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Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
Black Ferns co-coach Cory Sweeney needs to cut the team for the Tokyo Olympics.
Black Ferns sevens co-coach Cory Sweeney couldn’t resist.
With New Zealand’s two Olympic squads, the seven All Blacks and the seven Black Ferns, cut to 16 players from next week, Sweeney uses one of New Zealand’s most famous return stories to rugby to keep everyone on their toes.
Everyone has an important role to play. I continue to use the Stephen Donald World Cup scenario. He was not chosen [but] called and had a tremendous moment to play, Sweeney said.
Fiona Goodall / Stuff
Stephen Donald kicked the crucial penalty when the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.
Donald was not selected for the All Blacks squad for the 2011 World Cup but injuries to first-five-eighth Dan Carter and Colin Slade meant he was called up by Sir Graham Henry, then the coach, after he was whitebaiting on the river of Waikato. The rest is history. Donald kicked the critical penalty goal in the 8-7 final victory against France at Eden Park.
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Sweeney, along with his coaching partner Allan Bunting, and All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw are in the difficult and brutal process of trimming their talents to the wider squad for next month’s Tokyo Games.
That means delivering devastating news to some athletes: their Olympic dream will not come true.
STACY SQUIRES / STUFF
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Since missing out on gold at the last Olympics in Rio in 2016, seven New Zealand teams have won two more events at the top of the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and led the final World Series until it closed then of the Covid-19 pandemic. The players who contributed to those victories may have missed the big show in Tokyo.
Squads of 16 are due to be appointed next Tuesday, Laidlaw said, with the last 13 pencils for Tokyo, which has three traveling reserves. An announcement is expected next Wednesday.
One of the best and worst parts of coaching is picking players and then not. Never good. We’ve all experienced it there, Laidlaw said, who knows all about losing players for last-minute tournaments after three withdraws before the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Akuila Rokolisoa flew in on Monday, having never played for the team before, and then played there and in the World Cup, but that’s life. You have to be prepared for your chance, Laidlaw said.
All -winger Caleb Clarke, who returned to the seven squad at Mount Maunganui last month, was among the injured trio due to emergency appendix surgery.
All Blacks seven and Fern seven left home on Tuesday and will not return until after their Olympic campaigns, with their mandatory two weeks in managed isolation due to Covid-19 protocols.
It’s nearly eight weeks from Tuesday until they get home and finishing overseas, in pursuit of the country’s first gold medal in seven, could be a journey that defines racing in the biggest games in the games.
Starting this weekend’s final Olympic warm-up tournament in Townsville, against Australia, Fiji and a team of Oceania Barbarians, the All Blacks seven and Black seven have named the squads 19 and 18 respectively.
They returned to international action for the first time in more than 14 months against Australia last month in Auckland, dominating the Aussies and cementing their position among the favorites for gold in Tokyo.
The All Blacks sevens finished with a disappointing fifth in Rio after losing to Japan in the group stage. The Black Ferns sevens lost to Australia in 2016 and have to settle for silver.
The teams were in Australia for nearly four weeks before traveling to Japan for the start of the Olympic tournaments on July 26.
New Zealand squads for the Oceania Sevens in Townsville from Friday to Sunday
All Blacks sevens: Kurt Baker, Caleb Clarke, Dylan Collier, Scott Curry, Sam Dickson, Trael Joass, Andrew Knewstubb, Vilimoni Koroi, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Tim Mikkelson, Sione Molia, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Tone Ng Shiu, Amanaki Nicole , Aquila Rokolisoa, William Warbrick, Regan Ware, Joe Webber, Kitiona Vai.
Sevens of Black Ferns: Shakira Baker, Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Dhys Faleafaga, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Stacey Fluhler, Sarah Hirini, Jazmin Hotham, Shiray Kaka, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane, Alena Saili, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Niall Williams, Tenika Willison, Portia Woodman.
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