time here and I’ve only actually won it once,” Collier told RugbyPass after the captain’s photo at Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday.
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“It’s a hard tournament to win. There’s not a lot of teams that have won here.
“It’s just a different feeling when you win here, just all that history. This is where the game of sevens started.
“We’re pretty confident coming into this weekend and there’s a lot of boys really wanting to rip in and play well.”
Looking to go back-to-back at the spiritual home of rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens have been dealt some mixed injury news with the return of Collier a clear highlight.
Collier was injured during New Zealand’s first match at SVNS Perth in January and has not taken to the field since. But more than two months on, the Olympian is back in black.
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The 32-year-old has recovered from a torn calf to lead New Zealand at the Hong Kong Sevens from Friday to Sunday. It’s an important inclusion with other key players missing the event through injury.
2023 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year nominees Leroy Carter and Akuila Rokolisoa have been ruled out, as has veteran Tim Mikkelson. About eight players are unavailable in total.
“That’s been a little bit of the tough thing this year too is we can’t get a consistent team out on the field. We’re changing teams just about every tournament,” Collier added.
“It’s just about next man up and the next person’s got to do the job.
“Obviously Leroy and Sam Dickson and that, they’re obviously big parts of our team, but it’s got to be the next man up.”
But for the All Blacks Sevens, the past is not their focus. This is a team that’s focused simply on “what we can control.”
New Zealand have missed the Cup quarter-finals twice this season but also made the final at SVNS Vancouver at BC Place Stadium in late February.
This is an All Blacks Sevens outfit that might not be the finished product just yet, but they’ve still got plenty of “confidence” that they can win it all on one of the biggest stages in rugby sevens.
“Obviously we haven’t played that well this year,” he explained. ‘…but we still want to play well and we haven’t been.
“We can only control what we can control and we’ve been training well and that’s what’s been giving us confidence.
“We went over to Fiji and played at the Marist Sevens which was an awesome tournament. We trained today, and played against Japan and Hong Kong.
“The pleasing part is we know we can win and we know we can play well. It’s just about putting it out on the park.”
New Zealand are set to play SVNS LAX finalists Great Britain first up on Friday afternoon (local time) before also playing Series frontrunners Argentina and the United States in Pool B.
Comments on RugbyPass
I haven’t seen or heard to many whinging about Finau quite the opposite. The TMO’s have reviewed each time and taken no action, so if they have now been alerted it’s not from people whinging The player comes flying out of the line and launches himself at the attacker so it is probably ruled as a committed tackle, but at what point does it move to tackling a player without the ball Time will tell
1 Go to commentsThis cracked media record of aligning success or failure on head coaches is remarkable. Using the crusaders past history as an example, a more sensible observation and analysis could be that the recent head coaches had inherited a extremely successful combination of players linked to their traditional historical support of the Canterbury people. That period ended this year when the new coach was introduced to virtually a new team. And in a year where other franchises have grown much stronger than their respective past, it was always an anticipated reality that the coach and his new crusader team were up against it. Therefore, I humbly believe that unlike some commentators present, I laud coach Penny and the team for their efforts to date and I am sure given another term and with Canterbury behind them they will be riding high once more. Strange all this coming from me who lives in Taupo and a one eyed chiefs supporter. Can't wait for all future chiefs and crusader games!
6 Go to commentsGrt bench player..keep him there..
3 Go to commentsA Springbok 2-0 win: haha told you we were champions now shut up An Irish 2-0 win: the referee was under orders from world rugby to cheat us but luckily we don’t care because this is part of Rassie’s grand world Cup plan.
108 Go to commentsI hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
6 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
6 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
6 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
108 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
108 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
108 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
108 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
108 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
108 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
108 Go to comments