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Norton hat-trick for England in Emirates Airline London Sevens opener
Saturday May 21, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills




England Sevens wing Dan Norton

Dan Norton’s hat-trick of tries saw England overtake the USA to clinch a 31-21 win in their opening game at the Emirates Airline London Sevens.

England – chasing New Zealand for a first-ever HSBC Sevens World Series title – were trailing midway through the second half at Twickenham Stadium.

But Bristol Rugby wing Norton touched down three times in the final four minutes to make sure his side sidestepped a shock setback with captain Ben Gollings and forward Tom Powell supplying the first-half tries, and Gollings adding three conversions.

England were due to face Pool B rivals France and Argentina later today with the group winners likely to meet New Zealand, Kenya or Wales in tomorrow’s quarter finals.

Head Coach Ben Ryan's side went into their home event trailing New Zealand by 13 points in the overall table and realistically needing a London tournament win to keep their title hopes alive going to Murrayfield next weekend.

But they were severely tested in their opening game despite surging into an early 14-0 lead against the USA.

Full-time sevens players Gollings and Powell scored their early tries – one in each corner – with Gollings supplying both conversions.

But they missed the chance to put a couple of other scores away and the USA responded with three tries around half-time, Matt Hawkins, Paul Emerick and Shalom Suniula all touching down with Suniula converting.

Norton’s first two tries edged them 24-21 in front, though, and his third, from the final play of the game, put them out of sight.

In the earlier games Scotland came close to pulling an upset before being edged out 19-15 by Samoa and Wales eased through 33-10 against Spain.

Series leaders New Zealand eased through 28-12 against Kenya, defending London champions Australia beat Canada 19-14 and Portugal came closest to pulling off a shock until Fiji claimed a late try to salvage a 24-21 win.

Second game setback for England Sevens against France
Saturday May 21, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills

England suffered a Pool B setback when Mathieu Acebes scored the late try that earned France a 21-14 win in the second round of games at the Emirates Airline London Sevens.

England are attempting to close a 13-point gap on HSBC Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand but will now need to beat Argentina in this evening’s final game to reach the cup quarter finals.

Captain Ben Gollings scored both England tries and added two conversions but his side missed one good late scoring chance and France went the length of the field to claim the points.

France had caused England problems in a physical first half before turning the ball over on their own 22, Gollings punishing them with the opening try and converting moments before the break.

Although the visitors hit the front when Jean Baptiste Gobelet and Paul Albaladejo struck through the middle, Gollings appeared to have settled England’s nerves with his second score, converting to tie the game up at 14-14.

But England couldn’t cross the line after one great surge down the right and were punished by the breakout that ended with Acebes going under the posts and Albaladejo converting.

Earlier, Dan Norton’s hat-trick of tries had edged England to a 31-21 win in their opening game against the USA.

Gollings and Tom Powell scored early tries but Matt Hawkins, Paul Emerick and Shalom Suniula put the USA 21-14 up before the Bristol Rugby wing struck three times in as many minutes.

Elsewhere Wales are on course for the quarter finals after beating Spain 33-10 and Kenya 29-12, while Scotland had nothing to show for two good performances that ended in a 19-15 defeat against series champions Samoa and a 24-21 reverse against last year’s Emirates Airline London Sevens winners Australia.

When will you lose the marmalade outfits?

England miss out on quarter finals at Emirates Airline London Sevens
Saturday May 21, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills

England’s bid for the Emirates Airline London Sevens title is over after they were denied a quarter final place by being held to a 12-12 draw by Argentina at the end of the tournament’s record-breaking opening day.

A win would have taken England to the last eight – to face either New Zealand or Wales – but Argentina’s superior points difference ushered them into the next stage on a day when a world record sevens crowd of 54,357 flocked to Twickenham.

