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Germany qualify for Madrid play-offs in dramatic fashion
Germany’s men’s Sevens team have made the final of the Challenger Series in Munich but more importantly have booked a place in the HSBC SVNS promotional play-offs in Madrid later this summer.
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The hosts of the tournament will now play favourites Uruguay, who beat Chile to win the overall Challenger Series with a game to spare, in the final, after both sides won their respective semi-finals.
Germany clinched the 21-14 win against Hong Kong China with a thrilling 40-metre solo try from the excellent Makonnen Amekuedi.
☝️ Hand up if you’ve just booked your ticket to Madrid!
Amekuedi stepped onto the pitch last minute to seal Germany’s place in the final, on home soil! 🏆#7sChallengerSeries pic.twitter.com/8C3lvm57Cy
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) May 19, 2024
His efforts together with tries from Chris Umeh and Niklas Koch were enough to fend off a brace of tries from giant Hong Kong China winger Max Denmark.
6’4 Denmark was unstoppable over the two days of the Challenger in Munich, but his efforts proved to be in vain against the home town heroes in the semi-final.
“It’s all we’ve been working for these last few months, since September. Everybody worked hard, it was a team effort and we deserved it,” match-winner Amekuedi told RugbyPass pitchside in Munich after the win over Hong Kong China. A moment of brilliance was ultimately all that separated the two sides.
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“Nik Koch picked up the ball and took out the first man, and then I had my one-on-one, and that’s what wingers want to have, that’s the perfect opportunity for wingers to score tries and I think I did a good job.”
Uruguay have the upper hand on the Challenger Series, leading Germany 2-to-1 in head-to-heads. While making a Challenger Series final in front of their home fans is sweet, making the play-offs in Madrid was the ultimate goal.
“That’s the goal for everybody here, it means the world for everybody and that’s our goal,” said Amekuedi. “I don’t just play for myself or my team, I play for my country, in my country, and everybody here who supports us, I play for them as well, like all of us do. It’s an amazing feeling.”
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See the HSBC SVNS champions crowned in Madrid, 31 May-2 June. Tickets from €10 available to purchase HERE.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great player for both Ireland & Leinster. I imagine he'll take to 7’s like a duck to water.!
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett. Enjoyed both the article and your articulate comments. I believe RA have a lot to answer for and they remain the “secret society” Follows your intriguing 8-9 podcast with Harry and Kevin Foote. i watch YouTube, selecting topics of my interest a lot and your 8-9 podcast comes up a lot due to the memory of searches so quite convenient.
14 Go to commentsI am picking the Professional players are wanting a change, where they can go off shore, earn big bucks, and still come back for AB duty or Super Rugby. This is all being driven by creed. Without Grassroots rugby ie clubs, there are no Professional players, because where are they going to learn the basics of rugby to actually play.
12 Go to commentsThat Telea is one slippery dude but it was funny seeing the young Tim Ryan leave him in no mans land.
9 Go to commentsA great shame that not only rugby greats like Ardie but ordinary people should think about “giving back” in one way or another; be it sport or any other walk of life where they could give help
1 Go to commentsThe article makes it sound like he came to the Brumbies a green, inexperienced player with no exposure to top level rugby. He was part of a 3yr championship winning team that was was and still is a top contender every year - Hawkes Bay. They were lucky to get a NZ age grade,NPC hardened, Australian eligible ( hardly coincidental ) gift fall in their laps? - Don't think so.
2 Go to commentsApparently Vern Cotter gave the players a swift check of their egos when he first came into the Blues environment and has instilled a French-like attitude towards the way that they play - no egos, put in the hard work, focus on the set pieces, and defend like mad-men. Looks like it’s working.
9 Go to commentsGreat signing for Scottish and a great loss for Ealing. Shold be gracing the Premiership.
1 Go to commentsWho is sheperd… ex what?
1 Go to commentsdon’t want to sound dramatic but this is not worthy of suspension, rather a suspended prison sentence
2 Go to commentsEllie is s good player in the womens game, but can we please, please, please stop this hyperbolic nonsense that she is the best player in the game, male or female? We’re living in the era of Dupont, who might end up being the best player in history, so lets just retain a sense of perspective shall we? 🙄
3 Go to commentsProvincial rugby has been the source of professional players into the Super and national teams through a high level of game performance. Discounting that historical edge is not wise. The player Association (primarily driven by players at the top of the pool) risks alienating the public which is also made up of amateur players. Reporting has not clarified the main points of difference between the provinces and the national body - including the NZRPA - so that the public can discern what is going on. Money deals from Silver Lake were not transparent and I suspect all sides want to maximize their slice of that pie and other revenue. Regardless, these ultimatums can’t be good for the game.
12 Go to commentsIf the stats are correct, which I assume they are, this is interesting. I wonder if playing outside of SA isn’t quite the same for SA players. There’s no place like home, playing with your own kind I guess. I’d like to know if players from other countries perform just as well for their clubs as they do for their countries? Or has this analysis only been done on South African players?
75 Go to commentsWtaf is going on down there?
12 Go to commentsSounds like the start of money problems in Ireland.
4 Go to commentsGetting Vern Cotter was a major win for the Blues. I always felt that Tana and Leon were recruited for their names rather than established coaching track records.
9 Go to commentsBig fan of stern Vern. Very lucky to have a international standard coach.
9 Go to commentsRazor should take him under his wing
1 Go to commentsThe hard edge Vern Cotter has instilled in this Blues team is a noticeable difference from the Leon McDonald coached Blues team. McDonald’s side had potential, played some enterprising stuff but lacked the mongrel to be champions. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich often says teams play to the personality of the coach and I feel Vern Cotter’s Blues do just that. The match which was Graham Henry’s first taste of rugby between the All Blacks and the Springboks was famous for Don Clarke’s goal kicking and let’s just say the impact Kevin Skinner made in tilting the scrum battle and perhaps of that series New Zealand’s way.
9 Go to commentsBlackadder goes forth - well he’s selected but whether he makes it to the game is another thing.
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