Vancouver
5 stars to shine bright in Vancouver
There may be no Antoine Dupont to grace the men’s HSBC SVNS in Vancouver this year, but Luke Treharne offers a guide to a quintet of players to keep an eye out for on the pitch at BC Place
The HSBC SVNS circus rolls into the Pacific Northwest, as Vancouver hosts the first tournament of the second half of the season – with only the Hong Kong and Singapore weekends to come on the schedule before May’s Grand Final in Los Angeles.
Vancouver’s stunning scenery, pre-tournament activities and electric atmosphere – it’s the only indoor stadium on the circuit – makes it a favourite stop among players, while Canadian fans really know how to party!
But there’s still the small but serious matter of an HSBC SVNS competition to win, so let’s have a look at key players from the top five men’s teams that they’ll be cheering on.
Fiji (48 points)
Watch out for: Terio Veilawa
Age: 30
Height: 170cm
Weight: 78kg
Tries this season: 7
Veilawa has been in scintillating form for Fiji this season, helping them to gold in Dubai, bronze in Cape Town, and fifth at Perth. He’s got the magic playmaking touch that links the speed of Fiji’s backs with the power of their forwards.
Watch out for his kick-offs that he can drop onto a dime. He has one of the most controlled and relaxed techniques, which allows him to consistently pepper the middle of the field allowing Fiji to contest to win the ball back.
He also brings an abundance of flair to the game as was demonstrated by his 20-metre backdoor pass which helped set up a try at the Perth SVNS.
Argentina (48 points)
Watch out for: Matteo Graziano
Age: 23
Height: 195cm
Weight: 105kg
Tries this season: 6
Graziano is Argentina’s workhorse who doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves in Los Pumas’ star-studded team. But don’t be fooled. This particular quiet young man is a superstar – and he’s getting better every season.
He’s a towering figure who can use his physical capabilities to either run around you, through you or ride a tackle to release teammates with pinpoint offloads. His power and precision were on full show in the Perth SVNS, final where he bagged a hat-trick to help Argentina win their first gold of the season.
Graziano also contributes heavily to Argentina’s defensive efforts and is a key turnover threat at the breakdown.
Spain (48 Points)
Watch out for: Eduardo López
Age: 26
Height: 187cm
Weight: 90kg
Tries this season: 7
Spain’s men are having a historic season, claiming silver in Dubai and bronze in Perth, and bagging fourth place in Cape Town. Lopez has played a key role in each tournament.
He plays mainly in the centre, arguably the most difficult position to defend in sevens, due to the amount of space that you have to cover. Game after game Lopez has been making world-class reads in the defensive line and then backing these up by snapping into a jackal to turn the ball over.
Lopez also uses his speed to glide past defenders in attack and has notched up seven tries so far.
South Africa (44 points)
Watch out for: Selvyn Davids
Age: 30
Height: 172cm
Weight: 75kg
Tries this season: 6
Davids is the living embodiment of an electric playmaker. Forever flitting between looking like he has all the time in the world as he sizes up a defensive line to suddenly darting past defenders as he commits to a decision.
He missed the first two tournaments of the season, but in six games in Perth, he crossed the try line six times, to move closer to a century of career tries.
He also punches well above his weight in defence, as so many South African halfbacks do, using his explosive power to hammer players into the ground.
At the Vancouver SVNS you will also see him sending the ball high into the sky on kick-offs ready for the South African forwards to compete.
France (40 points)
Watch out for: Jordan Sepho
Age: 26
Height: 194cm
Weight: 105kg
Tries this season: 3
The French men have started their next cycle of players following Olympic glory last summer. Sepho played a big part in securing that historic gold medal in Paris – and now he will help guide their future stars.
Sepho’s speed, power and size make him a threat across the park. Whether it’s climbing high to gather a kick-off, chasing down a linebreak or pushing in a scrum. He does a lot of the unseen, difficult work for France that has helped them reach the heights of Olympic and HSBC SVNS champions.
The Vancouver SVNS promises to be another cracker, so remember to tune in this weekend to catch the start of all the action.