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The 2018-2019 HSBC Sevens Series comes to a close in Paris this weekend. With all four automatic qualification tickets for the Olympics now claimed, there are two major questions to be answered:
1) Who will win the overall series title?
and
2) Who will be relegated from core status?
The top four teams are now certain to be Fiji, the USA, New Zealand, and South Africa, all of whom have booked their place in Tokyo 2020. The order of the top two, however, is to be determined.
Only two points separate the defending Olympic champions from the upstart Americans. The Eagles may need some help from others but they can take the title outright if they finish first in France.
Pool C is where the USA’s tournament will begin. They have been drawn alongside Canada, Samoa, and Spain. For Fiji, champions in London, it will be Pool A. They are joined by Ireland, Argentina, and England.
Pool B consists of Australia, South Africa, Wales, and Kenya. In Pool D it’s hosts France, New Zealand, Scotland, and Japan.
For the latter it is last chance saloon. Consistently poor performances from the team has seen them fall to 15th overall, the last of the core teams, though the equally disappointing Kenyans are only two points ahead. It would be a dire situation indeed if the Olympic hosts, guaranteed inclusion, were not on the circuit in 2019-2020.
Wales are not out of the relegation window either. They enjoy a five-point buffer over Japan, however, and can breathe a little easier after picking up an extra two points at Twickenham. Ireland will be the team replacing whoever drops out having earned their spot in Hong Kong.
Also up for grabs is the final placings of both Argentina and Canada. The Pumas are just two points behind 8th place France but well ahead of Scotland. The Scots are certain to finish 10th, leaving Canada to defend 11th overall with Spain just three points behind.
The two-day tournament begins on Saturday.
