Thursday 5th April 2007
They may be 12,000 miles away but there are two London Wasps players who were delighted to hear the result from Saturday’s game against Leinster. Wasps duo James Brooks and David Doherty are currently in Australia with the England Sevens team and were in action last weekend for England at the famous Hong Kong Sevens.
Brooks explains, “We sent a few good luck texts to the players before the game but when the match was on it was the middle of the night for us. When we woke up we were both pretty keen to find out the result and were really pleased for everyone. It is great news for everyone at the club.”
David Doherty – known as Doc – is one of the youngsters in the England Sevens squad having only played two tournaments prior to Hong Kong. England were unable to claim their fifth successive Hong Kong victory after losing to a strong New Zealand side but Doherty was still pleased to be involved. He says, “Playing in Hong Kong was the most amazing experience of my rugby career. It was really different to anything else I have done. The whole excitement and buzz around the city and in the stadium was great. To play in front of 40,000 people was fantastic – even people who would not normally be interested in rugby were there because it was such a big occasion. The noise really does spur you on and give you a bit more gas in the tank when you need it. It was brilliant but just so disappointing that we didn’t do better on the pitch.”
For Brooks, it was a return to Hong Kong as the 26 year old was one of the non playing reserves for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2005. James says, “It was much more enjoyable actually being involved this time and getting to play in such a big tournament. Playing in Hong Kong was definitely an experience I wanted to be involved in and I am grateful I got the opportunity.”
Brooks turns 27 tomorrow (Friday) and is one of the oldest and most experienced players in the squad. He says, “We have a good mix of players out here and I have been impressed by the youngsters. I am not sure what I can teach them but hopefully they will learn something just as I can learn off them. We are all learning and improving after each game, and sevens continues to be a great stepping stone for players.”
Brooks has not been involved with England Sevens since the Rugby World Cup Sevens but was delighted to be recalled into the squad. “I got wind of the possibility of me playing and as the time approached and with the injuries I have had this was a great way of building some confidence whilst playing a game which I love. You never know when or even if you will ever pull on an England jersey again so I am extremely grateful and proud to be back involved with the squad.”
Brooks and Doherty are not the only London Wasps players involved as the side is captained by scrum half Simon Amor. Amor has led the side for six years and captained all four of England’s successful Hong Kong Sevens campaigns. Both Doherty and Brooks are full of praise for their sevens captain. Doherty says, “Simon is an inspirational captain and leads with his actions. He has achieved so much in the sevens world but still strives to do more. I really enjoy playing alongside him.”
Having spent last week in the humidity of Hong Kong, England have now moved onto Adelaide ahead of this weekend’s IRB Australia Sevens. Brooks is quick to react to any claims the duo are on some kind of holiday in the sun. He says, “No-one who has ever played international sevens knows just how hard it is. Fortunately at Wasps several of the players have been involved with the England Sevens squad including Lawrence (Dallaglio), Josh (Lewsey) and James (Haskell) so there isn’t too much stick. It is pretty gruelling on both your body and your mind and we train a lot in fairly challenging conditions.”
England face a tough pool this weekend with Tonga, Canada and Fiji. Brooks admits it won’t be an easy ride against such top opposition. “Tonga’s results last week in Hong Kong were impressive and they have really improved over the last few years. We must start playing well right from our first game on Saturday. The Canadians are always physical and can cause an upset, whilst the Fijians probably need no explanation. It should be a great game against them as there is great rivalry between the two teams.”
Stay up to date with the England Sevens squad’s progress at rfu.com/sevens
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