The Paris Sevens started with a bang on Friday night with the opening matches, and the action continued in the same vein on Saturday morning as teams fought for their spot in the cup quarter finals.
All the big guns breezed through their opening games at the Stade Jean-Bouin but the pick of the day were the Argentinians, who outwitted the Americans 36-0 and as Last Word On Sports predicted earlier, when they brought in the big guns from Super Rugby they would step up a gear–and they did.
The Fijians ran rampant against their South Seas neighbors Samoa, New Zealand (NZL) left it late against Kenya to win, but it’s ‘Viva Les Bleus’ as the hosts top their pool and Australia look to halt Fiji from their quest to retain the HSBC Sevens Series title.
Paris Sevens: Day Two ‘The LOWDOWN’
Pool A (Kenya, NZL, Russia, Portugal)
New Zealand had to wait until the buzzer to pick up another victory over the Singapore Sevens champs Kenya, as Gilles Kaka took a quick tap after Kenya were penalized in the ruck, that final try saw the Kiwi’s win by two points and top this pool. Brothers Akira and Rieko Ioane again taking up the mantle of ‘game changers’ to help their team overcome Kenya who have really stepped up their game, continuing the strong form in Singapore.
Young forwards, Akira, Teddy Stanaway, Lewis ‘Shadowhunter’ Ormond and Dylan Collier have really stepped up here at the Paris Sevens and the future of New Zealand Sevens is in good hands. Baring anymore injuries, they go into Sunday looking full of attacking power and that ‘never say die’ attitude.
In the battle for survival [RUSvPOR] it was Ilay Babaev who came off the bench and won the game for the Russians right at the buzzer. Crossing over in the corner after some weak Portuguese defending, Babaev and his team mates were ecstatic with the result. They now each progress to Sunday’s Bowl competition but sadly, it’s highly unlikely will be seeing the Los Lobos in the series next season.
Pool A Results:
Kenya 29-14 Portugal | NZL 35-10 Russia | Kenya 22-7 Russia | NZL 31-0 Portugal | Portugal 12-17 Russia | Kenya 17-19 NZL
Pool B (Fiji, Samoa, Scotland, Wales)
Fiji ran riot in Pool B and completely annihilated Samoa 42-5 in the crucial pool decider, as the battle of the English coaches continues. This time, Ben Ryan had the winning formula over Damian McGrath. Fiji was all over the Samoans, ‘bullying the bully’ as they like to say and it was sweet revenge too for the Fijians who had lost in recent times to the Manu.
The added thrust brought in by European-based players was the major difference, as they have brought with them the physicality and thrust which was missing in the final against Kenya in Singapore. Even without rested stars Pio Tuwai and Semi Kunatani, the series leaders still have the depth to get them another title this weekend you would assume.
Samoa could really boost their team if they called up the likes of Tim Nanai-Williams, Paul Perez. David Lemi, David Tusitala and Patrick Fa’apale to help them in Monaco [18-19 June] where they try to win in that important repechage tournament, to hopefully book their spot in Rio. For this weekend, they must re-group and focus on the next challenge on Sunday.
Scotland and Wales had another Celtic showdown. This time it was the Scots that came through convincingly, winning 35-7 in their last match of the day and only just missed out on a Cup quarter final spot, after Samoa came from behind to pip them 17-12 earlier in the day.
Pool B Results:
Fiji 38-12 Scotland | Samoa 52-10 Wales | Fiji 33-14 Wales | Samoa 17-12 Scotland | Scotland 35-7 Wales | Fiji 42-5 Samoa
Pool C (RSA, Australia, England, Brazil)
South Africa (RSA) kept their chance alive in dethroning Fiji from winning another Series title, as they pushed the Aussies aside 31-0 in their final pool game. Both teams were missing some of their stars, but the well drilled Blitzboks were a cut above them.
Australia will now meet Fiji in the quarter finals and they have stopped them before, that fact will be the major motivating factor for Andy Friend and his boys, as they try to derail Fiji from fulfilling there back-to-back series crown goal.
England, without it’s senior players looked liked a ‘school rugby team’ honestly, but this group of youngsters will be the faces that will take England back to greater heights in years to come, as they are combining and refining their know-how of the game. The pain now will be a gain in the future for these players.
Brazil will be really proud of their outing in France, as they managed to put some tries up against England and more scoring like this in the next two months will make them a better team come Rio. They will likely be a team there to compete and not to just ‘make up he numbers’ as they are perceived to be right now.
Pool C Results:
RSA 24-5 England | Australia 38-0 Brazil | South Africa 30-7 Brazil | Australia 24-19 | England 38-12 Brazil
Pool D (Argentina, France, USA, Canada)
Les Bleus stopped the Pumas in there tracks 26-12 to top Pool B, and with the hope of the nation behind them they will fight for a good finish tomorrow. Hopefully they can get over their ‘finals day blues’ where they always falter and thus giving away games too easily in the past but with Virimi Vakatawa (pictured) in one of his beast moods, they can repeat the feat their brothers did in 2005. On that day they humiliated a star-studded Fiji side led by a certain Waisale Serevi, as they won their only Cup final in their Sevens Series history.
Argentina completely lost the plot in that final pool game where they allowed France to dictate play and they also gave away far too much space for Vakatawa to move in, thus freeing his supporting players and they turned it in to points. The Pumas have stepped up before and their battle against the Kiwis in the Cup quarter finals tomorrow will be a game to watch.
The disappointments of this tournament are the American side (USA) who look like a team learning the craft for the first time rather then experts, as they allowed teams to nullify the attacking potential they have in their arsenal. Surely it is about time that they seriously think of bringing back Andrew Durutalo and Shalom Sinuola to add more dimension to their attack and most of all, tighten up those loose defense.
Their only positive result was the win over the Canadians, to continue that age-old border battle between the North Americans. To ever go up to the Cup stages, both sides need to perform consistently and that will be disappointing for both sides.
Pool Results:
Argentina 36-0 USA | France 42-5 Canada | Argentina 28-7 Canada | France 24-12 USA | USA 33-12 Canada | Argentina 14-26 France
_________________________________________________________________
Fixtures For Finals Day:
Bowl Quarter Final
- Russia vs Canada
- Scotland vs Brazil
- USA vs Portugal
- England vs Wales
Cup Quarter Final
- New Zealand vs Argentina
- South Africa vs Samoa
- France vs Kenya
- Fiji vs Australia
The play-offs spots have been booked and the Aussies have a huge task in trying to stop Fiji’s run to victory. The Kiwis can also get that task done to, provided they get through the Pumas for a dream semi final against the Blitzboks, but all that will be seen tomorrow as ‘anything can happen’ and if you don’t show up, you will be sent packing for the season finale (earlier than you had hoped for)
Who will it be? the Fijians, Kiwis, Aussies, even the high-flying Kenyans. Or will the hosts surprise them all?
Follow all the LOWDOWN from the Paris Sevens, here with Last Word On Sports.
“Main Picture:”
