Preview - Dubai Sevens

Plenty to keep an eye on in the desert

As the 2004 Test season grinds to a halt with the final two fixtures - Barbarians v New Zealand and South Africa v Argentina - being played out this weekend, the IRB World Sevens series is only just getting started as 16 teams from around the globe descend on the desert oasis of Dubai on Thursday and Friday for the opening tournament.

Defending Sevens champions New Zealand will be looking to get their season off to a winning start after clinching yet another overall title last season to further establish themselves as the leading Sevens nation at the moment.

But they have the likes of England, South Africa (who will be defending their Dubai crown this weekend), Argentina and Fiji hounding them all the way in what is destined to be another closely-fought race to the finish in France in June 2005.

And with the World Cup in Hong Kong taking place next March, there will be even more to play for this time around.

New Zealand are clear favourites to progress first in Pool A with Australia their greatest threat in one of the weakest groups in the tournament. Australia hardly set the series alight last season, but with a young and inexperienced team, that was to be expected and the Aussies will be looking to build on what was a largely disappointing series for them.

Pool B will see England top the list as last season's runners-up will face little resistance from any of France, Scotland or Uganda. France battled to come to grips with the shortened version of the game, while the Scots (who can be credited with inventing the game) showed some signs of improvement. It will be between the French and Scotland for a second-place finish.

Pool C is likely to be the most closely-contested in Dubai, with the massively improved Argentina team, the hard-hitting rugby-mad Samoans and the darkhorse Kenyans all raring to go. Argentina signalled their arrival on the Sevens circuit with their first ever tournament victory in Los Angeles last year, and just lost out to the Boks in Singapore in a grand spectacle that twice went into extra time.

Samoa needs little introduction with the big Islanders always willing to put their bodies - and their opponents' - on the line with some big hits, and earthquake inducing runs down the middle of the pitch.

But it is the Kenyans who truly caught the imagination of the Sevens Series. Slight of frame, but big on speed and heart, the Africans took advantage of the space afforded to them in the seven-man game and shocked some of the more fancied nations - Australia more than once - to emerge as the leading 'minnows' currently involved in the series.  

The Springboks, meanwhile, were at the centre of the storm surrounding player eligibilty last season, but when they arrive in Dubai they will be doing so as the defending champions of the desert tournament and all thoughts of '03/'04 will long ago have been put to bed. The Boks will not have it all their own way in the Pool Stages with Sevens specialists Fiji sure to give them a tough encounter in Pool D.

The Fijians have fallen off the pace somewhat in recent times, but they can never be taken lightly and they are always worth keeping an eye on, so don't be surprised if the men in white knock over a couple of the big guns this weekend.

The Pools for Dubai:

Pool A
New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Arabian Gulf
 
Pool B
England, France, Scotland, Uganda 
 
Pool C
Argentina, Samoa, Kenya, Tunisia 
 
Pool D
South Africa, Fiji, Portugal, Ireland

Fixtures Day One:

Pool C 09:40 (05.40 GMT) Argentina v  Kenya 
Pool C 10:02 (06.02 GMT) Samoa  v  Tunisia 
Pool D 10:24 (06.24 GMT) South Africa v  Portugal 
Pool D 10:46 (06.46 GMT) Fiji v  Ireland 
Pool B 11:08 (07.08 GMT) England v  Scotland 
Pool B 11:30 (07.30 GMT) France v  Uganda 
Pool A 11:52 (07.52 GMT) New Zealand v  Canada 
Pool A 12:14 (08.14 GMT) Australia v  Arabian Gulf 
Pool C 13:56 (09.56 GMT) Argentina v  Tunisia 
Pool C 14:18 (10.18 GMT) Samoa  v  Kenya 
Pool D 14:40 (10.40 GMT) South Africa v  Ireland 
Pool D 15:02 (11.02 GMT) Fiji v  Portugal 
Pool B 15:24 (11.24 GMT) England v  Uganda 
Pool B 15:46 (11.46 GMT) France v  Scotland 
Pool A 14:00 (12.00 GMT) New Zealand v  Arabian Gulf 
Pool A 16:30 (12.30 GMT) Australia v  Canada 
Pool C 16:52 (12.52 GMT) Kenya v  Tunisia 
Pool D 17:14 (13.14 GMT) Portugal v  Ireland 
Pool B 17:36 (13.36 GMT) Scotland v  Uganda 
Pool A 17:58 (13.58 GMT) Canada v  Arabian Gulf 
Pool C 18:20 (14.20 GMT) Argentina v  Samoa  
Pool D 18:42 (14.42 GMT) South Africa v  Fiji 
Pool B 19:04 (15.04 GMT) England v  France 
Pool A 19:26 (14.26 GMT) New Zealand v  Australia

Fixtures Day Two:

1/4 finals Bowl 09:40 (05.40 GMT) 3rd Pool A v  4th Pool B 
1/4 finals Bowl 10:02 (06.02 GMT) 3rd Pool D v  4th Pool C 
1/4 finals Bowl 10:24 (06.24 GMT) 3rd Pool C v  4th Pool D 
1/4 finals Bowl 10:24 (06.24 GMT) 3rd Pool B v  4th Pool A 
1/4 finals Cup 11:08 (07.08 GMT) 1st Pool A v  2nd Pool B 
1/4 finals Cup 11:30 (07.30 GMT) 1st Pool D v  2nd Pool C 
1/4 finals Cup 11:52 (07.52 GMT) 1st Pool C v  2nd Pool D 
1/4 finals Cup 12:14 (08.14 GMT) 1st Pool B v  2nd Pool A 
SF Shield 12:36 (08.36 GMT) Loser match 25 v  Loser match 26 
SF Shield 12:58 (08.58 GMT) Loser match 27 v  Loser match 28 
SF Bowl 13:20 (09.20 GMT)  Winner match 25 v  Winner match 26 
SF Bowl 13:42 (09.42 GMT) Winner match 27 v  Winner match 28 
SF Plate 14:04 (10.04 GMT) Loser match 28 v  Loser match 30 
SF Plate 14:26 (10.26 GMT) Loser match 31 v  Loser match 32 
SF Cup 18:40 (14.40 GMT) Winner match 29 v  Winner match 30 
SF Cup 19:02 (15.02 GMT) Winner match 31 v  Winner match 32 
Shield Final 19:24 (15.24 GMT) Winner match 33 v  Winner match 34 
Bowl Final 19:54 (15.24 GMT) Winner match 35 v  Winner match 36 
Plate Final 20:24 (16.24 GMT) Winner match 37 v  Winner match 38 
Cup Final 20:54 (16.54 GMT) Winner match 39 v  Winner match 40