Ghislaine Landry loves the smell of Vegemite in the morning.
Asked if she was a morning person, the Canadian rugby sevens captain quipped: 鈥淚 will be Saturday.鈥�
The hosts open the 12-team women鈥檚 2018 World Series sa国际传媒 Sevens today against defending 2016 Rio Olympic champion Australia at 11:36 a.m. at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never played the Aussies in the morning [in a World Series tournament]. It鈥檚 a great way to start,鈥� said Landry.
And a tough way, against the current world No. 1 team.
鈥淲e know sa国际传媒 will have the huge crowd on its side,鈥� said Australian captain Shannon Parry.
鈥淥ur job will be to silence the crowd.鈥�
The Aussies, however, might have picked up some Island support this week after making a visit to St. Michaels University School to meet with students.
鈥淲e love it here. So many young people in Victoria play rugby,鈥� Parry said.
鈥淲e met some players at SMUS who had played for sa国际传媒 in the Youth Olympics against our young Aussie players.鈥�
Meanwhile, Parry said this world No. 1 Aussie squad is not resting on its laurels. While she covets her Olympic gold medal, it鈥檚 all about Tokyo 2020 now.
鈥淩io is well behind us. It was two years ago. It鈥檚 a new day,鈥� she said.
That was evident last month when New Zealand, whom the Aussies defeated 24-17 in the Rio Olympic final, turned the tables and beat Australia 17-12 at home in the gold-medal final of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
鈥淲e played the best game of our lives,鈥� Kiwi captain Sarah Goss said.
She got no argument from her Aussie counterpart Parry: 鈥淲e are arch-rivals and it was a huge disappointment not to win gold at home in the Commonwealth Games, but New Zealand was the better side on the day.鈥�
The Kiwis followed up with a 17-12 victory over Australia in the semifinals of the Japan Sevens en route to the tournament championship as the Aussies settled for bronze behind the silver-medallist French.
Meanwhile, after its opener today against the Aussies, sa国际传媒鈥檚 other Pool C games are against Spain at 2:08 p.m. and Ireland at 5 p.m. The Canadians are hoping for big things at home this weekend after losing in the final of last year鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens to New Zealand, also at Westhills Stadium.
鈥淲e have been centralized in Victoria the past six years and we love living and training here,鈥� said Landry.
鈥淣othing beats it, especially when the sun is out. All the teams love coming to this World Series tournament.鈥�
England captain Abbie Brown concurred: 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a beautiful city and the pitch is lovely here.鈥�
The friendly confines of Westhills may be just the thing sa国际传媒 needs as it looks to settle some leftover business from the other side of the Pacific last month. sa国际传媒 finished fourth and out of the medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games before failing to make the medal round of a World Series tournament for the first time in program history the following week in the Japan Sevens.
The 24-19 Canadian loss in the Commonwealth Games bronze-medal game was against England, which gained a measure of revenge for sa国际传媒鈥檚 33-10 victory over Britain in the Rio Olympic bronze-medal game. England now looks to ride that momentum across the Pacific.
鈥淭he Commonwealth Games were an amazing experience with great crowds and an amazing facility. Everything clicked for us there and we came together as a team,鈥� said English captain Brown.
鈥淲e peaked at the right time there. Now it鈥檚 time to reset and peak again.鈥�
It was quite the opposite for sa国际传媒 in Gold Coast and the ensuing Japan Sevens, as that bad patch saw the Canucks slip to No. 5 in the world.
鈥淚t was disappointing, but we鈥檝e looked at it and believe we have addressed it,鈥� Landry said.
The 14-minute games come fast and furious in the sporting carnival known as sevens rugby. Russia and the U.S. get things started today at 10:30 a.m. through to the pool-play finale between New Zealand and Fiji at 6 p.m. Action resumes at 9:20 a.m. Sunday through to the championship final at 4:20 p.m.
