As I said in my National Series Power V, I am also going to make my predictions for the weekend’s opening leg at RugbyRocks.

I expect these some of these will be wrong, but I hope not! For players, fans and management of the teams that I haven’t back here I apologise. They will no doubt be in uproar with me, but this is why I like writing these articles. The first ever National Sevens Series is almost here.

National Sevens Series - RugbyRocks

Group A - 1st. Gilbert Pups, 2nd. Akuma Smurfs, 3rd. French Pyrenees

The Pups will have too much for the Smurfs even without their Esher guys and will also win a tight one against the men from France. The Smurfs, smarting from an early defeat will come back and win their way through to the Cup Quarter Finals. Pyrenees down to to the Plate.

Group B - 1st. HFW Wailers, 2nd. Esher, 3rd. Olorun ID

The Wailers v Olorun ID is the second game of the tournament and I think the ID will look good in this game but still go down by a try. Wailers will then put away Esher in what looks like being a great game of sevens. Olorun will have one of their Jekyll and Hyde games and lose convincingly to Esher.

Group C - 1st. British Army, 2nd White Hart Marauders, 3rd Raging Bull Ronin

Both the Marauders and the Army will defeat Ronin convincingly I fell. But it is the game at the beginning of the day that is the one to watch (10.40). The Army will do as they did at Bournemouth last week and play the possession game beating the Marauders into second place

Group D - 1st - Samurai International, 2nd. Irish Raiders, 3rd. Apache

Samurai will be too good for both of their opponents in Group D. The interesting game will be for second place. I am going with Irishmen winning and leaving Apache to become the second 'core' side to lose to an invitational on the day.

Plate semi-finals

#1 French Pyrenees v Olorun ID

Tough day for the French. After looking average all morning suddenly with the sniff of some prize money Olorun will wake up and people will wonder what happened against Esher earlier in the day.

Winner - Olorun ID

#2 Raging Bull Ronin v Apache

Rematch of the 3rd/4th place game at London Rugby Festival, that Apache won, I see them winning again here after a tough morning for Ronin in the Group of Death. A fresher Apache side to make the Final.

Winner - Apache

Cup quarter-finals

#1 Gilbert Pups v Esher

See what I did here? Pups face off against their own registered players in the first quarter-final. The invitational exponents will come out on top but in a cracking game. This one will be end-to- end with the result in doubt until the end.

Winner - Gilbert Pups

#2 HFW Wailers v Akuma Smurfs

This is going to be one sided. I just have a feeling that it's going to be a good weekend for the Wailers and the Welshmen are going to be on the end of their best performance of the day. The Smurfs having stepped up to this level for the first time, might just be a little too pleased with a quarter-final appearance and might lack that desire.

Winner - HFW Wailers

#3 British Army v Irish Raiders

This is one of the matches I am most looking forward to. The Army will once again play the possession game trying to break down their opponents, but the Irishmen will match them at the breakdown and get their own fair share of the ball themselves. British Army Sevens experience to pull through in a game that’s not to be missed.

Winner - British Army

#4 Samurai International v White Hart Marauders

The meeting of two great rivals! The 10.10 draw in Bury earlier in the season shows just how close this might be. The Marauders have the potential to beat Samurai but I don't think it's going to be this weekend. The Marauders are going to need a week for the side to really blend. The bulk of the Samurai side that won in Amsterdam three weeks ago we be in London. That winning experience is going to tell in a low-scoring game.

Winner - Samurai International

Cup semi-finals

#1 Gilbert Pups v British Army

The Pups will be pleased to of made the semi-finals, given the player availability issues, but will have an eye on the final. The Army will have one thing on their minds and that's winning RugbyRocks. The Army tend to have an 'off-game' in most tournaments but this won't be the one, with the power possession game being too much and seeing the Pups lose in what must be about their 8th semi-final across Europe in the past 2 years.

Winner - British Army

#2 Samurai International v HFW Wailers

This is going to be a cracking game. The Wailers want nothing more but to beat their Amsterdam nemesis and they feel that if things had gone their way in Holland this year they would have done. Samurai will be a little more battle hardened by this point in the day compared to the Wailers’ slightly easier route to the semi-finals. But with this the Wailers will be fresh. So hard to call but I am going with the HFW Wailers to get the win they so crave.

Winner - HFW Wailers

Plate final

Olorun ID v Apache

My feeling is that these two will build themselves quite the little rivalry this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if they played one another every week at some stage of each tournament. The ID are in-form and their win against the French earlier on will set them up well for this. Apache will be keen to show a number of their doubters wrong and come away with something from the day. Given the problems Apache face this weekend, I feel the result may depend on how Olorun play rather than Apache and with that, Apache will come out on top.

Rugby Rocks - National Series Plate Winner - Apache

Cup final

HFW Wailers v British Army

These two played in Rome a few years back and it was a great game. The Wailers play a fluid game of Sevens that is blended with some serious beef up front that can match the pacific power of the Army. The Army can become frustrated if you get into them in defense and I really feel this is how this game might play out. I am going out on a limb… but the Wailers will be top of the rankings next week if I'm right!

Rugby Rocks - National Series Cup Winner - HFW WAILERS

See you down at Richmond,

JB