All the latest reaction from around the teams at the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, the sixth leg in the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series.

Day three reaction

Stephen Betham, Samoa coach - Cup winners

"It's indescribable, it tops it all. A different feeling altogether.

"(At 14-0 down) I sent a message onto the guys that as long as we got points before half time we were still in with a chance, and just to keep their cool. Twenty minutes is a long time and I take my hat off to them.

"(Composure) it's something that was missing before in Samoan rugby but we're working on their mental abilities, especially to overcome mental barriers, and we're slowly achieving that.

"We've still got two to go, still a long way to go, but we'll enjoy the win."

DJ Forbes, New Zealand captain - Cup runners-up

"Not taking anything away from Samoa but we've beaten ourselves again. We were just pushing those 50-50s and paid the price.

"It's heart-wrenching. We had some good support here and a good team. No superstars, just a bunch of hard-working grafters and that was probably the pleasing thing.

"We lost a few guys that supporters probably thought we relied on and to show that we fronted up was an awesome feeling for the boys and obviously we'll take that into the next two tourneys."

"They've got that mental edge on us now but Sevens can go any way. We're still in the hunt, that's the main thing, and we've got two more tournaments to front up. It's going to be a long break to make sure we dig deep and come out firing in London and Scotland.

Dai Rees, Hong Kong Head coach- Shield winners, hosts

"It's been a rollercoaster weekend but no rollercoaster today, just up and up and up. We set our sights on a trophy and to finish with the Shield, it's a first trophy for Hong Kong at their own event in nine years and what's enjoyable is that the team is home-grown.

"It was magnificent to come out against our big rivals Korea and I thought we showed some real maturity early in the morning. And then Italy and Russia are two very strong European teams. Russia qualified for the Rugby World Cup recently and Italy are coming off the back of a decent Six Nations, so two magnificent wins and it was great to see the guys lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament.

"This tournament is magnificent for us. It funds our development, it funds the guys out on the field and it's ploughed straight back into community rugby. Hopefully we'll continue to produce more of these types of guys.

"We've got a small player base which is growing but it's raising awareness - the Olympic President is here and lots of people from local government who don't focus on rugby all the year round so it adds profile to the game in Hong Kong."

James Stannard, Australia - Plate winners

"It's a good feeling playing in front of 50,000 people, none of the boys have experienced it before. It was a good win, we stuck to our game plan and it came through.

"It's deafening, you can't hear anything out on the field, sensational.

"We didn't play our best football here but we've learned a lot out of this tournament so we've just got to get back to the drawing board and take the positives and also the negatives heading into the next camp before London and Edinburgh."

Morgan Williams, Canada coach - Bowl winners

"The biggest thing that we've got out of it now is just to go out and have fun.

"The first day and the second day I don't think we did that and today we turned it into more of a fun atmosphere in the changing room. Guys were dancing, I think some of the teams think we're a bit weird, but we've got the music playing before we go out so we're together, having fun, the guys are smiling and I want that to translate onto the field and today they did that."

Day two reaction

Ben Ryan, England coach

"I'm happy because we've had three pretty good victories. Always tough against Wales, we kept up our record of being ubeaten against them for the last three years, and they moved us around and unsettled us.

"We're pretty fit, Dan Caprice had the day off today because of a niggle so we're in the (Cup quarter final) draw and that's all I can ask.

"It's (the crowd) everything at the moment because it's giving us that tempo. We haven't fired this year and sometimes we just haven't had that tempo that we had last year and today we were good in that department and the crowd has a big part to play in that.

"We've got a chance and we're in the quarters. This will be my fourth Hong Kong quarter final and we've lost the previous three against teams that we could have sneaked in against. We're playing Australia, they beat us last time, they're ahead of us in the standings and they'll be favourites."

Dai Rees, Hong Kong National Head coach & Head of Performance, former Wales Sevens coach

On their 21-19 pool victory over Wales

"It was a great occasion for us as Hong Kong. Evidently I know a fair bit about the Welsh team and we identified that they had three or four guys out through injury. We energised, we selected smartly last night against England focusing on today and I thought we played some good Sevens, put them under the pressure we needed to in certain areas and came through with a great score at the end.

"There's no bitter-sweet for me (beating Wales). I had a great time when I was in Wales, I'm a Welshman, but I'm head of Performance now and National Head coach in Hong Kong and I've got to say it's one of the best days in rugby we've had, a tier three nation taking the scalp of the World (Sevens) Champions, it doesn't often happen.

