Sevens: Familiar territory two-edged sword for Bay

Billy Ropiha

Hawke's Bay will meet two of their fellow Central Region representatives in pool play at the National Sevens tournament in Rotorua next month.

The Billy Ropiha-captained Aerospread Hawke's Bay team will meet Taranaki and Wellington in their first pool outings before taking on Otago in their final pool match at the January 16 and 17 nationals. While Hawke's Bay didn't meet Wellington on their way to winning the Central Region tournament with an unbeaten run in Levin last weekend they beat Taranaki 29-7 in pool play.

Former Magpie Trinity Spooner-Neera, a former All Black Sevens rep, is likely to be on Taranaki's roster again after turning out for the amber and blacks in Levin.

However, Ropiha and Hawke's Bay coach Tafai Ioasa know that result in Levin will mean little come nationals time.

Personnel can change between the Central Region tournament when teams like Taranaki opt to show little of their ammunition and make qualifying their sole priority.

At the same time Ropiha and co will have every right to travel to Rotorua with confidence if they can repeat their five-game unbeaten streak in Levin at their final rehearsal, the Mount Maunganui-hosted inter-provincial tournament, on January 9. Ioasa will take 14 players to this tournament and then announce his 12-strong squad for the nationals.

Sixteen men's teams and 10 women's teams will again compete in the two-day nationals. Hawke's Bay, Auckland, Counties-Manukau and Waikato are the top seeds in their respective men's pools.

Central Region champions Manawatu and Counties-Manukau are the respective top seeds in the two women's pools. Hawke's Bay players Krysten Duffill and Laurae Blake are expected to be in the Manawatu team after their contributions to Manawatu's win in Levin.

Manawatu will meet Wairarapa Bush in pool play at the nationals.

Four Hawke's Bay players, Julie Ferguson-Ngawaka, Rhiarna Ferris, Celeste Lowe and Jaimee Edwards, were all prominent for third-placed Wairarapa Bush in Levin and should all get the nod to turn out for the side again at the nationals.

Just two weeks later the best sevens players in the world will descend on the capital as Wellington Sevens gets under way on January 30.

"This will be a very exciting year for sevens with the Olympics in Rio de Janiero just around the corner," said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew.

"There's plenty at stake for all players with both national team coaches on the sidelines looking to finalise their squads for 2016."

Up to four places in the All Blacks Sevens Wider Training Group will be confirmed by Coach Sir Gordon Tietjens after the National Sevens. New Zealand Women's Sevens Coach Sean Horan will also finalise his squad.

"As we saw in Dubai and Cape Town, our men's and women's teams are facing much tougher competition these days," said Tew.

"That's no surprise with a rugby gold medal up for grabs at the Olympics for first time since 1924," he said.

POOLS

Men

A: Auckland, Northland, Bay of Plenty, South Canterbury.

B: Hawke's Bay, Otago, Wellington, Taranaki.

C: Counties Manukau, North Harbour, Wanganui, Mid Canterbury.

D: Waikato, Manawatu, Tasman, Canterbury.

Women

1: Counties Manukau, Waikato, Wellington, North Harbour, Otago.

2: Manawatu, Auckland, Wairarapa Bush, Canterbury, Tasman.