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Tom Chick

This weekend sees the IRB Sevens World Series return to action in Adelaide for a three-day, fifth leg, festival starting on Friday with the first round of pool matches.

Having reached the half way point with New Zealand leading Samoa by 14 points on the circuit, the Adelaide Oval will host the Sevens juggernaut as action kicks off once more.

Pool A – New Zealand, Argentina, Scotland, Tonga

The Series leaders New Zealand appear to have a relatively easy pool on paper, but that means any of Scotland, Tonga and Argentina could reach the Cup quarter finals, with Argentina having a disappointing campaign so far lying in eighth only four points clear of Wales.

Adelaide, however, is one two stop on the current IRB Sevens World Series tour (the other being Las Vegas after their loss to Samoa) that New Zealand hasn’t performed a kiwi victory Hakka at the end of a Cup final.

 Only Fiji and South Africa have won there, and Tietjens and his team would be even closer to a IRB Series title if they amend this, as they look to extend their lead at the top of the World Series point’s table.

“We were talking about it today, we've been in the final and were beaten by South Africa and beaten last year in the quarter final by South Africa so it hasn't been a happy hunting ground for us," Tietjens told the IRB.
"We've won in Australia before, but not in Adelaide, so it would be great.”

New Zealand start their campaign against Scotland who won the Shield beating Japan 17-7 in Las Vegas, and Tonga face Argentina on Friday.

Pool B – Samoa, South Africa, France, Japan

Last year’s Adelaide champions will be taking the defence of their title very seriously, with a chance to show the Sevens world what they are still capable of when they meet Samoa in what is likely to be the pool decider on Saturday.

Having won the event in 2008 as well as 2009, a hat-trick of Adelaide titles could kick-start this year’s campaign as well as taking momentum into 2011, with next year’s Series and Commonwealth Games already something head coach Paul True is looking to prepare for.

“It’s been a difficult week with the team also having a very long and arduous journey over to Australia," said Treu.

"We’ve brought in a lot of new faces this season with a reason - we need to start building for the future and are now also looking at the Commonwealth Games and the Dubai and George tournaments in December.

"That is not to say we’re taking our title defence in Adelaide lightly. We’ll be going all out to win that tournament again."

South Africa begin against Japan on Friday, with France challenging Las Vegas champions Samoa who sit second behind New Zealand in the log.

Pool C – Fiji, Kenya, Wales, PNG

Fiji, who lost to this weekend’s hosts, Australia, in the Cup quarter-finals in Vegas will want to return to winning ways and put a halt to Samoa’s Pacific Island bragging rights.

In preparation they scrimmaged with England this week, but coach Iliesa Tanivula believes his side will need more mental qualities come the real thing on Friday.

"That is something we have to learn from because what we do out here will reflect what we will do during game time," the head coach said.

"The boys know they will have to be there 100 per cent when they come out to training and when they play in the tournament."

Following their appearance in the Cup competition at the USA Sevens, Wales will capitalize on any Fijian lapse of concentration when they meet in the opening pool matches on Friday.

Wales would dearly love to break into the top eight at the end of this year’s circuit, and failing to beat Fiji on Friday, a meeting with Kenya first up on Saturday could prove to be the pool decider. Waisele Serevi’s Papua New Guinea will also return to the fray after taking part in Wellington.

Pool D – England, Australia, USA, Nieu

Australia will be buoyed by their Cup semi-final appearance in Las Vegas and the victory over Pacific heavyweights Fiji, but as hosts they cannot rest on their laurels.

Their best result in two years on the IRB Series, will be met by added pressure from an adoring partisan crowd at the Adelaide oval – especially without a IRB Series leg victory for eight years.

The Rugby Sevens version of The Ashes will of course take centre stage on Saturday, and it is hard to see how Michael O’Connor’s team can surpass England – especially without try-scoring machine Clinton Sills, and Bernard Foley and Brian Sefanaia.

Head coach O’Connor sees things slightly differently however.

"I think pressure's a really good thing for these boys and coming off a pretty good result in Las Vegas we're really looking forward to this one," he said.

"It's a great experience for them, to see whether they can step up to the mark or not and benchmark themselves against the best in the world."

Australia begin their campaign against Nieu, with the Bowl champions from Vegas taking on England on Friday.

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