Fiji retained their coveted World Sevens champion crown with new recruit Jarryd Haynes on duty for a sum total of eight minutes and 12 seconds in three games.
He had four-and-a-half minutes in the shock 31-10 loss to England in the first Pool game, three-and-a-half minutes in the 42-5 romp over Wales, and just the last 12 seconds of the 26-0 win over Australia that clinched Fiji the world crown by qualifying for the quarters.
Hardly a fair crack at being on the plane for Rio.
These were the words of Fiji coach Ben Ryan:
“Jarryd comes from a different angle, he has a great background in rugby league and another professional sport (NFL) at the highest level.
“In attack he is comfortable on the ball, he has good special awareness and has good footwork.
“In defence, he is a good tackler with breakdown skills, the finer arts, but he hasn’t the same fitness levels as our boys have got, and in spite of that he’s had a good week with us.
“That’s why we are moderating what he’s doing, he was pretty sore on Friday after consecutive training runs in what was a light week for us.
“I’d be an idiot of a coach if having eight minutes in the World Series I can still make an assumption of where he can go.
“When we go into Olympic camp there’s no hiding place, we don’t pick on faces, we pick on form, and he has seven weeks to prove himself.
“If he gets into our side because of form then he’s done remarkably well and if he doesn’t, it just goes to show the quality we’ve got.”
So there it is – crystal clear – Jarryd Hayne is not on the Rio plane, but the door is still open.
So even though Fiji’s retained the world crown and are gold medal favourites for Rio, Ryan has to spackle over the worrying cracks emerging.
Fiji led Samoa 21-0 midway through the Paris Sevens final, and went into the break 26-7. Usually that’s shut the gate time, but for some inexplicable reason Fiji shut up shop instead, allowing Samoa to power home with 22 unanswered points to win 29-27.
In the very next game in London, Fiji was swamped by England 31-10, and Samoa lost all three Pool games to South Africa, USA, and Canada – go figure.
So the quarter-finalists in London are:
England vs Scotland.
New Zealand vs USA.
France vs Fiji.
South Africa vs Argentina.
And the secondary quarter-finalists:
Australia vs Portugal.
Russia vs Samoa
Kenya vs Wales.
Canada vs Brazil.
Now the interesting question will be how Ryan uses Hayne in the big ones that count. France shouldn’t be a problem, so perhaps Hayne will get more game time.
A match-up with South Africa in the final with the long-haired lightning speedster Seabelo Senatla weaving his magic in a serious possibility.
So far in this 10-tournament series, Senatla has scored a record 65 tries to top the point-scorers with 325.
Senatla vs Hayne could be a tournament highlight.
Observer
Guest
Caucau was still playing for Fiji in 2010 so that fairly puts him in the decade that includes Hayne.
Ken
Guest
Is that Fijian player more deserving if he can't hold his place? This isn't under 8s, it's professional sports and the Olympics, you only play if you're the best option available. Plenty of people train hard in their chosen sport and just aren't quite good enough.
soapit
Guest
or some just require less fitness than others more accurately
Oceanbreeze
Guest
In terms of attacking I'm 15s and 7s Caucau and Serevi are the best ever.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Caucau's glory decades belong to the decade before........that's why I said I was referring to the past decade, and not the one before. I could have said the one before, but I didn't, and was referring only to the past one. That means 2006-2016. Those are the past 10 years and therefore the past decade. The one before would be 1996-2006, the first decade of professionalism.
Bakkies
Guest
Well he needs to work on his fitness and weight if he is to play in Rio.
Bakkies
Guest
Probably more game time then he got in the NFL
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Caucau is still regarded as the best attacking FAT player in any code, including league, and american football.. :P lol
Birdy
Guest
To my knowledge he never did. But as an excellent coach he knew all the players that were a threat to his team. He was asked his opinion on Hayne before he went to the NFL . I think poor suzie poison got moderated on her rant. Shame really. She must be really upset the kiwi s got smashed after their RL convert left the field .
Matt
Guest
When did Wayne Bennett ever train Hayne??
Tigranes
Guest
And Caucau wasn't exactly a great trainer either...I remember he had a bit of a gut when he was playing in France...
spruce moose
Guest
Honest to God, not even his parents would wax on like you are doing. He's an excellent fullback when on the attack...nothing more. He was shown to be a flatly useless five eighth and has for his entire career been a sub standard defender.
Birdy
Guest
CUW, I thought I was pretty fit playing league until my brother , who was a boxer took me to his training sessions . Same as when I finished with footy I started playing touch . Much different again. No matter what sport you play it requires a different type of fitness. Check out golfers and cricketers compared to just 20 years ago.
Birdy
Guest
Look at the code warrior rubbish on this topic and then tell me who's full of it.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
He is super human. He is Pigeonman.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
According to Hayne, the only reason he is playing sevens is because he wants to play with Fiji. I watched him play & I must have missed the Fijian guys holding a gun on him to make him take the field so he is eligibility is captured.
CUW
Guest
different games require differnt levels and kinds of fitness. for example if i ask u - who is fitter , a boxer who goes 12 , 3 minute rounds or a ufc fighter who goes 5, 5minute rounds - what will ur answer be? there is a big difference between playing 80 minutes at a stretch one day , compare to playing 15 minutes each x 3 matches each per day over two days. not to mention doing double the work (since only 7 in the team :) )
Alex
Guest
He is more interested in a gold medal than a gold jersey!
Birdy
Guest
You caught me on that one sailosi, I just went of quotes from Matt Steel the australian director or gridiron who said jarryd's fitness would help him to excell in the NFL . Other quotes from Wayne Bennett who have stated he was an exceptional trainer. I just read Farrah's quote which you have mentioned, doesn't make sence . I would think the number one ingredient for any code hopper would be a superior level if fitness . But never the less he's got me supporting Fiji in the Olympics which I probably would not have watched if he wasn't going.
ClarkeG
Guest
there you go with that either code thingee again