LA the key to IRB series

Reaction from the Wellington stars

Round Four of the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens series, in Carson (Los Angeles) next week, is shaping up as the defining tournament in the 2005/06 series.

This is the view of the teams after Fiji raced into a 16-point lead on the IRB Sevens standings by winning the Wellington Sevens in New Zealand on Saturday. Fiji beat South Africa with an extra time golden try at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington to move to 56 points on the standings, followed by England and South Africa both on 40.

The leading teams all pointed to next week's tournament at the Home Depot Centre in Carson as the vent that could be decisive in determining who takes over the mantle for six-time champions New Zealand as the masters of Sevens.

The Kiwis, having failed for the third successive tournament to reach the Final - they were beaten by eventual winners Fiji in the Wellington semi-final - now virtually have no chance of catching the Fijians ... unless something extraordinary happens in the remaining events.

But for England and South Africa, who both still have a realistic chance of overhauling the Fijians on the standings, LA is going to be crucial.

England coach Phil Greening admitted that his team can't afford another slip-up like they had in Wellington, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by France.

"Yes, it is very disappointing," Greening said. "But there is still a chance in the series and we must pick up as many points as we can. We were really bad against France [in the quarters], but it is how you react to these setbacks,

"Next week [in LA] is huge. We can't let Fiji get [further] away from us, so next week is going to be vital for us."

South African coach Paul Treu was full of praise for his men, who fought back bravely in the Final against Fiji (from 17-5 down) to force the game to go into extra time.

But he too pointed to LA as the key to his team's chances of winning the IRB Sevens series.

"I said to the guys that after these two tournaments [Wellington and LA] we're going to be either in the top two or in fifth/sixth place," Treu said. "At the moment it is looking good for us. Hopefully we can do well next week and get a bit closer to Fiji."

Treu said it was "just awesome" how his team fought back to force the game into extra time.

"The way the guys came back to score those tries and it was also awesome to see their commitment on defence. There are so many positives we can take out of the game and there are a lot of things we can look forward to in LA."

Fijian master Waisale Serevi, who came on during extra time in the Final to help steady the ship when it looked like South Africa could steal a win, said it was hard worked that paid off for his men.

But he also bemoaned an old disease that crept into the game.

"It is the same thing with Fiji all the time," he said about the way they allowed the South Africans to come back from 17-5 down.

"As soon as we go two or three tries up, the players tend to relax. Then we lost a couple of balls and South Africa came back. But we learn from those mistakes."

He said for his team the "big picture" still remains victory in the Commonwealth Games later this year, but the smaller picture is winning in LA next week.