HK Sevens Pool Result: NZ 24-24 Portugal

First topic message reminder :

Didn't see the game. The Hong Kong crowd must have been going mad. Portugal had a conversion to win at the end but missed. Portugal had a yellow card early in the game too, which makes their performance all the more remarkable.

You'd still bet on NZ going through but they have to defeat Australia now. If they lose, and Portugal beat Scotland, then they might miss out.

It's a credit to the NZ set-up that this result would be a surprise, but not a complete shock, against almost any other side.

How good is Pio Tuwai? Looks totally unfit but when he has the ball in his hand there is no better 7s player out there. I'd love to see what he can do in 15s. Could be another Nakawara.

If England do manage to hold on to fourth spot, then Australia might start to sweat.

They will need to perform at the regional qualifier in November to guarantee a place in Rio. With Fiji and New Zealand already having booked their spots, the job becomes a bit easier but Samoa have a good history in sevens.

On current form, Australia should have the beating of Samoa, who have had a bad year. However, they could get their act together, so Australia can't take qualification for granted.

If there is a shock in the Oceania round, then Australia will have a last shot at qualifying through a final round which pits teams from the six regions against each other.

Australia will easily be the highest ranked team in that competition, should they find themselves there, but it will also include Canada or the USA, since both can't win the North America leg. Meanwhile, European teams could include four from France, Portugal, Ireland, Russia, Belgium and Spain.

Australia ought to win through, but with the USA defeating them in Glasgow, Portugal drawing with the New Zealand in HK, and Canada even beating them, then there will be teams capable of an upset.

From an ARU point of view, the delay in securing qualification could affect some contract negotiations. Pulver has said he wants players to commit to sevens if they want to go to Rio but that only makes sense if the chance is actually on the table.

I might be hoping for Wales 7's to win 2 games tomorrow....

England have qualified GB for the Olympics, well done England 7's team.

Steve_rugby wrote:England have qualified GB for the Olympics, well done England 7's team.

Yes, well done. I'm looking forward to seeing Damian Hoyland play in Rio for the GB 7's team. He was the start man at Twickenham today and has impressed all through this years 7's series.

David-Douglas wrote:

Steve_rugby wrote:England have qualified GB for the Olympics, well done England 7's team.

Yes, well done. I'm looking forward to seeing Damian Hoyland play in Rio for the GB 7's team. He was the start man at Twickenham today and has impressed all through this years 7's series.

It will be interesting to see where Hoyland goes from here. He is contracted to Edinburgh and they will no doubt want to start integrating him into their 15 a side team, especially in the early part of the season when players are away at the WC. On his performances on the sevens circuit this year, he looks to have some potential.

Having said that it would not be fair to deny him the chance to play at the Olympics. The problem for the GB team is how they are going to integrate them all into a team and give them some meaningful competition before the event.

Of the other Scottish players, surely Riddell, Robertson, Johnson are worth a look at as well. Gregor has a great sevens brain, but may just be getting to old by then

USA beat Australia again in the final round. This time, though, it was to take the title, their first ever on the sevens circuit.

They beat Australia quite comfortably in the end, and did the same to England in the semi finals.

England looked tired in the 3rd/4th place loss to Fiji. Still they've ended the series strongly in the last few rounds and beating NZ again would have been sweet.

Quite a well-balanced series and it's good that one or two sides aren't completely dominating any more.

Great win for USA.