• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

Sunday marks the third and penultimate instalment of National Sevens Series at the Manchester Sevens. (July 4). Current leaders Samurai took out for the first two legs at RugbyRocks and the West Country with another win at the weekend enough to clinch the overall Series.

Heywood Road (Sale FC) welcomes the nine core teams with three more guests joining the line-up; Great Britain Students, Sale Sharks, and Gameface Pacific Warriors.

Third placed HFW Wailers have a familiar looking squad set for Manchester but have the luxury of England Sevens international Jack Smales meeting up with the side. Joining the Wailers in Group C are the Gilbert Pups with Esher’s Mark Odejobi and the Cornish Pirates’ Mark Ireland set to don the pink.

GB Students include players from a range of universities such as Durham, Edinburgh, Northumbria, Newcastle and Oxford. Winger David Smith could be a key man for the youngster, another with international sevens pedigree.

The British Army are the closest challengers to Samurai and hope to welcome back Mark Lee and Viliame Satala. They will be favourites in Group B that also includes Olorun ID and the Pacific Warriors.

The ID have a different looking squad with six changes from two weeks ago. Daniel Legge, Gavin Jones, Mark Billings, Lee Sandberg, James Clark, and Chris Clarke are all brought in. The Warriors are captained by Ollie Thomas with recent Fiji international Josh Matevasi one to watch.

In Group D the Marauders again will rely on their youth to see them to the latter stages with Chris Rose making his National Series debut. Joining them will be core side Apache who could bring in Gavin Dampies, George Lucas, Sam Caven, and Dave Cole.

Guinness Premiership outfit Sale Sharks will be led by David Tait. Also playing are fellow trialists Rhys Crane, Lancashire hooker Charlie Baleirara and former Bristol fly half Danny Gray, recently released by Exeter Chiefs.

Samurai are missing a number of their IRB Sevens World Series stars that took them to victory at Keynsham RFC. They do have the luxury of bringing cross-code legend Henry Paul into their set-up. Paul in no stranger to sevens, proving himself to be an outstanding exponent of the abbreviated code for England in recent years.
Samurai are top seeds in Group A with Akuma Smurfs and Raging Bull Ronin.

The Welsh-based Smurfs include many of their regulars with strike runner John Wehbe a newcomer. Bottom placed Ronin keep faith with the majority of their squad with Tevita Toloi and Ashley Kalnins the only changes.

UR7s can confirm that both core sides Samurai International and the British Army will be part of the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham on August 14. The next two top placed National Series teams will also join them adding further incentive for the rest of the season.

National Sevens Series - Manchester Sevens Groups

Group A:
Samurai International
Akuma Smurfs
Raging Bull Ronin

Group B:
British Army
Olorun ID
Game Face Pacific Warriors

Group C:
HFW Wailers
Gilbert Pups
GB Students

Group D:
White Hart Marauders
Apache
Sale Sharks

National Sevens Series - Manchester Sevens Schedule

A Samurai International V Akuma Smurfs
B British Army V Pacific Warriors
C HFW Wailers V Gilbert Pups
D Marauders V Apache
A Samurai International V Ronin
B British Army V Olorun ID
C HFW Wailers V GB Students
D Marauders V Sale Sharks
A Smurfs V Ronin
B Pacific Warriors V Olorun ID
C Gilbert Pups V GB Students
D Apache V Sale Sharks

Cup Q/F #1 Winner A V R/U B
Cup Q/F #2 Winner C V R/U D
Cup Q/F #3 Winner B V R/U A
Cup Q/F #4 Winner D V R/U C
Plate Semi #1 3rd A V 3rd B
Plate Semi #2 3rd C V 3rd D
Cup Semi #1 Cup Q/F #1 V Cup Q/F #4
Cup Semi #2 Cup Q/F #2 V Cup Q/F #3
Plate Final V
Cup Final V

National Sevens Series Standings (after 2 events)

Samurai International 40 (pts)
British Army 28
HFW Wailers 24
White Hart Marauders 22
Gilbert Pups 20
Akuma Smurfs 20
Apache 20
Olorun ID 12
Raging Bull Ronin 8

Rugby Rocks - Samurai International
West Country Sevens - Samurai International
Manchester Sevens (July 4) -
Newquay Surf Sevens (July 17) -