Tait, who was only 18 at the time, said, "I was incredibly nervous on the first day as it is such a big occasion - 25,000 fans packing out a stadium which is built specifically for the tournament in the middle of the desert! The conditions are quite tough as it incredibly hot and the crowd are so noisy but it was a great experience. We played better on the second day and the final against Fiji was one of the most exciting matches I have ever played in. It was a great introduction to England Sevens and I hope to be involved again this year."
Tries from Pat Sanderson (Worcester Warriors), Tait, Starling and Rob Thirlby (Gloucester) helped England to their 26-21 victory. Captain Simon Amor was forced off the field following a controversial tackle from Fiji's Saiasi Fuli, leaving him with a serious shoulder injury which kept him out of action until March.
The second leg of the IRB Sevens is staged on the Garden Route in George, South Africa. England reached the semi final of the tournament last December but were knocked out by Fiji. New Zealand won the tournament beating Fiji 33-19 in the final.
Neil Starling gave an impressive performance in George scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against Kenya. England went onto beat Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Tunisia to reach a semi final against Fiji before their hopes of reaching the final were dashed. England were forced to play much of the match with six men following a sin bin and then a sending off decision, and the Fijians proved too strong for Mike Friday's men.
This year England will meet Samoa, Canada and Portugal as third placed seed and top of Pool C in the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens which are staged on 9th and 10th December. Speaking about the opening two tournaments, England Sevens Coach Mike Friday said, "These are always competitive tournaments as teams want to get off to a strong start in the IRB Sevens. Dubai in particular boasts an electric atmosphere and a huge crowd which many of the young players who are involved with the England Sevens squad may not have experienced before. The conditions at both tournaments are challenging as the temperatures are high and humidity can be a problem. It was a fantastic achievement by the squad to win in Dubai last year and we will be determined to go to both tournaments and do well again this season."
The squad for both the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens and the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens will be announced in November.
