The internet attributes the quote to Sir Alex Ferguson, but most coaches will repeat a similar mantra: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
In the 2018 Sydney Sevens tournament, however, the Australian women’s sevens team added a new element: nail both at the same time and you make history.
In what was the last running of the Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium before a five-year absence, the Australian women’s team turned in one of the most dominant performances in rugby history. The Tim Walsh-coached team not only went through the tournament undefeated, they didn’t concede a single point in six matches.
A 31-0 victory over arch-rivals New Zealand ensured the Australian team became the first in world sevens series history – men’s or women’s – to win a tournament without conceding a point.
It was as close to perfection as an Australian rugby team has ever produced, but the singular feat was lost in the mix when the Aussie men’s team won the title later that afternoon, and the hype and headlines were justifiably shared.
“It was incredible that both teams won at home,” Australian men’s sevens coach John Manenti said. “It is something you dream of as players and coaches and as an organisation.
“We have to be careful not to put too much pressure on ourselves to try and replicate that. But there was a calmness around the [women’s] group that day, and that weekend, that everyone knew their roles and knew their jobs, and everyone went about their business.”
Australia celebrate after beating New Zealand in the final of the 2018 Sydney Sevens.Credit:Getty
The history-making victory in 2018 was the last time the Sydney Sevens was staged at Allianz Stadium before it was knocked down and re-built, and this weekend the tournament returns to Moore Park.
Only Charlotte Caslick, Sharni Williams and Dom Du Toit remain from the 2018 side, which was still stocked with the 2016 ‘Golden Girls’ like Emilee Cherry, Ellia Green, Emma Tonegato and Alicia Quirk.
Winners are grinners … the history-making 2018 side.Credit:Getty
The win was all the sweeter given they’d bombed out at the 2017 Sydney Sevens, having been weighed down by the massive hype arising from their feats in Rio.
“It was very, very special in that [2018] tournament, especially playing on home soil,” Williams said.
“We didn’t concede a point and I think we scored more than 20 points a game or something. Everything just clicked. Defence fed into attack and vice-versa.
“As an athlete you think about state of flow, and it is really hard to get every single person on the same page, on the same day and performing as one. That day, it kind of felt like most of us were on that same page. We were a process-driven team, and still are, and it just all came through that tournament.”
Day One action at the Sydney Sevens
Women
Pool B: Great Britain v Fiji, 12:00 pm
Pool B: USA v Canada, 12:22 pm
Pool A: Japan v France, 12:44 pm
Pool A: New Zealand v PNG, 1:06 pm
Pool C: Ireland v Spain, 1:28 pm
Pool C: Australia v Brazil, 1:50 pm
Men
Pool C: Ireland v Samoa, 2:22 pm
Pool C: USA v Spain, 2:44 pm
Pool B: South Africa v Kenya, 3:06 pm
Pool B: New Zealand v Uruguay, 3:28 pm
Pool D: Fiji v Tonga, 3:50 pm
Pool D: France v Japan, 4:12 pm
Pool A: Australia v Great Britain, 4:34 pm
Pool A: Argentina v Canada, 4:56 pm
Women
Pool B: Great Britain v Canada, 5:38 pm
Pool B: USA v Fiji, 6:00 pm
Pool A: Japan v PNG, 6:37 pm
Pool A: New Zealand v France, 7:05 pm
Pool C: Ireland v Brazil, 7:35 pm
Pool C: Australia v Spain, 8:03 pm
Manenti was an assistant coach with the women’s team in 2018 and heading into the Sydney Sevens five years later, the men’s coach said the incredible performance still highlighted the importance of nailing the under-appreciated side of sevens rugby.
“Nobody was trying to think about keeping the teams scoreless, or any of those things, but the old adage is defences wins [tournaments] so if your defence is on top, both [men’s and women’s] programs have some impressive attacking weapons,” Manenti said.
“I think I can say for both teams, if we are defending well, we are going to be in the fight.”
Most of the original “Golden Girls” have retired or moved to different codes and formats, but Williams said the new generation coming through in of the Australian women’s seven team are equally capable of making history.
“And we have already started to create that, as triple-crowners last year,” Williams said.
“That was something an Australian sevens team had never done before, winning the series and the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup in one year, so there’s a history-making milestone already.
“You look at the game in this day and age, I said to the girls, ‘I started playing rugby when I was 20’. These girls have been playing since they were 15. And then there will be another generation who’ll be playing since they’re eight.
“These kids, you will see more and more history being made with these young girls coming through. They’re just getting started.”
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