We preview Pool A at the Adelaide Oval this weekend, featuring Samoa and Portugal as well as England and hosts Australia, who face off on day one.


Australia coach Michael O'Connor is hoping that the country's Sevens programme can turn a corner under his watch, and what better place to start turning heads than the Adelaide Oval this weekend.

Playing at the historic cricket Oval on the World Series for the third time, the Australians line up in a tough pool against Samoa, Portugal and England, whom they face first up on Friday night.

O'Connor has been working for the ARU in a junior talent identification role for the past seven years, so the Sevens job was a natural progression for the former union and league international.

"It's a great opportunity for young players, which I enjoyed as a player, and I'm very keen to sell the international aspect to these players, who are under pressure too from other codes," said O'Connor.

"The IRB Sevens has been a sleeping giant and something that we really should advance a lot more in Australia."

O'Connor also believes that, in that regard, his job may be made easier by the fact that Robbie Deans is now in charge of the Wallabies.

"Fortunately he's seen how successful the Sevens programme has been for New Zealand rugby, the number of All Blacks that have come through the programme, and he can see the relevance to the fifteens game.

"In the past we've had head coaches who were forwards and haven't been sold on the idea of Sevens. Honestly, I've never believed that, I think that if you're a good Sevens player, you're a good fifteens player and the satisfaction I get is seeing a guy like Luke Morahan at 18 years of age - already there's interest in him because of this Sevens programme and he'll be signed by a Super 14 club, so I think that's great."

Australia's opening pool clash - against England - could hardly have been better scripted to bring in the punters for the new Friday night start, and O'Connor's English counterpart Ben Ryan is expecting the toughest of matches for the second-placed team in the World Series.

"Playing an England side is just going to make it even more special for them and I'm sure they'll raise their game," said Ryan.

"I've coached various England sides that have played Australian sides in Austrlia, I remember two years ago the Under 18 side, and the same thing happened, they raised their game.

"We know what to expect, they'll come out all guns blazing and we know that that (single game on Friday night) sets the tone for our whole weekend as much as it does theirs, so we just need to be very professional and come out well."

Ryan's job is made no easier in the 35-degree heat of Adelaide by the fact that he starts the tournament with just 10 men. Neil Starling has come in for the injured Isoa Damu but no replacements have been called up for Rob Vickerman and Tom Biggs, who have been recalled from the World Series by English Division 1 club Leeds Carnegie.

"That's made things difficult and we are on a bare bones squad," admitted Ryan.

"We did have an opportunity to bring in players but we felt that we didn't want to give away caps, we wanted players to earn them and the 10 in the squad all feel excited that it means everyone has to play in every game.

"That's quite a good bonding experience for them because they feel that everyone's in it together now.

"We won Wellington with 11 players, one less is actually pretty significant, we can't afford many more injuries and we're going to need a little bit of luck, but I'm genuinely excited, it's backs against the wall and I hope we'll come out at the end with a smile and realise it was a good decision."

Samoa and Portugal are also likely to give England bruising battles in the heat on Saturday.

Pool A - Lowdown

England
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Cup Final, lost v South Africa 12-19
George: Plate Final, won v Portugal 24-7
Wellington: Cup Final, won v New Zealand 19-17
San Diego: Cup Final: won v Argentina 14-19
Hong Kong: Cup QF, lost v Fiji 10-12
 
Current Series Position:
2nd, 68 pts

Adelaide 2008:
Bowl QF: lost v USA 19-26

One to watch: Tom Varndell's pace has been a boost but, having made four out of the last five finals without him, England have not progressed beyond the quarter finals in the last two tournaments. Expect a back to basics approach in Adelaide with the likes of captain Ollie Phillips to the fore and Australia-based Ben Gollings. Will sorely miss the injured Isoa Damu and fellow forward Rob Vickerman.

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Samoa
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Plate Final, won v Kenya 12-7
George: Plate SF, lost v England 19-20
Wellington:Shield SF, lost v Niue 12-21
San Diego: Plate SF, lost v kenya 12-17
Hong Kong: Cup SF, lost v South Africa 3-29
 
Current Series Position:
7th,34 pts
 
Adelaide 2008:
Cup SF, lost v South Africa 12-17

One to watch: Who else? Lolo Lui caught the eye in Hong Kong with his fine winning drop goal against Argentina but it was the little wizard Uale Mai who was pulling the strings. On his day one of the finest in the shorter form of the game

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Australia
 
IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Plate SF, lost v Samoa 14-17
George: Bowl Final, lost v France 12-21
Wellington: Bowl SF, lost v Cook Isl. 10-28
San Diego: Bowl final, won v France 0-40
Hong Kong: Cup SF, lost v South Africa 10-24
 
Current Series Position:
9th, 14 pts
 
Adelaide 2008:
Plate SF, lost v Tonga 7-21

One to watch: The joint leading try-scorer in the World Series this season with 25, 18-year-old Luke Morahan is already attracting attention from Super 14 franchises. An uncomplicated approach to the game, but a lethal finisher with a real eye for the line and deceptive pace. Look out for another 18-year-old too, Domonic Shipperley, who impressed on debut in Hong Kong. Also, nobody has scored more points in the Series this year than Richard Kingi (159).

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Portugal

IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09:
Dubai: Bowl Final, won v France 24-0
George: Plate Final, lost v England 7-24
Hong Kong: Bowl Final, won v Uruguay 14-12
 
Current Series Position:
10th, 9 pts
 
Adelaide 2008:
Did not compete

One to watch: In the absence of the outstanding but injured David Mateus, his brother and captain Diogo is sure to give his all for the jersey, while the chunky little half back Pedro Leal is a classy operator. Half of this side also compete for the national 15-a-side team and it is a wonder how they revert so quickly to the Sevens game. A fitness and attitude that belies their amateur status.