Sevens: Northland 'gutted' by loss in cup quarter-final

The extended Northland Sevens squad enjoyed a beach training at Mount Maunganui before heading to the 2017 Bayleys National Sevens Championship in Rotorua.

Northland could draw plenty of positives from its 2017 Bayleys National Sevens Championship campaign at Rotorua over the weekend but the overriding impression, according to coach Peter Nock on behalf of the team, was more one of a 'so-close-but-yet-so-far' feeling.

"Disappointing. Really disappointing," said Nock, of the defeat in the crucial cup quarter-final against eventual finalists Waikato by 12-7 on day two, Sunday. While Northland proved the better team for much of the game's 14-minute duration, the players were also, in some way, the architects of their own downfall.

"We had one of our worst games against Waikato. Made some crucial errors. We had the ball for the last two minutes but just couldn't score. We planned to win it," he said, noting the two losses, against Counties Manukau in pool play then Waikato in the quarter final, were to two teams who went all the way to the final. Nock admitted he emptied the bench against Waikato.

"It was all about what we are here for," he said, referring to Northland's ongoing priority of blooding new players.

Other results from pool play on Saturday included wins over South Canterbury 24-7 and Manawatu 33-5, followed by a narrow and gut wrenching 14-15 loss to the tournament's defending champions/eventual winners Counties Manukau, after Northland were leading 14-10. Northland's final game was a loss in the plate semifinal to Auckland 7-14 on the Sunday.

Before the team held a captain's run at Northland's Pohe Island HQ in Whangarei last Thursday evening, Nock said he was confident his players had done the hard yards in the build-up to the nationals. He noted at the time there was a good chance, if the side hit its straps, that it would deliver some upsets.

"The boys were gutted," he said yesterday, albeit noting the Cambridge Blue were "obviously the team that had the best culture [at the nationals]. We had a real bond going."

The Northland Taniwha sevens team was, 1 Whiria Meltzer (captain), 2 Noah Cooper, 3 Scott Gregory, 4 Matt Matich, 5 Isimeli Taqea, 6 Aorangi Stokes, 7 Taniela Manu, 8 Kyle Thomson, 9 Waisea Lawebuka, 10 Dan Wells, 11 Epineri Uluiviti, 12 Brady Rush.

A highlight for Northland was having Scott Gregory named to stay on in Rotorua until Thursday where he will trial for the New Zealand men's sevens team.

"We were stoked about that," said Nock, noting Gregory has been a real standout throughout this summer's provincial and regional sevens campaigns.

- In a stunning double effort, Counties Manukau were crowned both men's and women's championship titles at the 2017 Bayleys National Sevens at Rotorua International Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It was a back-to-back championship win for the men who held off a determined Waikato for a 14-7 win.

The Counties Manukau women won their first ever women's sevens national title beating defending title holders Manawatu 24-17 after striking early in the first half thanks to two tries from Portia Woodman and one to Renee Wickliffe to lead 19-0 at the break.