It is always, "They," never, "We." It is the first and most important rule of sports broadcasting. I am not paid to be a homer or a cheerleader; I'm paid to be impartial and objective. Without exception, balance is essential. From time to time that is easier said than done. Like you, I am a fan at heart; a supporter of the game and of Team Canada. Show me someone who doesn't love an underdog and I'll show you someone who doesn't grasp the emotional attachment necessary to maximize the experience. It is a simple concept. The lesser team, often with the benefit of noisy, passionate fans, ups its game. The players respond to the vocal encouragement, not wanting to let down the paying spectators. A unique bond is born and the result is a powerful combination. That is what happened when Canada played Fiji in Vancouver. There is no other logical explanation. No doubt the Canadians felt they owed the fans a performance following a meek loss in their pool opener against Samoa. The hosts going head to head with the defending champions. The Canadians massive underdogs against a team of physically huge and technically brilliant athletes. Even the most optimistic and ardent Canadian supporter must have feared the worst. I checked my game notes one more time. The portents were ominous. Canada had beaten Fiji only four times in 51 all-time meetings. This could get ugly and predictably lopsided in a hurry. The narrative was surely set – a routine Fijian win would naturally ensue. What followed will live long in the memory. Canada defied the odds to build an early lead, only for Fiji to level matters at halftime. The hosts got ahead again after the interval only to be pegged back a second time. In a rousing finale, Canada kept its nerve and executed one final time to beat the Olympic champions. It was one game. Its outcome was immaterial to the eventual standings at the Canada Sevens. But it was a moment that illustrated both the best and the worst of Canadian rugby. WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Fiji match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Fiji Sports 22:41 Watch Canada battle Fiji at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 22:41 No consistency Let's assume the glass is half full. Canada has the technical ability and collective commitment to beat the best. This was no fluke result. Canada, elevated by its boisterous fans, found another gear and the belief to post a famous win. Ironically it also served to highlight Canada's main weakness. In a word: inconsistency. It is endlessly frustrating. Canada CAN do it, just not on a regular enough basis. It is an Achilles heel that refuses to heal. I am certain Canada does not want to be regarded as a "once in a while" team. It has the talent but all too frequently the composure is lacking. It is, by definition, a vicious cycle. Without the confidence that only comes from the ability to execute, mistakes are bound to repeat themselves. The Canadians can learn from their neighbours. Team USA has been model of consistency this season and demonstrated the capacity to recover efficiently after setbacks. It is this mental toughness that is so often the difference between elite athletes, regardless of the sport. History will show another Canada Sevens where the hosts failed to make the quarter-finals, mush less threaten the podium. There are no medals for finishing 10th but Canada showed, albeit fleetingly, what can be achieved. As for the fans, they didn't put a foot wrong. There are great rugby venues across the globe and Vancouver is becoming one of them. It is an annual festival with fancy dress in all its splendor providing the most colourful and entertaining backdrop to complement the action on the pitch. They clearly enjoyed the weekend entertainment, and it is gratifying to hear Vancouver will continue to host this feast of rugby for at least the next four years. Ultimately Canada finished where they should – well down the pecking order. But for 14 magical minutes against Fiji the fans were on their feet. Me too.<doc-sep>South Africa celebrate after defeating France in the final of the Canada Sevens Defending series champion South Africa beat a resurgent France 21-12 in the final of the Vancouver Sevens on Sunday to claim their first title of the season in the World Rugby Sevens Series. South Africa's best result in the previous five rounds of the 2018-2019 season was a third-placing in their home tournament at Cape Town in December. The new-look BlitzBokke have been forced to give up several key players to Super Rugby and were only seventh at the previous series stop at Las Vegas last week. But after completing pool play on Saturday with an unbeaten record, including a win over series leader USA, they went on to reach the final with a 33-12 quarter-final win over Argentina and 31-12 semi-final win over Fiji. France was the most unlikely of finalists, appearing in their first Cup final since 2012 and chasing a first title in 14 years. The French were only 15th at the Las Vegas Sevens and were beaten 45-7 by New Zealand in their opening pool match in Vancouver. Pierre Gilles