Pools for the Cape Town Sevens:
Pool A
South Africa, USA, Fiji, Japan
Pool B
New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Wales
Pool C
England, France, Spain, Scotland
Pool D
Samoa, Australia, Ireland, Kenya
Pool A and Pool D are the difficult pools definitely.
Opening game against Japan is vital for Blitzboks in putting points on the board which Fiji failed to do last week.
It is not clear which players will be in the SA squad and the pools may make a difference. However - I agree Pool A is a very difficult one to be in.
I doubt very much whether Fiji would be as flat as they were in Dubai. The USA could also provide serious competition in that pool.
However, like on tests level Erasmus has proved to be the best in the business - on Sevens level Powell is the same. They study the opposition through a microscope and get the players to buy in on the plans they present to them. Unlike under previous coaches the players feel happy to get to the top under Powell and Erasmus and they seems as a team toc o-operate well in the planning of games.
Powell knows that he will have to counter the physicality of the Fijian and USA teams whose pace is likely to be less. That will influence some of the selections and a bigger emphasis placed on physicality. I can see Visser and Kok is the squad to play in Cape Town.
Under these circumstances I am optimistic about a good showing by the Blitzbokke.
Pool D - Kenya and Ireland drew the match so the point difference made Ireland no 1 and Kenya no 2.
Pool C - France beat England convincingly so France no 1 and Scotland no 2
Pool B - New Zealand beat Argentina narrowly so NZ no 1 and Argentina no 2
Pool A - South Africa no 1 - Fiji no 2
Two yellows against the USA couldn't stop them from winning......amazing!
Thee quarterfinals are as follows:-
1 SA vs Kenya
2 France vs Argentina
3 Ireland vs Fiji
4 NZ vs Scotland
My guess is that the semi's will be between
1 SA vs France
2 NZ vs Fiji
Lets wait and see - another final between NZ and SA is highly likely,
However, the semi's will be between -
* SA and France; and
* New Zealand vs Fiji
Sa will have to play a lot better than they did in the semi if they want to g o through to the final and Fiji is unpredictable and may try to take their revenge for their Dubai debacle,
Another SA - NZ final. NZ can best SA and draw level on the log - but I have a feeling SA has their number in Sevens.
There is something wrong with Fiji - they do not seem to be the team they used to be - not enough pace and their defense is poor.
Yep ,Jerry Tuwai the player of the last season not shaping this season yet for Fiji.
Blitz Bokke seem to battle away each first half and then leave everyone behind in the second halves.
'Sa will have to play a lot better than they did in the semi if they want to go through to the final'.....another Wanker classic.
Flopbokke moolaa?
Ja Moz, everyone can see these blunders, but sometimes some of the reactions are even bigger blunders.
Congrats to New Zeeland on winning a close match. I think this year might be a close affair between these two teams. New Zeeland on the up again.
We had a tough pool ,showed in the end.Boks were a little ragged,don't worry about that skew line-out throw from the ABs,refs don't blow much line-outs in sevens.
The only other team worth mentioning was France,good to watch as well as the consistent Argentinans ,all they lack is a good game breaker.
