NZ boost for sevens
No one would have welcomed the break from World Rugby’s sevens circuit more than New Zealand coach Clark Laidlaw. Although his under-strength team pulled off a major surprise in winning the season-opening Dubai tournament, he was forced to take an even weaker injury-hit team to round two in Cape Town. They battled to fourth place and run out in Hamilton today in second place, a point behind the US, who were beaten in both early December finals. The Americans went down to New Zealand in Dubai and Fiji a week later in the Republic. New Zealand play in pool D in the Tron facing (in order) Japan, Canada and Spain. The US head pool B ahead of England, Samoa and Tonga. Fiji are joined in pool A by Australia, Argentina and Wales, while pool C has South Africa, Scotland, France and Kenya. Laidlaw expects to put out close to a full-strength squad bolstered by the return of co-captain Tim Mikkelson, who missed the opening rounds while on baby watch as his first child arrived. In last season’s Hamilton tournament, Fiji beat South Africa 24-17 in the final while the hosts lost 14-12 to Fiji in the semifinals and 8-7 to Australia in the bronze match. The circuit heads to Sydney next weekend where they will be joined by the women, who have pool games on Friday. New Zealand’s Black Ferns will get a gee-up for that event when they play an invitational mini-tournament against France, England and China in Hamilton this weekend.