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

If there is one thing legendary New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens is good at is uncovering talent through his Sevens programme. Lomu, Cullen, Rush, and Vito are just some that have prospered through the abbreviated code and kicked on. So who’s next? Counties Manukau flyer Sherwin Stowers has put his hand already this season with an outstanding return of 15 tries from the first two legs of the IRB Sevens World Series.

Stowers’ scores and quick feet have catapulted the Kiwis to the perfect start to their 2009/10 campaign with two tournament victories with their home leg, the NZI Sevens (5-6 Feb) in Wellington, approaching fast.

Robin Heymann spoke to ‘Sherz’ about his Sevens experiences over the last few years, Gordon Tietjens, and the major lessons Sevens has taught him.
 

So Sherwin, how has testing training been at your Mt Maunganui training camp?

It’s been tough with lots of testing and at times difficult, but the boys are staying in there with the hard fitness.

Did you enjoy some time off after you got back from South Africa?

We had a week off after Dubai and George and then it was the Christmas holidays, but we all still managed to stay fit, healthy and keep in shape. A few weeks ago we had the Nationals which I played in. We’ve been back with our Provinces and starting to get back into it again.

Were you surprised how well the side have done so far this season?

It was quite a shock, because compared to some other teams like Fiji and South Africa, who had played some tournaments in the build up, we had only just finished playing the Air New Zealand Cup in the 15-a-side game. We came together for a two week camp but it was still a shock. It just proves that with some hard work and everyone buying into what you can achieve.

After last year’s disappointment, how determined were the side to start well?

The boys were a bit gutted from what went on last year and we wanted to start the season with a bang to let people know we were back on the board and back in the hunt.

What was the key to the side’s success?
We really work hard both on and off the field. Everyone knew their roles and i think that really showed itself on the field at both tournaments.

As an eight-year old you once scored eight tries in a match?! Have you always loved getting over the line?

Ha, yeah that was a long time ago! But I love scoring tries and that’s my job. That’s what I’m in the team to do, to finish off the hard work in the middle of the field that the boys do. It’s a tribute to them really.
Can you tell UR7s about your experiences playing Sevens before you joined this season’s World Series?
Yeah I actually played in Dubai before for the English charity, Sporting Chance (Samurai) in the International Invitational section.

We actually went onto win the tournament and it was a great experience to be play with the English boys. I’ve played in tournaments in Japan, and the Rome Sevens and Darwin Hottest Sevens. Teams like New Zealand Metro, Sevens Kings, Yokohama, Auckland, have rung me up to see if I fancied a run. I’ve had a lot of experience which has helped me in this season.

What are your aims for the rest of the season?

I’m working hard to get selected for the next two tournaments and would love to have played in all of them this year and then the Commonwealth Games.

How exciting a prospect is it to play in front of a home crowd in Wellington?

Yeah I can’t wait for that, most of the boys are really excited for it as it’s our home town. There’s a lot of pressure for us to do well here especially amongst the media but we’re not too bothered about that. We just want to enjoy the experience.

Have you ever been to the NZI Sevens as a fan?

No I haven’t actually, this is my first time. But I’ve heard heaps about it and that it’s definitely the best party on the Sevens circuit!

How have you enjoyed working with Gordon Tietjens?

Titch’s record speaks for itself, the amount of tournament’s he has won. He’s an awesome coach technically. Each team we come up against we play a different style and brand of sevens. The tournaments’ we have won all come down to his game-plan and the structures he puts into it. He’s as we would day ‘defined on fitness’ and us working as hard as we can.

And playing with veterans of the WSS like DJ Forbes and Zar Lawrence?

Yeah those guys have been around the circuit for a long time now and work hard on and off the pitch. You really don’t want to let them down.

What’s the major lesson that Sevens has taught you?

Work ethic is the major lesson i’ve learnt in Sevens, especially compared to the 15 man game. You can’t hide. What you do off the field to prepare is crucial too.

Are you worried about being a marked man for the rest of the season?

I’m just going to play my natural game, if the opposition pay to much attention on me it will leave holes elsewhere for the other boys!

Which opposition team and player do you find it a challenge to play against on the WSS?

The most challenging team is Kenya. They are tall and lanky and it’s hard to bring them down. Most challenging player is Collins Injera. He can be a real handful in the games, so I have to really be on my guard so he doesn’t out play me!

Will you to look to follow in the footsteps of your Counties Manukau teammate and former New Zealand Sevens player Tim Nanai-Williams and play Super 14 Rugby?

I’m definitely hoping to get some good exposure from the Sevens and then enjoy it and then push onto Super 14 that’s definitely a next goal for me.