Instead, England - beaten by France and winners over the USA in their other two pool games - now face Kenya in the Bowl quarter finals looking to pick up the points on offer to defend their second place in the HSBC Sevens World Series. Leaders New Zealand, 13 points clear going into London, are now all but uncatchable.

England have been semi-finalists or better in all six previous tournaments this season and head coach Ben Ryan admitted they were “listless” on day one. They need to bounce back straight away with an improved showing in the Bowl and at the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens next weekend.

“We were tremendously looking forward to playing at home in front of a really big crowd with a side that’s trying to win a world title but all that’s up in a puff of smoke in three pretty average performances,” said Ryan.

“Today we weren’t good enough. We played flat rugby for three games. Now we’ve got to be professional, get a job done tomorrow and have three good performances.

“We were 21 points ahead of our third place [HSBC Sevens World Series] rivals and that’s going to get eaten up very quickly if we’re not careful.

“The last thing we want to do having relinquished any chance of winning the world series is to relinquish second place. I still think we’ve had an overperforming season in the context of the seven events so far but that’s only going to be the case if we nail down second place.”

England opened their Pool B programme with a win 31-21 win over the USA courtesy of Bristol Rugby wing Dan Norton’s hat-trick, all touched down wide on the left, with captain Ben Gollings and forward Tom Powell also scoring.

They slipped up first in a game they should have won against France. Gollings scored and converted twice to tie the game up at 14-14 and England were hammering towards the line only for France to break out and go the length of the field for Mathieu Acebes to snatch a 21-14 win.

England started slowly against Argentina and had a near miss when James Rodwell couldn’t get the ball down after a sweeping attack involving Toulon-bound London Irish flanker Steffon Armitage, who was making his international sevens debut.

Norton grabbed his fourth try of the day to put them in front, Hernan Olivari replied, then Chris Cracknell smashed his way over with Gollings converting for a 12-7 lead.

But they couldn’t get a grip of the game in the second half, Tio Merello’s try in the left hand corner levelled the scores late on and Armitage was bundled into touch to end the final play and England’s title chase.

The result puts Argentina into a quarter final against New Zealand, surprise Pool B winners France take on Wales, Samoa face Fiji and defending Emirates Airline London Sevens champions Australia tackle South Africa.

A Bowl quarter final win for England would earn them a date with Canada or Russia as they attempt to collect the four series points available to the eventual Bowl winners.

England edged out again at Emirates Airline London Sevens
Sunday May 22, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills

England’s run of setbacks continued when they went down 19-17 against Kenya in the Bowl quarter final at the start of the second day of the Emirates Airline London Sevens.

Lavin Asego’s late try condemned them to a Shield semi final tie against Canada and left their HSBC Sevens World Series rivals New Zealand on the brink of the overall title.

New Zealand duly secured up a ninth global crown in 12 years by beating Argentina in the cup quarter finals, making sure of at least 16 series points and putting them beyond the reach of the chasing pack of England, Samoa and South Africa.

England’s agonising defeat meant they were left playing for pride in the final two games after they had appeared to be in complete control against Kenya.

Ben Gollings’s opportunist try down the left was followed by the captain’s involvement in James Rodwell’s well-taken score and Dan Norton touched down his fifth of the tournament under the posts shortly before half time with Gollings’s conversion opening up a 17-0 lead.

Oscar Ouma and veteran Collins Injera struck back to narrow the gap to 17-12 but England were pressing late in the game only for playmaker Asego to break away and snatch a win with the final play of the game.

Sunday May 22, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills

England lifted themselves to register a first day two win by beating Canada 22-14 and reaching the Shield final at the Emirates Airline London Sevens.

An agonising 19-17 Bowl quarter final defeat against Kenya meant England were unable to earn any points to strengthen their second place in the HSBC Sevens World Series standings.

But they recovered with a gritty performance sealed by John Brake’s try in the final minute and take on Portugal in their last outing today.

