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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:07:05:18:48:25 by Dragons' Den.

Squad:

1. Will Hurrell
2. Gerard Mullen
3. James Lewis
4. Rob Lewis
5. Ben Stevenson
6. Edd Thrower
7.  Liam Gibson
8. Ashley Smith
9. Lee Beach ©
10. Michael Hills
11. Ed Jackson
12. Mike Denbee

[www.london-welsh.co.uk]

If you want to buy tickets through the official Middx 7s website then promo codes Esher7s and LONDONSCOT7S both get you a 50% discount. Haven't found a LW code yet!

It's a pity clubs do not get an allocation so that supporters who want to can sit together-ish. I could be surrounded by hundreds of Apaches, Olorun Sharks, Templars, Social Vibe 'Vipr' Pups, HFW Wailers, Wooden Spoons or White Hart Marauders and not have a clue which country they come from and whether they are real clubs or what. I presume they are scratch teams of professional 7-a-siders until I'm told otherwise.

There should be some requirement that teams come from real clubs that play real rugby union, and perhaps that players have played a minimum of 15 x 15-a-side games for that club or their previous signed club in the preceding 12 months. I would like at least half the clubs playing to be affiliated to the Middlesex RFU or similar home county umbrella.

What are our chances? I have for some reason some faith in Ben Stevenson and Mike Denbee. Have James and Rob Lewis been on the pitch together much? The key to 7s is possession, accurate long passing, always winning those funny scrums, ability to intercept and raw sprinting speed - plus a great mutual understanding. It would not surprise me if the British Army team was not the one to watch and that Scottish and Esher put up good shows also

Dan

Your description sounds unfortunately like the tournmament as was and not as is. In those good old days current internationals like Andy Ripley and Will Carling used to make regular apperances and I (mis)spent many happy hours in the South Enclosure surrounded by friends old and new - although most finals are a bit hazy.

Looked up my old programme and read we beat Heriot's FP (who contained Andy Irvine and Alan Lawson) 34-18 in the 1984 final. Our team that day:

C Rees. R Ackerman. M Ebsworth. M Douglas. K Bowring capt). R John and B Morgan

a similar team were beated 20-13 by Richmond the previous year but i don't think we've even been close since.

Sure, I liked the Middlesex 7s as they were - I was introduced about 1958 or 1959 and thought they were a great advert for running rugby. Especially when T G R Davies was playing!

Well, if anyone's going, perhaps we can make a 'LW area'?

I'm thinking of popping along, if they can cater for me still not being able to sit down.

You can sit near me if you wish - I'm in the West Stand, Lower Tier, Block L2 which if Ticketmaster is to be believed has been for some time one of the few places where reserved seats were still available. I'm probably behind a pillar blocking the view from my right eye, knowing my luck.

Here's JT's view of the tournament past and present: [www.espnscrum.com]

Quote:

DanFW3
You can sit near me if you wish - I'm in the West Stand, Lower Tier, Block L2 which if Ticketmaster is to be believed has been for some time one of the few places where reserved seats were still available. I'm probably behind a pillar blocking the view from my right eye, knowing my luck.

Thanks, but I can't sit down at the moment as my hip's still playing up, so I'd spoil the view for anyone behind me. I'll need to find either a v v v v v cheap hospitality ticket or be on the back row with nothing behind me, I think.

Quote:

eddie57
Here's JT's view of the tournament past and present: [www.espnscrum.com]

I recall London Welsh being booed well before the dominance of the early 1970s - Twickenham just did not like the Welsh, period. I think it fired up LW all the more, so I hope LW get the traditional welcome on Saturday and due respect if we win the Cup!

Quote:

eddie57
Here's JT's view of the tournament past and present: [www.espnscrum.com]

I'm guessing he had no control over the photo used at the top of the article!

Quote:

nld

Quote:

eddie57
Here's JT's view of the tournament past and present: [www.espnscrum.com]

I'm guessing he had no control over the photo used at the top of the article!

My mother commented this weekend, "JT hasn't lost any hair since the 70s, has he? Well, he has less of it in volume, it's less...Basilly, but it's still there".

If anyone's going and wants to say 'hello', I'll be in the disabled terrace 1 of the West Stand. Standing.


*No, I don't know where it is yet either. Anyone who does, please let me know.

EDIT: found it, it's the middle tier balcony, just above L7.

Please wave at me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:07:08:15:31:08 by dottigirl.

10.30 to the evening is a long time standing - could you not get a chaise longue and recline like Cleopatra? With perhaps bowls of grapes in front of you and slaves waving palm leaves to cool you down?

