IRB Sevens- Argentina rule supreme in San Diego

This tournament has been amazing, games have been hectic and like a playwright with a master script another underdog team took the title.

For 2 days teams flexed muscle, used their brains to run around bigger men, tackled low, missed tackles and ran like the wind to impress the huge crowd.

These match ups had it all and some great victories were had. The local crowd will be still buzzing at the talent that was in front of them, each team played with courage and it was their own men from the US of A that showed tones of it.

This mighty nation of America has budget to burn, where else in the world do you have a man singing the national anthem & right at the end 2 fighter jets do a fly-bye low swoop over the ground! This thunderous sound must have made their boys bullet proof and they played like they had amour on.

In the semis Argentina had to contain the Kenyan's, it is exactly what they did in a brilliant performance of tackling around the ankles and chasing everything that looked like it might move. Kenya had been on fire up until this game, but against the South American men they stumbled. In the last couple of weeks Kenya has dispatched South Africa and NZ, this are huge wins, they just need to not see this as the finale and carry on 1 or 2 steps further to claim a title. Full credit to the Pumas, they had a game plan and played to the plan very well.

In the other Semi, England played the USA Eagles. The home side was a couple of tries down and looked washed up after the great run. However they pulled one try back and the stadium rejoiced, as it was game on again. They managed to nab another try and all of a sudden they were 2 points up with a minute to go. This is the furtherest they have gone in the IRB Sevens Series and a final was on offer. This is when experience kicked in and the English compiled a few phases and got a 5 pointer to sneak the lead with 30 seconds to go. Gollings kicked off and the ball rolled into touch, the USA team seemed to take for ever and casually went about forming a line-out, this eventually went too long and the Ref blew the whistle for full time and the chance was sadly missed.

After some entertainment from some Mexican bands, Samoa Fire Dancers and Rap singers, the stages moved off the field for the final. England and Argentina are almost playing the same game at the moment, they are controlled, they take their time and build patiently for the gaps, their tackles are as safe as a bank used to be and when the rare chance appears they bolt for it. It really was a game of attrition and the arm wrestle was intriguing to watch. In 7s time can run away on you, both of these teams have shown the ability to keep coming back when they look down & in this final Argentina out smarted last weeks winners with a gallant victory. Trailing 14-5 at the break, the Pumas quickly asserted pressure on the Englishmen after the restart and scored tries through Martin Rodrigues and Lucas Amorosino, before their famous defence kicked in to hold England at bay for five minutes.

In consolation territory NZ gave the Kenyans some pay back with a solid win in the Bowl. Titch will be a bit happier with his troops, but reality is they are luke-warm at the moment and the world title in a month could not be more wide open.