Ciaran Hearn’s try and a Ryan Tomlinson conversion edged Canada in front early on before Nick Royle’s long-range strike and further tries from James Rodwell and Bristol Rugby wing Dan Norton put England 15-7 up.

Back came Canada with a second try for Hearn but England were dogged in defence - London Irish flanker Steffon Armitage stealing one valuable turnover – and in attack with former England Under 20 three-quarter Brake chasing his own kick ahead and stripping the ball away from the final defender to score.

Earlier Lavin Asego’s late try for Kenya condemned England to the bottom tier Shield competition and handed the overall HSBC Sevens World Series crown to New Zealand.

The Kiwis secured up a ninth global crown in 12 years by beating Argentina in the quarter finals, making sure of at least 16 series points and putting them beyond the reach of the chasing pack of England, Samoa and South Africa.

England’s reverse against Kenya came after they had appeared to be in complete control of the Bowl quarter final.

Gollings’s opportunism down the left was followed by the captain’s involvement in Rodwell’s well-taken try and Norton touched down under the posts shortly before half time with Gollings’s conversion opening up a 17-0 lead.

Oscar Ouma and veteran Collins Injera struck back to narrow the gap to 17-12 but England were pressing late in the game only for playmaker Asego to break away and snatch a win with the final play of the game.

England restore pride and South Africa claim title at record breaking Emirates Airline London Sevens
Sunday May 22, 2011
Issued by Simon Mills

England restored some pride by winning their final two games on the second day of a record-breaking Emirates Airline London Sevens.

The two-day attendance of 100,094 at Twickenham Stadium represented the biggest weekend crowd for an HSBC Sevens World Series tournament, surpassing the 100,000 return at the Dubai Sevens in 2008.

An agonising 19-17 second day defeat against Kenya had sent England tumbling out of the Bowl competition but they picked up some silverware at least, beating Canada 22-14 and finishing with a 22-7 victory over Portugal in the Shield final.

The new Emirates Airline London Sevens champions are South Africa, 24-14 winners over Fiji. New Zealand exited at the semi final stage but amassed enough series points to be confirmed HSBC Sevens World Series champions.

Scotland won the Bowl final, beating Kenya 21-19 after Andrew Turnbull’s late try levelled the scores and Peter Horne’s conversion clinched it. The Plate final was won by Samoa, who beat defending London champions Australia 22-12.

Head coach Ben Ryan admitted he was "saddened" that England's first day performance ended their hopes of challenging for the overall title after they were beaten by France and held to a draw by Argentina.

He now has to pick the side up and make sure they hang on to second place in the rankings at next weekend’s Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens.

““It was more than doubly frustrating, it was saddening on so many levels,” said Ryan.

“We’ve worked really hard around the world this year to reach two finals and four semi finals and with a good performance in Edinburgh it may still be our best overall performance in the 12 years of the series.

“But to go out in such a way yesterday was something we didn’t see coming. We played pretty poorly on the first day and it was the first time in my coaching career I couldn’t think of a reason why it went so badly wrong.”

England’s final game against Portugal was decided by a first-half burst with Mathew Turner and John Brake scoring early tries while Bristol Rugby wing Dan Norton touched down twice to take his weekend’s tally to eight. Pedro Leal claimed a late consolation.

Earlier England were stunned by Kenya when they appeared to be in complete control of the Bowl quarter final.

Ben Gollings, James Rodwell and Norton scored first half tries with Gollings’s conversion opening up a 17-0 lead.

Oscar Ouma and veteran Collins Injera struck back to narrow the gap to 17-12 before Lavin Asego snatched a win with the final play of the game.

Ciaran Hearn scored two tries for Canada to keep them in contention against England but Nick Royle, Rodwell and Norton replied with Brake’s tenacious final try making sure of a badly-needed win.

HSBC Sevens World Series standings (top five): 1 New Zealand 150pts, 2 England 121, 3 South Africa 116, 4 Samoa 112, 5 Fiji 110.