Three newcomers feature in the All Blacks Sevens squad to take part in the World Series season-opener in Dubai next week.
Waikato youngster Oli Mathis - just a year our of secondary school and with a season of NPC rugby for Waikato under his belt - debuts alongside North Harbour's Sofai Maka and Sevens Development graduate Joey Taumateine.
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You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave from News Talks.
It'd be sevens is the topic now and we're joined by a man who knows, oh a couple of things about the world of seven so good and Titchens it joins us Titch Welcome to the show. Three players set to debut for the All Black seven side. First up, how are you yeah good?
Thanks? Duci?
Yeah no, no, very good and probably exciting to see the first round of the world series starting up in a couple of weekends time and studying in Dubai and South Africa.
Three debutantes have been named in this side for this series, and it's quite funny when you look through the team and you know some of the old heads are just not there anymore. It's it's quite bizarre. But looking at the new guys, that's what we're here for. Joey Tomatina, he's got history with the build up. You've got us so Fi Marker who comes with well a lot of crops around what he can do. And of course Olie mathis the name on everybody's lips with what he did and in the MPC. Can you tell us much about these three characters.
Gordon, Well, I've heard so much about Ernie Mathis obviously as being a loose forward and then for Whitecaddow in the Im Cup and you know he was obviously playing out on the wing, so he's very very quick. And I was at one of their trainings just recently and I was watching him and you know, he does look he's very descend If he looks quick and he can play in both positions, then he'll certainly say seven would be great for his development, no question there. And also a supply marker who's a fullback coming through the Auckland system as well, and he's got a very very good skill set.
And the other one you said, Jaden Keel and you.
Know there's a lot of talk about him and I think he plaid for Rreba Bush and he's from the manor of Two and that's where Tomassi's from as well.
And sometimes if you do your scouting and you're out.
There looking, there is the odd player that sometimes can slip through the net. But you know he's done a lot of work. And Tamussy knows a good seventh player when he sees them, and I'd be very surprised if they don't perform, but it's an ideal time and probably if I had I.
Suppose it's not so much a criticism.
But when the Scott Curries and you know, and Sam Dixon's and.
Those guys were still involved with the.
Team, I think that's when we needed to bring these new players to Jaden Killing's and that through so to get learn off them. But they're no longer part of the team now, you know, And so I suppose it's done. Colliers still there and Tony mcnung shue and Lewis Orman I suppose oh there as well.
But for a young player to develop.
And to become a very good seventh player, it's so good to have the Curries and the Dixons there to help them along.
What about Joey tom Ting name because he has been around, He's played for the under eighteen seven side development seven, so out of Wesley College, he's really he's part of the conveyor belt. That's got to be heartened to see that players that have been you know, looked after, are actually now developing moving to that to the bigger team.
Oh yeah, no question, And I'm excited as anyone to see them play and to step up to that level, and I mean there's a certainly it looks a very strong site considering you know, you've got guys like a Rock and Sola who's not there is out through injury. Reagan where also I think is out injured as well. But it's great when you can still look at guys like Joe Webber, he's out there as well, even Johnny Malea who was there when I was there, Narahee mcgavy black as another certainly another guy with a lot.
Of seven's experience.
Now, I think it's a very well balanced site which is going to give those new younger players a real opportunity to stand up and be counted.
You know, they'll.
Gradually build themselves into that and do what as a great gentleman to start with?
What last year didn't get the cookies? What do you think needs to change, if anything, as far as attempting to pick up the main prize this time around, Gordon.
Well, we've seen the development of a lot of the other countries now they've crept up on us and it's not all about I mean, Fiji's got a lot to prove this year. They had probably their worst year in many many seasons last year and so a lot of those players have got a lot to prove in Fiji as a country, as we know, that's their game and summer's not there anymore, you know. So in South Africa had a probably a lean year as well, but then they tipped us out at the Olympics, so you know, it's it'll be tough. I mean, it's anyone's game really going into the tournament. You can't just stand back and say, well, it's going to be New Zealand Fiji in the final. I think you've got a few teams now that are certainly going to put their hand up and challenge them. And even someone like Kenya that's come out of the Challenger Series that they've qualified back into the World Series and they had a very young side in the Challenger Series because I was at a couple of those tournaments and they look potentially very very good. So it's going to be competitive, and I think going into the first two tournaments it could be anyone's tournament.
I got Argentina floating around as well, making an annoyance, and that'll be after what happened last year. Earlier this year, they'll be they'll be wanting to ten and around when it looks all of good sevens is it's still basically the same game is It's still a matter of having a huge engine and being as fit as the next guy, but more so running, passing. It's the same kind of game than you were overseeing it.
Well, the world Rugby are trying to change the rules to.
Make it even more exciting, and I hope they and we trialed those new rules when I was in vote for the involved in the Challenger series last year and there was a tournament in Hong Kong where you know, you won't be able to go to line out, so it'll always be about free kicks and moving the balls so you won't have scrums, you know, because now they slow the game down to perhaps to suit the players that are not as fit to stay in the game a little a little bit longer when you're playing the stronger sides or the sides. So I hope they bring in these new rules to sevens because that will make it really exciting.
So you'll see a lot more free kicks, you'll.
See a lot more moves and which will challenge a lot of the teams defensively and it'll be better for attack and you won't have as many lineouts. Perhaps in the game of sevens. We never used to. It was all about three kicks years ago. But we were a lot fitter than Darcy.
Now. I heard you.
Once when you said about they're not so fit teams. That still grind you, doesn't it. It's still right at the very top of the tree for you intentions.
Oh so frustrating mate, when you're a coach and you've got a very fit side and condition to the levels you need to be and teams get a penalty and they kick for sixty meters for a.
Line out, and they slow the game right down.
Then they decide to introduce a sub or then they call a pet. We'll have a scrum, you know, and really frustrating. And I could see that. And because seven minutes. We used to play ten minute finals then and now it's seven minutes and seven minutes.
Goes very very quickly.
So you know you wanted to be a spectator sport, a spectators game, it's an Olympic sport.
Then I think you've got.
To give more to the audience that are out there to watch this exciting game, which it can be.
And finally, Gordon great to see DJ Forbes. He's going to be inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame. Great reward for a massive man and a number of respects, including his beard in and around seven. He's had a crazy old career. This is deserved.
Oh yeah, you're so well deserved.
I mean, such a great ambassador of the game of sevens and obviously played a number of seasons for me and win income games and a World Series championships as my captain, and commands a huge amount of respect and still does keeps himself still very very fat, And I mean it couldn't have gone to a better guy and certainly well deserved. And I'd send your like to congratuated mine ere if I can as well.
Yeah, And I think when you look at d J. Forbes, he's one of the most humble, simple men, but a guy that everybody, everybody wants to be involved with because he's just such an an honest and upfront human being. That's the kind of player you want to deal with.
Oh yeah, he was so inspirational as a captain. You would never have got a player that worked as hard.
As he did.
And he was incredible, and he was a very very good leader and you want your.
Your men like that to lead from the front.
And he soon he did that and enhanced see such a you know, a world figure now and wherever he goes, as as as a top top seventh player and again deserve leg I would you know that, you know, I suppose that getting into that world Hall of Fame.
I think it's just tremendous for DJ.
So good intentions. Always great to catch up and I'm sure we'll talk again when the series gets up and underway, and let's hope they're stronger and faster, morely fitter than everybody else. Good on your Gordon, Thanks for your time.
Cheers Darcy. Thank you for more from sport Talk.
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