Preview: Adelaide Sevens
Steven Yates: One more try
After the razzmatazz of Hong Kong, the IRB Sevens moves on to Adelaide, for a smaller tournament and one that looks to be easy meat for the all-conquering New Zealand team.
The Kiwis have a cinch of a draw in Pool A, with only Argentina likely to cause problems. A win here would seal the entire IRB Sevens title for this season for Gordon Tietjens' men, wouldb bring them to 49 consecutive match victories and would be an eighth straight event victory, a phenomenal achievement.
Adelaide is also now the only title not in the Kiwis' possession, with fiji currently holding the Adelaide crown.
Adelaide will also be the swansong of one of the NZ Sevens team's favourite sons, with Steven Yates, top try-scorer in Hong Kong with eight tries, moving to play his rugby in Japan after the tournament.
Yates offers his coach a potent mixture of brute strength, technique at the break-down and pace out wide. While wishing Yates all the best as he embarks on a new life in Japan after this Adelaide event, Tietjens will wince slightly at the acknowledgment that success comes at a price. Yates was spotted playing the Sevens game and more will surely follow.
"We've been in New Zealand for a while and I recently got married, so it was time for a change," explained Yates, who won't be the only New Zealand Sevens player heading to Japan with former captain Tafai Ioasa set to make the move in June.
"I thought I'd give Super 14 one more crack and missed out on that so I thought it was probably a good idea to go and try out my rugby somewhere else. Toyota gave us a good offer and we've taken it, so it'll be something completely different. I love the Sevens and it is a really good stepping-stone for us to really grow in our rugby."
Pool B promises much interest, with the improving Welsh side pitted against perennial dark horses Samoa and Tonga.
South Africa's match-up with Australia ought to be a bruiser in Pool C, with Paul Treu now setting out his stall to build a squad capable of matching the All Blacks next season.
"I spoke with Kabamba Floors and Gio Aplon yesterday, and I spoke with Stefan Basson just before we flew out to Hong Kong," said Treu on Friday.
"They are three players that I would like to see back in our system, and I'm going to continually look for new talent. Danwell Demas is another player whose contract with the Blue Bulls is coming to an end at the end of the season. If we could have those four players it would be a huge advantage to us."
Pool D is the hardest to pick, with Fiji currently rocked by scandal, Kenya emerging as a real force, England on the way back from a slump in form, and France doing excellently in snaffling the plate in Hong Kong.
Adelaide Sevens draw:
Pool A: New Zealand, Scotland, Argentina, Cook Islands
Pool B: Samoa, Tonga, Wales , Japan
Pool C: South Africa, Australia, USA, Canada
Pool D: Fiji, Kenya, England, France
Day One fixtures:
(All times are local - GMT +9.30)
11:09 Fiji v England
11:31 France v Kenya
11:53 New Zealand v Argentina
12:15 Scotland v Cook Islands
12:37 Samoa v Wales
12:59 Tonga v Japan
13:21 South Africa v USA
13:43 Australia v Canada
14:15 Fiji v France
14:37 Kenya v England
14:59 New Zealand v Cook Islands
15:21 Scotland v Argentina
15:43 Samoa v Japan
16:05 Tonga v Wales
16:27 Australia v USA
16:49 South Africa v Canada
17:21 England v France
17:43 Argentina v Cook Islands
18:05 Wales v Japan
18:27 USA v Canada
19:04 Fiji v Kenya
19:26 New Zealand v Scotland
19:49 Samoa v Tonga
20:10 South Africa v Australia
With thanks to the IRB