Missing out on World Series promotion could be blessing in disguise
Was it a groan of disappointment or a sigh of relief we heard from the HKRFU box when Russia trounced us 24-0 in the quarter-finals of the World Series qualifier last weekend?
Was it a groan of disappointment or a sigh of relief we heard from the union box when Russia trounced us 24-0 in the quarter-finals of the qualifying tournament for core team status in the Sevens World Series?
The initial reaction would have been one of distress. The frustration of once again falling short of winning promotion was clearly etched on the faces of players and officials – from Rowan Varty to Pieter Schats.
The Russians, who went on to qualify, were clearly too strong, too powerful, too quick and too good. They join a list of countries which have ended our hopes over the past four years – Japan (2012), Spain (2013) and Italy (2014).
On the eve of the Hong Kong Sevens HKRFU chairman Schats had predicted the Class of 2015 would be able to lift Hong Kong into rarified company, but the big Russian bear had other ideas. Both coach and captain – Gareth Baber and Jamie Hood – were quick to admit “Hong Kong were just not good enough” on the day.
Where do we find big and powerful forwards, something our opponents seem to have in spades?
That was clear for all who watched the demolition job at Hong Kong Stadium last Saturday. But to presume we were not good enough for just that match doesn't hold water, as our shock loss to Brazil on opening day demonstrated.
That pool defeat raised fears the current crop of players are not as good as we thought. Brazil are newcomers to the game and are being fast-tracked by World Rugby as hosts of the 2016 Olympics. The South Americans, more known for their football than their rugby, are ranked 34th in the world – 10 places below Hong Kong.
So losing was a real shocker and a sign of things to come against the savvier rugby sides, and it was Russia who delivered the knockout blow.
What went wrong? We clearly lacked a ball-winning forward and some of the decision-making was poor. We had plenty of heart, but to defend for 14 minutes in a match – as we did against Russia – is too much to ask. Hood was right when he said it was difficult to play without the ball.
This brings us back to the perennial poser – where do we find big and powerful forwards, something our opponents seem to have in spades?
Even the main event last weekend proved how valuable a big unit is, the best example being Fiji’s Pio Tuwai. Recalled into the team after returning from Sri Lanka, where he played for the army team, Tuwai was like a rock standing up in tackles, sucking in more than two defenders to create space and then off-loading the ball.
He was not as fast as in previous years – perhaps the rice and curry in Colombo has added to his girth – but Fiji had other fast men to finish off what he started. Hong Kong didn’t even have such wheels.
But disappointment would also have been masked with relief, for the union can now postpone having to take a decision on the fate of the 15s game. There was talk that the HKRFUwould need to contract 20 full-time players to the sevens programme if Hong Kong had qualified as a core side.
Schats, who had brought up the issue of whether to commit to both 15s and sevens, or just the latter, and said the union was facing a tough choice due to lack of player resources, was quick to point out that this could now be delayed, maybe for one more year.
After the initial disappointment, I bet most people in the union must have heaved a silent sigh of relief.
