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Wallaroo sevens' red hot form continues in South Africa

Charlotte Caslick breaks away for the Wallaroo sevens. Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images

Australia’s women’s sevens champions have made a fine start to their latest World Series round in Cape Town – but their male counterparts struggled again.

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Australia’s seemingly unstoppable rugby sevens champions have made another impressive start on the latest stop of their Women’s World Series title defence in Cape Town, sweeping towards the knockout stages with a blizzard of tries.

But while world sevens player of the year Charlotte Caslick was steering them in sight of a potential second title in seven days following their victory in Dubai last weekend, their male counterparts had another difficult afternoon on Friday.

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After their disappointing outing in Dubai where they ended up seventh, John Manenti’s men lost their opening group match 21-19 to Great Britain, leaving them with work to do to make the quarter-finals with a tough outing to come against the USA on Saturday.

But back in the South African city where they won the World Cup in September, Tim Walsh’s women’s team, though, just keep ticking along smoothly, racing through their two group matches with 14 tries scored and not a single point conceded.

As in Dubai, his trio of stars who were all nominated for the world sevens player of the year award – Caslick, Faith Nathan and Maddison Levi – were at the heart of things, with all three scoring in their eight-try, 52-0 drubbing of hosts South Africa in their opening match.

Levi, who had amassed an all-time record of 11 tries in a tournament in Dubai, started off with two against the hosts, Nathan also got a brace while there were other scores for Caslick, Demi Hayes, Bienne Terita and, on debut, Faythe Manera.

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In their later game, Australia were equally impressive as they pulverised Spain 38-0 with another Nathan double and further tries for Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, Caslick, Sariah Paki and Dominique du Toit.

In the men’s tournament, Australia, who are also reigning World Series champions, were keen to make amends after a rare off-weekend.

Yet despite tries from Nathan Lawson, Dietrich Roache and Stuart Dunbar, they were undone against GB when Femi Sofolarin sprinted from his own half with 30 seconds left to snatch the triumph.

Shock of the day, though, was unquestionably New Zealand’s 14-10 defeat by Spain in the day’s opening game.
Spain scored two converted tries against two unconverted efforts from a New Zealand side who were always up against it after the sending off of Tone Ng Shiu.

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It was only the second time in the World Series that Spain had beaten NZ, after their 2019 win in Vancouver.

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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