DUBAI // What was supposed to be the first Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens without Sir Gordon Tietjens ended up being dominated by the surprise presence of the coaching great on the sidelines.
The New Zealander, who turns 61 next week, has been bringing the All Blacks Sevens to this tournament for 22 years, a timespan that predates the creation of the World Sevens Series.
When he stepped down in the summer, after a disappointing campaign at the Olympic Games, it was initially announced he had retired.
However, Tietjens retains an appetite to prepare a side for the next Games, in Tokyo in 2020, and was subsequently appointed as the new coach of Samoa.
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His former employers placed him on gardening leave until the end of the year, meaning he is not permitted to coach the Samoans in either of the first two legs, this weekend in Dubai and South Africa next week.
However, he was spotted in team-issue kit at the Samoa team hotel earlier this week, and he cut an intriguing figure on the sidelines when the sides began pool play.
He did not enter the field at any point, but sat in the area reserved for tournament officials nearest the players’ tunnel, and went inside when Samoa had finished their first warm up.
He did not wear Samoan-issue apparel, but, perhaps mischievously, his shirt and cap were a similar shade of royal blue.
“I can’t coach them for these first two tournaments, but I’m here, and I’ve been out to Samoa to meet the players,” Tietjens said.
“I have been involved in their coaching sessions and have come out here to learn a bit more about them as players, and evaluate the level they need to get to.”
Tomasi Cama, a protege of Tietjens with New Zealand, who has followed him into the coaching role for this season, said he was shocked to see his former boss.
“I heard he was going to be here, but I was surprised he was with Samoa, and I didn’t know he was going to be coaching here,” Cama said.
“But that is what he is going to be doing moving forward, so we wish him all the best.”
Tietjens’ presence did not quite rouse the Samoans to make it out of a harsh pool, as they finished behind England and New Zealand to be consigned to second-tier competition on Saturday. They lost 26-21 to Tietjens’ former side.
“We have some Samoan boys in our team, and that has always been a big game for us in the past,” Cama said.
“Samoans always get up to face New Zealand. We know Titch is part of their coaching set up now, and the boys gave it their very best and were pleased to come away with the result.”
England eventually topped the pool, as they beat the New Zealanders 26-12 in the final match of Day 1.
“It was a tough start, against a physical Samoa team who obviously had the Titch effect,” Simon Amor, the England coach, said.
“I was really pleased with how the boys adapted, because it is about minus-5C in the UK at the moment.”
England face Scotland in the last eight, with Australia taking on Wales, and New Zealand drawn against South Africa, who were outstanding on the opening day.
Fiji, the defending champions, were some way short of their spellbinding best, but still won all three pool games, to earn a quarter-final against France.
“I thought the boys played well today under so much pressure,” Naca Cawanibuka, the caretaker Fiji coach, said.
“For us, the most important thing was to get wins but we have so much to work on.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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