7s Boks on the brink

World champions in 15-a-side rugby and now seemingly poised to add success in the shorter version of the game, South Africa have a golden opportunity over the next 10 days to add the IRB Sevens World Series trophy to the cabinet for the very first time.

After a fine season, Paul Treu’s side lies far enough ahead of its nearest rivals to hold the destiny of the Series tightly in its grip, although mathematically they can still be caught at the line.

“It’s a tough one because we’re 28 points ahead of England and we need to go out there and really stuff it up if we’re not going to win it, but we’ve seen so many things happen in the past and the last thing we can afford is to become complacent,” said Treu.

Two seasons ago Fiji seemed to have the World Series in the palm of their hand, only to lose in the Edinburgh quarter finals against Wales and pave the way for New Zealand to snatch back the crown. Last season New Zealand had a chance to clinch overall glory in London, but lost in the Cup quarter finals against England and needed the Edinburgh event to rubber-stamp their title defence.

“It’s all about standards,” continued Treu. “We’ve set ourselves high standards and we started the season well by winning the first two events in Dubai and George, and we would like to finish on a high as well.

“It’s a difficult one because how do you keep your motivation? How do you keep going and shifting the boundaries, but I’ve told the players that New Zealand were in a similar situtation last year and maybe wanted to win it in the first tournament and we have to be careful not to make the same mistakes.”

Over the past few years Treu has been blessed with players of sublime talent, but never held onto them for long enough to build a concerted push for the title.

Kabamba Floors, Jonathan Mokuena, Phillip Burger, Stefan Basson, Marius Schoeman, Jaco Pretorius, Fabian Juries, Danwell Demas and Tobela Mdaka were often brilliant when they played, but this season the world of Sevens has witnessed the first effects of the coach’s new full-time set-up in Stellenbosch.

“Those guys were there and they definitely did a job for us but we needed something else as well, we needed a new emphasis, a new focus and vision and we wanted to win the World Series for the first time and then set ourselves up to win it on a consistent basis.

“New Zealand have set the standard over the past 10 years, and we wanted to change that.”

IRB Sevens World Series points (16-team event)
Cup winners – 20
Cup runners-up – 16
Losing Cup semi finalists (x2) – 12
Plate winners – 8
Plate runners-up – 6
Losing Cup quarter finalists & Plate semi finalists (x2) – 4
Bowl winners – 2

Pool A Low-down

South Africa

IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Cup Final, won v England 19-12
George: Cup Final, won v NZ 12-7
Wellington: Plate Final, won v Wales 26-12
San Diego: Cup Semi-final, lost v England 19-22
Hong Kong: Cup Final, lost v Fiji 24-26
Adelaide: Cup Final, won v Kenya 26-7
 
Current Series Position:
1st, 104 pts
 
London 2008:
Plate Final, lost v New Zealand 12-19

Odds-on to win a first ever IRB Sevens World Series now but will it be in London this weekend, or Edinburgh next week? England need to win the Cup at Twickenham to give themselves any chance, and hope that the Boks trip up. Judging by their consistency this season, though, that seems highly unlikely over two tournaments. Mzwandile Stick is now back to full fitness – a proven matchwinner – joining the likes of Gio Aplon, Renfred Dazel, Ryno Benjamin and Vuyo Zangqa as well as Robert Ebersohn, who plays the final two Sevens events before leaving for Japan to captain his country’s Under 20 side at the IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship. Watch out for Frankie Horne too, one of the finest forwards on show.

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Australia
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Plate SF, lost v Samoa 14-17
George: Bowl Final, lost v France 12-21
Wellington: Bowl SF, lost v Cook Isl. 10-28
San Diego: Bowl final, won v France 0-40
Hong Kong: Cup SF, lost v South Africa 10-24
Adelaide: Plate final, lost v England 19-24
 
Current Series Position:
8th, 20 pts
 
London 2008:
Bowl Final, won v Wales 19-12

Coach Michael O’Connor has been deprived of a number of his usual suspects for the European climax, either injured or on Under 20 duty, and was doubly unlucky to lose both rugby league convert Mark McLinden and Ben Lucas to injury in the same Super 14 match for the Queensland Reds last weekend. Most significantly the team’s top try scorer Luke Morahan is missing but the likes of veteran Willie Bishop, Will Brock, Shaun Foley and young Domonic Shipperley give them quality throughout the side.

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Wales

IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Bowl SF, lost v Portugal 0-24
George: Bowl SF, lost v Australia 19-22
Wellington: Plate Final, lost v South Africa 12-26
San Diego: Bowl SF, lost v Australia 24-26
Hong Kong: Plate SF, lost v Canada 10-19
Adelaide: Plate SF, lost v Australia 7-38
 
Current Series Position:
10th=, 12 pts

London 2008:
Bowl Final, lost v Australia 12-19

Six World Cup winners, including the captain Lee Beach and winning try-scorer Aled Thomas, return for coach Paul John as he looks to finish a fine season for Wales on a high. They may lie 10th in the World Series but that is more than made up for by victory at the four-yearly Rugby World Cup Sevens, in Dubai in March. Tal Selley is Wales’ outstanding player, at home among the very best, and look to him to spark John’s team to life.

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Germany

IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
First appearance
 
Current Series Position:
unranked, 0 pts
 
London 2008:
Did not compete

Only twice before have Germany competed in the World Series, in Paris and London in 2006. Since then they have gained in momentum, especially since the top table of European rugby chose to take the continent’s Sevens circuit finale to Hanover. The first tournament in 2008 proved a massive success and so too the form of the Germans. Ranked a surprising 26 in the world in 15-a-side rugby, they are learning quickly. London may come too soon for them to really compete in this tough pool but they will be organised and well drilled. One of their team, Tim Kasten, plays his rugby for Southend Rugby Club in England