2018-2019 World Sevens Series

[KiwiMurph]

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/377525/chiefs-release-nanai-seturo-for-all-black-sevens

The Chiefs have helped to ease the New Zealand men's sevens team's injury crisis.

The Super Rugby franchise has released Etene Nanai-Seturo from pre-season duty to join the All Blacks Sevens in South Africa, ahead of this weekend's world series tournament in Cape Town.

New Zealand suffered an unprecedented run of injuries in Dubai last weekend, with six players going down before and during the event.

[Stargazer]

Article from the All Blacks website where this info comes from:

http://www.allblacks.com/News/33529/dubai-success-could-be-a-sign-of-things-to-come

I hope that rookie Taylor Haugh will play better than he did at the Oceania Sevens. His passing was terrible in most games ; made a good try saving tackle in the last game though.

[Bovidae]

Would have been the ideal time to introduce Sevu Reece. NZR must have other ideas.

[Machpants]

@bovidae said in 2018-2019 World Sevens Series:

Sevu Reece

Is he eligible? Doesn't have a NZ passport I would guess

[Bovidae]

@machpants He was going to be eligible in Nov. Maybe he kept his Fijian passport for the Connacht contract.

But he did mention an interest in playing sevens and he burst onto the national scene in the Condors.

[Machpants]

He might be eligible for ABs (3 year residency) but not anything Olympic (passport), he has to have both. But yeah could be he has the pp now

[Stargazer]

All Blacks Sevens team for the Cape Town Sevens:

1 Trael Joass
2 Luke Masirewa
3 Tone Ng Shiu
4 Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
5 Dylan Collier
6 Vilimoni Koroi
7 Amanaki Nicole
8 Andrew Knewstubb
9 Etene Nanai-Seturo
10 Scott Gregory
11 Jona Nareki
12 Sione Molia

*Taylor Haugh is the travelling reserve.

Etene Nanai-Seturo makes a return to the All Blacks Sevens team in Cape Town after last turning out in the black jersey at the London Sevens in June.

Nanai-Seturo, Trael Joass and Taylor Haugh flew to Cape Town this week after the All Blacks Sevens team picked up five injuries in the led up to and during the Dubai Sevens. 

“Last weekend was quite testing with the injuries but we’ve had three good players join us who know how we want to play the game,” said Laidlaw.

Joass is a fully contracted member of the All Blacks Sevens squad, while Nanai-Seturo spent the 2017/18 season with the team and Haugh made his debut at the Oceania Sevens in Fiji last month.

.
Pool games

Saturday, 8 December (NZT)
11.49pm: v Zimbabwe

Sunday, 9 December (NZT)
3.10am: v Samoa
6.56am: v South Africa

Where to watch
Sky Sport Pop Up (Channel 55)

[Stargazer]

The Blitzboks will wear special jerseys during the Cape Town Sevens

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1070662926195920896

[Machpants]

ABs' 7s lost to Samoa with a last minute try in the second game, and needed a last minute try vs Boks to stay in the hunt for the Cup. It would have been the first time they've ever not made it out of the pools. They smashed Zimbabwe.

35-0 v Zimbabwe
17-21 v Samoa
26-21 v Boks

[KiwiPie]

@machpants said in 2018-2019 World Sevens Series:

ABs' 7s lost to Samoa with a last minute try in the second game, and needed a last minute try vs Boks to stay in the hunt for the Cup. It would have been the first time they've ever not made it out of the pools. They smashed Zimbabwe.

35-0 v Zimbabwe
17-21 v Samoa
26-21 v Boks

No they needed a last minute try scored with seconds left in order for a final play to score the try to win the game. Scored by Koroi who made up for earlier going for glory against Samoa with seconds left, throwing a speculator that Samoa went down the other end with.

[Siam]

I petulantly stormed away from the tele at 21-14 to the boks.

Sevens is hard on me ticker. Some win though!

[Stargazer]

I missed the games against Samoa and S Africa, but saw this on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1071524977176920064

[Stargazer]

Ha, and this:

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1071480742406995968

[Stargazer]

And the winning try:

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1071475681295511552

A brilliant, flat pass from Knewstubb in the lead-up by the way.

[antipodean]

@stargazer said in 2018-2019 World Sevens Series:

I missed the games against Samoa and S Africa, but saw this on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1071524977176920064

That's a hell of a pass.

[Bones]

@stargazer if only it had meant that much to retain the record against Titch. Good on Gordon though.

Some really lacklustre stuff from NZ today, absolutely awful in the first half of the first game and half the team looking like they're asleep this game. Knewstubb is lost in space. Masirewa, Koroi and Molia (looking every bit a captain) looking like the only ones who really wanna be there.

[taniwharugby]

@antipodean one in the next clip was mighty fine too!

[Bovidae]

I've just watched the replays of the NZ games. I hope we haven't used up all our luck with the final kickoff in the SA game. If a SA player dives on the loose ball the ref calls a scrum and game over.

NZ is on the better side of the draw now and avoids Fiji until a final if both teams advance.

[Stargazer]

The Cup QF between the AB7s and Australia is at 11.48pm NZT. Sky Pop-up 2 (channel 56).

[Stargazer]

Two tries to the AB7s in the first four minutes. The first a great try from Nanai-Seturo, stepping his way through the Aussie defence.
Then Amanaki Nicole scoring the second. Both tries converted by Knewstubb.

Longbottom hits back to get the Aussies on the board.

After the half time hooter, Nicole scores his second. Knewstubb converts again.

HT: NZ 21 - 5 Australai

By the way, the AB7s have another injury: Luke Masirewa. Taylor Haugh has come onto the bench.