Lakafia runs the ball in for a try while avoiding Impi Visser But they recovered to reach the play-offs, beating Las Vegas finalists Samoa 35-12 in the quarter-finals and the United States 33-5 in the semis. France also scored first, through veteran Pierre Gilles Lakafi, to raise the prospect of one of the biggest finals upsets in series history. The French were able to hold the ball for long periods but possibly lacked the speed out wide to make full use of that possession. South Africa's JC Pretorius fights off a tackle from Remi Siega on Sunday South Africa finally got some good possession in the sixth minute to take the lead with a try under the posts to Impi Visser, one of their stars of the tournament. Speedster Selvyn Davids then scored almost three minutes after the siren to give South Africa a 14-5 advantage at half-time. Werner Kok gave South Africa a 21-5 lead with a try in the second minute of the second half. France kept their hopes faintly alive when Stephan Parez broke away to score two minutes later. If France could have scored again, the match would have been in the balance, but they were unable to break down the defence and South Africa claimed their first series title since Paris last season. South Africa enjoy their first title of the season in the World Rugby Sevens Series "I think it was a much improved effort from our team and the boys played some fantastic rugby," South Africa captain Philip Snyman said. "I'm really happy with the win and hopefully we can build on this one now. "There's a lot of talent in this group and a lot of talent waiting back home ... I knew it was only a matter of time until this team started to gel." The United States still leads the series standing with 113 points, seven ahead of New Zealand and one clear of Olympic gold medalist Fiji.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Canada Sevens day 2 recap: Third-time lucky for South Africa while Canadians hit Aussie wall, finish 10th Canada Sevens day 2 recap: Third-time lucky for South Africa while Canadians hit Aussie wall, finish 10th Canada have found its groove on Sunday and may not play for the title, but the Canadian players still thrilled the hometown crowd. Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content So the Canadians pulled off their fifth-ever win against Fiji on Saturday but it wasn’t enough to get them into the cup quarterfinals on Sunday at the 2019 Canada Sevens. They managed big wins over Spain and Scotland but ran out of gas in the Challenge Trophy final against Australia, finishing tenth on the day. The cup final itself features South Africa for the third time and a surprising France, who will record their best finish on the season no matter the result. The South Africans have never won in Vancouver, losing the 2016 and 2017 finals. Toggle full screen mode Previous Gallery Image Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by BEN NELMS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images Next Gallery Image Toggle gallery captions All 42 Photos for Gallery Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Catch up with all the action from Saturday with our day one recap here. 7:30 p.m. What a weekend. South Africa wins their first Vancouver title, after three attempts. They defeated France 21-12, on the strength of some powerful defence and a trio of opportunistic scores. “I always like coming back to Vancouver,” South African coach Neil Powell said afterwards. “I’m happy for the guys, especially after last weekend in Vegas. There’s a lot of expectation back at home. It’s great the youngsters started to gel on the field.” “It’s a difficult season. Everybody at every single tournament put all their energy into every game. I think it’s because of those four spots that are up for grabs for automatic Olympic qualification (South Africa are fourth), I think it’s going to be tough to keep up the pace for the last four (tournaments). “It almost felt like we’ve had two seasons in a row, what with last year having the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup, it’s going to be tough to keep up mentally as much as physically.” France was the most unlikely of finalists, appearing in its first Cup final since 2012 and chasing a first title in 14 years. The French were only 15th at the Las Vegas Sevens and were beaten 45-7 by New Zealand in their opening pool match in Vancouver. France coach Jérôme Daret was visibly pleased about his team’s performance even if they lost in the final. “We know we have power, we know we have potential but we have to come to believe,” he said after the game. His team did that this weekend, with the comprehensive semi-final defeat of the USA a standout performance. