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Australia search for fairytale Paris Olympics ending after Tokyo heartbreak
By AAP
The Australian sevens rugby women's team is searching for a fairytale ending at the Olympic Games in Paris after suffering heartbreak in Tokyo three years ago.
And the Australians are prepared to do it the hard way, even if it means taking on arch-rivals New Zealand in the final.
Everyone seems to be humming with excitement, captain Charlotte Caslick said at the team announcement on Wednesday, with the trans-Tasman rivals joint favourites to take gold in Paris.
"We've obviously been neck and neck with New Zealand at the top for the whole time and I think we're pretty comfortable there," said Caslick.
Australia's stars struck gold for the first time at the Rio Games in 2016, beating the Kiwis in a nail-biting final.
But there was despair in 2021 when they finished out of the medals in fifth place.
Australia were eliminated by Fiji in the quarter-finals, with NZ seizing the opportunity to claim gold.
But Caslick maintains preparations have gone much smoother this time around after their campaign was hampered by COVID then.
"I feel like we're in a much better place than we were physically before Tokyo," she said.
"We've beaten them (NZ) before so we know how to play them, and we know how to beat them. I think we just have to be brave and go out there and throw everything at them.
"At this stage, we probably won't cross with them until a grand final, so if everything goes to plan for both of us, I'm hoping that we will meet."
Star player Maddison Levi said nobody wanted a repeat of the Tokyo heartbreak and feels they have the team to get the job done.
"If we stay in our bubble as a group and don't let anyone inside that, I think we'll do a really good thing over there in Paris," she said.
"We're all ready to go out there and kind of rewrite that Olympic history and hopefully come home with a gold medal."
Squad: Charlotte Caslick (capt), Bridget Clark, Dominique du Toit, Tia Hinds, Maddison Levi, Isabella Nasser, Faith Nathan, Sariah Paki, Kaitlin Shave, Sharni Smale, Bienne Terita. (Reserves: Kahli Henwood, Sidney Taylor).
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Latest Comments
It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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