"Through circumstances outside my realm, I was unfortunate not to be part of the Welsh World Cup-winning side (2009) having had them for three years, so there's no bitter-sweet, I'm over the moon for the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union and the players, it's a fantastic result."

On looking ahead to day three

"It is (now) about us performing tomorrow. We've pinched scalps like this in the past. It isn't about today, it's about performing and getting our results and whoever we play early on Sunday we've got to get a result there because we've traditionally come up short and not been involved in the final games in our own tournament. We need to be because we don't get this kind of exposure very often."


- 2002 HK7s WINNER JOSH LEWSEY LEAVES FOR EVEREST - LISTEN NOW >>

Greatest Hong Kong Sevens Legend? Join the debate >>

Day one reaction

Stephen Betham, Samoa

"We were happy with the win (against Italy) but in saying that we have a lot of things to work on, I thought we went off the boil a bit at the start and came on again in the second half.

"Tomorrow's another day, looking forward to that. Anyone can beat anyone on a given day and this tournament's no different, we'll give it our best."

Iliesa Tanivula, Fiji coach

On their opening 82-7 win against Thailand

"We spoke about coming down and piling up as many points as we can and the boys did that so we've got to just look forward to tomorrow. All due respect to Thailand, we didn't really do a lot to score some soft tries, but credit to the guys the way they came mentally prepared for today.

"They're (Samoa) the form team at the moment, they've been consistent, set the target for the rest of us and hopefully we've go to follow through and get there."

Bernard Lapasset, IRB Chairman

On sitting watching the Sevens with IOC President, Jacques Rogge

"He's very impressed with the rugby. He was a rugby man himself and the Sevens is part of his life. He's interested by how we're promoting the game and promoting Sevens around the world and it's interesting to see teams like Thailand and Korea (playing here). It's important for developing the Game around the world and Sevens is a broad game with the universality of the Olympics now."

Gordon Tietjens, NZ coach

Played in Hong Kong, 1983

"Scored a try in my debut game against Singapore for New Zealand, a pretty proud moment for me, out of nothing to make the New Zealand Sevens team and come to Hong Kong. It was the first ever national Sevens team that they'd named and it was a special moment and one I won't forget.

"Hong Kong has that euphoria, that atmosphere, the crowd gives a mix of everyone and when the players came to the Stadium yesterday even with nobody in it there was a still a buzz around it, an atmosphere and something that can't be replaced by any of the others.

"This weekend could define the Series, it will certainly make it harder if you don't do well."

Agustin Pichot, former Puma captain, Argentina Team Manager

Played at the Hong Kong Sevens, 1996

"Hong Kong was a very special moment in my career. They are all good memories when you are really young and you come to play in Hong Kong. I really had this expectation coming here and it was fulfilled.

"Together with Rugby World Cup Sevens 2001 and Punta del Este in 1995, it was one of my greatest moments in Sevens.

"That trip in 1996 gave me unique moments. The biggest names in world rugby were here. I was 20 years old and starting my career. Everything was happening for me.

"It was decided that I would come (this year, as a member of the Argentine Union's High Performance Committee) to see and speak with players, coaches, the people involved. Also with coaches and managers from other teams, the IRB, everyone involved in sevens. I need a lot of information to be as accurate as I can be. I am already learning a lot."

Al Caravelli, USA coach

Played in Hong Kong for Argentina, 1981

"The first time I came here I was definitely awestruck. I was the youngest player in the squad, a replacement player at the last minute, and I remember calling my Dad (a former Puma) and there weren't any cell phones back then, and telling him 'there's a lot of people here'!

"It was my first international tournament and it was amazing to be among all the stars that at the time you watched on TV. Guys like (current Australia Sevens coach) Michael O'Connor, the Ellas to name just a few. The atmosphere just charged you up, gave you a boost of energy. There's a special mystique to it and that's why I think it's definitely the granddaddy of all Sevens events."

Thierry Janeczek, France coach

First played in Hong Kong, 1986

"It was my first Sevens selection in 1986, I'd never played before, and it was for the French Barbarians with some big names of French rugby like Laurent Rodriguez, Laurent Cabannes and we made a very big tournament.

"We lost in the final against New Zealand and played against other big names like John Rutherford, Michael Lynagh, David Campese, Wayne Shelford, Zinzan Brooke. A wonderful event 24 years ago but for me so important because of the magic, the stadium, the city, the pubs. Everything."