Quote:

DanFW3
10.30 to the evening is a long time standing - could you not get a chaise longue and recline like Cleopatra? With perhaps bowls of grapes in front of you and slaves waving palm leaves to cool you down?

I can walk short distances and perch for a short time, I could also have a lie down across a few seats for a break. Quick midday nap.

I'd prefer bowls of olives and topless rugby players waving programmes though. Perhaps they could all come up and do a stint as they get knocked out?




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:07:08:17:37:14 by dottigirl.

Right, I'm going to try to post the scores and some comments on here. Expect the repartee (hah!) to deteriorate as the day passes and the alcohol consumption increases.

If I'm having problems loading the page, I'll keep updating the Gwlad thread or the Twitter feed.
*fingers crossed*

Teams - Ex LW Players in bold

HFW Wailers

1 Callum Anderson
2 Alan Dodds
3 Hamish Smales (C)
4 Jack Smales
5 David Akinluyi
6 Gareth King
7 Aaron Myers
8 Ben Frankland
9 Jamie Gibbs
10 Fred Burdon
11 Josh Fowles
12 Gareth Kerr


White Hart Marauders

1 Adam Bishop (C)
2 Jake Henry
3 Simon Pitfield
5 Howard Graham
6 Josh Matavesi
7 Gabe Hills
8 Alex Nielsen
9 James Reilly
10 Chris Rose
11 Jordan Burns
12 Dan Scarborough
No Number Kevin James

Samurai

1. Ed Cocker
2. Lote Raikabula
3. Michael Tambour
4. Warwick Lahmert
5. Watisoni Votu
6. David Batiratu
7. Livai Koroigasagasa
8. Tim Walsh
9. Andy Vilk
10. Ed Telwright
11. Michael Fedo
12. Gav Dacey


Apache

1. Tom Burns
2. Tom Huggins
3. Will Woodward
4. TBC
5. Dan Connolly
6. James Tirrell
7. James Strong
8. Sam Bellhouse
9. James Greenwood
10. Adam Hurst
14. Gaz Collins
12. James Hawken

Social VIPR Pups

1. Harrison Tovey
2.Tim Foster
3.Steven Wood
4.Jamie Harris
5.Charlie Broughton
6.Neil Chivers (C)
7.Michael Le Bougeious
8.Andrew Henderson
9.Mark Woodrow
10.Luke Hume
11.Charlie Baffour
12 Peter Swatkins

ARMY

1 Cpl Alex Swann
2 LCpl Morgan Evans
3 LCpl Apo Satala (C)
4 LCpl Joe Kava
5 LCpl Makulusio Koroiyadi
6 LCpl Malaki Magnus
7 LCpl Sikeli Ratubuli
8 LCpl Alosio Yamoyamo
9 Pte Makia Burenivalu
10 Pte Sam Montague
11 Pte Jack Prasad
12 Gnr Sam Speight

London Welsh

1. Will Hurrell
2. Gerard Mullen
3. Rob Lewis
4. James Lewis
5. Ben Stevenson
6. Edd Thrower
7. Liam Gibson
8. Ashley Smith
9. Lee Beach (C)
10. Michael Hills
11. Ed Jackson
12. Mike Denbee


ESHER

1 Geoff Griffiths
2 Dan Cervino
3 Arran Cruickshanks
4 Pat O’Grady
5 Jonny Hylton (Capt.)
6 Tom Loizides
7 Joe Brown
8 Sam Stitcher
9 Ross Fowles
10 Dave Slemen
11 Ross Fowles
12 Neil Taylor


Brazil

1 Fernando Henrique Jungers Portugal (C)
2 Henrique Dantas Pinto
3 Diego Martins Gimenes Lopez
4 Lucas Rodrigues Duque
5 Moises Rodrigues Duque
6 Rafael Santos Dawailibi
7 Erick Monfrinatti Cogliandro
8 João Luiz da Ros
9 Diogo Borges Reno
10 Daniel Hubert Gregg
11 Felipe Claro Sant’ Ana Silva
12 Julian Felipe Menutti



Plymouth Albion

2 David McGregor
6 Dan Lee
7 Peter Austin
8 Steve Johns (C)
13 Cameron Mitchell
9 Dale Farnham
10 Rob Avery-Wright
11 Tyson Lewis
12 James Love
14 Mick McGarth
15 Jack Nowell
17 Paul Rowley

