James Turner confidently asserts that the Australian men’s rugby sevens team truly thrives in high-pressure situations. Speaking to ABC Sport from France, Turner emphasized their comfort with stress, especially after the thrilling final at the second leg of the World Championship in Spain last weekend.
During the tournament decider in Valladolid, Australia found itself in a challenging position, trailing South Africa 14-0 within the first three minutes. The South African team, known as the Blitzboks, entered the match with significant momentum, having secured victory in the first round of the World Championship in Hong Kong and dominating the regular season with four wins out of six tournaments.
As the Blitzboks built their early lead, it appeared they were on track for another win. However, the Australian players maintained their composure despite the daunting scoreline. “We weren’t really that worried when we were 14-0 down,” Turner remarked. “We knew we just needed to get the ball.”
Turner played a pivotal role in sparking Australia’s comeback, breaking through three defenders to score their first try late in the first half. Teammates Ethan McFarland, Ben Dowling, and captain Henry Hutchison also scored, and with successful conversions, Australia surged ahead 26-14 with just three minutes remaining in the match.
However, the final moments were fraught with tension. Turner was shown a red card after inadvertently making contact with the head of South African player Jayden Nell during a tackle. Just 30 seconds before the end, Gino Cupido scored a try for the Blitzboks, and it looked as though they might equalize and push the match into extra time. Shilton van Wyk scored under the posts after the final whistle had blown, setting up an easy conversion attempt.
Yet, after consulting the television match official, the try was disallowed due to a forward pass, leading to jubilant celebrations among the Australian players as they secured their first victory on the World Rugby circuit in four years. “Twenty-six unanswered points showed that when we have the ball, we are pretty hard to stop,” Turner stated. “We just needed to keep positive and get the ball back, and that’s what we did.”
This victory capped an unbeaten campaign for Australia in Valladolid, where they had previously defeated the Blitzboks in the pool stage. The Australian women’s team also triumphed, defeating the USA 27-14 in their final, marking the first time since 2018 that both the men’s and women’s teams won their respective events at the same World Rugby tournament.
As the final round of the World Championship approaches in Bordeaux, the Australian women’s team is currently leading the standings, while the men’s team has risen to third place with their recent victory. South Africa leads with 38 points, followed by Argentina at 34, and Australia at 30.
Despite Turner’s optimism about the team’s form, he acknowledges the intense competition in the men’s tournament, where there is no definitive favorite. They will face Spain, who previously defeated them 19-5 in the Hong Kong quarterfinals. “Everyone in our competition can win it, and that is sort of what makes it a bit more exciting,” Turner noted. “Back in the day, you used to be able to go into a game and put your feet up a little bit. But every game is sort of a grand final, so you’ve got to prep well and have trust in the boys.”
With more challenging moments likely ahead, Turner embraces the pressure, stating, “It’s high stress, but I think we love the stress.”