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Sevens in France is not a high profile game, he noted, and the season is a long struggle to find players to fill out his squad, but he was upbeat. “We give the way, and I think we made a good signal this weekend,” he said. France was the most unlikely of finalists, appearing in its first Cup final since 2012 and chasing a first title in 14 years. The French were only 15th at the Las Vegas Sevens and were beaten 45-7 by New Zealand in their opening pool match in Vancouver. And before we go, a plea from the Canadians as Olympic qualification looms larger and larger. “They boys will complain about it but a little more support would be great,” Canada captain Harry Jones said, alluding to the current funding challenges the men’s sevens squad is facing. “We lost a few guys due to just a lack of support and a lack of S&C (strength and conditioning) full time, that does hurt. But at the end of the day, those boys put it out there.” His coach echoed similar sentiments, noting the list of injuries his team was battling. “We just showed a glimpse of what we’re capable of.<doc-sep>Canada's annual celebration of sevens, rugby's faster-paced cousin, is set to return to BC Place for a fourth year this weekend. The Canada Sevens pits teams from 16 countries against each other in a two-day mini World Cup tournament expected to draw close to 80,000 fans Saturday and Sunday. Here's what you need to know about the tournament at BC Place March 9 and 10. What's the deal with sevens rugby? Sevens is named for both the number of players on each team and the length of each half in a game. Things move pretty quickly so a match wraps up in just over 20 minutes, including halftime. The result is a made-for-millennials sport that prizes quick decisions and speed over the strength and size more valued in traditional 15-a-side rugby. It's growing in popularity and was featured at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Mesulame Kunavula of Fiji fights for the ball with Billy Odhiambo of Kenya during the gold medal game at the 2018 Canada Sevens. (Ben Nelms / Getty Images) How's the tournament work? It's a two-day event with games starting early in the morning and ending early evening. Saturday is Day 1 and features group play. The 16 teams are divided into groups of four each, with each country playing three games. BREAKING: The official pool draw for HSBC Canada Sevens 2019 is here! Let's do this #Vancouver 👊🍁 pic.twitter.com/d3LtNdyeET —@CanadaSevens That's a lot of rugby (24 games to be exact) so things start pretty early just after 9 a.m. and keep going with a string of back-to-back matches broken up only briefly for a few breaks until play wraps up just after 7 p.m. The top two teams in each group advance to the second round, while the bottom two teams move into a consolation bracket. Those games are played on Sunday with a similar all-day schedule. And of course, there's the fans. Part of the fun of a sevens event is dressing up in costume, with bananas, Waldo and comic book heroes among the traditionally more popular options. Vancouver is one of 10 stops on the World Rugby Sevens Series and has drawn more than 210,000 fans since joining the circuit in 2016. Is Canada any good? Canada's men's team enters the weekend ranked 11th of the 18 countries who've played in at least one Sevens Series event this season, just behind Spain and Scotland but ahead of traditional rugby-playing countries France and Wales. The best Canada has managed this season is a joint seventh-placed finish at the New Zealand Sevens. Otherwise, Canada's had three 11th-place finishes and fell to 13th at the most recent event in Las Vegas last weekend, though they did end with consecutive wins in consolation play. Canada's Nathan Hirayama, centre, celebrates with his teammates after scoring a try against France at the 2018 Canada Sevens in Vancouver. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press) A pre-season two-month labour dispute hampered preparations and resulted in a player boycott prompted by what some called a 'toxic' reorganization of Rugby Canada. The dispute was settled in November but less than a month before the series' opening event in Dubai. The hosts will be aiming for their first quarter-finals appearance and historically have won nine of 17 games played at BC Place. But sevens is unpredictable and even underdog teams like the Canadians can win a tour stop, as they did at the 2017 Singapore Sevens. Fijian fans cheer on their team at the 2018 Canada Sevens in Vancouver. Team Fiji won the 2018 tournament. (Ben Nelms / Getty Images) Who should I be watching for? Games go by pretty quickly, but fans get three chances on Day 1 to catch their favourite team or players. Here's a few of both to keep an eye out for: Nathan Hirayama - Richmond's own managed to lead last weekend's USA Sevens in points scored despite being on a team that tied for 11th place. - Richmond's own managed to lead last weekend's USA Sevens in points scored despite being on a team that tied for 11th place. Carlin Isles - The former football player and sprinter is known as one of the fastest players in the sport and led a strong American team to a victory in its home tour stop. - The former football player and sprinter is known as one of the fastest players in the sport and led a strong American team to a victory in its home tour stop. Sione Molina - An up-and-coming player captained a strong All Blacks team earlier this season and is known for his power running and ability to score on his own. - An up-and-coming player captained a strong All Blacks team earlier this season and is known for his power running and ability to score on his own. Team Fiji - Easily the best supported visiting team at BC Place the last three years, the Fijians won tour stops in South Africa and New Zealand as well as last year's Vancouver event. - Easily the best supported visiting team at BC Place the last three years, the Fijians won tour stops in South Africa and New Zealand as well as last year's Vancouver event. Team USA - Our southern neighbours are emerging as a sevens powerhouse, featuring in five tournament finals this season and boasting stars like Isles as well as Ben Pinkelman and Madison Hughes.<doc-sep>
