Palais set for sevens in Sydney

By HUXLEY LOVAI
THE Papua New Guinea Palais travel to Sydney today for the first HSBC World Sevens Series tournament this weekend.
The Palais will use the tournament as preparation for the Hong Kong Sevens from April 7-9.
Coach John Larry said the Sydney tournament would be a great tester for a relatively new side as they take on world class opposition.
The Palais take on powerhouse New Zealand after which they face Canada and then France in their pool.
Larry was realistic about his side’s chances in Sydney.
“The teams that we will play against are all full time circuit teams, all of whom also played in the Olympic Games last year,” Larry said.
“We want to see where we finish in Sydney, to see where we are on the international stage. We’ll be ssessing our players and working on our strategies.” He said since the players were smaller in size compared to other nations in their pool, speed in attack and defence would be an advantage for the Palais.
“Clearing the ruck as quickly as possible is a must for us.
“Our strength is our speed and it will be our main weapon. We have a very fast side pace,” Larry said.
Palais captain Lynette Kwarula said: “The team spirit is good; the new players have bonded well with the others. We’ll play to the best of our abilities.”
The Hong Kong sevens will serve as a qualifying tournament for both PNG’s men’s and women’s teams on to the world circuit.
Palais: Lynette Kwarula (c), Kymlie Rapilla, Casandra Sampson, Joanne Lagona, Mavis Mitaharo, Freda Waula, Fatima Rama, Cathy Puro, Thereseanne Daimol, Taiva Lavai, Helen Abau, Alice Alois.