Battered Blitzbokke still alive
1 Feb 2013
South Africa’s Sevens best imploded in New Zealand, but somehow still made the quarter-finals.
What a disappointment in performance for the Blitzbokke, but what a bit of good fortune in advancing to the quarter-finals despite winning just one league game. The South Africans were down right awful in losing to Samoa 19-10 and being stunned by Canada 26-15.
The South Africans won their final match on day one against Wales 21-0 and this gave them a statistical edge over Canada and Wales, who had also won just one match.
The biggest shock belonged to World Series leaders Fiji, who failed to make the quarter-finals for the first time in the history of the World Series. Fiji lost to Scotland and Australia.
Hosts New Zealand came close to going the same way and limped to the play-offs. The New Zealanders were beaten by England and needed a 17-10 win against the USA to advance.
England, having whipped the All Blacks at Twickenham, have the wood over New Zealand in rugby at the moment. The England women triumphed three-nil in the most recent series in England and now the Sevens team proved too good for the Kiwis.
The Boks play Kenya in the quarter-final.
Kenya were unbeaten in the Pool stages.
WELLINGTON SEVENS DAY ONE RESULTS
Kenya 24 France 12
Argentina 21 Tonga 12
Samoa 19 South Africa 10
Wales 26 Canada 17
Australia 24 Portugal 5
Scotland 14 Fiji 12
England 19 New Zealand 14
Spain 10 USA 5
France 28 Tonga 7
Kenya 12 Argentina 0
Canada 26 South Africa 15
Samoa 19 Wales 12
Scotland 19 Portugal 17
Australia 21 Fiji 12
New Zealand 36 Spain 5
England 12 USA 12
Kenya 17 Tonga 10
Samoa 26 Canada 12
Argentina 17 France 14
Australia 29 Scotland 5
England 28 Spain 5
South Africa 21 Wales 0
Fiji 24 Portugal 7
New Zealand 17 USA 10
33 Comments
1 Feb 2013, 13:37 pm
Would they be the first team to win only one pool game and go on to win the tournament?
1 Feb 2013, 13:38 pm
Saw Cheslin Kolbe & Justin Geduld with I think Tshotsho Mbovane (didn’t get a proper look at him) walking along Lambton Quay earlier in the week.
Kolbe & Geduld are TINY, but look like very good players.
Difficult throwing Kolbe in the deep end and having faith that he will deliver, but I can’t help but think we need to risk starting him over the very very disappointing Paul Delport.
And the BlitzBokke sucked, but so did New Zealand & Fiji (who are out of the Cup completely). New Zealand had an easier pool then us, and the USA ran them close.
I’m backing Australia to win this one. Long time since I’ve seen an Australian sevens side play with that sort of accuracy.
1 Feb 2013, 13:41 pm
Also, how good has Philip Snyman been! Will be good alongside Cecil Afrika I think. Can drop Hougie’s mate then.
And Kyle Brown back to replace Chris Dry would be great.
1 Feb 2013, 13:45 pm
@hendrikp-2:
SA sevens need a seious rethink of strategy. IMO the players are very skillful, but some of them are just too tiny to compete against the bigger guys like Fiji (bad example if you consider only this tournament).
Yes, you need the playmakers, but they must also hold their own against the bigger guys.
1 Feb 2013, 13:50 pm
@TooMuchRugby-4:
By bigger, I don’t mean giants, just not little pipsqueks
1 Feb 2013, 13:55 pm
@TooMuchRugby-5:
Don’t think size is the problem in this case. If you make your tackles, which the little guys have been doing, then you can’t be criticized too badly.
Execution of the rush defense the biggest issue, alongside shocking control of the ball at rucks.
New Zealand only do so well because they turn the ball over at rucks in the opposition half way more often then any other side. They score a huge amount of their tries from just that. If you don’t clean up properly they easily take the game away from you.
1 Feb 2013, 13:58 pm
@hendrikp-6:
i’ve seen Fijians run over them plenty of times. And they are being rucked of the ball constantly as you say. Size must have something to do with that.
1 Feb 2013, 14:01 pm
@TooMuchRugby-7:
Not size, more to do with numbers at the breakdown and poor technique.
Chris Dry is one of the bigger sevens players & is also one of the main culprits. They need to get back to binding onto the player on the ground so that they aren’t pushed off as easily – without going off their feet.
1 Feb 2013, 14:06 pm
@hendrikp-8:
Sure thing.
