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Fiji brace for Uruguay rematch, Australia’s key clash at SVNS Vancouver
By Finn Morton
SVNS Vancouver will kick off with one of the event’s more intriguing pool stage matches as Uruguay looks to repeat history against Fiji in the opening match. Uruguay had the rugby world talking after stunning their highly favoured opponents in Perth on Friday morning.
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After losing 70-7 to the Fijians at SVNS Cape Town in December, the Teros Sevens fought their way back from a 17-point deficit at HBF Park to triumph in what some have labelled one of the biggest upsets in HSBC SVNS Series history.
Uruguay will look to repeat their Perth heroics when they take on Fiji in the first match at SVNS Vancouver. The tournament will kick off at 11:18 am local time on Friday, February 21. The three-day event will conclude with the Women’s Cup Final on Sunday evening.
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Spain and the USA are the other two sides in Pool C, with that match following Uruguay’s clash with Fiji. SVNS Series heavyweights Spain will take on the Uruguayans later on day one, while Fiji will go head-to-head with the USA at 4:45 pm.
On day one, the All Blacks Sevens may have the toughest draw out of any team, with the New Zealanders set to take on South Africa and Australia. Ireland, who have struggled so far this season, are the other side in Pool B and they’ll be focused on an upset.
France, Great Britain, Argentina and Kenya are the other four sides on the men’s draw, while Canada will take on Trinidad and Tobago and Japan in exhibition fixtures. Argentina are looking to go back-to-back on the SVNS Series after taking out their first title of the season in Perth.
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In women’s sevens, hometown favourites Canada will open their account against Thalia Da Silva Costa’s Brazil at 3:28 pm. They’ll take on Spain later on Friday before rounding out pool play with a showdown with Australia which could very well decide the group.
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SVNS Series leaders New Zealand start their tournament against Ireland, who will be desperate to bounce back after a disappointing weekend in Perth. The USA and China are the other sides in Pool B, with those two teams set to trade blows at 2:44 pm.
Australia were without Maddison Levi and Faith Nathan on the final day at SVNS Perth, but Tim Walsh’s team still had enough left in the tank as they earned their way to a drought-breaking title on home soil. Many will likely consider them the favourites for SVNS Vancouver.
“I think it’s one of the best ones yet, I’m just so proud of the girls,” three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick said after the Perth Final.
“Some of those girls haven’t played a lot of rugby on the [SVNS Series] up until this tournament.
“To see what they could put out there and the way they performed was something that I’m really proud to be a part of and I’m just so excited to be moving forward with them.”
But that clash between Australia and Canada on day two is one to watch for sure.
To the delight of the Vancouver crowd, Canada beat Australia in the third-place playoff at the tournament last year, and of course,e got the better of the Aussies at the Paris Olympics as well. This has become a genuine SVNS Series rivalry that’s not to be missed.
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