Fijians run over Samoa
As the third round of the World Rugby Sevens Series got underway in Sydney yesterday, World Rugby picked seven players who could turn on the magic in Sydney
The Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team ran away with a 31-5 win over Samoa in their pool opener of the Sydney 7s at the Allianz Stadium last night.
Spot on tackles and aggressive play in the breakdown areas were the hallmarks of the Fijian defence. Coach Gareth Baber kept on insisting to the players to keep up with their bone crushing tackles during the halftime break. Playmaker Amenoni Nasilasila and Mesulame Kunavula dotted down tries in the first half as they led 14-5. In the second half it was tries from Josua Vakurinibili, Eroni Sau and Aloesi Naduva that sealed Samoa’s fate. Today, Fiji take on Russia at 5.09pm and New Zealand at 8.42pm.
Three Fijians are among the seven players that are to be watched in this weekend’s Sydney Sevens. They are Fiji Airways Fijian 7s playmaker Amenoni Nasilasila along with
Joe Ravouvou and Vilimoni Koroi who are playing for New Zealand. They are going to clash in tonight’s pool decider to determine on which path they follow in tomorrow’s Cup quarterfinals. Here is the list:
JOE RAVOUVOU (NEW ZEALAND)
The HSBC Player of the Final from Cape Town has been in some incredible form of late. Unstoppable with ball in hand and a serious turn of foot for a man his size, he’ll be a serious threat to any opposing defender this weekend.
NATHAN HIRAYAMA (CANADA)
Canada’s all-time top points scorer turned on the magic in Cape Town. His agility and speed proved to be a handful for defences throughout the tournament. One thing’s for certain, if he’s given space at this weekend he will punish you.
AMENONI NASILASILA (FIJI)
Fresh from a table topping DHL Impact Player performance, Nasilasila will be looking to emulate his trojan work from Cape Town. The Fijian is well versed in the offload and tackle area and his team know if they get him firing on all cylinders it’ll go a long way to having success at Sydney.
CARLIN ISLES (USA)
Isles hit some form in Cape Town as he delighted crowds with his incredible speed and footwork. At one-point clocking in at a blistering 37 kph (23 mph), while adding later via Twitter that ‘he can go faster’.
DANNY BARRETT (USA)
Danny ‘the truck’ Barrett is back to his bulldozing best. With a handoff that Jonah Lomu would be proud of, it’s probably fair to say he’s the most explosive player on the series.
PHILIP SNYMAN (SOUTH AFRICA)
The Blitzboks’ captain fantastic
has an incredible presence on the pitch. His support lines on attack make him dangerous to any defences but it’s his leadership qualities that add so much value to his team.
VILIMONI KOROI (NEW ZEALAND)
The 19-year-old pace man has been in superb form on the series so far. He’s bagged himself six tries and has created endless amounts of opportunities for his team-mates. His electric feet and creative vision make him an absolute nightmare for defences.