2016-2017 World Sevens Series

[Stargazer]

Update: The NZ Borneo Eagles have won the Cup Final of the Borneo 7s Tournament, just like last year. In the Final, they beat Tribe 7s 19 to 14.

Earlier today, they won the QF 21-17 against DBKL and the SF 34-0 against Sabah Eagles.

Here's the team photo, so we can see who some of these fringe AB7s are. Several familiar faces, but - as usual - I cannot put names to them, except Jonathan Ruru (holds trophy with ribbon) and Mason Emerson (front row, with bandage below his right knee). Edit: Billy Ropiha is not in this group, but maybe he's injured.

[Stargazer]

Pools for the Hong Kong Sevens - 7-9 April 2017 (only played in the men's series):

Tough pool with must-wins against Wales and Japan, because Fiji might be too strong again.

[Stargazer]

Interesting to read how carefully NZR is planning the rugby future of Koroi (and players like him), and the way they're hoping to build a seamless transition back and forth between the All Blacks 7s and Super Rugby/All Blacks.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sevens/90818780/NZ-Rugby-plots-a-course-for-star-in-the-making-Vilimoni-Koroi

[Stargazer]

All Blacks 7s squad for the Hong Kong 7s:

Scott Curry - Captain (Bay of Plenty)
Dylan Collier (Southland)
DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
Iopu Iopu-Aso (Taranaki)
Trael Joass ( Ta$man)
Vilimoni Koroi (Otago)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Sione Molia (Counties Manukau)
Joe Ravouvou (Auckland)
Isaac Te Tamaki (Waikato)
Beaudein Waaka (Taranaki)
Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty)

Thirteenth player:
Andrew Knewstubb ( Ta$man)

Travelling reserve:
Sam Dickson (Canterbury)

Pool games in NZT:
Friday 7th April 2017
11.32pm: v Wales

Saturday 8th April 2017
4.50pm: v Japan
9.12pm: v Fiji

Where to watch in NZ?
Sky Sport 6 (ch 56)

http://www.allblacks.com/News/30580/all-blacks-sevens-team-for-hong-kong-named

[Bones]

Collier selected over Dickson. Now I've seen it all.

[antipodean]

When does the coach turn up?

[Stargazer]

As you can read in the article on the All Blacks website, this week are also the Hong Kong 10s and several fringe AB7s (or players coming back from injury) will take part. For example, Joe Webber, Tone Ng Shiu, Lewis Ormond and Teddy Stanaway will play for the Penguins. The same team also includes Johan Bardoul, Tau Koloamatangi, Bay of Plenty's Jesse Parete and Lalakai Foketi, and North Harbour flanker Hapakuki Moala-Liava’a. If experience from previous years is something to go by, other teams will have a few Kiwis on their team lists as well (that page of the website hasn't been updated yet).

Draw: http://www.hongkongtens.com/match.php?cid=10

NZT = Hong Kong time + 4 hours

The GFI HKFC 10s is broadcast live on the official website (www.hongkongtens.com) and YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/hkfc10s

[Stargazer]

@Bones Was thinking the same thing. I just don't get these selections some times. The coaches must see things at training that we don't see during the tournament. :thinking:

[Stargazer]

@antipodean After his last season with London Irish has finished. According to the NZ Herald, he starts at 1 June.

[Bovidae]

There are a few players in that squad that have looked ordinary so I wouldn't be pointing the finger at just Collier. Iopu-Aso is one of them.

[Bones]

@Bovidae I'm quite happy to point the finger at Collier, a constant under-performer who is extremely prone to glaring and costly errors.

[Duluth]

Good to see Ravouvou added. I was surprised he wasn't selected after the national 7's

He's got the attributes you would expect - big, fast etc - but it was his decision making stood out in the provincial 7's. In particular his decisions on defence saved Aucklands arse a few times

Hopefully that ability stays with him at international level.

[Stargazer]

About the Hong Kong Tens:
Just watched the Penguins with all those Kiwis, including AB7s players. They beat the Silver Dragons 36 to 0.
The stream quality is not great, and the commentary is terrible (more general chat than commentating).

In the draw, if you click on the "i" on the right, you can see the team line-ups ("show players"). As I said, quite a few Kiwis also in other teams. To give a few examples: Regan King in the Irish Vikings squad; Penikolo Latu (former Magpies & Waikato Dev player) playing for UBB Gavekal; Isaac Ross, Atunaisa Masirewa, Cardiff Vaega for the Asia Pacific Dragons; Luke Masirewa for A-Trade Overseas Old Boys; Sam Vaka, Penitoa Finau, Kurt Eklund, Baden Kerr & Mark Jackman for Tradition YCAC; Trent Hape (2016 Hastings BHS) for GoCloudWifi East Africans.

[Stargazer]

Penguins (with its AB7s players) have lost the Cup Final of the Hong Kong Tens to UBB Gavekal (with its Fiji 7s contracted players).

[taniwharugby]

@Stargazer I see Aorangi Stokes was named player of the tournament (was also captain)

Has looked very good in his limited minutes for Northland

[Bovidae]

Ruan Du Plooy is a halfback from the Hautapu club. He played a few games for Waikato.

Koloamatangi is over in Hong Kong as part of the Chiefs partnership.

[Stargazer]

@Stargazer said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:

All Blacks 7s squad for the Hong Kong 7s:

Scott Curry - Captain (Bay of Plenty)
Dylan Collier (Southland)
DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
Iopu Iopu-Aso (Taranaki)
Trael Joass ( Ta$man)
Vilimoni Koroi (Otago)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Sione Molia (Counties Manukau)
Joe Ravouvou (Auckland)
Isaac Te Tamaki (Waikato)
Beaudein Waaka (Taranaki)
Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty)

Thirteenth player:
Andrew Knewstubb ( Ta$man)

Travelling reserve:
Sam Dickson (Canterbury)

Pool games in NZT:
Friday 7th April 2017
11.32pm: v Wales

Saturday 8th April 2017
4.50pm: v Japan
9.12pm: v Fiji

Where to watch in NZ?
Sky Sport 6 (ch 56)

Geez, things are starting really well for the AB 7s again. Captain Scott Curry has been ruled out out of the tournament because he had the flu this week.

DJ Forbes will take over as captain, and Sam Dickson will take his place in the 12-men team.

[Stockcar86]

Japanese women beat South Africa to become a core team

[Stargazer]

@Stockcar86 said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:

Japanese women beat South Africa to become a core team

It will be interesting to see which of the current eleven core teams (Australia, NZ, Canada, England, USA, France, Russia, Fiji, Spain, Ireland and Brazil) will drop out next year and make way for Japan. With half of the women's series played, a top 9 seems to be forming, with one of the remaining two teams (Spain & Brazil) most likely to drop out.

The men's qualifier will also be played this weekend. With 6 of the 10 tournaments played, Russia & Japan are the two countries (out of 15 core teams) fighting to keep their core status.

[Stargazer]

Geez, Perry Baker is so quick!