A depleted Canadian team ran out gas, losing 35-21 to Australia in the Challenge Trophy final Sunday at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens tournament in Vancouver. Injuries reduced Canada's roster to 11 players from 13. The gruelling toll of playing six games over two days also showed as Canada struggled to crack the Australian defence. WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Australia match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Challenge Trophy Final - Canada vs. Australia Sports 23:53 Watch Canada face off with Australia in the Challenge Trophy Final at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 23:53 "We're down a few guys, but the boys really ground it out," said Harry Jones of West Vancouver. "I'm really proud of them." Canada began the two-day tournament with an embarrassing 38-7 loss to Samoa Saturday morning. The team regrouped to win four straight matches before dropping the consolation final to finish 10th among 16 teams. "We had to marshal the troops a little bit," said head coach Damian McGrath. "There were a lot of positives. We showed a glimpse of what we were capable of if we were well resourced, well supported and staffed like other teams." At the beginning of the season the Rugby 7s players were in a dispute with Rugby Canada management over compensation and the dismissals of Lee Douglas, who acted as a strength and conditioning coach, and long-time manager Brian Hunter. Jones alluded to the dispute when summing up the weekend. "A lot of things go into it and the boys will never complain about anything," he said. "A little more support would be great. "We lost a few guys due to a lack of support and the proper [strength and condition coach] full time. It does hurt at the end of the day, but those boys put it out there 110 per cent and that's what good Canadian boys do." WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Scotland match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Gold Medal Match - South Africa vs. France Sports 42:16 Watch South Africa face off with France in the gold medal match at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 42:16 South Africa defeated France 21-12 to win the tournament championship. Fiji, which won last year's event in Vancouver, defeated the U.S. 24-14 in the bronze-medal game. The U.S. continues to lead the overall Rugby 7s standings with 113 points, followed by New Zealand (106), Fiji (101) and South Africa (89). Canada is 12th with 35 points. The competition drew a total attendance of 73,819. WATCH | South Africa wins tournament championship: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Scotland Sports 22:19 Watch Canada battle Scotland at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 22:19 'Grinding all week' Canada advanced to the consolation final by overcoming a 14-0 half-time deficit to defeat Scotland 19-14. Isaac Kaay crashed over for the winning try on the last play of the game. "We have been grinding all week," said Kaay, of Kamloops, B.C. "We're showing now how much grit [we have]. There is no give-up on this team. That's what Canadian rugby is all about." Canada's best finish this season in Rugby 7s was a tie for seventh at a tournament in Hamilton, New Zealand. Reaching the Challenge Trophy final is a confidence boost heading into the final four tournaments of the season. "No one likes to play in the bottom half," said Kaay. "This is the first semifinal of any kind we've won this year. It's a step in the right direction for us." WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Spain match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Spain Sports 24:46 Watch Canada battle Spain at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 24:46 Among the injuries, captain Nathan Hirayama was sidelined with fractured ribs while Adam Zaruba was out with a foot injury. One of the players filling the void was Connor Braid, who scored six tries over the weekend and helped set up two scores in the win over Scotland. "We were joking we have to get a bigger door to fit his head through," Kaay said about Braid. "The guys has grown in confidence, been a real big leader for us. "He's changed as a leader as the weekend has gone on. As a player it's amazing to watch him evolve from a guy who would speak a lot to a guy who is saying very little and is just showing in his play."