Do or die time at sevens

Week three pools for the CITC Rarotonga Club Sevens sees the Eels, Dragons, and Cowboys in Pool A while the Panthers, Reds, and Bulls are in Pool B

Today’s games will be played at the Ngatangiia Rugby Field starting at 2pm.

Pool A will be the ‘Pool of Death’ this week with ‘potentially’ all three teams having the fire-power to make top seed in this pool.

The Cowboys will be hoping for some ‘lucky luck’ against the Eels after coming closest to defeating weekly overall number one contenders the Eels (Week 1: 5-all draw and Week 2: 14-19, after the Cowboys lead 14-0 at halftime!). The Cowboys’ standout players to date have been national U19 winger Sema Robati and uncompromising prop Edwin Teraitua.

The Dragons are slowly finding their feet with their big-forwards Pene Trego and Willie Kauvai Jnr slowly starting to lay the foundations for their exciting backline of David Toa, 19-year-old pivot Josh Maui and their X-man Sailosi Niagi.

The Eels have been the form side to date, finishing in first place for the last two weekends – with national sevens representatives Teokotai Tuaivi Jnr, Tepou Taana, Bruce Goldsworthy and competition top-try scorer Duane Gukisuva in fine form, complemented by the hardworking forwards Lee Ponini and Clive Nicholas. They have set the benchmark in terms of weekly consistency.

As for Pool B, on a dry field we should get a good look at the Panthers outfit – overall they are probably the quickest team in the competition.

With flyers such as Conrad Piri, Gordon Heather, skilled halves in Geoff ‘Thor’ Halston and Teava Kopu, and three 19-year-old ‘gung-ho’ forwards – Kairan Mahia, Caleb Tatuava and Noel Emile – it should be interesting to see if they can do the hard technical work to retain possession, free-up space for the outsides and then utilise their pace, fitness and enthusiasm to win more matches. The Reds are an average team but seem to transform into a winning unit when sevens icon Vase Samania plays – so again a lot depends on whether the old master Samania will play or whether he will assist with referee duties this weekend.

The Bulls are the youngest team in the competition, obviously with development in mind.

See you today at the Ngatangiia Rugby Field with the first game due to kick-off at 2pm. Best of luck to all teams. Be reading Mondays CI News for the weekend review and results for week three of the CITC Rarotonga Club Sevens competition.