7777777777777777777

[cycloneJ]

^ I wasn't watching earlier - think they showed it all, coverage started early this morning with the women's tournament

Russia - Cook Islands now

[StreetCowboy]

^ I wasn't watching earlier - think they showed it all, coverage started early this morning with the women's tournament

Russia - Cook Islands now

That's a good feed - thanks very much.

What do you think of Scott Hastings as a commentator?

What's your view on the number of foreigners playing for Japan? It really skews the Asian Five Nations - as the only team with a professional league, they attract professionals who subsequently qualify on residency...

SC

What a great attack for Tunisia! keeping the ball alive despite Great tackling from Tonga, but they can't reset and eventually Tunisia slice through for a first try... and a second, through some lazy Tongan defence...

28,000 in the crowd, by the way, which is pretty good for a Friday evening

[cycloneJ]

both good commentators, have always enjoyed Keith Quinn; always a reminder of his brother Harry when he talks - Harry was my was my referee coach and sounded/looked the same though maybe a bit more authoritative - he was a senior policeman back then

I missed the Japan game. Their fifteens have moved away from imports since Kirwan was coach, at one stage they had plenty of imports.

Sevens - great to see a team like Tunisia competing

[StreetCowboy]

In a heartbreak for Scotland, Samoa score and convert to tie their final pool game, and Samoa progress to the Cup on points difference.

Two of this season's five previous Cup Winners, South Africa and England, join Scotland in the Bowl, while Canada, Wales, Portugal, Kenya and Australia join Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand in the Cup. Only New Zealand have qualified for every Cup this season, and lead the series by a substantial margin.

In the Qualifying tournament, Russia, Japan, Tonga, Uruguay, Tunisia, Georgia, Zimbabwe and Brazil play off for four spots to join Hong Kong in London to play for core team membership in the 2014 IRB Sevens Series...

And in true Hong Kong tradition, I should now head off to drain my wallet and take the degaussing fluid to my memory...

[StreetCowboy]

And that's the Finals lined up in Hong Kong.

In the Qualifying Tournament, Tonga Zimbabwe is on now.

After, live on Fox Sports momentarily

Shield: Argentina France - surely a grudge match if ever there was

Bowl: England Hong Kong - probably the noisiest game of the tournament, and the best performance of a non-core team yet in the season

Plate: Samoa Canada

Cup Final: Fiji Wales - the first ever Cup Final,

and Scotland, first to the bar, after going out in the Shield semifinal to Argentina

SC

[cycloneJ]

watched NZ winning, then well-beaten by Fiji, up 14-0 then went on to lose 14-26; the beauty of sevens, one simple error - in NZ's case a kick-off that failed to go 10m, and things can change so quickly.

Been some good games, and more and more interest leading up to inclusion in next Olympics.

Unsure if correct - read that NZ just need to finish top 4 each tournament to win this series title, such is their points lead?

[StreetCowboy]

AND NOW - THE HONG KONG SEVENS CUP FINAL!

Fiji v Wales in their first ever IRB Series Cup Final.

Further down the order, France beat Argentina in the Shield, England ran riot over Hong Kong in the Bowl, Samoa were too strong for Canada in the Plate, and New Zealand clinch 3rd place.

Fiji, 2005 world cup champions, versus the current holders, until June in Moscow...

[cycloneJ]

Halftime and Fiji have no answer for Wales - the men in red ahead 19-0!

A Wales win assists NZ slightly, Wales currently 8th overall on 44pts, Fij 4th 66, SA 2nd 73, Samoa 3rd 71, NZ 1st on 96.

Points awarded are 22, 19, 17 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Three more rounds - Japan, Scotland, England

[StreetCowboy]

Four tries is a pretty good answer!

Fiji turn around a 19 point deficit to win 26 - 19 for their second Cup win of the season

I'm quite breathless. I guess Fiji just like playing on the island...

