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Fiji had 12 super-talented sevens players, which is why they left out Jarryd Hayne to win Olympic gold.
Not that Hayne isn’t talented – far from it.
But for Hayne to make the Rio sevens, a super-talented Fijian would have missed out – and there would have been no justice in that.
» Sevens live blog
» Final report and sevens medallists
Fiji were simply awesome in their 43-7 demolition of Great Britain in the gold medal game. The silver medallists were lucky to get to seven, so comprehensively did Fiji do a job on them.
They play sevens like no other country – they are very, very quick, they play what’s in front of them better than any other nation, and they tackle as though their life depends on it.
Jarryd Hayne would be a top sevens player, but not with Fiji.
He made a calculated punt, putting all his eggs in the wrong basket.
Had he chosen the Australian sevens team, he would have been first picked, and in the process automatically opened the door to Wallaby selection and the extra dollars available over the Waratahs.
Pity about that, because Hayne would have added genuine talent to an Australian sevens roster that was always undermanned and over-rated by the media. Hayne’s presence would have lifted Cameron Clark and Tom Lucas, two triers who kept running out of support.
That’s why the Australian men finished eighth, in keeping with their ability.
In short, the Australian men were but a shadow of the Australian women, who did a Fiji job on their opponents.
Sevens was a magnificent addition to the Olympic Games, but only the way Fiji in the men, and Australia in the women, play the game.
It’s exhilarating, and the new benchmark. Long may that be the case.