Durham University

1 JAMES DENNIS (C)
2 DUNCAN FINNIE
3 HARRISON COLLINS
4 JOSH BEAUMONT
5 JACK PATTINSON
6 SEAN ROBINSON
7 SAM RUPAR
8 DAVID HAIGH
9 MIKE WARD
10 TOM SHIEL
11 DANNY HOLMES
12 TOM O' TOOLE

London Scottish Squad

1 Lewis Calder
2 Ross Grimstone
6 Ben Lonergran
7 Tom Yellowlees
8 Oli Brown
9 Jack Walsh
10 Dan Mugford
11 David Smith
12 Heath Morley
13 Oli Grove
14 Tim Holgate
15 Stuart Peel
19 Simon Amor (C)

Orolun Sharks

1. Danny Pointon (Captain)
2. Joe Macmanus
3. Tobias Borg
4. Paul Jarvis
5. Jaco Du Toit
6. Tom Williams
7. Kyle Palm
8. Mike Canty
9. Simeon James
10. Tom Jarvis
14 Harry Rowland
15 Andrew Daish

Wooden Spoon

Graham Fisken
Angus Martyn
Joe Ajuwa
Shaun McCartney
Tom Edwards
Danny Bibby
Adam McKenzie
Phil Chesters
Dave Vincent
John Smith

Barking

1. Ben Davey
2. Peter king
3. Liam Dwyer
4. Barry DeJager
5. Will Nelson (C)
6. Nico Fraser
7. Scott Shaw
8. Jake Bedding
9. Alex Foster
10. Luke Greatrex
11. Greg Kersey
12. Tom Burns

Templars


Sam Cain (C)
Matt Kenny
George Tilsley
Matt Clutterbuck
Sam Caven
Tom Parker
Ian Davey
Ejike Uzoigwe
Darren Gillespie
George Drury
Peni Gaunimeke
Nikola Matawalu

The teams look like a right random hodge podge compared to previous years.

Could this have anything to do with all the premiership sides now playing in the JP Morgan Asset thingumybob which presumably gives them greater revenue etc etc?

If that is the case on an ongoing basis perhaps we could re-introduce prelims and embrace the randomness?

Goodluck Welsh

7-7 three mins in.

R Lewis scored.

14-14 at ht.

Ashley smith

26-28 FT score. We'll be going through to the plate.

Next match 14.10.
Against the sharks.

We looked like we were trying to play 15s.

On a positive note, we have tv screens to watch the cricket here.

Did we decide not to take it seriously this year?

Plymouth, that side so well known for their style of running rugby or did they out-maul us?

First round round-up according to postings on Gwlad.com

10.30 Match 1: British Army 31 v Apache 5

10.50 Match 2: HFW Wailers 24 v Esher 26

11.10 Match 3: Wooden Spoon 5 v White Hart Marauders 24

11.30 Match 4: Social Vibe 'Vipr' Pups 34 v Barking 5

11.50 Match 5: Brazil 17 v Durham University 14

12.10 Match 6: London Scottish 19 v Templars 26

12.30 Match 7: London Welsh 24 v Plymouth Albion 28 (doesn't match Dotti's score above!)

12.50 Match 8: Olorun Sharks 0 v Samurai 31

We're out.

Why look for contact when you have the whole pitch? A little disappointed.

Ahoy the beers...

Main website has reports on both LW matches.

Samurai beat Brazil to get though to final. Facing Esher in final?.

Scottish through to plate final I believe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:07:09:17:48:15 by nld.

Wailers beat Scottish 41 - 12 in plate final.

Samurai beat Esher to retain title

Thanks to the posters on gwladrugby.com for the updates!

Bad news for Welsh as Lee Beach appears to have suffered a rib injury during the matches. Hopefully it will be sorted in time for the pre-season games.

Quote:

nld
Bad news for Welsh as Lee Beach appears to have suffered a rib injury during the matches. Hopefully it will be sorted in time for the pre-season games.

Not according to the report on the official site -although it's a well-known fact that over here we are far better informed than those who rely solely upon the output sanctioned by the powers-that-be...

'Speaking afterwards London Welsh head coach Lyn Jones said: “Our agenda was to utilise this tournament as part of our conditioning build up to September, and it was also an opportunity to try out some talent in a very demanding arena. What was important for us is that everyone came through with a clean bill of health.
"I was pleased with everybody, but Alex Davies looked very strong and will be a good signing for us this season. We had a difficult preparation - we only managed to have two training sessions leading up to the tournament. It’s July 9 and the season starts September 3. We now have nine weeks to prepare and get ready for the start of the season.”'

Can't believe that you are doubting me....!

