Hong Kong’s Welsh connection relives Wales’ 80-1 World Cup Sevens shock 10 years on
- Paul John says it was special because no one expected it, while Tom Isaacs remembers the ‘absolute pasty’ that led to his winning try against the All Blacks
Hong Kong rugby’s Welsh connection is well-documented and when the 10-year anniversary of Wales’ 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens victory passed a few weeks ago, it’s no surprise a couple of the major players in that triumph were sharing a beer in the city.
It was John’s first season in charge of the Wales sevens team and he says everything fell into place for his side on that magical weekend in Dubai.
“It was definitely very special because no one expected it, I think we were 80-1 to win it,” he said. “The four quarter-finals of that tournament went against the favourites and we gathered momentum and confidence and just kept it going.”
After squeezing through pool play with wins over Zimbabwe and Uruguay – to go with a loss to Argentina – Wales edged the All Blacks Sevens by a point before seeing off Samoa 19-12 in the semis and turning the tables on the Argentines to win the final 19-12.