The NZR aren’t quite as demonic as you may think

The New Zealand Sevens team have been knocked out of the Olympics, and the sky is falling.

This was not unexpected, although the one win in four games probably was.  The country is outraged, and a premature post mortem has begun.  Never mind MacFarlane and Stevenson in the women’s sculls pair, how did the Big One get away?

The knives are out for Tew & co, but there are some interesting lines of thinking here.

It’s our right

OK, New Zealand has been the dominant force in World Sevens over the last 10+ years, but most of those tournaments have been pretty random, with sides not really taking it that seriously

The All Blacks Tag is a disgrace

That’s a good point.

All Blacks should have played

This is where Steves Tew and Hansen are criticised, and it’s a little bit strange and unfiar.

The feeling is that the sevens team this year for some reason should have been loaded with 15 players.  That’s a big call; no other countries contemplated that (Habana, Cooper and Messam all missed final selection.

So is there a bit of arrogance going on here?

We are still the best at the sport; only we weren’t allowed to prove it by reeling out our AIG ambassadors wherever possible.

SGT had as many resources as anyone to do this.  People will point to 1998 Comm Games and how Jonah and Cullen brought that home.   But that would be like comparing Cricket Max 2000 with T20 Cricket 2016.  Miles apart.  Sports move on

Now, can we get back to the Olympics?