Not at all! Just trying to point out that supporting London Welsh is now a bit like living in the old Soviet Union. We only get told a sanitised version of events, and anyone attempting to tell the 'real' truth is running the risk of being dragged from their beds in the dead of night...

I'm in a safe house tonight so I'll be fine!

"We had a difficult preparation - we only managed to have two training sessions leading up to the tournament" This explains a lot. The 7s squad we put up just had not trained enough as a 7s unit.

Overall the whole Middlesex 7s event was, to my eyes, a disaster. Maybe I should have saved my money and gone to the Acton Carnival. It was flat with some second-rate performances.

Yes there were some exceptions - Brazil played with some gusto with lacked 7s finesse or tactical awareness, Social Vibes Pups scored some nippy tries, Samurai were obviously the real thing, British Army were fit and talented but flawed and of all the sides I thought Durham University in the first round (with 3 minutes to go they led Brazil 14-10)had the best overall 7s skill set. For the most part the rugby clubs - Barking, Esher, London Welsh, London Scottish and Plymouth Albion - seemed to have had the greatest trouble to shed XV mindsets; there was a lot of passing down the line for no particular point, massing for tackles etc. In 7s you get a lot of 1 against 1 chases to the try line, where the chaser will not catch up - so where were the flying tackles, where one heel or ankle is tapped and the player comes down? Why were so many passes looping through the air? I really do think 7s has not advanced in the last 30 years in any area other than fitness.

The announcer, who had none whatever of the quality of Peter Yarrenton, was so fond of his own voice he failed to let spectators know which side was which when they came on the pitch - the programme gave no clues as to team colours. Nor did he announce changes in the squads, our own for example. Nor which players from the squads were actually playing. And who was the idiot dressed in silver?

Pitch entertainment was the usual mix of gleeclub cheerleaders in small numbers, mascots, etc. I noticed the pitchside advertising only amounted to 10-15% of the available space. The programme contained no useful information about who the various sides were, so you felt little interest in whether Wooden Spoon or White Hart Marauders won their match etc. There were no lists of previous winners, or earlier rounds, or even the amounts raised for charity in previous years. By comparison the programmes in the old "real" Middlesex 7s were full of info (not about who the teams were, it is true, but the teams then were real teams from real clubs apart from Public School Wanderers).

Ticketmaster had actively deceived ticket buyers by suggesting that whole blocks of tickets in the more central areas were sold out, which was manifestly untrue as (with the Upper and Middle Tiers wholly empty) the Lower Tier was only 1/5 sold if that. An empty Twickenham has little atmosphere - I expected it would fill as the day wore on, but it didn't. They should have made all seats unreserved except two central blocks on each side, and ticket prices for children as low as they were at Lords on Thursday where £5 for 40 overs of cricket struck me as really good value.

The hand of the RFU, of Twickenham and the Middlesex RFU on this event are doing it no favours. Even Rosslyn Park could manage this better. There, got that off my chest.

Quote:

nld
I'm in a safe house tonight so I'll be fine!

Hope he is safe, and only having a lie in!

I wasn't there and after reading DanFW3's report it sounds like i made the right choice. I used to go to the old original Middlesex 7's but it seems now that this debacle of so called 7's is out of touch of what this event used to be. How and why is it called The Middlesex 7's. This Middlesex 7's sounds like a complete load of C**P. PADDYTAF.

Quote:

Beavan

Quote:

nld
I'm in a safe house tonight so I'll be fine!

Hope he is safe, and only having a lie in!

All fit and well. Had a paddle in the sea this morning... I've said too much...!

Quote:

DanFW3
Overall the whole Middlesex 7s event was, to my eyes, a disaster. Maybe I should have saved my money and gone to the Acton Carnival. It was flat with some second-rate performances.
Yes there were some exceptions - Brazil played with some gusto with lacked 7s finesse or tactical awareness, Social Vibes Pups scored some nippy tries, Samurai were obviously the real thing, British Army were fit and talented but flawed and of all the sides I thought Durham University in the first round (with 3 minutes to go they led Brazil 14-10)had the best overall 7s skill set. For the most part the rugby clubs - Barking, Esher, London Welsh, London Scottish and Plymouth Albion - seemed to have had the greatest trouble to shed XV mindsets; there was a lot of passing down the line for no particular point, massing for tackles etc. In 7s you get a lot of 1 against 1 chases to the try line, where the chaser will not catch up - so where were the flying tackles, where one heel or ankle is tapped and the player comes down? Why were so many passes looping through the air? I really do think 7s has not advanced in the last 30 years in any area other than fitness.