SC

[cycloneJ]

well, never know with sevens

Fiji 0 Wales 19 halftime

Fiji win the Hong Kong round of World Series Sevens 26 - 19

IRB Site and Standings

[StreetCowboy]

With our heads still throbbing from HK, it's off to Tokyo amongst the cherryblossoms for the next round of the IRB Sevens...

In the first round of matches, Scotland win against Kenya while USA beat last week's finalists Wales. Portugal lose to Spain - remember that Scotland are scraping into qualification for next season's core teams in 12th place, with Portugal and USA a point behind them, with only Japan and Glasgow to go...

New Zealand are all but assured of the title again, and are leading France 26 - 0 in their first match as I type this,..

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Congratulations to England on lifting the Bowl; Scotland up against USA in the Plate Final, while the hosts lost to Canada in the Shield.

South Africa will face New Zealand in the Cup Final...

Scotland and USA tussling to retain core status next season

And USA take a lead midway through the first half, but then give away a penalty for offside at the kickoff...

Scotland's counterattack fizzles out after the hooter as the ball goes over the touchline, and the second half restarts with USA ahead by five...

... seconds later they add a second try in the corner after a vital missed tackle off the

And a third try puts USA 17 - 0 ahead with less than two minutes to play. USA in possession again as we entrer the final minute, but penalised for holding on... Scotland are tiring, and they knock on.

The hooter goes, and the referee blows for full time, as USA draw level with Scotland on series points.

Now the Cup Final - New Zealand in their fifth of the season, South Africa in their second.

but first - Australia France in the third-place playoff....
SC

[cycloneJ]

good final, two very good teams and South Africa winning

A break in the series now, next round in Scotland 4-5 May

Standings as follows

New Zealand 132

South Africa 100

Fiji 98

Samoa 94

Kenya and France 77

Wales 68

Argentina and Australia 62

[StreetCowboy]

26 - 5 against Portugal sees Scotland do their best to make it to the Cup Quarter-Finals; their next game against the Auld Enemie will likely be the decider later this evening. I'm not going to stay up for the game against New Zealand...

SC

[StreetCowboy]

And a thumping defeat 7 - 29 by England, and we're reliant a bizarre first win against New Zealand in any code, or on the results of the England - Portugal game, Points Difference, the phases of the moon, the tides of the sea, sun and the stars above to see if we can scrape into the Cup. Remember we have to finish ahead of the USA to avoid the London qualification tournament....

[StreetCowboy]

England's 46 - 0 win over Portugal leaves Scotland needing a 34 point margin in their first victory over New Zealand in any code to squeeze through to the Cup and condemn New Zealand to their first Bowl Final since the start of the IRB Series. Even with home advantage, it's a fearsome challenge for Colin Gregor and his men.. Especially if Andrew Turnbull doesn't pull his finger out and run at the opposition,... So we're relying on the French to put the USA into the Bowl, and then see how we compare. One of us will be going to London for a final chance to get IRB series rankings, and one of us will be playing in the Qualification tournament for next year...

SC

[StreetCowboy]

That's us in the Qualifying Tournament. USA beat France to go into the Cup, and England beat Portugal to pass us and leave us in the Bowl. We didn't manage to beat New Zealand by 34 points (in fact, we came 62 points short of that), so we'll be playing Hong Kong and Russia for a place on the series next year....

I suppose in the spirit of good sportsmanship I should congratulate England and the USA, and commend Canada, Wales and Argentina, the othere occasional visitors to the Cup competition, who also join Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa. Samoa, Australia and France (amongst others) join Scotland in the Bowl Quarter Finals.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Well that's absolutely Barmy, by the way... World Cup Weekend and it's not on satellite TV.

28 - 30 th June, Moscow, all eyes of the world will be glued to - well, staring vacantly into space, I suppose, imagining they're at the Sevens World Cup

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Congratulations to South Africa on their triumph in the World Games Sevens at Cali, Columbia, earlier this month, and well done to Hong Kong for winning the bottom half of the competition

http://worldgames2013.sportresult.com/NH/en/300/Comp/Info/RU/EventSummary/RUM400000

Anyone else fancy going to the Commonwealth Games Sevens at Ibrox, just before next Eid Al Fitr?

