Friday 11th February 2005
Young Bailey relishes England Sevens experience
21 year old James Bailey (Gloucester) made his debut for England Sevens last weekend in Wellington and has got a taste for international sevens rugby, “It was great making my debut in front of such a passionate crowd. I really thrived on the atmosphere in Wellington and was really pleased when I finally got to run onto the pitch.”
Bailey scored an impressive try in his opening match, against Canada. Running the length of the field, his try helped England secure a 31-5 win over Canada. England unfortunately went on to lose to Fiji in the quarter finals of the Wellington Sevens, and the young winger was disappointed with the result, “We were all frustrated with our performance but have had longer to prepare here in Los Angeles and are feeling really focused and ready for the next tournament.”
It was Bailey’s first trip to New Zealand and he was impressed with what he saw of the country “Everyone we met was so friendly and really made us feel welcome. The whole city got behind the rugby and there was a real buzz around the town. It was a great experience.”
Bailey has represented England at every level and enjoys everything involved with being on tour with England, “I have been fortunate to represent England at every age level and so am used to being away from home for long periods of time. The sevens squad is a great bunch of people and it is good fun being part of this England team.”
The squad arrived in Los Angeles from New Zealand on Monday and have been training every day, with sessions on the training pitch and in the gym. However, the team were allowed a day off on Tuesday and made the most of being in one of the world’s most exciting cities, “We had a great day off earlier this week and went to all the usual tourist places. We went to Universal Studios, Rodeo Drive and then went shopping in Santa Monica. It was fantastic being able to see more of the city, and we all made the most of the good exchange rate!”
Bailey, who has earned a reputation within the squad for always sleeping when not training, is looking forward to the American tournament which begins on Saturday, “Everyone is determined to do well in this tournament, particularly given the disappointment of last weekend. We face a tough pool alongside Fiji but we have been training hard and know we can perform well.”
England face Tonga, the West Indies and Fiji in the pool stages of the Los Angeles International Sevens which begin on Saturday (12th February). |
