Sevens: Disappointing Bay miss nationals

Tafai Ioasa

One could sense the pain Tafai Ioasa was feeling ... this bloke wants to redeem himself next summer.

Ioasa's Aerospread Hawke's Bay Sevens men's team failed to qualify for next month's Rotorua-hosted nationals after finishing sixth at Saturday's Central Region tournament in Palmerston North.

In the playoff for fifth, a match Hawke's Bay had to win to qualify for Rotorua, Ioasa's lads lost 15-12 to Horowhenua-Kapiti.

"I definitely want to take the team again next summer. Our province is far better than this ... there are a lot of talented kids here and Sevens is a good pathway for them," Ioasa said.

Earlier in the day Hawke's Bay beat Wairarapa Bush 21-17 and Wanganui 38-0, and lost 38-7 to Manawatu and 24-5 to Taranaki. Ioasa, 34, a 2006 Commonwealth Games Sevens gold medallist and multiple World Series title winner, is in his first season coaching at this level.

He pointed out his players were mentally not up for the 'Naki game, while All Black Sevens squad member Tomasi Cama dictated terms for Manawatu. Two other All Black Sevens squad members, Jordan Bunce and George Tilsley, also impressed for Manawatu.

"That Horowhenua game was a match of should haves. There were two scoring opportunities we should have taken but we didn't. I'm gutted because the boys are better than this ... the boys put some hard yards in and didn't get what they deserved," Ioasa explained.

"There were times when the whole team went well but other times when we had those lapses. At the same time there were still lots of positives."

Of the Magpies who played in the ITM Cup Championship final loss to Manawatu, winger Shannan Chase was the only one to play in Palmy on Saturday.

Taranaki beat Manawatu 38-33 in the men's final while Manawatu beat Wellington 27-22 in the women's final.

Hawke's Bay Sevens women's coach Chanel Huddleston said a lack of commitment from her squad members forced her to withdraw the team from the tournament, so Hawke's Bay won't be represented in the women's segment of the nationals either.