The SVNS fountain pen has been refilled and it feels right to jot down a few rugby sevens thoughts to end the year.
Australian women
The Aussie women hit the pre-Christmas jackpot in Cape Town, reversing their Dubai loss to the Kiwis. It had been a while since they last beat New Zealand in a final. Australia won earlier this year in Perth, then the Kiwis took over with victories in Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles and the overall Series.
When it comes to rivalries in women’s sport, not many match the Aussie vs Kiwi rugby sevens rivalry.
The Australians were more than happy with the win. Co-captain Madison Ashby let a couple of F-bombs slip in the post-game interview, which always gets a chuckle.
As an aside, it would be interesting to hear from the players how they are finding the smaller 4.5 ball. A few were noticeably using the one handed put down when scoring. Fan favourite and try scoring cheat code Maddi Levi, pleasingly, sticks to the safer two handed put down.
Speaking of Levi, it is almost boring to mention she scored eight tries in Dubai and backed it up with another eight in Cape Town.
After Dubai, coach Tim Walsh brought in Kahli Henwood, Bridget Clark and Kiiahla Duff from the Australia A squad. Henwood and Duff had played very well at A level, with Henwood in particular standing out.
For the Australians you could replace the real estate adage location, location, location with possession, possession, possession, combined with the title The Fast and the Furious.
They play at a furious tempo. There is almost no time spent at the ruck, the ball shifts from side to side and only the Kiwis can stay with Australia when they are humming. The high ruck speed prevents them being blown off the ball and allows them to retain possession. Their handling skills are also crucial in keeping the ball alive.
As expected, both sides reached the Final without much trouble.
In the Final line-up Mackenzie Davis came in for Henwood. Perhaps Henwood was injured, because she had played every lead-up match. Davis, a recent convert to sevens, is a live wire and more than held her own.
What stood out was the minimal use of the bench. There were no substitutions in the first half. Bienne Terita replaced Davis at half time. Teagan Levi and Ashby were not replaced until the eleventh minute.
The Final started perfectly for Australia. They held all the possession for the opening three and a half minutes and scored twice with conversions inside the first three minutes. Then, in classic Kiwi fashion, Australia struck right on half time and again just after the break.
The Australians struggle when dragged into a physical battle, especially at the ruck and in defence. New Zealand, France, the USA and Canada can all make life difficult. In Dubai the Kiwis were simply too powerful. In Cape Town they never got the chance to impose that power.
Australia had possession, the skill to keep it and the pace to exploit it. Just before half time both teams looked exhausted.
On the physicality side, Teagan Levi and Isabella Nasser deserve mention. Both brought serious defensive punch, which the team has lacked since Alysia Lefau-Fakaosila went down injured. While Levi’s restarts earlier in the tournament were, let us say, not her best work, she brings the energy and fierceness the side needs. Co-captain and Player of the Final Nasser lifted the entire team. It was not just her defence or her ruck work. It was her quick thinking just before half time, when she tapped and scored to give Australia a 19-0 lead at the break.
This weekend the Aussies were simply too good.
It is also worth noting the changing face of the New Zealand squad. They are missing Michaela Blyde, Sarah Hirini, Shiray Kaka and Kelly Brazier. That is a huge amount of experience. But New Zealand are exceptional at transitioning their squad between Olympic cycles and they have the best sevens player in the world in Jorja Miller.
The next big test for Australia is backing it up. Earlier this year they won Perth, then the Kiwis went on a streak and claimed everything afterwards.
Australian men
The Aussie men are, as always, competitive, but so often fall just short of the top end. They are in the middle of a major rebuild with several experienced players moving on, retiring or not being re-signed.
The men’s SVNS Series has been extremely competitive in recent years. Dropping to just eight teams has made the level even tighter. To be honest it is chalk and cheese compared with the women’s Series, where last season New Zealand reached all seven Finals and Australia reached five.
For the Aussie men this season will be a roller coaster. They were runners up in Dubai, then seventh in Cape Town.
Before the Series coach Liam Barry noted that Australia had the highest number of carries and passes per try. In simple terms they need more genuine power and speed. They did not have that last season and it does not look like they have it this season either. The campaign will again be an effort and grind from game to game.
There were three debutants in Dubai, with Henry Hutchinson, Maurice Longbottom and Josh Turner making up 70 percent of the team’s caps. There is a lot of inexperience.
The men still lack power, speed and X-factor. In the Dubai Final Longbottom went down with a hamstring injury and missed Cape Town. At 30 he is battling soft tissue issues that are hard to bounce back from. In more bad news, before the Series began Henry Paterson, one of Australia’s best and most experienced big bodies, was ruled out for the season.
Michael Icely and James Turner are also sidelined until Vancouver. The debutants are young and their bodies are not yet ready for the full rigours of sevens. They are also missing the raw pace Corey Toole provided a few years ago.
In summary, reaching the Dubai Final was an exceeded expectations report card. Cape Town was below expectations. They will probably bounce between the two all season.
While that sounds negative, it is always enjoyable to watch new teams and new players hit the international stage. It is the way of sport. We are always looking for the next shiny thing. If you get the chance to watch them, keep an eye on Will Cartwright and Wallace Charlie. They are exciting and learning fast. Harry Wilson, a former Waratah and brother of current Waratah Teddy Wilson, is also worth watching.
Time for a break. They are back at it in Singapore on 31 January 2026.
Hugh_96https://ift.tt/bOy6mNT men ride rollercoaster as women dominate with fast and furious intent in Cape Town
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