Look, I’m not an advocate of “size over skill”, but some of these guys are just diminutive.
But they have gone backwards in the last year or so. They seriously need a change of strategy.
Fiji is always our nemesis, and Idon’t think they are great proponents of the rucking / turnover game. What’s the difference? Size?
1 Feb 2013, 14:30 pm
@TooMuchRugby-9:
Size obviously counts for something, yes.
Tbh, I don’t think these are nearly the best players Treu has available to him. He just sticks to the same group pretty much. Average performances are enough to retain your place… no threat of being dropped and so forth.
That’s why I’m no fan of contracting a sevens squad, as they now do.
1 Feb 2013, 15:07 pm
should pick from Super sides come the Olympics
1 Feb 2013, 15:43 pm
@keo-1: come and join us in the hore thread – we are celebrating national Biff day.
1 Feb 2013, 19:58 pm
I am just sitting on the loo and thought I should share that this stormer that I am making at the moment is a smelly one. I am going to melt a glacier ! It is definite captaincy material.
1 Feb 2013, 20:52 pm
WP are currie cup champs, this is a boring thread !
2 Feb 2013, 01:17 am
Too many Orks in the side… no surprise here move along!
2 Feb 2013, 03:55 am
These writes seem to get licks out of mentioning recent English wins over us haha.
2 Feb 2013, 03:56 am
Damn predictive. Writers and kicks. My fingers are too muscular for these phones.
2 Feb 2013, 04:30 am
The stadium is empty,there must be a flea market elsewhere in wellington.
2 Feb 2013, 05:31 am
@Jared-16: welcome to keo
any win by any team over the ABs is a pseudo SA win, jut read the threads after the result is knwon…
Englands win, our first loss in 21 games, saw the smiles on SA faces explode through the smog of Joburg to crescendo in the rarefied air of Moftus…
theyll celebrate any win over the ABs because their team cant invariably do it..
sad to live vicariously like that, but such is the state of their rugby…
hence Ferns jibe at flea markets, even in the sevens they cant compete
2 Feb 2013, 05:32 am
Fern
Stadium is packed, there is things too do in the tunnel And outside the stadium. Wellington sevens goes off. Always have . Now stop being a sad face and watch the tournament
2 Feb 2013, 05:36 am
Pops.
England’s 1 win over us was a huge thing in S.A.. like the barbarians these guys gave claimed England as there owned
2 Feb 2013, 06:48 am
@Hurricane-20:
stadium is not packed,i am watching live.
lots of open seats.
stadium is sold out and will be packed when everyone is seated.
2 Feb 2013, 06:49 am
@the curse-19:
big cities in china has smog,not jhb.
2 Feb 2013, 06:54 am
@Hurricane-20:
sad face?
hung my first biltong for the rugby season last night,will be ready in 3 to 5 days
happy days boetie
pity the Blitzbokke won,but well done by Kenya who are my second favourite sevens side.
2 Feb 2013, 07:09 am
The Hertz Sevens does not seem to have a captive audience.
What is so special outside the stadium that cannot be done on any other weeked?
absolutely positively wellington?
yeah right…
2 Feb 2013, 07:35 am
Fern.
You have never been to the sevens in Wellington.
Suggest you keep to what you know
2 Feb 2013, 07:40 am
Fern.
The only ones that are at the markets is the bok sevens team and there fans. Only empty seats were the ones that S.A. supporters had. Good you are watching it live…. it is better being there
2 Feb 2013, 07:41 am
@Hurricane-26:
I am asking.
Are you there and posting from your phone boetie?
2 Feb 2013, 07:42 am
There were lots of open seats when SA where playing aswell.
Isnt Aucklandwhereall the South Africans stay mostly?
2 Feb 2013, 07:46 am
Yep I am here, need to get back to seat and get back into the vibe , talk later
2 Feb 2013, 07:48 am
@Hurricane-30:
Enjoy
Ticket prices are between $149 and $199,not affordable at all.
Have a Tui on me.
2 Feb 2013, 12:12 pm
@Fern-31: Every ticket for both days was sold out in 15 minutes, so they are obviously very affordable. Not everyone is as poverty-stricken as Third Worlders.
2 Feb 2013, 22:07 pm
What’s the point of buying a ticket if you never use it? The rugby should be 1st priority. The party a by product. This has just turned into one big booze orgy with the chicks leading the way on how to be classy! Half dressed, t it’s hanging out and puking on the concourse is not a good look for Nz or rugby sevens. It seems its gone too far imo
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