Ben Ryan: Fijian side can't be touched

Olympic Gold medal winning sevens coach Ben Ryan has declared his favourite for the Hong Kong leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series.

“It’s an odd one this year because of the Commonwealth Games, and a slightly strange message that some of the teams and coaches have set out,” Ryan told RugbyPass.

With the bulk of the competition’s top teams involved in the Commonwealth Games, several marquee players have been either rested or in camp with their respective Commonwealth Games sides.

“Of the teams that haven’t done that [rested players] – the standout are the Fijian team. If anything, they’ve gone the other way. They’ve brought in two of the Olympic final winning side in Semi Kunatani and Samisoni Viriviri into their ranks.”

Ryan believes that Fiji will be hard to beat not only because of the quality of their side, but their excellent run of form.

“In their last tournament they looked magnificent. They’ve really gone back to their old form again. And now they’ve come in here at a tournament they’ve won three times on the trot. A tournament that has so much history around Fijian sport and Fijian rugby.”

“I can’t see anybody touching them this weekend,” Ryan added.

In fact, Ryan believes the toughest side Fiji will face over the weekend is themselves.

“As we would often say when we felt like we got things right with the Fijian team, when someone asks us who the main competition is the answer would be ourselves.”

“They’re only going to lose the competition themselves, from within camp, from a red card, a lack of preparation, because the players they’ve brought here, the experience they’ve got – no one should touch them”.

The Fijian side are currently ranked second on the HSBC World Series ladder and have claimed three consecutive podium finishes to trail leaders South Africa by eight competition points.

Former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll, gold medal winning coach Ben Ryan & ex-Wallabies captain George Gregan spoke with RugbyPass ahead of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

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