Day One of the Wellington Sevens tournament was, at the very least, full of surprises. Fiji stunning New Zealand with their early win, and solid form throughout yesterday, set Westpac Stadium alight. The brutal, quick and relentless pace of the always exciting Fiji players made for a highlight reel of dreams.
Speaking of dream runs, Canada has certainly stamped its mark on the Wellington Sevens series, successfully defeating Argentina, Scotland and USA in an undeniable show of strength. John Moonlight said yesterday he was wanting consistency. He got it. Canada has emphatically shown Las Vegas was no anomaly, the Red Nation deserves to be in the Quarter Finals, and they deserve the respect they have earned from fans and the rugby community.
What To Expect on Day Two of the Wellington Sevens Tournament
Day Two takes the intensity of yesterday and raises it exponentially. This is the time where legacies are made, and where results will have all sorts of ramifications on the leadership table. Steady rain has fallen overnight which will make for a wet, heavy pitch which may impact game play and will likely have a number of teams rethinking strategies.
The Cup Quarter Finals draw also has the potential to see a few massive upset victories. England, after winning all three of their games including defeating South Africa, can not be overlooked as a potential semi finalist. Similarly South Africa, the on form team of the series, are set to push through to another finals series if they can overcome the Australian hurdle they face. Argentina have certainly made a lot of people sit up and take notice with their Quarters berth against the monster that is Fiji.
Of course the one that I’m struggling with is Canada facing off against New Zealand. On the one hand we have a team that has battled hard to gain the recognition they deserve. If Canada can pull of a win against the Kiwis it will no doubt be the biggest upset victory in Wellington Sevens history for some time to come. Can they do it? New Zealand have long been one of the most dominant sides in Sevens rugby, but the fact remains they are not invincible. Fiji have succeeded, as has South Africa. To fall in the Quarters would be a huge blow, both to the psyche of the team and to their points. However it must be acknowledged, while the Canadians have an uphill battle ahead of them, if they pull together and can play the game on their terms, it’s not impossible.
In simple terms, today is going to see some of the hardest, and met intense rugby action of the series. Nobody will surrender, no body will want their campaign to end, and everybody will be playing out of their boots for themselves, their team and their country.
Today we will see whole will reign supreme. Today a victor will be crowned. Today we will see one team take all the glory, and Last Word on Sport will be there to bring it all to you.
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Main Photo Credit: Martin Seras Limas via IRB.com used with permission
