Rugby World Cup: 10 things we learned

New Zealand are a class aboveNobody really came close to the class New Zealand showed over the course of the weekend. We knew they were good – winning the World Series told us that – but they were even better than that in Moscow. They have wonderful balance throughout the side. The quick feet and pace of Portia Woodman was well matched on the other side with the power and strength of Honey Hireme for example, but their key asset is that they never panic under pressure. In the Quarter Final clash there was a period where England were putting them under good pressure in defence, but New Zealand simply played keep-ball, passing left and right and not rushing anything until eventually they broke through. Sounds simple but not many other sides can pull it off so consistently. This team is set to dominate.

Fitness isn’t everything, but it is a lotThe fittest teams always have an edge, that is obvious, but it was never more so in the 30+ degree heat and humidity in Moscow.  The ability to play right to the final whistle at high intensity saw a number of teams over the line in tight matches and the teams who fell away late in games will have plenty to think about in terms of their strength and conditioning programmes. Of course it’s easier for the sides in fulltime programmes – USA and Canada for example are extremely well conditioned sides, a result of their greater time together– but there’s a lot of catching-up to be done out there.

Never make a prediction in Sevens…. And if you have to…. back New ZealandHaving predicted confidently that England would win the title in Moscow, and then when they were knocked out that Australia would get to the final, it’s safe to say that I’ve hung up my prediction boots! The cliché about Sevens that “anything can happen” is so true. I was behind the Australian bench when Spain grabbed a try in the last second to knock them out, having prepared my questions for the Spanish captain about going into the Plate. Lesson learned.  However if you have to predict anything – go with New Zealand. Consistency is worth backing!

Combinations countEngland’s poor tournament is still somewhat difficult to explain but let me have a go anyway.  Something I am learning quickly as I cover more and more Sevens is that combinations and experience with combinations against top sides is key.  England were always going in a little undercooked on that front. At full strength in Houston, there were lots of changes for China, and Amsterdam. That always seemed a risk. Exposing more players to the top of the game is great, but in a World Cup year, the lack of experience in this particular group of players and combinations against sides like New Zealand felt like a factor in Moscow. Full strength for one leg of the Europeans was something a few weeks ago – but when just two European sides ended in the top six in Moscow, it clearly didn’t offer England the stiff enough tests needed. Sadly nothing has ever been won in hindsight.

Talent transfer worksNew Zealand’s Go4Gold programme unearthed easily the best player of the World Cup in Portia Woodman. Charlotte Caslick from Australia, who had a great tournament, has come from touch rugby and the majority of the Russian team were playing other sports just a couple of years ago. There are lessons there that with the lure of the Olympics, it is right for nations to build on their respective talent transfer programmes.

Watch out for….Australia and Fji. Of all the teams not to make the final four of the Cup competition, these two for me promised much for the future. Going into this competition, despite being the defending champions, I wasn’t sure how ready this young Australian side were to challenge for the top again. Apart from some naivety at the end of the game against Spain, they showed glimpses of brilliance and they’ll be all the better for this experience. Fiji, in beating France and Netherlands, have shown everyone that with the right resources and support, they could be brilliant.  I hope they get it.An expanded World Series is vital2016 feels like a lifetime away, but with just three seasons for a host of sides desperate to increase their competitiveness and ability to qualify for Rio, the more exposure more teams get at the highest level the better.  Fiji are a good case in point – they have shown that they have the ability to become a real force but without being a core side, they will be at the mercy of which tournaments the IRB invite them to. The more tournaments we have the more chance progressing sides like them will have to get to the Olympics – and that’s what it’s all about. Every side having a fair shot.

North American rugby is in great shapeIn finishing second and third, Canada and USA have shown that rugby in their region is in good shape. Even better is that both countries still have very active 15s programmes, with both taking part in the upcoming Nations Cup and Canada planning an Autumn tour. These two nations are also home to some of the best women’s players in the world, and some of the fittest. Their continuing progress is good news.

Don’t be afraid to give youth a tryTiana Penitani (17) and Charlotte Caslick (18), both Australians, were two of the standout players in Moscow and there were plenty of other teenagers (Tyla Nathan-Wong was another)  making their mark across the entire tournament. Under the microscope of a World Cup, it does take a brave coach to take a punt on a teenager, but it’s worth it as plenty of the youngest players in Moscow showed that they are set to be a mainstay for years to come.

The bigger the competition the betterAlthough we saw sides like China, Tunisia and Japan to some extent, struggle to make an impact in Moscow, you couldn’t help but feel that being part of the process was the best possible learning curve for these sides. Brazil were a good case in point – they visibly improved throughout the weekend (and had a great chance of beating USA in the pool stages). This year’s World Series has been operating on a 12 team basis – it would be fantastic to see the World Cup numbers replicated and see the competitions grow to 16 sides.