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Is anyone coming down to KL for the first round of the HSBC Asian Sevens this coming weekend?

Do you know what ground it's being played at?

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Malaysia Sevens, first leg of the IRB Asian Sevens, kicks off tomorrow at MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya.

I look forward to seeing you all there

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Malaysia Sevens, first leg of the IRB Asian Sevens, kicks off tomorrow at MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya.

I look forward to seeing you all there

SC

I watched the first round group games: solid wins for

Hong Kong over Singapore

Malaysia over China

Taiwan over UAE

and

Japan over Khazakstan.

Thailand, Philippines, South korea and Sri Lanka see their first action in the next round, but I didn't fancy hanging around in the rain for the kids' rugby in the interval.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Play suspended for lightning at MBPJ Stadium.

Thailand just about to take field against Philippines in second Plate Semi Final. In preceding game, Malaysia continued their good performance with a torrid 7 - 5 win over Chinese Taipei

[StreetCowboy]

After an hour or more suspension, we gave up and went home - the Cup Final would be delayed until eight o clock or so, which was too late for me...

No sign of play resuming, from the Asian5Nations twitter page...

Just to wrap up progress so far...

China will contest 11th place with the all-emirati UAE team

Kazakhstan face Singapore in the Bowl Final

Chinese Taipei will face the loser of Philippines v Thailand for 7th place while

Malaysia will face the winner in the Plate Final

The Cup Semi-finals pit

Hong Kong against Sri Lanka

Japan against South Korea

SC

And a 15 - 10 win for Thailand over the Philippines sets up a Malaysia - Thailand Plate Final...

[StreetCowboy]

In ascorless second half, Malaysia pin Thailand back. Thailand are Unable to convert late pressure into points, and Malaysia win the Plate with two unconverted first half tries, 10-0

In the third place playoff, scores are tied ten-all at half time, but a free kick for a short kickoff hands the advantage to Korea, who score under the posts.

The final kicks off to vocal Japanese support.... Come on, Hong Kong!

[StreetCowboy]

A try in the corner at the stroke of half time sees Hong Kong clAw back to within two points. Japan 7 - 5 HK.

Sustained pressure sees HK take the lead in the corner. Desperate defence sees HK a man down for a deliberate knock-on, but HK break, a penalty takes them to the Japan five-metre line but the ball is lost in the lineout, Japan break and score under the posts to win 14-10.

[StreetCowboy]

You can catch the Final here

http://ur7s.com/news/3226/japan_defeat_hong_kong_to_take_first_blood_on_asian_rugby_sevens_series_in_malaysia

or the third-place game here

http://ur7s.com/news/3228/sri_lanka_fall_to_south_korea_on_golden_point_in_3rd_place_game_in_malaysia_on_asian_rugby_sevens_series

and here's the Plate final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOQqaiRt5I0

While I was searching for that last game I found a couple of other Malaysia v Thailand games, including another Plate Final from 2011

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I was hoping some of you chaps would be keeping us up to date with posts from the stadium in Chonburi, but fortunately I have the ARFU web site to rely upon.

Thailand off to a good start with a 12 - 5 win over China; Japan look like the team to beat, following a 45 - 5 thumping over Singapore; their arch-rivals Hong Kong are playing China as we speak. Malaysia convincingly beat UAE, who are continuing their strategy of local development with an all-Emirati team.

[StreetCowboy]

Thumping defeats in their final games for Malaysia and Thailand by South Korea and Hong Kong respectively were not enough to deny them Cup Quarter Final places.

Malaysia face Japan, while Thailand have an easier task against Sri Lanka; Hong Kong will meet Kazakhstan and South Korea the Philippines. For the second tournament in a row, China are in the Bowl, with debutantes Laos, Cambodia, Uzbekhistan and India.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

THAILAND SEVENS 2013

Live feed for the finals here, I think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8mL_-hSWVM

The stadium is empty for the Ladies' competition