Yeah I really figured they were out of gas and that Samoa would take advantage and it looked like I was bang on at down 19-0 but wow the heart the team showed this tourny, they really wanted 3rd place. Brings us way up the standings to 11th right behind a couple of other sides and relegation avoidance is now confirmed.
Mack, Moonlight and Dala were spectacular this leg, unbelivably awesome.
Spain looking in deep trouble at the bottom of the table, quite way's back of the other teams and not looking good for them to stay up, off to the NZ leg.
... Yes, Canada have a pretty good draw for Wellington too ... so perhaps they can do a repeat performance, and go even further up the points table
Well done to South Africa on tournament win. They were certainly the better team in the final, and I felt the scoreline didn't really reflect their dominance. South Africa dominated the breakdown, and we played right into their hands by running straight at them. New Zealand really missed the injured Cama, and I'm not convinced with Heem playing in the forwards (as we lose a lot at the breakdown with him there...).
I have to agree ... for the most part ... although the finalists were the same two teams as last year, South Africa were the form team through out the tournament IMO, but I think New Zealand played pretty well in the final ... where as, last year, I think New Zealand were the form team in the tournament, but got absolutely hammered in the final
As a side issue, I wondering if the days are approaching, where the coaches of the respective teams, might look at selecting their squads, based on the venue they are playing at ... the tread this year in Vegas, seemed to be, to put a big man on the wing, and I'm wondering if the squads for Vegas could include more big player in the future, as the field are so much narrower than the standard rugby fields else where, and they aren't as likely to tire as quickly from running from one side to the other.
... I would have liked to have gone to Vegas again this year, but it didn't fit with my work schedule ... as it turns out, it was just as well, as I ended up at home with the flu anyway
... are well, there's always next year
"Gordon Tietjens' and his men in black have been hit with two suspensions following a physical pool encounter with Fiji at the USA 7s over the weekend.
George Tilsley received a two-match ban for a tip tackle whilst Sam Dickson has been banned for nine matches for reckless contact with Fiji's Jonah Tuitoga's eyes late in the second half."
None of these were picked up by the referee in the game, however the ref did penalize NZ for a high tackle and interfering with Fijian players off the ball on two different occasions. wtf man why are NZ allowed to get away with so much. I can't even remember the last time I saw an NZ player get a yellow card, yet it happens to every other team at least once every tournament
Yes, the Refs missed some things alright ... like the constant off side infringements of the Fijian side, in the Bowl final, that effectively, prevented Kenya from spinning the ball wide, and practically gave them no chance of winning
