30 WORDS FOR 16 TEAMS
Heading into the 2nd leg (Rounds 3 & 4) of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, we wanted to give you roughly 30 words on the 16 men’s teams, setting the landscape for the upcoming tournaments in Wellington & Sydney. Below are the teams in the order they currently sit in the standings:
South Africa (41 Pts)
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This team, defined by its speed & defensive ferocity, has finished each of the last four series as runners-up. Needless to say, 2nd place is getting tiresome for SA. After a blazing start and two straight finals appearances to start 2016-17, is this the year they get over the hump?
England (39 PTS)
England’s stars came to play in Dubai & Cape Town. Dan Norton picked up both tournaments’ DHL Impact Player Awards & is primed for one massive season. If he continues his hot play, England will be in good standing.
Fiji (32 Pts)
Finishing second & third respectively is considered a ‘slow’ start by Fiji’s standards. With a new coach/personnel, adjustments can take time, but odds are they figure it out sooner rather than later. The defending champions will head into Wellington hungry.
Scotland (27 Pts)
Since winning the London leg to end last season, Scotland has turned a corner and is looking more composed every game. Look out for another gold medal finish this season.
New Zealand (27 Pts)
Home turf has been kind to NZ, as they have won 5 of the last 6 tournaments in Wellington. With the crowd behind them, the All Blacks will look to ascend the standings.
Wales (25 Pts)
Wales only has one top-six finish in the last 15 years. After the first two rounds, they didn’t finish outside of the top six. We are looking at a stronger Welsh team this season.
Australia (18 Pts)
The Wallabies stumbled out the gate of 2016-17 and they were a shade of what they can be going forward. Having the next leg in their corner of the world will be a difference-maker & set them up for success.
USA (18 Pts)
Pace, pace, & pace. If the USA can make teams play them in a game of line breaks & foot speed, they will win the majority of the time. But that is easier said than done.
France (18 Pts)
Two words: Terry Bouhraoua. He leads the 2016-17 Series in points (by far) & has been nearly unstoppable. France needs more of its vets to play closer to his level if they are to medal.
Kenya (17 Pts)
Possibly the most eccentric and lovable team on tour, Kenya has beaten all the favourites in the past year & topped the podium in Singapore. They are not done yet.
Argentina (12 Pts)
Consistency is key. This is a workhorse of a team and they have balance throughout their roster without boasting a prominent superstar. They are a dark horse for a medal every round.
Samoa (8 Pts)
Legendary (former) New Zealand coach, Sir Gordon Tietjens, officially takes the reigns of Samoa in January. A strong performance in Wellington would make for a great homecoming.
Canada (6 Pts)
Some great games against Fiji & New Zealand in the first leg showed promise, but with all the changes Canada saw in the offseason, they need more time playing together.
Russia (6 Pts)
Sitting near the bottom of the Tries Scored list, it is evident Russia needs to find some more offense as we gear up for Wellington & Sydney.
Japan (2 Pts)
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Japan impressed last year, earning themselves core status on the series & playing their way to 4th at the Rio Olympics. After 2 rounds of the 2016-17 Series, they didn’t expect to be on the bottom.
Papua New Guinea (0 Pts)
PNG has nothing to lose. As the invitational team for the next leg, expect them to show up, play hard, and enjoy the experience. The beauty of rugby sevens is anyone can win on any day!
Vancouver is the sixth stop along the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2016-17 and falls on March 11/12. If you want to see these 16 teams in action when the come to town, you can get tickets through the button below!
