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AFP/Glasgow
South Africa are out in front, but far from out of sight, as they continue their pursuit of a first World Sevens Series title in six years when the penultimate leg of this season’s edition takes place in Glasgow this weekend.
Just 12 points separate the leading three teams with just the Glasgow and London legs still to play.
South Africa top the standings with 129 points, with Fiji (125) and New Zealand (120) close behind.
The Blitzboks and the All Blacks will meet in the pool phase today when England, fresh from beating South Africa in the final of the Tokyo Sevens, face top four rivals Australia.
This season’s tournament has the added incentive that the top four teams will qualify automatically for the inaugural Olympic Sevens event at next year’s Games in Rio.
Australia are currently fourth, nine points behind England, but 20 clear of the fifth-placed United States. South Africa have shown impressive consistency in this season’s Sevens, finishing in the top three of at six of the seven rounds thus far to put themselves in sight of a first World Series title since 2009.
“We must stick to the basics and continue doing what we did to get to the top,” the Blitzboks’ Kwagga Smith told worldrugby.org.
“We’re not trying to focus on staying number one, but to focus on our own standard and not do anything fancy, this will in turn look after itself.”
New Zealand who, surprisingly, have won just one leg of this season’s Sevens, will have Gillies Kaka back in their squad in Glasgow following a hand injury suffered during the Las Vegas Sevens.
“Gillies has a big influence on the way we play and with Beaudein Waaka it gives us huge depth in the crucial position of half back,” New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens told allblacks.com.
Meanwhile England captain Tom Mitchell said his side were determined to build on their success in Japan. “It was a great achievement for the guys after all the hard work they had put in,” said Mitchell.
“But we were back in on the Monday, working even harder and there was a real hunger in our group to move forward.”
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