The 2018/19 World Sevens Series will come to a close in Paris this coming weekend. Darry Worthington previews the tournament below.
All eyes will be on the Stade Jean Bouin this Saturday as the curtain will come down on what has been a riveting 2018/19 Sevens season. We’re set for a spectacular finish to the season as well with only two points separating Series leaders Fiji and the second-placed United States.
Paris Sevens
Saturday 1 June – Sunday 2 June
Stade Jean Bouin
To Win Tournament Outright
Fiji
USA
New Zealand
South Africa
Australia
England
Pools
Pool A: Fiji, Ireland, Argentina and England
Pool B: Australia, South Africa, Wales and Kenya
Pool C: USA, Canada, Samoa and Spain
Pool D: France, New Zealand, Scotland and Japan
Contenders
Fiji
2018 Paris Finish: Fifth
The Islanders know that they hold all the cards heading into this one and just need to progress further than the United States to claim their fourth World Series title. And if they produce as good a tournament as they did in London last weekend, then the Fijians should have no trouble claiming the Paris Sevens and the World Series title.
Gareth Barber’s men were a class apart at Twickenham last weekend destroying all-comers with their narrowest winning margin being seven-point victories over Kenya and the USA, and their biggest winning margin being their 43-7 win over the Australians in the final.
Fiji are yet to win a World Series event staged in France. They did have success in the country winning two events in the early nineties but this was when France staged invitational events. Their best finishes in the World Series era were runners-up positions in 2005 and 2016.
New Zealand
2018 Paris Finish: Third
New Zealand will be looking to finish what has been a solid campaign on a high note when they take to Paris this weekend. The Kiwis may be out of the running for the Series title but they did secure Tokyo Olympic qualification by finishing fifth in London last weekend.
A third-place finish for the men from the ‘land of the long white cloud’ would be a decent result considering they are still in a rebuilding phase and have lost a number of stars to Super rugby franchises this season.
The All Black sevens side are the joint most successful side in Paris alongside South Africa with both teams having won two editions of the tournament. They have been one of the bridesmaids at the last two editions of the event, however, finishing third in 2017 and 2018.
USA
2018 Paris Finish: Sixth
The United States finest rugby hour could await in Paris this weekend but they need the Fijians to slip up and fail to make the final while they would have to finish three points better than the Islanders to left a first-ever World Series title.
The Americans aren’t really in the best of shape to achieve this having failed to make a final since the Las Vegas Sevens. They looked decent enough in London last week and managed to claim third place. One feels they will need to at least make the final in Paris if they are to claim the Series title, however.
Dark Horse
South Africa
2018 Paris Finish: Champions
It’s been a tough old year for the Blitzboks who sit 33 points off table-toppers Fiji. Like New Zealand, South Africa are in a massive rebuilding phase and were without the services of stars Kwagga Smith and Seabelo Senatla, Rosco Specman who are now fully concentrated on XV’s rugby.
The good news for the Blitzboks is that the future looks bright with a number of young guns make the step up this year. And what a way to make a statement of intent it would be for next seasons if the young South Africans to win the Paris Sevens for the third year running!
Verdict: Fiji
I’d really love to see someone else win this one and the States to claim the Series title but I cannot see Fiji slipping up in Paris ala 2018.
