Sevens: Speedy Bay line-up set to sizzle

Former Rotorua Boys' High School flyer Mason Walker is a key player in the Bay of Plenty men's sevens team for this weekend's nationals. Photo / Stephen Parker

Seeing grown men reduced to fan boys cheering for the ball to find its way into the hands of a youngster with a sprained knee ranks as an early contender for one of the sights of the 2015 Bay of Plenty sporting year.

The fact said youngster, former Rotorua Boys phantom Mason Walker, was even on the paddock in the play-off for third against a huge Wellington side at last weekend's Bay Engineers Provincial Sevens in Mount Maunganui was noteworthy enough.

Minutes before, dressed to play but with a heavily bandaged knee, the young man they call "Mase" had seemed less than sure he was good to go. But he played the second half on a bad wheel and burned the men from the capital with two 50m tries in as many minutes - the second of which featured his trademark swerve and hammer down to the outside - bordered on the absurd. Bay of Plenty men's Sevens coach Peter Woods said he had not given his young flyer, who now plies his trade in club rugby for Mount Maunganui, much of an option.

"He sprained his knee in the first game and I said to him that if he didn't play the last seven minutes he wouldn't play at the nationals," Woods said.

"Then he went out against Wellington and scored those two 50m tries. He was on one leg that day."

Walker passed a fitness test yesterday. His inclusion gives the side added wheels to go alongside the likes of Josh Honey, who played his way into the side with an impressive showing at Blake Park, alongside the play-making abilities of Trinity Neera-Spooner and Te Aihe Toma and the size of players like Matt Clutterbuck, Brynn Uriarau and Ralulu Bavou.

"We haven't got a big team in the forwards, but we've got speed and fitness and players capable of not taking the ball into contact too much," Woods said.

Woods added the side planned to treat day one as day two, with the opening match against Canterbury representing a quarterfinal before subsequent clashes with Counties Manukau and South Canterbury.

The match against South Canterbury is the final game on the opening day, meaning the hosts will know the equation to finish in the top two of their pool should they split their opening matches.

Details and fixtures

Bayleys National Sevens, Rotorua International Stadium, January 17-18

Bay of Plenty men's squad: Forwards: Matt Clutterbuck, Matt Axtens, Adam McGarvey, Te Rangi Fraser, Ralulu Bavou. Backs: Te Aihe Toma, Akiro Mako, Trinity Neera-Spooner, Courtney Mita, Brynn Uriarau, Josh Honey, Mason Walker/Jason Harvey.

Men's pools: Pool A: Taranaki, Tasman, Northland, Horowhenua Kapiti; Pool B: Counties Manukau, Canterbury, Bay of Plenty, South Canterbury; Pool C: Manawatu, Auckland, Otago, Mid Canterbury; Pool D: Waikato, Wellington, Wairarapa Bush, North Harbour.

Bay of Plenty men's fixtures: Day one, tomorrow: v Canterbury (12.25pm), v Counties Manukau (4pm), v South Canterbury (6.40pm).