SEVENS - Never mind the victory, bring on rugby competition

NEW Marist coach Adriaan Ferris hopes the club's victory in the Whangarei Sevens tournament at Homeworld Stadium on Saturday will act as a catalyst for a resurgence in the club's fortunes in the 15-man game.
While underscoring the obvious differences between sevens and the style of rugby that he will be advocating when the Northland premier club competition gets underway in a few weeks, he said the 27-22 victory over Wellsford in the sevens final would act as something to build on for the club.
"We're really looking forward to the fifteens now, it's going to be tough though, I know with quite a few players coming into the club everyone's expecting a lot, but you've got to remember Marist came last, last year but the good thing about that is that the only way we can go now is up," he said.
In many ways it was a dream final for Ferris, with his new club defeating the club he coached last year, Wellsford, in a thriller that went down to the wire.
"It was pretty emotionally tough, I mean I've got a few good friends down in Wellsford and I suppose they're pretty dark on me for coming up here to coach, but it's an opportunity I've decided to take and I'm very pleased with the way our guys played.
"Wellsford showed how much heart they have, they're a good club and a proud club and hopefully they'll go on and do really well this year," Ferris said.
Wellsford's New Zealand Sevens representative Rene Ranger opened the scoring in the match before Teu Nafe, Tui Taufo and John Cocker struck back for Marist to give the Whangarei team a comfortable 17-5 lead at the break.
Ranger scored another solo effort just after the break to edge his team back into the game, but when he limped off immediately afterwards, the chances of Wellsford winning their third consecutive title looked bleak.
Tries to Marist's Billy Maafu and Tui Taafou only strengthened that view, until a comeback sparked by two tries by Northland junior Matt Wright had them right back in the game.
The final whistle came too soon for Wellsford and the Marist team's hands were instead held high in weary celebration.
In the under-15 final, Kamo High School pushed Whangarei Boys' High School the entire way, but were undone by a late try to be beaten 19-7.
Horahora won the bowl competition while Hikurangi won the plate.