The announcer, who had none whatever of the quality of Peter Yarrenton, was so fond of his own voice he failed to let spectators know which side was which when they came on the pitch - the programme gave no clues as to team colours. Nor did he announce changes in the squads, our own for example. Nor which players from the squads were actually playing. And who was the idiot dressed in silver?

Pitch entertainment was the usual mix of gleeclub cheerleaders in small numbers, mascots, etc. I noticed the pitchside advertising only amounted to 10-15% of the available space. The programme contained no useful information about who the various sides were, so you felt little interest in whether Wooden Spoon or White Hart Marauders won their match etc. There were no lists of previous winners, or earlier rounds, or even the amounts raised for charity in previous years. By comparison the programmes in the old "real" Middlesex 7s were full of info (not about who the teams were, it is true, but the teams then were real teams from real clubs apart from Public School Wanderers).

Ticketmaster had actively deceived ticket buyers by suggesting that whole blocks of tickets in the more central areas were sold out, which was manifestly untrue as (with the Upper and Middle Tiers wholly empty) the Lower Tier was only 1/5 sold if that. An empty Twickenham has little atmosphere - I expected it would fill as the day wore on, but it didn't. They should have made all seats unreserved except two central blocks on each side, and ticket prices for children as low as they were at Lords on Thursday where £5 for 40 overs of cricket struck me as really good value.

The hand of the RFU, of Twickenham and the Middlesex RFU on this event are doing it no favours. Even Rosslyn Park could manage this better. There, got that off my chest.

Dan, I'd agree with you.
I still had a great day though, as evidenced by my current still-hungover status.

I think the Middlesex Sevens should be a great day out, I'd love to see it done properly.

Quote:

dottigirl
I think the Middlesex Sevens should be a great day out, I'd love to see it done properly.

You'll need a time machine then.

As I posted in another thread, the Middx 7s were special because of the prelims and as well as being a great day in their own right there was always the chance of an outside bet making it through to the finals. The day (traditionally at Centaurs for LW) was so much part of the rugby calendar.

As far as I am concerned the Middx 7s have held no appeal for a long time and I haven't been to see them at Twickenham for something like a couple of decades. In fact last time I went the (then new but now old) South Stand was the only new structure and it towered over the old West Stand where I was sitting.

Could they rebuild it (the 7s, not the stand)?

And would rugby benefit?

Yes on both counts.

First, revert to the format of the old 7s - no plate, just the cup. That means more teams play in the first round played on finals day and that means more spectators have an interest in coming.

Secondly, revert to teams from UK rugby clubs. If the Premiership clubs are not interested, never mind, they'll climb on board if it is a success.

Third, restrict the guest sides to 2.

Fourth, have more unreserved seating - people like to move around and find friends etc.

Fifth, make child entry really cheap

Sixth, look at improving the catering so it is not just burgers and chips, and offer soft drink stalls so not everyone is on the beer for 7 hours or more.

Seventh, think hard about interval intertainment - a dozen cheerleaders won't wash, but people in Blobby (not literally Mr Blobby) outfits running are funny and the period of the sumo guys got more laughs than a lot of other things.

Eighth, get a decent announcer who isn't on a single pitch of voice all day, who knows how to inform and doesn't gabble

Ninth, make the programme informative - £3 is twice the cost of The Observer and it was a lot less informative. It could have short items about the clubs playing, 7s tactics and rules, tips from famous players. Something worth taking home and treasuring; and so something worth advertising in.

Tenth, and most important, restore the preliminary rounds, throw it open to beyond the Middlesex RFU to any UK clubs, and if it is necessary seed some of the Middlesex or Home Counties National League and Championship clubs so we don't get wholly swamped by outside Home Counties sides.

I think this might pull in at least the 5,000 or so at Twickenham on Saturday and would involve a good many more people. The date should be closer to the end of the normal season but well clear of all possible Finals and play-offs, and they should watch for clashes with The Derby or other major sporting events. Oh, and fix it so London Welsh I and II both play and team I wins.

Please don't belittle us at Albion too much - there are a number of reasons why we may not be too savvy when it comes to 7's rugby...

1. When we are invited it is usually a last minute 'fill the gap' exercise.

2. Of the team listed, only two were on our books last season - the rest would have met for the first time only in the last week or so.

3. We seem to have recruited a vast quantity of wingers and other assorted speed merchants over the summer - this is a policy almost completely alien to GoD. (but we'll take Liam back anyday)

4. It took a while to find our book on fast running rugby, only to discover the pages to have been burnt by the forementioned Mr D.



My body is a temple - I desecrate it every day