Maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series men’s title, ahead of RWC7s

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Maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series title ahead of RWC7s

Claiming their maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series men’s title ahead of the RWC7s tournament, it pairs perfectly with the Aussie 7s women’s title already secured,

While not being able to reach the Cup final at the just-completed Los Angeles 7s weekend, the 2022 World Series title is based on a successful and hugely consistent calendar year. Wins, placings, and a high-performing season was the perfect remedy to hold aloft the series crown.

With celebrations still occurring in Los Angeles, soon though all the qualified men’s and women’s teams can restore their energy ahead of traveling to Cape Town. That will be before crowning the 2022 men’s and women’s champions for another four years. And Australia will have high hopes that they can match New Zealand, and claim both titles for the very first time in the nation’s history.

Maiden titles are the most elusive ones, so especially after this recent Australian HSBC Sevens Series title win the Aussie men add their nation to a long, proud list of series winners.

Maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series men’s title ahead of RWC7s

Built over an entire season though mind you. That is where this maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series men’s title was built upon. Consistency, which is sometimes only just a word, yet when the numbers are counted, it’s proof that this group of Aussie rugby sevens players deserves their title.

With the London 7s title, they also claimed two-second places, and three-third placed finishes to add to a fourth place and a fifth. Just the one poor finish in Toulouse could have spoiled their path to glory – just ask South Africa about how it can all go wrong!

The Blitzboks are pulling their hair out currently, after yet another poor finish. In fact, South Africa gave up more points over the second half of the season, than any other team could have contemplated. Incomprehensible. Criminal, if you are Neil Powell and his group. How did that occur you might ask?

Yet again, pool round losses saw South Africa unable to reach the Cup playoff round. Bitterly disappointed yet again, Powell was unhappy with his team’s effort. “We conceded way more tries than usual, and that was very disappointing,” said Powell on news24.com.

“For me, the defensive effort from the players was too individualistic, and we did not trust the system. When we play as a unit, it brings us success, and that did not happen out there.”

On the other hand, a buoyant Aussie7s head coach John Manenti has cobbled together a World Series winning team, and they have built steadily over the past year. When the Blitzboks claimed the opening four tournaments; while the Fijian and New Zealand men were absent due to Omicron travel restrictions, it appeared like nobody could stop them. But Australia stayed determined, and stayed consistent in its output.

Assured game-to-game approach works for Aussie 7s men

The credit must be shared for this maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series title. Both across the playing group, as well as the wider group and coaching team. A real combined effort that was played out from Dubai in late November, right through to the group of men who ran out over this weekend in Los Angeles.

For one thing, individuals have never particularly shined in the gold jersey. Or should it be said, they are present yet all contribute – which is why the overall win was built over an aggregate of results; not just a singular event or two.

Head coach Manenti said, “It has been an amazing six months or so with the boys, we have had our ups and downs, but these kids have fought hard and they deserve this and it is something that they will remember forever.

“We are a bunch of misfits just having a crack, working hard for each other and the boys love each other which is a big thing.”

As reported by YahooSport.com, Manetti concluded “This season we wanted to be consistent from day one and we didn’t get there every tournament, but in general this overall victory is all about the consistency the boys have shown.”

Their ideals were matched by the women in 2022. They completed ‘the double’ when claiming the HSBC Sevens Series as well as the Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning performance. So the entire Aussie 7s organization is on a high – something visible in the faces of the men, as they earned bronze in Los Angeles, behind the triumphant New Zealand men; who defeated Fiji 28-21.

That fact may have been overshadowed by the accomplishment for Australia. It does not take away from the thrilling final day’s action. Watch the below highlights package, to see how the All Blacks 7s won the final, and how sides like Samoa peaked over this weekend.

Today is a day to celebrate the maiden Australian HSBC Sevens Series title. Nothing should take away from that. And with New Zealand bouncing back from their own disappointment of bronze at the Commonwealth Games to earn gold in Los Angeles, they still had to take a step sideways as the Aussie men matched their female counterparts, in holding aloft World Rugby Sevens gold of their own.

Full credit for a complete season’s performance. It helped them to better the early season Blitzbok form, as well as the efforts of Fiji and New Zealand that could not replace the accumulated effort of the Australian men’s side in 2022.

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Note: all sides will now point their attention toward the Rugby World Cup Sevens, September 9-11 in Cape Town

 

“Main photo credit courtesy of World Rugby Sevens Series twitter banner photo“

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