O'CONNOR'S MEN ALMOST LEFT RED FACED BY QLD ACADEMY
Rugby Sevens, November 13: A last
minute try in their final pool game saved Michael O'Connor's Aussie Thunderbolt
from an embarrassing loss to a spirited Queensland Reds Academy team at the end
of an exciting opening day to the Hyperion Gold Coast International
Sevens.
The Aussie outfit, who had chalked up three comfortable wins earlier in the day, trailed 10-0 after Reds tries to Jarrad Butler and Lois Fesolai, in a nail-biter under lights at Albert Park, Surfers Paradise.
But with "little brother" scrambling in defence it was the power of Tevita Kuridrani and the power and skills of Trent Dyer and winger John Grant who gave the Aussies victory and pole position in Pool C and a Cup quarter-final against Brisbane's Sunnybank, who were second in Pool B.
The surprise packets of the tournament so far, Olex Taranaki Academy (NZ) who upset both World Champions Samoa and the defending champions South Sea Drifters will play the Warwick Bombers in the first Cup quarter-final.
The other two big match ups will see the unbeaten International Samurai up against the Samoan Barbarians with Emerging New Zealand to play a fired up Fijian outfit Davetalevu.
Quarter-finals action kicks off at 8.30 am with the Cup final set down for 7.05pm tomorrow night.
Here is a brief overview of the pool games on day one:
POOL A: The New Zealand's Olex Taranaki Academy
emerged as the surprise packets in Pool A with a giant killing opening day,
claiming the prized scalps of IRB World Champions Samoa (26-21) and defending
champions South Sea Drifters (12-7) as well as Aussie Legends (38-0) and Gold
Coast Breakers (17-0). The young Academy team, led around the park by Hurricanes
Super Rugby star and player-coach Scott
Waldrom, broke a 7-6 deadlock against the Drifters when captain
Cody Rei raced down the right hand
touchline for his second try of the game to break the deadlock in the dying
seconds. The last game of the day saw Samoa sink the Drifters 22-7 for the
improving World Champions to secure second position in the
pool.
POOL B: The
Emerging New Zealanders wrapped up their unbeaten day with a comfortable 26-5
win over the Junior Waratahs and it followed impressive wins over Brisbane
Nadroga Navosa (33-5); Lloyd McDermott (26-10) and Sunnybank (41-5). Bryce Heem and Jack Wilson led the Kiwis scoring five
tries each. Only dampener for the New Zealanders came against Navosa when IRB
Sevens star Zar Lawrence was forced off the field with a shoulder injury and it
remains to be seen whether he takes the field for the finals. Brisbane's
Sunnybank grabbed the second position with wins over the NSW Junior Waratahs
(26-7); Lloyd McDermott (28-14) and Brisbane's Nadroga Navosa (14-12).
POOL C: The
Aussie Thunderbolts survived a
scare in their final match of the day with John Grant scoring in the last minute
over the enthusiastic Queensland 
POOL D:The International Samurais, with the Western Force marquee signing David Smith, at times unstoppable, topped Pool D.They went through day one unbeaten with wins over the Warwick Bombers (19-14); Australian Maori RL (35-17); Southern Chiefs, PNG (45-0) and the Arabian Gulf Barbarians (52-5).The Warwick Bombers with wins over Arabian Gulf (21-10) and the Southern Chiefs, PNG (33-7) and a 21-all draw against with Australian Maori sees them progress to the semi-finals.
WOMEN: The Samurai International team, made up of eight members of the Australian Wallaroos emerged as the team to beat in the seven team women's competition after amassing 117-7 in three games in Pool A; beating the Southern Chiefs, PNG (31-7); Sunnybank (57-0) and Sydney University (29-0). Kristy Giteau (six tries), Sharni Williams (five and four conversions) and Kate Porter (four) were the stand outs for the Samurai team who look certain to meet defending champions Brisbane Eastsyde in the Cup final. Eastsyde only had to play two games against Nerang (40-0) and Wests (33-0) to win Pool B.